Cyber Security

Short for Malicious Software, malware is any code that can be used to steal data, bypass access controls, or cause harm to, or compromise a system. Below are a few common types of malware: Spyware –  This malware is design to track and spy on the user. Spyware often includes activity trackers, keystroke collection, and data capture. In an attempt to overcome security measures, spyware often modifies security settings. Spyware often bundles itself with legitimate software or with Trojan horses. Adware –  Advertising supported software is designed to automatically deliver advertisements. Adware is often installed with some versions of software. Some adware is designed to only deliver advertisements but it is also common for adware to come with spyware. Bot –  From the word robot, a bot is malware designed to automatically perform action, usually online. While most bots are harmless, one increasing use of malicious bots are botnets. Several computers are infected with bots w...

 

Most software security vulnerabilities fall into one of the following categories: Buffer overflow –  This vulnerability occurs when data is written beyond the limits of a buffer. Buffers are memory areas allocated to an application. By changing data beyond the boundaries of a buffer, the application accesses memory allocated to other processes. This can lead to a system crash, data compromise, or provide escalation of privileges. Non-validated input –  Programs often work with data input. This data coming into the program could have malicious content, designed to force the program to behave in an unintended way. Consider a program that receives an image for processing. A malicious user could craft an image file with invalid image dimensions. The maliciously crafted dimensions could force the program to allocate buffers of incorrect and unexpected sizes. Race conditions –  This vulnerability is when the output of an event depends on ordered or timed outputs. A race conditi...

Security vulnerabilities are any kind of software or hardware defect. After gaining knowledge of a vulnerability, malicious users attempt to exploit it. An   exploit   is the term used to describe a program written to take advantage of a known vulnerability. The act of using an exploit against a vulnerability is referred to as an attack. The goal of the attack is to gain access to a system, the data it hosts or to a specific resource. Software vulnerabilities Software vulnerabilities are usually introduced by errors in the operating system or application code, despite all the effort companies put into finding and patching software vulnerabilities, it is common for new vulnerabilities to surface. Microsoft, Apple, and other operating system producers release patches and updates almost every day. Application updates are also common. Applications such as web browsers, mobile apps and web servers are often updated by the companies or organizations responsible for them. In 2015, a ...

This chapter covers the ways that cybersecurity professionals analyze what has happened after a cyberattack. It explains security software and hardware vulnerabilities and the different categories of security vulnerabilities. The different types of malicious software (known as malware) and the symptoms of malware are discussed. The different ways that attackers can infiltrate a system is covered, as well as denial of service attacks. Most modern cyberattacks are considered to be blended attacks. Blended attacks use multiple techniques to infiltrate and attack a system. When an attack cannot be prevented, it is the job of a cybersecurity professional to reduce the impact of that attack. If you would like to further explore the concepts in this chapter, please check out the Additional Resources and Activities page in Student Resources.

The main purpose of cyberwarfare is to gain advantage over adversaries, whether they are nations or competitors. A nation can continuously invade other nation’s infrastructure, steal defense secrets, and gather information about technology to narrow the gaps in its industries and military. Besides industrial and militaristic espionage, cyberwar can sabotage the infrastructure of other nations and cost lives in the targeted nations. For example, an attack can disrupt the power grid of a major city. Traffic would be disrupted. The exchange of goods and services is halted. Patients cannot get the care needed in emergency situations. Access to the Internet may also be disrupted. By affecting the power grid, the attack can affect the everyday life of ordinary citizens. Furthermore, compromised sensitive data can give the attackers the ability to blackmail personnel within the government. The information may allow an attacker to pretend to be an authorized user to access sensitive informatio...

Stuxnet: Anatomy of a Computer Virus Cyberspace has become another important dimension of warfare, where nations can carry out conflicts without the clashes of traditional troops and machines. This allows countries with minimal military presence to be as strong as other nations in cyberspace. Cyberwarfare is an Internet-based conflict that involves the penetration of computer systems and networks of other nations. These attackers have the resources and expertise to launch massive Internet-based attacks against other nations to cause damage or disrupt services, such as shutting down a power grid. An example of a state-sponsored attack involved the Stuxnet malware that was designed to damage Iran’s nuclear enrichment plant. Stuxnet malware did not hijack targeted computers to steal information. It was designed to damage physical equipment that was controlled by computers. It used modular coding that was programmed to perform a specific task within the malware. It used stolen digital cert...

Internal Security Threats Attacks can be originated from within an organization or from outside of the organization, as shown in the figure. An internal user, such as an employee or contract partner, can accidently or intentionally: Mishandle confidential data Threaten the operations of internal servers or network infrastructure devices Facilitate outside attacks by connecting infected USB media into the corporate computer system Accidentally invite malware onto the network through malicious email or websites Internal threats also have the potential to cause greater damage than external threats, because internal users have direct access to the building and its infrastructure devices. Employees also have knowledge of the corporate network, its resources, and its confidential data, as well as different levels of user or administrative privileges. External Security Threats External threats from amateurs or skilled attackers can exploit vulnerabilities in network or computing devices, or u...

Attackers are individuals or groups who attempt to exploit vulnerability for personal or financial gain. Attackers are interested in everything, from credit cards to product designs and anything with value. Amateurs  – These people are sometimes called Script Kiddies. They are usually attackers with little or no skill, often using existing tools or instructions found on the Internet to launch attacks. Some of them are just curious, while others are trying to demonstrate their skills and cause harm. They may be using basic tools, but the results can still be devastating. Hackers  – This group of attackers break into computers or networks to gain access. Depending on the intent of the break-in, these attackers are classified as white, gray, or black hats. The white hat attackers break into networks or computer systems to discover weaknesses so that the security of these systems can be improved. These break-ins are done with prior permission and any results are reported back to t...

In this lab, you will explore a few security breaches to determine what was taken, what exploits were used, and what you can do to protect yourself. Lab – What Was Taken?

Equifax Inc. is one of the nationwide consumer credit reporting agencies in the United States. This company collects information on millions of individual customers and businesses worldwide. Based on the collected information, credit scores and credit reports are created about the customers. This information could affect the customers when they apply for loans and when they are looking for employment. In September 2017, Equifax publicly announced a data breach event. The attackers exploited a vulnerability in the Apache Struts web application software. The company believes that millions of U.S. consumers' sensitive personal data were accessed by the cyber criminals between May and July of 2017. The personal data includes the customers' full names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and other personally identifiable information. There is evidence that the breach may have affected customers in United Kingdom and Canada. Equifax established a dedicated web site that a...

The high tech toy maker for children, Vtech, suffered a security breach to its database in November 2015. This breach could affect millions of customers around the world, including children. The data breach exposed sensitive information including customer names, email addresses, passwords, pictures, and chat logs. A toy tablet had become a new target for hackers. The customers had shared photos and used the chat features through the toy tablets. The information was not secured properly, and the company website did not support secure SSL communication. Even though the breach did not expose any credit card information and personal identification data, the company was suspended on the stock exchange because the concern over the hack was so great. Vtech did not safeguard the customers’ information properly and it was exposed during the breach. Even though the company informed its customers that their passwords had been hashed, it was still possible for the hackers to decipher them. The pas...

The online password manager, LastPass, detected unusual activity on its network in July 2015. It turned out that hackers had stolen user email addresses, password reminders, and authentication hashes. Fortunately for the users, the hackers were unable to obtain anyone’s encrypted password vaults. Even though there was a security breach, LastPass could still safeguard the users’ account information. LastPass requires email verification or multi-factor authentication whenever there is a new login from an unknown device or IP address. The hackers would also need the master password to access the account. LastPass users also have some responsibility in safeguarding their own accounts. The users should always use complex master passwords and change the master passwords periodically. The users should always beware of Phishing attacks. An example of a Phishing attack would be if an attacker sent fake emails claiming to be from LastPass. The emails ask the users to click an embedded link and c...

To protect an organization from every possible cyberattack is not feasible, for a few reasons. The expertise necessary to set up and maintain the secure network can be expensive. Attackers will always continue to find new ways to target networks. Eventually, an advanced and targeted cyberattack will succeed. The priority will then be how quickly your security team can respond to the attack to minimize the loss of data, downtime, and revenue. By now you know that anything posted online can live online forever, even if you were able to erase all the copies in your possession. If your servers were hacked, the confidential personnel information could be made public. A hacker (or hacking group) may vandalize the company website by posting untrue information and ruin the company’s reputation that took years to build. The hackers can also take down the company website causing the company to lose revenue. If the website is down for longer periods of time, the company may appear unreliable and ...

In this lab, you will generate a hash for a file and use the hash value to compare the integrity of a file. Lab – Compare Data with a Hash

Confidentiality, integrity and availability, known as the CIA triad (Figure 1), is a guideline for information security for an organization. Confidentiality ensures the privacy of data by restricting access through authentication encryption. Integrity assures that the information is accurate and trustworthy. Availability ensures that the information is accessible to authorized people. Confidentiality Another term for confidentiality would be privacy. Company policies should restrict access to the information to authorized personnel and ensure that only those authorized individuals view this data. The data may be compartmentalized according to the security or sensitivity level of the information. For example, a Java program developer should not have to access to the personal information of all employees. Furthermore, employees should receive training to understand the best practices in safeguarding sensitive information to protect themselves and the company from attacks. Methods to ensu...

Traditional Data Corporate data includes personnel information, intellectual properties, and financial data. The personnel information includes application materials, payroll, offer letters, employee agreements, and any information used in making employment decisions. Intellectual property, such as patents, trademarks and new product plans, allows a business to gain economic advantage over its competitors. This intellectual property can be considered a trade secret; losing this information can be disastrous for the future of the company. The financial data, such as income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements of a company gives insight into the health of the company. Internet of Things and Big Data With the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT), there is a lot more data to manage and secure. IoT is a large network of physical objects, such as sensors and equipment that extend beyond the traditional computer network. All these connections, plus the fact that we have e...

Besides stealing your money for a short-term monetary gain, the criminals want long-term profits by stealing your identity. As medical costs rise, medical identity theft is also on the rise. The identity thieves can steal your medical insurance and use your medical benefits for themselves, and these medical procedures are now in your medical records. The annual tax filing procedures may vary from country to country; however, cybercriminals see this time as an opportunity. For example, the people of the United States need to file their taxes by April 15 of each year. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) does not check the tax return against the information from the employer until July. An identity thief can file a fake tax return and collect the refund. The legitimate filers will notice when their returns are rejected by IRS. With the stolen identity, they can also open credit card accounts and run up debts in your name. This will cause damage to your credit rating and make it more diffic...

If you have anything of value, the criminals want it. Your online credentials are valuable. These credentials give the thieves access to your accounts. You may think the frequent flyer miles you have earned are not valuable to cybercriminals. Think again. After approximately 10,000 American Airlines and United accounts were hacked, cybercriminals booked free flights and upgrades using these stolen credentials. Even though the frequent flyer miles were returned to the customers by the airlines, this demonstrates the value of login credentials. A criminal could also take advantage of your relationships. They could access your online accounts and your reputation to trick you into wiring money to your friends or family. The criminal can send messages stating that your family or friends need you to wire them money so they can get home from abroad after losing their wallets. The criminals are very imaginative when they are trying to trick you into giving them money. They do not just steal yo...

Your computing devices do not just store your data. Now these devices have become the portal to your data and generate information about you. Unless you have chosen to receive paper statements for all of your accounts, you use your computing devices to access the data. If you want a digital copy of the most recent credit card statement, you use your computing devices to access the website of the credit card issuer. If you want to pay your credit card bill online, you access the website of your bank to transfer the funds using your computing devices. Besides allowing you to access your information, the computing devices can also generate information about you. With all this information about you available online, your personal data has become profitable to hackers.

All of this information is about you. There are different laws that protect your privacy and data in your country. But do you know where your data is? When you are at the doctor’s office, the conversation you have with the doctor is recorded in your medical chart. For billing purposes, this information may be shared with the insurance company to ensure appropriate billing and quality. Now, a part of your medical record for the visit is also at the insurance company. The store loyalty cards maybe a convenient way to save money for your purchases. However, the store is compiling a profile of your purchases and using that information for its own use. The profile shows a buyer purchases a certain brand and flavor of toothpaste regularly. The store uses this information to target the buyer with special offers from the marketing partner. By using the loyalty card, the store and the marketing partner have a profile for the purchasing behavior of a customer. When you share your pictures online...

Any information about you can be considered to be your data. This personal information can uniquely identify you as an individual. This data includes the pictures and messages that you exchange with your family and friends online. Other information, such as name, social security number, date and place of birth, or mother‘s maiden name, is known by you and used to identify you. Information such as medical, educational, financial, and employment information, can also be used to identify you online. Medical Records Every time you go to the doctor’s office, more information is added to your electronic health records (EHRs). The prescription from your family doctor becomes part of your EHR. Your EHR includes your physical health, mental health, and other personal information that may not be medically-related. For example, if you had counseling as a child when there were major changes in the family, this will be somewhere in your medical records. Besides your medical history and personal inf...

As more time is spent online, your identity, both online and offline, can affect your life. Your offline identity is the person who your friends and family interact with on a daily basis at home, at school, or work. They know your personal information, such as your name, age, or where you live. Your online identity is who you are in cyberspace. Your online identity is how you present yourself to others online. This online identity should only reveal a limited amount of information about you. You should take care when choosing a username or alias for your online identity. The username should not include any personal information. It should be something appropriate and respectful. This username should not lead strangers to think you are an easy target for cybercrimes or unwanted attention.

The connected electronic information network has become an integral part of our daily lives. All types of organizations, such as medical, financial, and education institutions, use this network to operate effectively. They utilize the network by collecting, processing, storing, and sharing vast amounts of digital information. As more digital information is gathered and shared, the protection of this information is becoming even more vital to our national security and economic stability. Cybersecurity is the ongoing effort to protect these networked systems and all of the data from unauthorized use or harm. On a personal level, you need to safeguard your identity, your data, and your computing devices. At the corporate level, it is everyone’s responsibility to protect the organization’s reputation, data, and customers. At the state level, national security, and the safety and well-being of the citizens are at stake.

This chapter explains what cybersecurity is and why the demand for cybersecurity professionals is growing. It explains what your online identity and data is, where it is, and why it is of interest to cyber criminals. This chapter also discusses what organizational data is, and why it must be protected. It discusses who the cyber attackers are and what they want. Cybersecurity professionals must have the same skills as the cyber attackers, but cybersecurity professionals must work within the bounds of the local, national and international law. Cybersecurity professionals must also use their skills ethically. Also included in this chapter is content that briefly explains cyber warfare and why nations and governments need cybersecurity professionals to help protect their citizens and infrastructure. If you would like to further explore the concepts in this chapter, please check out the Additional Resources and Activities page in Student Resources.

  Course Overview As the course title states, the focus of this course is to explore the field of cybersecurity. In this course, you will do the following: Learn the basics of being safe online. Learn about different types of malware and attacks, and how organizations are protecting themselves against these attacks. Explore the career options in cybersecurity. By the end of this course, you will be more aware of the importance of being safe online, the potential consequences of cyberattacks, and possible career options in cybersecurity.

  Welcome When you were a child, did you ever imagine yourself as a Masterful Defender of the Universe — recognizing a threat, protecting the innocent, seeking out the evildoers, and bringing them to justice? Did you know you can make a career out of that? Cybersecurity Guru Cybersecurity Forensic Expert Information Security Expert Ethical Hacker All of these roles can be part of your work in the exciting, ever-changing, high-demand field of cybersecurity. The Student Support page includes a link to the NetAcad Facebook page and our LinkedIn page. It also contains  Additional Resources and Activities  for each chapter.