Technology Advance and Networks Security - Coursework Example

Networks security Introduction Organizations nowadays are faced by the serious issue of data and assets security in as far as network security is concerned. There is always the possibility of an attack, intrusion or theft of vital assets or information from an organizations database and thus the need to be concerned about network security and look for possible solution to this real danger. Technology helps create new crimes and new methods of committing crimes (Bishop, 2003). According to Harrington (2005) computer crime or cyber crime is a relatively new phenomenon in the world today. It is caused by intentional or irresponsible actions of individuals who take advantage of the universality and vulnerability of computers and computer networks. In light of this understanding, many organizations are aware of the dangers of computer related crime and are taking measures to ensure network security in an effort to safe guard their valuable data and that of their clients. It is also a measure to protect theft of intellectual property and other network resources from being destroyed. This paper will provide an in-depth view of security threats. In essence, computer security deals with computer-related assets that are subject to a variety of threats and for which various measures are taken to protect those assets. The remainder delves into two broad categories of computer and network security threats: intruders and malicious software (Stallings, 2013).  Computer security As institutions move towards embracing information technology, it means that a lot of personal information is being stored and disseminated for use by companies and governments all over the world. Computer networks have various information and assets belonging to organizations and individuals. These information and assets are exposed by the vulnerability of computer and computer networks leading to computer crime (Skoularidou & spinellis 2003, Forcht & Tsai, 1994). Some of the key security requirements are: Confidentiality: In the concept of data privacy, confidentiality is the act of limiting data just to the authorized users. This is achieved through the use of user-IDs and passwords. Confidentiality helps protect against malicious software, spyware and phishing (Foltz, 2004). Integrity: Data integrity refers to the trustworthiness of information resources including the network system. This means data should be received in its original form without interference or without it coming from an imposter. Data should also be valid even if it came from the right person. Integrity of a system means that whatever was entered is not altered in any way (Foltz, 2004). Availability Information resources should be available whenever an authorized person wants to access them. Although it may be affected by technical problems, availability may also be as a result of deliberate human actions (Foltz, 2004). If there are privacy laws enacted in a country, then all these issues maybe addressed to a substantial extent to safeguard the privacy and integrity of individuals within computer networks. Privacy laws give a guide on how personal data should be handled in terms of authority to access the data and who should and who should not access the data (Kaufman & Speciner, 2002). Security of confidential information such as bank details and credit card information is also a major concern within networks. E-commerce transactions are made possible through payments made using credit cards. Criminals may steal card and owners identification ands security details for malicious use such as accessing the accounts to withdraw money. Threats attacks and assets Threat to computer and network security may be deliberate or accidental manifested through; access, misuse, disclose, modification and denied access. These are the major categories of threats to computers and networks. A threat action is illegal and results in security violation and may result in the following consequences each caused by a particular threat action (Birch, 2011): Unauthorized disclosure-sensitive data is released to unauthorized person through deliberate exposure, scavenging, human or system error. It may also be caused by inference or intrusion Deception-authorized person receiving false data, a consequence caused by threat actions such as; masquerade, falsification, and repudiation Disruption-preventing normal operations of a system through threat actions such as; incapacitation, corruption and obstruction Usurpation-where system resources are controlled by unauthorized person as a result of threat actions such as; misappropriation and misuse Data- security concerns with respect to data are broad, encompassing availability, secrecy and integrity. System administrators may take actions to prevent or to detect intrusion in an effort to guarantee confidentiality, integrity and availability of data and information systems. Passwords and user-IDs are used to prevent intrusion while detection methods like audit trails help identify suspicious activities (O’Beirne, 2002). Communication Lines and Networks have common attacks that can happen when a system’s security is breached. These include but limited to: Passive attacks Release of message contents Traffic analysis Active attacks Replay Masquerade Modification of messages Denial of service Intruders According to Puuronen, & Seleznyov (2003) we have three classes of intruders Masquerader-an outsider who disguises as a legitimate insider to access data. Misfeasor-an internal intruder who access data not authorized which he/she is not authorized to access. Clandestine user an external intruder who access supervisory privileges to disable authentication abilities of a system. Types of intruders Unauthorized outsiders Unauthorized insiders - Intruder behavior patterns Criminal hackers enjoy unauthorized access to private computer systems to steal passwords, corrupt files and programs and even transfer resources. It is quite a big problem with financial institutions in the money and banking sector. This shows why security consideration is a major factor when it comes to implementation of technology infrastructure by any bank. Hackers are also to able to use special programs known as password sniffer to get access into computer system to steal data and information belonging to private individuals and organizations. It is very common nowadays for criminals to use other people’s intellectual properties without their knowledge or permission (Huang & MacCullum, 2010). Insider attacks-these are done by insiders with ability to access data although not authorized Intrusion techniques these include using passwords acquired through phishing, illegally acquired passwords and user-IDs. Malicious software Malicious software or malware as commonly known is a general term for destructive software such as worms, viruses and Trojan horse. They change how a computer system operates without the consent or authorization from the owner (Puuronen, & Seleznyov, 2003). Back door- A concept in computing whereby malicious software accesses computer and network system without having gone through authentication Logic bomb-this is a code contained in software to execute a malicious intent once some conditions have been fulfilled. Virus and worms contain logic bombs. Trojan- A Trojan is another type of dangerous malware that can cause substantial loss of data, theft of data and destruction of software and hardware resources. They don’t replicate but they can open backdoors for entry of other malicious software like viruses. Trojans gain access to computer systems by tricking the users into loading and executing the Trojan unknowingly. Mobile code-is software that is transferable between network systems. It is executable on a local network station without the knowledge of the recipient. It can be used to deliver viruses and worms since the user is unaware when a mobile code is downloading and executing. Viruses, worms, bots and spam Viruses are computer programs capable of penetrating into a computer system and attaching to other computer files. Once a virus attaches to a file, it is able to replicate multiple times without any instructions. Virus attacks can result into massive loss of data, programs corruption and destruction of hardware and other network resources. Viruses spread very easily through transfer of infected documents or programs to another computer using network platforms, disks, and file sharing or infected e-mail attachments. Computers firewall and antivirus software helps guard a computer system from the dangers of viruses and Trojan horse (Mouratidis & Jahankhani, 2008). Viruses classification Classification by target Boot sector infector-infects the boot section of the operating system and could cause system failure File infector-infects files in the computer and modifies the information to render the files corrupted Marco virus Classification by concealment strategy Encrypted virus-a virus using a complicated encryption technique to hide from virus scanners. Stealth virus -these are viruses that use techniques to stay unnoticed such as retaining modification dates of the file they infect, and infecting files without increasing their sizes. Polymorphic virus-A complex form of virus which infects computer files with a copy of itself. It does not have identical parts making it harder to detect. Worms: these are computer programs which are capable of penetrating a network system without the owners’ knowledge. The have the same effects as computer viruses, the only difference is that they do not require another file to spread; they propagate by themselves. They enter a system through exploiting the vulnerability of the system or tricking a user into executing the malicious program (Mouratidis & Jahankhani, 2008). Network worm programs A network worm uses some sort of network vehicle, examples of these are: Electronic mail facility- contained in email as executable files Remote execution capability- can be executed by a third party without owners consent Remote login capability-are capable of accessing other computer in a network and login remotely Bot: is an automated process that connects to other network services. They automate tasks and provide information that is usually conducted by humans. They act as robots for other people apart from the computer user (Mouratidis & Jahankhani, 2008). Botnet Uses of bots: Distributed denial of service attacks by using the host computer to as a launcher of multiple requests to a website Spamming Sniffing-traffic- to get passwords and user-IDs Keylogging- It relays passwords, credit card numbers and other sensitive information to unauthorized third party individuals Spreading new malware Conclusion As technology advances and so does the crime associated with it such as intrusion and malicious software introduction. This poses a computer and computer network threat to the data and other network resources. This necessitates the need for governments and organizations to embrace network security interventions to promote positive uses of computer networks such as E-business and E-banking. In future, industry players will have to come together to concentrate their efforts into fighting cyber crime as computer-related crimes continue to rise and become sophisticated. References Birch, d. (2011). The role of intrusion detection systems in electronic information security: from the activity theory perspective, Journal of engineering, Design and technology, vol 9, #3, pp. 9-25 Bishop, M.,2003. Computer security: art and science, Addison-Wesley Professional Foltz, B. (2004). Cyberterrorism, computer crime , and reality, Information management & computer security, Vol 12, #2, pp. 12-23 Forcht,K., & Tsai, Y. (1994). Security and network management: changes in the way we work, Information management & computer security journal, Vol 2, #4. Pp 6-12 Harrington. J. Ed., 2005. Network security: A practical approach, Academic Press Huang, S., & MacCullum, D., 2010. Network security, Springer Kaufman, C., & Speciner, M., 2002. Network security: Private communication in a public world. 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