CH 02
CH 02
Introduction
Primary mission of information security is to ensure systems and contents stay the same If no threats existed, resources could be focused on improving systems, resulting in vast improvements in ease of use and usefulness Attacks on information systems are a daily occurrence
Threats
Threat: an object, person, or other entity that represents a constant danger to an asset Management must be informed of the different threats facing the organization Overall security is improving The 2009 Computer Security Institute(CSI)/FBI survey found
64 percent of organizations had malware infections 14 percent indicated system penetration by an outsider
Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 8
Enforcement of copyright law has been attempted with technical security mechanisms
Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 11
Trojan horses (Software programs that hide their true nature and reveal
their designed behavior only when activated) readme.exe
12
Internet service, communications, and power irregularities dramatically affect availability of information and systems
14
Espionage or Trespass
Access of protected information by unauthorized individuals Shoulder surfing can occur anywhere a person accesses confidential information Hackers use skill, guile, or fraud to bypass controls protecting others information. The hacker frequently spends long hours examining the types and structures of the targeted systems.
17
19
Unskilled hacker
Many more unskilled hackers than expert hackers Use expertly written software to exploit a system Do not usually fully understand the systems they hack
Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 20
21
22
Information Extortion
Attacker steals information from computer system and demands compensation for its return or nondisclosure Commonly done in credit card number theft
24
25
Attacks
Attacks
Acts or actions that exploits vulnerability (i.e., an identified weakness) in controlled system Accomplished by threat agent that damages or steals organizations information
Types of attacks
Malicious code: includes execution of viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and active Web scripts with intent to destroy or steal information
26
New Table
27
Attacks (contd.)
Types of attacks (contd.)
Back door: gaining access to system or network using known or previously unknown/newly discovered access mechanism Password crack: attempting to reverse calculate a password Brute force: trying every possible combination of options of a password Dictionary: selects specific accounts to attack and uses commonly used passwords (i.e., the dictionary) to guide guesses
Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 28
Attacks (contd.)
Types of attacks (contd.)
Denial-of-service (DoS): attacker sends large number of connection or information requests to a target
Target system cannot handle successfully along with other, legitimate service requests May result in system crash or inability to perform ordinary functions
29
Attacks (contd.)
Types of attacks (contd.)
Spoofing: technique used to gain unauthorized access; intruder assumes a trusted IP address Man-in-the-middle: attacker monitors network packets, modifies them, and inserts them back into network Spam: unsolicited commercial e-mail; more a nuisance than an attack, though is emerging as a vector for some attacks Mail bombing: also a DoS; attacker routes large quantities of e-mail to target
Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 31