...being unmatched technologically in the battlefields, the low-cost, simple, complex and expensive asymmetric threats have proved to be significantly dangerous to the security of any country. While cyber-attacks are increasingly driven by automated processes, human beings still operate at human speeds. Today, cybercrime has developed and adversaries have gained sponsorship from governments, international organizations or individuals for their selfish interests. The most recent development in cyber-attacks are the advanced persistent threats. According to Vert, Gonen and Brown (2014), these kinds of attacks are known of being sophisticated and slow moving over a long period of time. Advanced persistent threats are computer network attacks in which unauthorized individuals gain access to network systems or its resources and continues to use the resources without detection for a long period of time. By definition, advanced persistent threats are highly sophisticated networked entity, typical of organized groups of attackers, which conduct hostile cyber-attacks against a computer system. As described in the scenario, the western interconnection power grid faces such a challenge. Adversaries intend to use malwares to gain access to the network system at the power grid. A. Analysis of the problem and Safeguards against the problem The lifecycle of an advanced persistent threat follows a six step process as shown in the diagram that follows. The first phase, the information collect,...
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...Identifying Potential Malicious Attacks, Threats and Vulnerabilities Networking Security Fundamentals – CIS 333 April 29, 2012 Identifying Potential Malicious Attacks, Threats and Vulnerabilities There are a myriad of potential threats and vulnerabilities that leave a system open to malicious attack, anytime you have a computer network that connects to the internet there is a potential for malicious attack so it is important that you know the vulnerabilities of a system to protect it from potential threats and malicious attacks. “A vulnerability is any weakness in a system that makes it possible for a threat to cause harm.” (Kim & Solomon, 2012, p. 96). There are several common vulnerabilities that exist within the seven domains of an IT infrastructure for example there is the lack of awareness or concern for security policy vulnerability in the User Domain as well as intentional malicious activity ( Kim & Solomon, 2012). Within the Workstation Domain there exists unauthorized user access, weakness in installed software, and malicious software introduced vulnerabilities, unauthorized network access, transmitting private data unencrypted, spreading malicious software, exposure and unauthorized access of internal resources to the public, introduction of malicious software, loss of productivity due to internet access, denial of service attacks, brute-force attacks on access and private data are all examples of vulnerabilities within the seven domains of IT infrastructure...
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...Malicious Attacks and Threats Malicious Attacks and Threats As the lead Information Systems Security Engineer it is my job to ensure that the ongoing threat of malicious attacks and vulnerabilities to the organizations computer network are kept to a minimum so that highly sensitive data will continue to remain protected. However, recent reports from the CIO suggest that there has been a small amount of malicious activity reported on the network. The CIO is requesting I look into the current network infrastructure and make necessary changes to the network so that the system remains free from the threat and vulnerability of future malicious activity that would impact the organizations network. Attacks on computer systems and networks occur by the billions every year and are on a dramatic increase. Many organizations have invested vast amounts of money in computer networks, only to find out that although it is providing means of improving the efficiency and productivity of the organization it also exposes the organization to possible malicious attacks and threats. Such attacks have been the most challenging issue for a majority of Information System Security Engineers where they utilize the necessary resources to protect the network from these vulnerabilities. The greatest overall threat to computer systems and their information comes from humans, through actions that are either malicious or ignorant. When the action is malicious, some motivation or goal...
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...Countermeasures Instructor: Professor Christopher Weppler Date: 2 August 2013 Introduction “In a future conflict, an adversary unable to match our military supremacy on the battlefield might seek to exploit our computer vulnerabilities here at home (President Barack Obama, 2012).” Technology has changed the total lifestyle of people around the world. Here in the United Stated, society’s daily lives revolve around social interaction, economic stability, job security and information dominance. Information Dominance is “the degree of information superiority that allows the possessor to use information systems and capabilities to achieve an operational advantage in a conflict or to control the situation in operations other than war while denying those capabilities to the adversary (US Cyber Command, 2012).” Corporations as well as many of the world’s governments have risen and fallen due to their degree of Information Dominance and Information Security. Cyber-attacks have increased exponentially within the last 10 years. Battlefield lines that were once drawn in the sand no longer exist. Cyber-attacks can occur from any location in the world and at any time. A Cyber-terrorist has the ability to use current communication infrastructure to launch an attack that could cripple a nation. In 2012, Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta spoke at the Business Executives for National Security (BENS) summit. He expresses that “An aggressor nation or extremist group could use these...
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...There are a myriad of potential threats and vulnerabilities that leave a system open to malicious attack, anytime you have a computer network that connects to the internet there is a potential for malicious attack so it is important that you know the vulnerabilities of a system to protect it from potential threats and malicious attacks. “A vulnerability is any weakness in a system that makes it possible for a threat to cause harm.” (Kim & Solomon, 2012, p. 96). There are several common vulnerabilities that exist within the seven domains of an IT infrastructure for example there is the lack of awareness or concern for security policy vulnerability in the User Domain as well as intentional malicious activity ( Kim & Solomon, 2012). Within the Workstation Domain there exists unauthorized user access, weakness in installed software, and malicious software introduced vulnerabilities, unauthorized network access, transmitting private data unencrypted, spreading malicious software, exposure and unauthorized access of internal resources to the public, introduction of malicious software, loss of productivity due to internet access, denial of service attacks, brute-force attacks on access and private data are all examples of vulnerabilities within the seven domains of IT infrastructure which are User, Workstation, LAN, LAN-to WAN, WAN, Remote Access, and System/Application Domains (Kim & Solomon, 2012). Threats can cause great harm or damage to computer systems through their vulnerabilities...
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...their computers and associative equipment, as well as, their clients’ devices are secure from unwanted intrusions. As computers and other electronic devices become more sophisticated and start storing more and more personal information, which includes, but is not limited to the development of technologies such as the fiber-optics, satellite communications, Bluetooth and the innovation of cloud storage, users are attempting to ensure their personal items are safe. However, while device users are trying to ensure their items are secure, there are the opposing parties that are constantly attacking and attempting to infiltrate any and all defenses posed by a target computer. An attacker can gain personal information, such as finance data, including credit card information as well as account numbers, and other important information relevant to your life. These attempts can eventually lead to success and jeopardize the people being attacked. These attacks are becoming more sophisticated and complex as well, meaning not only that technologies need to be evolved and enhanced, but also that the user needs to be more conscious than ever of exactly what they are doing on their systems. According to Dictionary.com Network security is “The protection of a computer network and its services from unauthorized modification, destruction, or disclosure”. This means that any person that attempts to access a computer network or any of its components without explicit permission of the network administrator...
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...amount of money in computer networks, only to find out that although it is providing means of improving the efficiency and productivity of the organization but it also exposes the Organization to possible attacks and threats. Such attacks have been the most challenging issue for most network administrators and a worrying topic for administrators. Organizations need to share services resources and information but they still need to protect these from people who should not have access to them, while at the same time making those resources available to authorized users. Effective security achieves these goals. The greatest threat to computer systems and their information comes from humans, through actions that are either malicious or ignorant. When the action is malicious, some motivation or goal is generally behind the attack. For instance, the goal could be to disrupt normal business operations, thereby denying data availability and production. April 13, 2000, 3:55 P.M. Pacific time: The Web site for the Motion Pictures Association of America (MPAA) is suffering intermittent outages, and the organization suspects computer vandals are to blame. A source inside the organization, who asked not to be identified, said that the MPAA is currently “experiencing problems with their public Web site, and they suspect a denial-of-service attack.” The attack was first rumored on http://www.hackernews.com/, a Web site for news on computer hacking. Most of the attacks are becoming...
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...Lab – Researching Network Security Threats Objectives Part 1: Explore the SANS Website Navigate to the SANS website and identify resources. Part 2: Identify Recent Network Security Threats Identify several recent network security threats using the SANS site. Identify sites beyond SANS that provide network security threat information. Part 3: Detail a Specific Network Security Threat Select and detail a specific recent network threat. Present information to the class. Background / Scenario To defend a network against attacks, an administrator must identify external threats that pose a danger to the network. Security websites can be used to identify emerging threats and provide mitigation options for defending a network. One of the most popular and trusted sites for defending against computer and network security threats is SysAdmin, Audit, Network, Security (SANS). The SANS site provides multiple resources, including a list of the top 20 Critical Security Controls for Effective Cyber Defense and the weekly @Risk: The Consensus Security Alert newsletter. This newsletter details new network attacks and vulnerabilities. In this lab, you will navigate to and explore the SANS site, use the SANS site to identify recent network security threats, research other websites that identify threats, and research and present the details about a specific network attack. Required Resources Device with Internet access Presentation computer with PowerPoint or other presentation software...
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...OF CONTENT Introduction 2 Threats 2 • State-sponsored espionage and sabotage of computer networks 2 • Monster DDoS attacks 2 • The loss of visibility and control created by IT consumerization and the cloud 2 • The password debacle 3 • The insider threat 3 UAE CASE 3 Precaution 4 Conclusion 4 Bibliography 5 Introduction As the requirement of the paper I will explain the types of fraud may face by the organisation computer networks. Along with I will discuss two cases of such fraud in UAE and finally I will discuss possible precautions to mitigate the risk of such frauds. In recent year the computer network threats become technically more advanced, sophisticated, more organised and at the same time difficult to detect. It is important to mention that these attacks not only damage network security for financial frauds but this also aim to disable and reliability of the infrastructure as well, which may cause worse type of threat to the national security. (Tom Cross and Eric Savitz, Forbes Staff, 2012) Threats Most respected financial magazine FORBES has mentioned five main security threats to the computer networks which includes. • State-sponsored espionage and sabotage of computer networks o In 2012 a very famous virus called Flame was discovered which was not traced by the software in years. Similarly virus named Shamon destroyed the data of oil and energy companies and made the machines unbootable. • Monster DDoS attacks o DDos stands for the distributed...
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...amount of money in computer networks, only to find out that although it is providing means of improving the efficiency and productivity of the organization but it also exposes the Organization to possible attacks and threats. Such attacks have been the most challenging issue for most network administrators and a worrying topic for administrators. Organizations need to share services resources and information but they still need to protect these from people who should not have access to them, while at the same time making those resources available to authorized users. Effective security achieves these goals. The greatest threat to computer systems and their information comes from humans, through actions that are either malicious or ignorant. When the action is malicious, some motivation or goal is generally behind the attack. For instance, the goal could be to disrupt normal business operations, thereby denying data availability and production. April 13, 2000, 3:55 P.M. Pacific time: The Web site for the Motion Pictures Association of America (MPAA) is suffering intermittent outages, and the organization suspects computer vandals are to blame. A source inside the organization, who asked not to be identified, said that the MPAA is currently “experiencing problems with their public Web site, and they suspect a denial-of-service attack.” The attack was first rumored on http://www.hackernews.com/, a Web site for news on computer hacking. Most of the attacks are becoming...
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...Network Based Threat Research CMGT/431 24 Aug 2015 Network Based Threat Research With advancements in the ever growing internet with more and more individuals becoming accustomed to using the web as a means of communicating the opportunity for outside sources to gain ones information is expanding daily. Recently the Department of Defense’s Joint Staff became the latest target in a spear phishing attack. For over two weeks more than 4,000 users on the Defense network have been shut down by this attack (Starr, 2015). Where are all these threats originating from? They are from every location on the universe within the United States, China, Russia and even our own allies (Starr, 2015). Provide a description of a few network based threats The recent attack on the Department of Defense was a spear phishing attack. These are attacks through emails sent to employees with hopes that they open the link. Once the link is opened they give up their network credentials and it allows an outside source into a network. Denial-of-servie (DoS) and distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) are attacks from one or more devices that are targeted at a server that creates so much traffic or demands for services that the target cannot respond to legitimate requests (TechTarget, 2000-2015). Figure 1: In a DDoS attack, multiple devices (red) flood a server with requests, overwhelming the server and blocking legitimate users (green). Malware or malicious software is any software that is...
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...Malicious Attacks and Threats As the lead Information Systems Security Engineer it is my job to ensure that the ongoing threat of malicious attacks and vulnerabilities to the organizations computer network are kept to a minimum so that highly sensitive data will continue to remain protected. However, recent reports from the CIO suggest that there has been a small amount of malicious activity reported on the network. The CIO is requesting I look into the current network infrastructure and make necessary changes to the network so that the system remains free from the threat and vulnerability of future malicious activity that would impact the organizations network. Attacks on computer systems and networks occur by the billions every year and are on a dramatic increase. Many organizations have invested vast amounts of money in computer networks, only to find out that although it is providing means of improving the efficiency and productivity of the organization it also exposes the organization to possible malicious attacks and threats. Such attacks have been the most challenging issue for a majority of Information System Security Engineers where they utilize the necessary resources to protect the network from these vulnerabilities. The greatest overall threat to computer systems and their information comes from humans, through actions that are either malicious or ignorant. When the action is malicious, some motivation or goal is generally behind the attack. For...
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...Identifying Potential Malicious Attacks, Threats and Vulnerabilities Brian Cox Strayer Univerity Professor Leonard Roden Networking Security Fundamentals May 03, 2016 Have you ever thought about the measures that you need to go through when protecting yourself from online threats and attacks? There are many different types of attacks and threats that can be carried out against networks and organizations. The attacks that could be carried out can cause serious damage to the company and range on a scale from very minimal to very severe data loss and data theft. It is important for companies to take every precaution available and have not only the best software for prevention of these attacks but stay on top of what the intruders, hackers, attackers are learning and how the technology is forming when they are deploying these systems on their servers, networks, and office computers that employees will use on a day to day basis. The computers each employee is using should come with a User Agreement and the do’s and do not’s when it comes to daily computer usage. This will enhance the security as each employee will understand what is acceptable and how to obtain maximum security of their signed computer. It is also advisable within the User Agreement to list out the things that are unacceptable such as plugging in your phone, downloading things from the internet, and other things that may seem harmless but could hurt the company if it was exploited by accident...
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...Threats to Information Security and it’s Measures Abstract Security is a branch of computer technology known as information security as applied to computers and networks. The objective of online security includes protection of information and property from theft, corruption, or threats attack, while allowing the information and property to remain accessible and productive to its intended users. The term online system security means the collective processes and mechanisms by which sensitive and valuable information and services are protected from publication, tampering or collapse by unauthorized activities or untrustworthy individuals and unplanned events respectively. The basic aim of this article is to Prevention against unauthorized security Attack and Threats. Introduction Computer technology is more and more ubiquitous; the penetration of computer in society is a welcome step towards modernization but society needs to be better equipped to grapple with challenges associated with technology. New hacking techniques are used to penetrate in the network and the security vulnerabilities which are not often discovered create difficulty for the security professionals in order to catch hackers. The difficulties of staying up to date with security issues within the realm of IT education are due to the lack of current information. The recent research is focused on bringing quality security training combined with rapidly changing technology. Online networking security is to provide...
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...Common Information Security Threats for Colleges CMGT/400 August 11, 2014 Common Information Security Threats Technologic advances occur at a rapid pace, with new devices coming out at frequent intervals. These new devices are appealing to college students who want to do everything as quickly and easily as possible. Because of the numerous smartphones, tablets, and laptops used by students and employees, college campuses face various security issues from mobile devices that connect to the network, often unintentionally. Identification of Threats There are many threats a network faces when the IT department allows students to connect to the network or Internet using mobile devices. Some threats affect the campus network only, while other threats directly affect students or employees. For the campus network, threats include Social media vulnerabilities, Unauthorized access to employee or student information, and Email attacks (phishing) For students, the main threat comes from identity theft, often a result of inappropriate practices connected to social media and email attacks. Often, attacks to a college network occur because of unintentional and misguided errors from students. Information Vulnerabilities Students use mobile devices, ranging from smartphones to tablets to laptops, to access class schedules, grades, email, and social network sites. Many devices have the capability to store user ID’s and passwords but personal security measures...
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