SAFETY AND

SECURITY
COMPUTER SECURITY
Prepared By Engineer Mulimbi
Bricious
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
 COMPUTER
SECURITY
SECURITY POLICIES AND TERMINOLOGY

WHAT IS A SECURITY POLICY?

• Every big organisation or company that makes use of a computer
system must have some kind of security policy.
• Such a policy is necessary for a number of reasons:
• The physical computer equipment and infrastructure need to be
protected against abuse, damage and theft.
• The organisation's data stored on the computer system must be
protected.
• Personal information about clients and business partners must be
protected.
 SYSTEM SECURITY
POLICY
The system security policy formally describes
how the organisation deals with these security
issues.
It stipulates the responsibilities of the organisation
and its employees.
It sets expectations for the conduct of their staff or
members on the system (usually a computer
network) and lists security procedures and measures
that have to be followed.
Such a policy needs to clearly state what is and is
not permitted on the computer system.

A security policy must constantly be checked to

ensure that it is up to date.
 SYSTEM SECURITY
POLICY CONT’

When new This includes For example, System security

elements are updating the when cloud policies could be
added to a policy when new computing recorded in one
became available master document,
computer technologies
security policies or there can be
system, the become needed to be different policies
wording needs available. updated to clearly for different
to be changed state what the aspects of the
to include this rules on its use computer system.
aspect. are.
 SYSTEM SECURITY
POLICY CONT’
Examples of specific security policies are listed below:

Acceptable use policy:

• This policy spells out clearly what every employee or
member of the organisation may or may not do on
the computer network.
• It should clearly say whether employees may use e-
mail for personal use, whether employees have
Internet access and what they may not access on the
Internet.
•
 SYSTEM SECURITY
POLICY CONT’
Password Software
E-mail policy:
protection policy: installation policy:

• This makes the • This specifies • This specifies which

employees have
employees who may install access to e-mail at
responsible for software and work, whether the e-
protecting their what software mail may be used for
personal
passwords. may be communication, and
installed on a what may be
system. communicated via e-
mail.
 SYSTEM SECURITY
POLICY CONT’
Web access policy:
• This specifies who may access the Internet
and what may be accessed on the Internet, as
well as whether the Internet may be used for
personal purposes.
Disaster recovery policy

Data backup policy

SYSTEM SECURITY
POLICY CONT’
Data
• This policy states which, if
any, documents or files must
be encrypted and how they
encryption will be encrypted.
• Workstation protection policy

policy: or physical resources

protection policy.

• This specifies the

Privacy protection of
personal information
policy: of both employees
and clients.
 SECURITY CONCERNS

There are a number of

threats to any computer Hardware failure
system. These include:
• Accidental damage to
critical data through human
error.
• Unscheduled power failures
• Disasters such as fires,
floods and earthquakes.
• Computer viruses and
similar threats.
 SECURITY
CONCERNS CONT’
Unauthorised access to the Theft of data and hardware
system
• Loss of data stored on
memory sticks and external
hard disks that are stolen or
misplaced.
• For each of these concerns
or threats there are measures
that need to be taken to
prevent damage to or loss of
data and equipment.
 HARDWARE
FAILURE
Computers and their storage media are
physical devices that can break at any time.

As such, you might not be able to retrieve data

stored on a failed computer or storage device.
This could be disastrous for an organisation
such as a bank, any business or even a private
individual.
Banks are entrusted with their clients' money
and cannot afford to lose any of their records.
Businesses keep all records of their customers,
suppliers, stock and sales on computer systems, and
losing these records could destroy their business.
 PROTECTION
AGAINST
HARDWARE
FAILURE

There is really only one A private person

way to protect yourself However, this will
with relatively little
against loss of data Copies can also be not help against
data could use a
and software due to made onto another theft and natural
USB memory stick,
hardware failure, and computer, especially disasters if your
that is to back up your a CD, DVD or
when using a backup is stored in
important information external hard disk
computer network. the same place as
and programs for backup
your computer.
regularly. purposes.
 PROTECTION
AGAINST
HARDWARE
FAILURE

It is important In the business In this way As a private These facilities

to store your world, this you know that person, you can also allow you to
means regularly get a certain share files and
backup copies your backups folders with
making backups amount of free
away from the and storing are offsite on storage space other people, so
actual them offsite. another in the 'cloud' by you have to be
computer or Another way to computer using Google's careful that
computer back up elsewhere in Google Drive, important private
system. important data the world. Microsoft's information is
is to make use SkyDrive or not placed in
of cloud Dropbox. such a public
storage. folder.
 CONCERNS ABOUT
CLOUD STORAGE
There are a number of issues that an organisation needs to
consider when using cloud storage:

You need to trust an external service provider with the

security of your data.
You need to be sure that you are dealing with a reputable company that
is not going to disappear overnight and leave you without access to your
valuable data. If you have no Internet access, you have no access to
your data.
If you have copies of important data stored in the cloud, any
employee with access to this storage can access the data
from anywhere in the world.
This makes it easier for employees to give or sell valuable
data or business strategies to rival organisations another
threat to system security.
 HUMAN ERROR
Many mistakes regarding important data are simply due to
plain human error.

Many people have realised to their horror that they

accidentally deleted a file or saved another file with the
same name over it. This is very easy to do when you're
distracted for just a second while working on a computer.
Other examples of human error include: making typing
mistakes when capturing data not entering all the data
provided.

Saving files in the wrong place and then not being able to
remember where they are.
 HUMAN ERROR
CONT’

COMPUTER Computer Data

BUGS. bugs verification

The programmer
has made a Processes to check
mistake, causing that data entered is
the program to correct.
make logical errors.
 HUMAN ERROR
CONT’
Preventing human error

Ways to prevent human error:

• Build good interfaces that do error-checking drop-down lists where appropriate for the user
to choose from instead of letting them type information into text fields.
• Build data verification processes into your system security policy.
• Have all important data that has been captured verified and signed off by a supervisor.
• Build data validation into input screens that check for things like the correct date format,
that no fields have been left empty and that numbers are within the correct ranges.
 HUMAN ERROR
CONT’
Where possible, use input devices like bar code readers to prevent
typing errors. Use system security settings to prevent ordinary users
from deleting, changing or even viewing important data.
Require a supervisor login to perform these actions in the system.

Data validation
• A policy that formally describes how the organisation deals with security issues.

Corrupted file
• A damaged, unreadable file.
Network server
• A powerful computer that runs the software that controls the network.
 POWER FAILURES

Uninterruptable power
supply (UPS)

Supplies battery backup When a computer shuts

In this case, the content
power to a computer or down unexpectedly, such
that has not been saved
other network device in as during a power failure,
could be lost or the file
case of a power failure; there may be files open
could become
also protects against that have not been
corrupted.
power surges. saved.
 POWER FAILURES

This is especially
If someone was working on problematic on a computer
When a file corrupts on a
a large file or database network because more than
computer system the
containing lots of data one device may be
contents may become
when the power failed, this accessing data on network
unreadable.
could cause big problems. server when the power
fails.
 PROTECTION
AGAINST POWER
FAILURES
The physical computer hardware such as the workstations, servers and
network switches also has to be protected against power failures, not only
the data.

When there is a power failure and the power comes back on, there are
often power surges that can damage computers and other electronic
equipment.

Install a UPS to protect sensitive computer equipment.

A UPS can supply battery power to devices for a short while so that files
can be saved and computers and servers shut down properly to prevent the
corruption of files.
 PROTECTION AGAINST
POWER FAILURES
CONT’
A UPS also serves another purpose. It is able to smooth out
the power supply and protect devices against power surges
that could blow sensitive electronic components.

If a system is highly critical like at a bank or a hospital and

even large shopping centres, special generators can be
installed to take over in the case of a power failure.

This is a very expensive option, but can be a worthwhile

investment for a business if power failures occur often.

When working on a computer, get into the habit of saving

regularly. If there is a power failure then minimal data loss
will occur. Once again, make regular backups of important
data to other devices.
 DISASTERS

Disasters such as a A complete disaster

storm damage, If the computer recovery policy is
In such a case, not required in this situation.
lightning strikes, fires, equipment is damaged
only data is destroyed, This policy needs to
floods and beyond repair, then
but the physical ensure that the system
earthquakes can the software installed will be out of action for a
equipment as well.
completely destroy a on it is gone as well. minimum amount of time
computer system. in case of a total disaster.
 DISASTERS CONT’

The policy needs to include

If the software has been
the backup of all data
developed specially for the Here cloud computing,
offsite, the backup of all
organisation, all the latest including the use of online
system setup files including
installation files need to be software, is a really good
the network setup with all
available in case the entire idea.
its user rights and security
system needs to be rebuilt.
settings.

Because both the data and

the applications are hosted
somewhere on the Internet, In this case, the loss will
you can instantly gain only be the physical
access to both from equipment lost in the
anywhere that you have a disaster.
computer with an Internet
connection.
 COMPUTER VIRUSES
AND SIMILAR
THREATS
There are a number of cyber threats that fall into
this category that need to be clearly defined and
understood.

With the increasing use of computer networks and

the Internet computers and computer systems are
increasingly vulnerable to these kinds of threats.

Computer viruses fall into a larger category called

malware.

Malware is any computer program that is

unwanted and that has installed on a computer
without the permission of the user.
 MALWARE

Computer viruses
• A computer virus is small computer program that
Any computer has been deliberately written to cause damage to
program that is computer files and data.
unwanted and that • They are executable programs that attach
has installed on a themselves to a program or file, and are then
spread from computer to computer infecting
computer without more and more files over time. They are
the permission of installed without the user's permission or
the user, usually to knowledge.
perform a non- • Computer viruses cause differing amounts of
beneficial activity. damage from relatively innocent things like
annoying messages appearing on the computer
screen to complete corruption of data that makes
it unusable.
 COMPUTER WORMS

A worm either does Some of the better-

damage to a known computer
A worm is able to computer system by worms use the
A computer worm The Melissa
duplicate itself using up all address book in an
is different from a worm was the
and spread easily available bandwidth e-mail program like
virus as it does Microsoft Outlook to first worm to use
through a or by rewriting data
not attach itself to to use for negative send out copies of the address book
network and via
a particular file. activity. In this way, themselves to to spread itself.
e-mail.
it slows down everyone in the
network activity. address book.
 TROJAN HORSE

The ancient Greeks built a huge wooden horse and hid soldiers inside it.

The Greeks left and the Trojans pulled the horse into their city as a victory trophy. That night
the Greeks hidden in the horse opened the gates of Troy for the Greek army.

A Trojan horse appears to be useful software, but once installed on a computer the program
does damage to the system.

A Trojan might simply cause changes to the computer desktop or it can cause more serious
damage to programs and data.

It is also often used to compromise the security of the computer allowing unauthorised access
to the computer or the whole system. Unlike viruses and worms, Trojans do not duplicate
themselves.
 SPYWARE

Spyware is software that collects various types of information from

web browsing habits to logging the keystrokes that the user performs
on the computer.

This can be used to gain knowledge of usernames and passwords

that can then be used for further illegal activity.

Adware
• Adware is software that displays advertisements on your
computer. Sometimes this is done with the user's knowledge.
• This kind of software is usually relatively harmless, but
advertisements popping up all the time can be very annoying.
Sometimes the advertisements are pornographic in nature.
 PROTECTING A COMPUTER
SYSTEM AGAINST MALWARE

The
organisation
should have an
Ensure that the acceptable use
Modern anti-
system is Anti-virus policy that
virus packages
protected by software clearly states
include anti-
good anti-virus detects and what an
spyware and
software that is removes any employee may
anti-adware
updated on a malware. or may not do
modules.
regular basis. in terms of
Internet access
and installation
of software.
 PROTECTING A COMPUTER
SYSTEM AGAINST MALWARE
CONT’

Control software may be The security settings on a

put in place that filters what computer network can be This helps limit the
people logged into the set so that it is impossible possibility of anyone
system can do on the for a normal user to install accidentally installing
Internet and blocks any kind of software on any malware on the
unwanted and potentially workstation or other system.
dangerous websites. location on the network.
 UNAUTHORISED
ACCESS
Hackers bypass the security on
computer systems or networks.

Hackers generally access a system

only to prove that they can overcome
the security measures put in place.

They usually don't do any harm. A

more serious threat is a cracker.
 UNAUTHORISED
ACCESS
A cracker overcomes security measures with
the intention of doing harm like destroying or
stealing data.
Illegal access starts at a simple level from
inside an organisation where the hacker
gains knowledge of someone's password
and then logs into the system using their
username and password.

On a more complex level, access is gained

from outside the system and here hacking
skills are required to overcome the security
measures.
 MEASURES TO PREVENT
UNAUTHORISED ACCESS

Force all users to

Strong passwords Important and
change their
have no connection
passwords on a
to the person's confidential data
regular basis. The should be
personal life, are
more sensitive the
information they have
relatively long and password-
consist of a random protected and
access to, the more
mix of letters, number
regularly this should
and other characters. encrypted.
happen.

The employee's
All users need to be responsibility to
educated about
protect passwords
password security
and the correct should be written
choice of passwords. into the acceptable
use policy.
 MEASURES TO PREVENT
UNAUTHORISED ACCESS
CONT’

The computer system or network must be protected by a

firewall.

A firewall consists of hardware and/or software that

monitors all incoming and outgoing traffic on the network.

It has to hide and protect the network against intrusion

from the outside world. Microsoft Windows has a built-in
software firewall that helps protect individual computers
when connected to the Internet.
 THEFT OF DATA AND
HARDWARE
There are a number of
physical measures that
Burglar alarms and
can be put into place to burglar bars:
prevent the theft of • Security guards who search
computer equipment. everyone entering and leaving
venues containing computer
equipment and leaving
important data centres
• access controlled areas that
require PIN codes or biometric
These include: scans such as fingerprints or
retinal scans to open doors.
THEFT OF DATA AND
HARDWARE CONT’

For example, only the IT staff have

access to server rooms, locks and
cables that lock equipment to
permanent fixtures.

This is especially important for

notebook computers as they can
easily be slipped into a bag and
carried out of a building without
anyone seeing.
 THEFT OF DATA AND
HARDWARE

The theft of data can be

prevented by:

Disabling DVD Using firewalls Correct security

Encryption and
drives and USB to prevent levels and
the use of
ports so that unauthorised access levels
passwords on
data cannot be access from within a
important data.
copied onto outside the computer
portable media. network. system.
 THEFT OF DATA AND
HARDWARE CONT’
Limiting access to e-mail and the Internet to
only those personnel with a certain security
clearance, and who really need the Internet to
perform their jobs.

Loss of portable storage devices

Portable storage devices, such as

memory sticks and external hard disks,
are very easy to lose.
When important data is stored on these
devices and they are the only copies,
then the data is lost forever.
 THEFT OF DATA AND
HARDWARE CONT’

If the data falls into the wrong

hands, important and/or
confidential data could be
stolen and abused.

It is also very easy to break a

memory stick by stepping on it
or by snapping the connector
off in a USB port when handled
too roughly.
 SECURITY
PROFESSIONALS

In this way, the

IT staff can
A computer The chief
While it is being inform the
security policy security officer
put into place, decision-makers
must be is responsible
they must be of what is
developed by for the overall
sure to involve possible given
the security system
all parties the structure of
management of in an
including the IT the particular
the organisation.
staff. system and the
organisation.
facilities
available.
 SECURITY
PROFESSIONALS CONT’

This person may very well be the chief IT manager.

If the organisation is big enough, they may employ a

network security specialist.

This person is a special kind of network administrator

who looks after all security aspects of the network, such
as the firewalls and anti-virus systems.
 SECURITY
PROFESSIONALS CONT’

Large companies
Today a great deal
They monitor all with important
Once they know of business is
network activity data on their
where the weak done over the
and the system systems may
points are, they Internet, so web
for attempts at even employ a
can set about designers skilled
intrusion from hacker to test for
fixing the security in creating secure
outside the weak points in
problem. websites are in
network. their system
demand.
security.
 SECURITY
PROFESSIONALS CONT’
There are also companies who are paid make sure
that websites are secure for financial transactions
and to provide the encryption technologies
necessary for secure online transactions.

Other jobs related to computer

system security include:

computer crime investigator

Anti-virus and anti-spyware

software developer

Disaster recovery expert.

 The End

Thank You