Computer Security Risks

Computer Security Risks

• A computer security risk is any event or

• action that could cause a loss of or damage to

• computer hardware, software, data, information,

• or processing capability

Cybercrime

Any illegal act involving a computer

generally is referred to as a computer crime.

The term cybercrime refers to online or

Internet-based illegal acts. Software used by

cybercriminals sometimes is called crimeware.

Today, cybercrime is one of the FBI’s top three

priorities.

Hacker

• Someone who accesses a

• computer or network illegally is called hacker.

• Some hackers

• claim the intent of their security breaches is

• to improve security.

Cracker

• A cracker also is someone who accesses

• a computer or network illegally but has

• the intent of destroying data, stealing

• information, or other malicious action.

• Both hackers and crackers have advanced

• computer and network skills.

Script kiddie

• A script kiddie has the same intent as a

• cracker but does not have the technical skills

Cyberextortionist

(CRIMINAL LAW obtaining something by illegal threats)

A cyberextortionist is someone who uses

e-mail as a vehicle for extortion. These

perpetrators send an organization a

threatening e-mail message indicating they

will expose confidential information, exploit

a security flaw, or launch an attack that will

compromise the organization’s network — if

they are not paid a sum of money.

Cyberterrorist

• A cyberterrorist is someone who uses the

• Internet or network to destroy or damage computers for political reasons. The

• cyberterrorist might target the nation’s air

• traffic control system, electricity-generating companies, or a telecommunications infrastructure.

• The term, cyberwarfare, describes an attack whose goal ranges from disabling a government’s computer network to crippling

• a country. Cyberterrorism and cyberwarfare usually require a team of highly skilled

Internet and Network Attacks

• Information transmitted over networks has a

• higher degree of security risk than information

• kept on an organization’s premises. In an organization,

• network administrators usually take

• measures to protect a network from security

• risks. On the Internet, where no central administrator

• is present, the security risk is greater.

Security service

• To determine if your computer is vulnerable

• to an Internet or network attack, you

• could use an online security service. An online

• security service is a Web site that evaluates

• your computer to check for Internet and e-mail

• vulnera bilities

How virus can spread through Email Message

Safeguards against Computer Virusesand Other Malware

• Methods that guarantee a computer or

• network is safe from computer viruses and other

• malware simply do not exist. Users can take several

• precautions, however, to protect their home

• and work computers and mobile devices from

• these malicious infections

Precautions

• Do not start a computer with removable media inserted in the drives or plugged in the ports.

• For example, optical disc drives should be empty, and a USB port should not contain a USB flash

• drive. During the startup process, a computer

• may attempt to execute the boot sector on media

• in certain drives and ports. Even if the attempt is

• unsuccessful, a virus on the boot sector of removable

• media can infect the computer’s hard disk.

• If you must start the computer with media in a

• drive or port, be certain the media are uninfected

• or from a trusted source

Precautions

• Never open an e-mail attachment unless you

• are expecting the attachment and it is from a

• trusted source. If the e-mail message is from an

• unknown source or untrusted source, delete the

• e-mail message immediately — without opening

• or executing any attachments.

Precautions

• Some viruses are hidden in macros, which

• are instructions saved in software such as a word

• processing or spreadsheet program. In programs

• that allow users to write macros, you should set

• the macro security level so that the application

• software warns users that a document they are

• attempting to open contains a macro

Precautions

• Users should install an antivirus program and

• update it frequently.

• An antivirus program protects a computer against

• viruses by identifying and removing any computer

• viruses found in memory, on storage media,

• or on incoming files.

Precautions

• One technique that antivirus programs use to

• identify a virus is to look for virus signatures. A

• virus signature, also called a virus definition, is

• a known specific pattern of virus code. Computer

• users should update their antivirus program’s

• signature files regularly