Security measure

Definition of security measures:

The precautionary measures taken toward possible danger or damage.

Security measure: 

• Data backup
• Cryptography
• Anti-virus
• Anti-spyware
• Firewall
• Ohysical access control
• Human aspects:Awareness

Data backup

•A data backup is the result of copying or archiving files and folders for the purpose                 of being able to restore them in case of data loss.

•Data loss can be caused by many things ranging from computer viruses, hardware failures, file corruption, system failure or theft.

•If you are responsible for business data, a loss may involve critical financial, customer, and company data.

•If the data is on a personal computer, you could lose financial data and other key files, pictures, music and others that would be hard to replace.

Definition : To copy files to a second medium (a disk or tape) as a precaution in case the first medium fails. The benefit in the case of system failure, you can restore the files by copying the backed up files to their original location.The importance is prevent against data loss.

Cryptography

Cryptography : Technology of encoding information so it can only be read by authorized individuals

Encryption : Process of converting readable data into unreadable characters to prevent unauthorized access

Decryption : Process to decode encrypted data

How…

-To read the data, you must decrypt it into readable form.

-The unencrypted data is called plain text.

-The encrypted data is called cipher text.

-To encrypt, plain text converted into cipher text using an encryption key.

Importance…

-The process of proving one's identity.

-Ensuring that no one can read the message except the intended receiver.

-Assuring the receiver that the received message has not been altered in anyway from the original.

-A mechanism to prove that the sender really sent this message. 

Anti-virus

•Anti-virus software is a program or set of programs that are designed to prevent, search for, detect and remove software viruses and other malicious software like worms, Trojan horses, adware and more.

•If and when a virus is detected, the computer displays a warning asking what action should be done, often giving the options to remove, ignore, or move the file to the vault.

•If a virus infected a computer without an antivirus program, it may delete files, prevent access to files, send spam, spy on you, or perform other malicious actions.

•Examples: Norton anti-virus, AVG anti-virus, Kaspersky anti-virus

•There are several different companies that build and offer anti-virus software and what each offers can vary but all perform some basic functions:

-Scan specific files or directories for any malware or known malicious patterns

-Allow you to schedule scans to automatically run for you

-Allow you to initiate a scan of a specific file or of your computer, or of a CD or flash drive at any time.

-Remove any malicious code detected –sometimes you will be notified of an infection and asked if you want to clean the file, other programs will automatically do this behind the scenes.

Anti-spyware

•Spyware is a type of malware that is installed on a computer without the user's knowledge in order to collect information about them.

•Once installed, spyware can degrades system performance by taking up processing power, installing additional software, or redirecting users' browser activity.

•It also can monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to someone else.

•Spyware can also gather information about email addresses and even passwords and credit card numbers.

•Anti-spyware is a type of software that is designed to detect and remove unwanted spyware programs.

•Anti-spyware software can be used to find and remove spyware that has already been installed on the user's computer.

•OR it can act much like an anti-virus program by providing real-time protection and preventing spyware from being downloaded in the first place.

•Examples :

-Spyware Blaster

-Spy Sweeper

Firewall

•A firewall is a system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network.

•A firewall can be implement either through hardware or software form, or a combination of both.

•Firewalls prevent unauthorized Internet users from accessing private networks connected to the Internet, especially intranets.

•All messages entering or leaving the intranet (i.e., the local network to which you are connected) must pass through the firewall, which examines each message and blocks those that do not meet the specified rules/security criteria.

•Rules will decide who can connect to the internet, what kind of connections can be made, which or what kind of files can be transmitted in out.

      Physical access control

•Lock your laptop whether you're at home, in a dorm, in an office, or sitting in a coffee shop, use a security device, such as a laptop security cable.

     

•Lock doors and windows, usually adequate to protect the equipment.

     

•Put the access code at the door to enter the computer room or your  office.

   

•Put the CCTV (closed-circuit television) in your office or computer room.

    

•Make a policies who can access the computer room or your data center.

      Human aspects : Awareness

•Ethics - Be a good cyber citizen

-Do not engage in inappropriate conduct, such as cyber bullying, cyber stalking or rude and offensive behavior.

-Do not use someone else's password or other identifying information.

•Lock it when you leave

-It takes only a few seconds to secure your computer and help protect it from unauthorized access. Lock down your computer every time you leave your desk.

-Set up a screen-saver that will lock your computer after a pre-set amount of time and require a password to log back in

•Phishing Emails

-Never respond to requests for personal information via email. Businesses will never ask for personal information in an email.

-Do not enter personal information in a pop-up screen.

-Dispose of Information Properly

-Destroy/shred hard copy confidential documents that contain personal information such as social security numbers, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, health records.

-Ensure you are using the right tools when destroying and disposing of personal information or media storage from your computer and mobile devices

•Protect data on mobile devices

-Choose a strong password. A good password should always include upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and at least one special character. Never use the same password for multiple devices or accounts.

-Store your portable devices securely. When not in use, store devices out of sight and when possible in a locked drawer or cabinet.

-Expose employees or staff to computer security.

-Make a routine check to update from new virus, worm or other malicious threat.

Types of computer security risks

Definition of computer security risk:

Any event or action that could cause a loss of or damage to computer hardware, software, data, information or processing capability.

•Other intruders indicate some evidence of their presence either by leaving a message or by deliberately altering or damaging data.

•Any illegal act involving a computer generally is referred to as a computer crime.

•Cybercrime refers to online or Internet-based illegal acts.

•Software used by cybercriminals sometimes is called crimeware.

•Perpetrators of cybercrime and other intrusions fall into seven basic categories:

-Hacker refers to someone who accesses a computer or network illegally. Some hackers claim the intent of their security breaches is to improve security.

-Cracker also is someone who accesses a computer or network illegally but has the intent of. destroying data, stealing information, or other malicious action

-Script kiddie has the same intent as a cracker but does not have the technical skills and knowledge. Often use prewritten hacking and cracking programs to break into computers.

-Corporate spies have excellent computer and networking skills. Hired to break into a specific computer and steal its proprietary data and information.To help identify security risks in their own organization.

-Unethical employees may break into their employers’ computers for a variety of reasons:

                          -want to exploit a security weakness,

                          -seek financial gains from selling confidential information

                          -disgruntled employees may want revenge.

-Cyber extortionist is someone who uses e-mail as a medium for extortion.

            -They will send an organization a threatening e-mail message indicating they will expose confidential information if they are not paid a sum of money.

    -Cyberterrorist is someone who uses the Internet or network to destroy or damage computers for political reasons. They might targets:

-the nation’s air traffic control system,

-electricity-generating companies,

-a telecommunications infrastructure.

Computer Security Risks

Malicious Code: Malicious code is code causing damage to a computer or system. It is code not easily or solely controlled through the use of anti-virus tools. Malicious code can either activate itself or be like a virus requiring user to perform an action, such as clicking on something or opening an email attachment.

Malicious code (computer virus)

Computer virus : A computer virus is a potentially damaging computer program that affects or infects, a computer negatively by altering the way the computer works without the user’s knowledge or permission. A computer virus attaches itself to a program or file enabling it to spread from one computer to another, leaving infections as it travels. It may damage files and system software, including the operating system.

Malicious code (worm) 

Worm : A worm is a program that copies itself repeatedly. For example in memory or on a network, using up resources and possibly shutting down the computer or network. Worms spread from computer to computer, but unlike a virus, it has the capability to travel without any human action.


Malicious code (trojan horse)

•A program that hides within or looks like a legitimate program. It does not replicate itself to other computers.
•At first glance will appear to be useful software but will actually do damage once installed or run on your computer.
•Examples: It can change your desktop, adding silly active desktop icons or they can cause serious damage by deleting files and destroying information on your system.
•Examples: Netbus, Back Orifice, Subseven, Beast 

Unauthorized access and use

Unauthorized access : The use of a computer or network without permission.

Unauthorized access : The use of a computer or its data for unapproved or possibly illegal activities.

•To help prevent unauthorized access and use, they should have a written acceptable use policy (AUP) that outlines the computer activities for which the computer and network may and may not be used.

•An access control is a security measure that defines who can access a computer, when they can access it, and what actions they can take while accessing the computer.

•Many systems implement access controls using a two-phase process called identification and authentication.

•Identification verifies that an individual is a valid user. 

•Authentication verifies that the individual is the person he or she claims to be.

•Three methods of identification and authentication include user names and passwords, possessed objects, and bio metric devices.

•A user name or user ID (identification), is a unique combination of characters, such as letters of the alphabet or numbers, that identifies one specific user.

•A password is a private combination of characters associated with the user name that allows access to certain computer resources.

Hardware Theft :

•Hardware theft is the act of stealing computer equipment.

•Hardware vandalism is the act of defacing or destroying computer equipment.

•Companies, schools, and other organizations that house many computers, however, are at risk of hardware theft.

•Safeguards against Hardware Theft and Vandalism:

•physical access controls, such as locked doors and windows, install alarm systems in their buildings or physical security devices such as cables that lock the equipment to a desk.

Software Theft :

•Software theft occurs when someone:

-Steals software media

-Intentionally erases programs

-Illegally copies a program

-Illegally registers and/or activates a program.

•Steals software media involves a perpetrator physically stealing the media that contain the software or the hardware that contains the media.

•Intentionally erases programs can occur when a programmer is terminated from, or stops working for a company.

•Although the programs are company property, some dishonest programmers intentionally remove or disable the  programs they have written from company computers.

Information Theft :

•Information theft occurs when someone steals personal or confidential information.

•If stolen, the loss of information can cause as much damage as (if not more than) hardware or software theft.

•An unethical company executive may steal or buy stolen information to learn about a competitor.

•A corrupt individual may steal credit card numbers to make fraudulent purchases.

Safeguards against Information Theft:

•Protecting information on computers located on an organization’s premises

•To protect information on the internet and networks, organizations and individuals use a variety of encryption techniques

•Encryption is a process of converting readable data into unreadable characters to prevent unauthorized access.

System failure :

•A system failure is the prolonged malfunction of a computer

•Can cause loss of hardware, software, data, or information.

•These include aging hardware; natural disasters such as fires, floods, or hurricanes; random events such as electrical power  problems; and even errors in computer programs.

•Electrical power variations can cause loss of data and loss of equipment.

•If the computer equipment is networked, a single power disturbance can damage multiple systems.

•Electrical disturbances include noise (any unwanted signal), undervoltages (electrical supply drops), and overvoltages (incoming electrical power increases).

Safeguards against System failure : 

•To protect against electrical power variations, use a surge protector.

•A surge protector, also called a surge suppressor, uses special electrical components to smooth out minor noise, provide a stable current flow, and keep an overvoltage from reaching the computer and other electronic equipment.

Areas of Computer Ethics

Definition of Computer Ethics: The moral guidelines that govern the use of computers, mobile devices and information systems.

   Areas of computer ethics

• Information accuracy : One of the concern because many users access information maintained by other people or companies, such as on the Internet. Do not assume all the information on the Web is correct. Users should evaluate the value of a Web page before relying on its content. Be aware that the organization providing access to the information may not be the creator of the information.

Green computing : Green computing is the environmentally responsible and eco-friendly use of computers and their resources. In broader terms, it is also defined as the study of designing, manufacturing/engineering, using and disposing of computing devices in a way that reduces their environmental impact.

    •Involves reducing the electricity and environmental waste while using a computer.

    •Society has become aware of this waste and is taking measures to combat it.

    •Some of the actions that has been taken:

     -Using energy- efficient devices that require little power when   they are not in use.

     -Buy computers with low power consumption processors and power supplies.

     -When possible, use outside air to cool the data center.

-Average computer users can employ the following general tactics to make their computing usage more green:

-Use the hibernate or sleep mode when away from a computer for extended periods.

-Use flat-screen or LCD monitors, instead of conventional cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors.

-Buy energy efficient notebook computers, instead of desktop computers.

-Activate the power management features for controlling energy consumption.

-Turn off computers at the end of each day.

-Refill printer cartridges, rather than buying new ones.

• Codes of conduct :  Written guideline that helps determine whether a specific action is ethical/unethical or allowed/not allowed.

• Information privacy : The right of individuals and companies to deny or restrict the collection, use, and dissemination of information about them. 

     -The privacy of personal information and usually relates to personal data stored on computer systems.

    -The need to maintain information privacy is applicable to collected personal information such as medical records, financial data, criminal records, political records, business related information or website data.

       -Information privacy is also known as data privacy.

      -Today, huge databases store their data online. Much of the data is personal and confidential and should be accessible only to authorize users.

      -Many individuals and organizations, however, question whether this data really is private.That is, some companies and individuals collect and use this information without your authorization. 

• Intellectual property : Unique and original works such as ideas, inventions, literary and artistic works, processes, names and logos or, refers to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce. Intellectual property rights are the rights to which creators are entitled for their work.

Importance of Intellectual Property

        •To protect any original work that created by individual person/ company for example, image, drawing, lyric, publishing and so on.protect any original work that created by individual person/ company for example, image, drawing, lyric, publishing and so on.

•Preserve the features and processes that make things work. This lets inventors profit from their inventions.

Intellectual Property- (patent)

            Definition: A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a government to        an inventor or applicant for a limited amount of time (normally 20 years from    the filing date). It is a legal document defining ownership of a particular area    of new technology.  Invention - a product or a process that provides a new          way of doing something, or offers a new technical solution to a problem. The    right granted by a patent excludes all others from making, using, or selling an    invention or products made by an invented process. 

                                             Intellectual Property- (trademark)

       Definition: Trademark is a word, phrase, symbol, design, combination of letters or numbers, or other device that identifies and distinguishes products and services in the marketplace or a distinctive sign which identifies certain goods or services. Can be any distinctive name or logo. For the examples of well-known Trademarks are:

-Coca-Cola

-Samsung

-The Apple logo / The Nike “swoosh”. 

                        Intellectual Property- (copyright)

  Definition:

        Protection provided to the authors of “original works” and includes such things as literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual creations, both published and unpublished. Copyright is an exclusive right and gives its creator, or owner :

     -To reproduce the copyrighted work

     -To prepare derivative works

     -To distribute and sell any copies of the copyrighted work

     -To perform or display the copyrighted work publicly

-Literary works: Novels, Poems, Plays, a Piece of Paper, Newspapers, Computer Programs, Databases, Films, Musical Compositions and a Web pages.

-Artistics works: Paintings, Drawings, Photographs, Sculpture, Architecture, Advertisements, Maps and Technical Drawings