System Threats

System Threats

1. Malware:software written to infect computers and commit crimes such as fraud and identity theft. Malware has become big business in the cyber underworld. As a result, if you use a computer for web surfing, shopping, banking, email, instant messaging, and gaming without proper protection, you are putting yourself at high risk of being victimized

   • the effects of malware;• The computer may crash, reboot spontaneously or slow down without any logical explanation. • When a worm infects a computer, the internet connection may become slow as the worm searches online for other computers to infect. • Files may be deleted, become corrupt or encrypted. However, the worst symptoms of malware are often the ones that you do not see. Malware might be designed to record the keys that you press on your keyboard, for example, creating a text log that your computer sends to a hacker periodically. The hacker then scans the text log, looking for passwords that he can use to access your email or bank accounts.
     • preventing malware;• Strong security software (firewall, spam filter, anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-spam) • Enable OS updates • Staff training: caution opening attachments • Back up files regularly

2. Phishing: Phishing is when someone acts as a 'fake company' trying to persuade customers to click onto there link they provide with a fake email, in hope the customers will be naive to then go on the link, where there account for the company which could lead to it getting hacked, only if they provide personal details

3. Data Interception:An attacker monitors data streams to or from a target, in order to gather sensitive information. This attack usually involves sniffing network traffic. Sniffing or eavesdropping is the act of monitoring traffic on the network for data such as plaintext passwords or configuration information. With a simple packet sniffer program, an attacker can easily read all plaintext traffic.

4. Brute Force Attack:A brute force attack is a trial-and-error method used to obtain information such as a user password or personal identification number

5. SQL Injection Attack;SQL injection is a code injection technique, used to attack data-driven applications. If a database application has not been coded in a secure way, code can be entered into text boxes, and will be executed by the server.

   • • Contents of the database can be output, revealing data that otherwise would be hidden. • Data in the database can be amended and deleted. • New rogue records can be added.

6. Denial Of Service Attack:Flooding a server with useless traffic causes servers to become overloaded preventing them responding to legitimate client-server requests from users. Many DoS attacks, such as the Ping of Death and Teardrop attacks, exploit limitations in the TCP/IP protocols. DDoS is a type of attack where multiple compromised systems, which are often infected with a Trojan, are used to target a single system causing a Denial of Service attack.