System Threats

System Threats

1. Malware

   • Is software written to infect computers and commit crimes such as fraud and identity theft.
     • Some effects of malware the computer may crash, reboot spontaneously or slow down without any logical explanation. 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.

2. Phishing

   • Phishing is an online fraud technique used by criminals to entice you to disclose personal information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by disguising as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.
     • Accessing a victim’s account and withdraw money or purchase merchandise or services. Open new bank or credit-card accounts in a victim’s names, and use the new account to cash illegitimate checks or purchase merchandise. Gaining access high-value corporate data. Financial services can blacklist institutions, resulting in reputational damage.

3. Brute Force Attack

   • A brute force attack is a trial and error method used by programs to decode encrypted data such as passwords or Data Encryption Standard keys, through exhaustive effort rather than employing intellectual strategies.
     • Theft of data. Access to corporate and private computer systems

4. DOS

   • 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.
     • Revenue losses: downtime affects profits. Based on industry surveys, the average cost of downtime is over £4000/minute. Productivity Loss: when critical network systems are shut down, your workforce’s productivity comes to a halt. Reputation Damage: your brand suffers if customers can’t access your site or become casualties of a data breach.

5. Data Interception and Theft

   • 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.
     • Discovering username and password credentials. Gaining access to systems. Disclosure of corporate data. Theft of data.
       • Strong encryption. Using virtual networks. Staff training: use of passwords, locking and portable storage devices. Network forensics.

6. SQL Injection

   • 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.

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