System Security

System Security

1. Forms of attack

   • Active
     • Using software or other technical methods to gain access.
   • Passive
     • Spying on a system to identify vulnerabilities,
   • Social engineering
     • A person is tricked into giving away information that gives others access.
   • Insider
     • An employee/former employee/business associate that has access to the system may steal sensitive information or give away access details to others.

2. Passwords

3. Removable media

   • Threats
     • Getting infected by malware.
     • Getting into the wrong handles

4. Malware

   • Hostile or intrusive software

5. Brute force attack

   • Used to obtain info using trial-and-error.

6. Phishing

   • Sending an email or text pretending to be from an official account to ask for personal information.

7. Firewall

   • A filter between a network and the internet.

8. Network forensics

   • Involves monitoring and examining data to discover the source of security attacks and other illegal activities.

9. Data inception

   • The cyber-criminal spies on the network traffic and gathers/alters information in the system.

10. Denial of Service (DoS)

    • Cyber-criminals send loads of messages flooding the targeted server with messages to overload the system and stop legitimate customers and users from accessing the server.

11. SQL injection

    • When a cyber-criminal inputs SQL code into an online form to enter a valid user ID or password.

12. Software patches

    • Fix known security problems in software and notify cyber-criminals that there was a problem so anybody not uploading the latest patch is vulnerable.

13. Network policy

    • Rules
      • Generating passwords
      • User access levels
      • Responsibility of training
      • Use of removable media
      • Firewall settings
      • Details of penetration testing
      • Installing and updating anti-malware software and software patches

14. Penetration testing

    • White-box penetration
      • Simulates a potential attack from inside the organisation and includes some basic knowledge of the target system such as the software used. This simulates a threat from an employee/former employee.
    • Black-box penetration
      • This simulates an external attack such as illegally gaining access to a computer system or cyber warfare and is a more realistic test as most hackers will not have the inside knowledge that a white-box knowledge assumes.

15. Encryption

    • Altering the original message using a secret code that only the authorised computers on the network know.
    • When a website has the address https instead of http it shows that any data the user inputs on that website will be encrypted and unreadable for anyone listening in.