Computing Security & Computing Forensics - Report Example

Computing Security The criminal hackers have outwitted on-line banking system. They have come up with devices that access the account of individual without their knowledge or that of the bank. As presented in the article, whenever the account holder logs in his account from the bank site, the hackers trick them that they offer training on a contemporary security system. When the customer gets interested with the offer, their money is accessible to the hacker who will transfer the amount making it inaccessible to the customer. Some current devices designed by specific banks like PIN Sentry of the Barclays bank and secure key of HSBC bank which are deemed of high security are not exceptional from hackers (Spencer, 2012). The hackers have been very witty, posing a threat even to those with up-to-date anti-virus software. The threat is not limited to certain group of bank users, but rather universal to all those who make any transaction with any bank. In a network standard setting check-up done by the BBC check, it was found that majority of web security did not detect the malware created by the hackers. However, the threat does not apply unless the user visits a specific website. The malware, which has been vetted as, “the man in the browser (MitB)”, exists in the web browser and can come in between a server and the link altering the details being entered or that is being seen (Spencer, 2012). The man in the browser has been confirmed to change payment details, and quantities as well as changing the on-screen balances. The interesting bit of the story is that the malware is very specific and attacks bank’s sites only. The malwares released by the hackers is a bit complicated because whenever an update is made on the malware it may take the security personnel more than a week or so, to detect its characteristics then destroy it. however, the malware suspected to have come from legal source that started to communicate with an existing web address (Spencer, 2012). The manufactures of security programmers have however argued that the matter is not out of hand, as they will continually research and blacklist links or other sources of malware. Many banks have however employed the back-end security to protect themselves from on-line fraud. They have assured to invent an intelligent fraud detector that will monitor all bank on-line operations. The detector will indicate any deviation from the actual transaction made. Many computers if adjusted to the maximum will block the malware though they expect it to block other useful programmes too (Spencer, 2012). Computer hacking has persisted for best part of last year making the banks in the United Kingdom lose thousands of dollars. The government should not terrify its people about the dangers of malware or cybercrime but should instead make people aware of and protect them from on-line theft the much possible it can. Many methods are put in place to curb the effect of the malware but the most effective outstanding method is the IT hygiene. Computers and other office equipments should be treated and disinfected with a cleanser. This keeps them away from failure due to dust or organisms as well as reducing malware effect (Spencer, 2010). The public should be made ware of the malware, how it comes about and how possible they can prevent themselves from its effects. Creating awareness will make the internet users to be extra careful whenever updating their account. The government should also promote its on-line get safe website. The government should set policies, which demand that whenever any device that can access internet is sold to a customer, to be supplied with personal safety advice. The government should also give assurance to the internet users like banks, benefits of claim incase one loses money through hacking in order to raise trust on on-line services. After a thorough research, BBC check found that cybercriminals channel their connection in multiple countries. The researchers settled at a conclusion that efforts should be made to promote the cross-border law policies (Bruce, 2010). People should simply under stand that any webpage is vulnerable to attacks leading to its breakage or display erroneous information. Internet users should thus keep fine details about their accounts very private. Internet users can keep their database very private by setting up a customer error page on one’s website. This way keeps the hacker from seeing the error message failure to do so one will be giving the hacker will to attack your site (Lech, 2008). Internet users should never use the JavaScript alone for input validation since hackers can easily detect it. Lastly, internet users should never give clue of their database or include their input field names, which are the same as database field names. Computing Forensics Broadbent provoked transport police by posing disobediently in front of a train having hidden his face with mugs. He and his ally Paul Scott displayed their criminal artisan on internet as they exchanged boastful messages on facebook networking site. The British transport police however proved them wrong when a detective matched their tags with a spray-print damage at northern rail west of Yorkshire. Broadbent who is twenty comes from Brook Street while Scott who is eighteen is from Tyersal Avenue. The two teens were found of graffiti vandalism to trains and railway walls. The two however accepted the allegations. Broadbent confessed to have attacked nine trains and five line side structures causing a damage of fourteen thousand pounds between august 2009 and March 2010. Scott as well confessed to have sprayed-paint on two trains hence damaging other thirteen railway walls between January and July 2010 worth three thousand pounds (Loweth, 2012). The judge forced the two to carry an unpaid work as they await their judgment. They were to clean up the mess they had caused. The bar established that the two were part of a graffiti crew that used to post its work on internet page and publish the same in its magazines. Broadbent and Paul Scott were caught red-handed after spraying shop Leeds. They British transport police had opted to warn them at first, but looking on the heftiness of the matter the police specialist of graffiti had to apprehend them. Their homes were fascinated and their computers, which contained numerous graffiti and artwork, were confiscated. Their facebook accounts contained boastful messages of how they had painted and their cameras had their tagged pictures (Loweth, 2012). The court learned that Scott had his business for marketing logos and fliers. The judge identified the two as having been a bother to the transport system by causing unnecessary delays to the passengers and unnecessary cost to the train owners. Broadbent got a jail of ten months and a suspension of eighteen months with an unpaid labor of three hundred hours. Scott earned himself a twelve-month community service order with one hundred and fifty hours labor without payment and five hundred pounds for compensation. Broadbent and Scott had caused the rail operators a headache of more than two years and a clean up cost of more than thirty thousand pounds, which solely had to come from the passengers. Their so-called graffiti and tags were meant to cause as much disruption to the passengers as possible. They had used the simple rails as their canvas but now they were forced to serve five-year anti-behavior service order (Loweth, 2012). Graffiti vandalism is a crime with respect to the internet ethics. The act summarizes that offenders of graffiti vandalism may be subjected to community service without payment as well a penalty that can amount to two thousand US dollars. The law also prohibits the sale of cans to those under the age of eighteen years (Elizabeth, 2005). The law also prohibits any physical access to cans so that the public may not be accessible to it without the assistance of a shop attendant. A person who sells spray cans to an underage commits an offence punishable at the law court. The government expects that the police take the primary responsibility in safeguarding the act and that territorial authority is monitored. Intentional damage is punishable by a maximum sentence of seven years. Graffiti vandalism has become a major problem in our society thus; the government has provided support by funding the anti-graffiti vandalism initiative (Barabara, 2012). Cases of gravity vandalism should be reported on their occurrence. For safety, one should not attack the offender but should wait until he or she leaves the exact area before either taking photo or making a call. It is the responsibility of everyone to make sure that we end graffiti vandalism. We should change our environment against graffiti vandalism and apply CPTED principles, which seek to reduce crime opportunities through design and management of crime level and safety. A graffiti eradication strategy outlines the territorial approach once graffiti vandalistic is caught. The appropriate response is then assessed for the culprit to start management, measures are then formulated. The government should formulate policies that aim at reducing the opportunities of the crime happening. It should restrict access or increase surveillance on the infrastructure to make less vulnerable to criminal damage (Elizabeth, 2012). The government can also work with children and the youth to prevent them from trespass and diverse their interest and energy to a more reproductive and positive activity. The law also should be strictly observed and the act that term graffiti vandalism as an anti-social behavior be strictly observed and the law to take its course. Bibliography Barabara, M. 2012. Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Issues. New York City: Cengage Learning. Bruce, C. B. 2010. How to Stop E-mail Spam, Spyware, Malware, Computer Viruses, and Hackers from Ruining Your Computer Or Network. TrixieBelden: Atlantic Publishing Company. EC-Council. 2009. Ethical Hacking and Countermeasures. New York City: Cengage Learning. Economic Research Centre & Round Table on Transport Economics. 2003. Vandalism, Terrorism and Security in Urban Public Transport. Paris: OECD Publishing. Elizabeth, B. 2005. Making people behave: anti-social behaviour, politics and policy. London: Willan Publishing. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16812064b [accessed 8th April 2012] http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/local/localbrad/9517174.Graffiti_pair_given_five_year_ASBOs_for_train_damage/ [accessed, 8th April 2012]. Jenny, L. 2012. Graffiti pair given five-year ASBOs for train damage. Available from Lech, J. 2008. Cyber warfare and cyber terrorism. Pensacola: Idea Group IncI. Spencer, K. 2012. Hackers outwit online banking identity security systems. Available from Steve, C. 2008. Evolutionary Concepts in End User Productivity and Performance. Pensacola: Idea Group Inc. Read More