Attacks On Organizations And Individuals

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Cyber crime is not a strictly defined concept. For our purposes, consider it to embrace criminal acts that can be accomplished while sitting at a computer keyboard. Such acts include gaining unauthorized access to computer files, disrupting the operation of remote computers with viruses, worms, logic bombs, Trojan horses, and denial of service attacks; distributing and stealing another's identity; selling contraband, and stalking victims. Cyber crime is cheap to commit (if one has the know-how to do it), hard to detect (if one knows how to erase one's tracks), and often hard to locate in jurisdictional terms.Typically, computer crime can be categorized by the type of activity which occurs. Four basic categories are utilized in describing computer crime. These are: theft, fraud, copyright infringement, and attacks.

Theft in computer crime may refer to either unauthorized removal of physical items such as hardware or unauthorized removal or copying of data or information. It is well known that laptop computers are targeted at airports and restaurants. The prize garnered with theft of a laptop is usually the data or information such as passwords for corporate systems contained on the laptops rather than the hardware.

Fraud on the Internet may run the gamut from credit card offers which are utilized only to capture personal information, to investor postings which promote a stock or investment offer to encourage investment which will benefit the person posting the information, to medical and pharmaceutical -related sites which purport to provide correct medical advice or sell altered medications. The Internet has provided a unique opportunity and environment for copyright infringement. This type of computer crime encompasses use of software, music, etc which is not appropriately acquired ( purchased). Software piracy occurs more easily with the ability to post files for downloading all over the world. However, another more costly copyright infringement occurs when trademarks and logos of corporations are posted on non-authorized web sites. Some criminals utilize the trademarks and logos to appear to be a legitimate site to perpetrate fraud. Many corporations have employees or consulting contractors who constantly crawl the web to sniff out illegal usage of trademarks and logos.

Attacks on organizations and individuals

Attacks on organizational information systems may be either physical or logical. There are several instances of web sites, products, and individuals being libeled or attacked by individuals or groups. One of the classic examples was the attack on Proctor and Gamble as an occult organization. AOL and other ISPs cooperate fully with criminal justice systems to reveal identities of those deploying web sites of question.

There are several classes of activities which may also harm information systems and supporting technology. These activities may result in criminal charges depending upon the circumstances and impact on information systems. Currently, these activities fall within classes of viruses, worms, Trojan Horse, time bomb, logic bomb, and trapdoors.

Cyberbully

Online publication of personal information is dangerous because it allows many people to see a side of a person more often kept private in a face-to-face interaction. This vulnerability puts many teens in a position as either the victim or active offender partaking in cyberbullying actions. Another aspect of social media that can be misleading and hazardous is the ability to create alias profiles. The ability for teens to mask their identities provides them with an opportunity to say anything to another individual without the worry of any repercussions. Social media sites, such as Facebook and Google+, are prone to abuses like cyberbullying.

Viruses

A virus is a program with intent to harm or render a computer system useless. The virus method of attack is to attach itself to specific files such as data files. It is not a free standing program. It copies itself when the infected file is executed.

A virus can damage data, delete files, erase your hard drive, or just cause annoying screen displays or sounds. Viruses may hide within macros of Word or Excel documents. Some viruses are programmed to trigger execution on a particular date or time. Viruses do not cause hardware damage. Viruses spread from file to file. There are thousands of documented viruses!!!! Some recent examples of viruses include the Melissa, Chernobyl, and Michelangelo. Most virus protection software provides monthly updates to ensure that the computer system is covered from recent virus discoveries. Two of the more popular versions of virus protection include Norton (Symantec) and McAfee.

Worms

Worms are another destructive program designed to create instability information systems and supporting technology. Worms differ from viruses in that a worm is a free standing program. A worm executes on its own functionality. Worms spread from computer system to computer system rather than from file to file.

A worm can reply to e-mails while attaching itself to the e-mail; can destroy File Allocation System (FAT) on Windows systems and other similar attacks on other files systems on hard drives. Because worms are free standing, they can spread on their own and do not require human intervention to spread. Thus, in some ways, worms are more lethal than viruses.

Trojan Horse

Typically, a Trojan Horse performs something destructive while the person at the keyboard thinks they are downloading an animation or some other file. The Trojan Horse commonly either loads a software program to be utilized in a later Denial of Service attack or reads your passwords, credit card numbers, etc., saved within your system. This vital information is later used to make purchases or other criminal activities.

Time bomb

These are software attacks that are designed to occur at a predetermined time or date. The difference between a time bomb and a virus such as the Michelangelo is that technically the time bomb does not spread. It impacts on the system upon which it has been loaded.

Logic bomb

When talking about computer threat, most people think about hackers and viruses. Logic bombs rarely come up in discussions mostly because the concept is often associated with viruses and/or trojan horses. First, let’s define what is a logic bomb. A logic bomb is computer instruction that codes for a malicious act when certain criteria are met, such as specified time in a computer's internal clock or a particular action. Example the virus waits until a specific date to run its destructive payload. In fact, most destructive payload can probably fit the description of a logic bomb but not every virus includes a destructive payload since many viruses only replicate themselves. The same conclusion can be made about logic bombs and trojan horses. But the fact is that a logic bomb can exist by itself without replicating itself (acts as a virus) or opening a backdoor (acts as a trojan). To complicate it even more, it can also be attached as a legitimate file. This paper will focus on the concept of a logic bomb whether carried in a virus, trojan horse, legitimate file, etc.

Trapdoor

Trapdoors are system entrances that circumvents security system. These are hidden logins or administrative user definitions added by system developers for unscrupulous reasons. Trapdoors allow an unauthorized or unknown user to control a computer system. Trapdoors are typically only aimed at servers or mainframe corporate systems.

Conclusions

The risks of cyber crime are very real and too ominous to be ignored. Every franchisor and licensor, indeed every business owner, has to face up to their vulnerability and do something about it a good combination of laws and technology, in harmony with the laws of other countries and keeping in mind common security standards. Risks can be managed in information systems environments. Security is an illusion as any system can be attacked under the right circumstances. Therefore, the greatest hazard is to be Complacent.