Unit-2

UNIT - II
Computer misuse and cyber ethics
 Objectives
– What key trade-offs and ethical issues are associated with
the safeguarding of data and information systems?
– Why has there been a dramatic increase in the number of
computer-related security incidents in recent years?
– What are the most common types of computer security
attacks?
– Who are the primary perpetrators of computer crime, and
what are their objectives?
– What are the key elements of a multilayer process for
managing security vulnerabilities based on the concept of
reasonable assurance?
– What actions must be taken in response to a security
incident?
– What is computer forensics, and what role does it play in
responding to a computer incident?
IT Security Incidents: A Major Concern
• Security of information technology is of utmost
importance
– Safeguard:
• Confidential business data
• Private customer data and
• Employee data
– Protect against malicious acts of theft or disruption
– Balance against other business needs and issues
• Number of IT-related security incidents is
increasing around the world
Most Common Computer-Related
Security Incidents
 Why Computer Incidents Are So
Prevalent
• Increasing complexity increases vulnerability
– Computing environment is enormously complex
• Continues to increase in complexity
• Number of entry points expands continuously
• Higher computer user expectations
– Computer help desks under intense pressure
• Forget to verify users’ IDs or check authorizations
• Computer users share login IDs and passwords
 Why Computer Incidents Are So
Prevalent (cont’d.)
• Expanding and changing systems introduce new
risks
– Network era
• Personal computers connect to networks with
millions of other computers
• All capable of sharing information
– Information technology
• Necessary tool for organizations to achieve goals
• Increasingly difficult to match pace of technological
change
 Why Computer Incidents Are So
Prevalent (cont’d.)
• Increased confidence on commercial software
with known vulnerabilities(bridge)
– Exploit
• Attack on information system
• Takes advantage of system vulnerability
• Due to poor system design or implementation
– Patch
• “Fix” to eliminate the problem
• Users are responsible for obtaining and installing
• Delays expose users to security breaches
 Why Computer Incidents Are So
Prevalent (cont’d.)
• Zero-day attack
A zero day vulnerability refers to a hole in software that is
unknown to the vendor. This security hole is then exploited by
hackers before the vendor becomes aware and hurries to fix it—
this exploit is called a zero day attack.
Uses of zero day attacks can include infiltrating malware, or
allowing unwanted access to user information.
The term “zero day” refers to the unknown nature of the hole to
those outside of the hackers, specifically, the developers. Once
the vulnerability becomes known, a race begins for the developer,
who must protect us before a vulnerability is discovered or fixed.
 Types of Exploits
• Computers as well as smartphones can be target
• Types of attacks
– Virus
– Worm
– Trojan horse
– Distributed denial of service
– Rootkit
– Spam
– Phishing and Spear-phishing
– Smishing and Vishing
 Viruses
• Pieces of programming code
• Usually disguised as something else
• Cause unexpected and undesirable behavior
• Often attached to files
• Deliver a “payload”(infected info)
• Spread by actions of the “infected” computer user
• Infected e-mail document attachments
• Downloads of infected programs
• Visits to infected Web sites
 Worms
• Harmful programs
– Reside in active memory of a computer
– Duplicate themselves
• Can propagate without human intervention
• Negative impact of worm attack
– Lost data and programs
– Lost productivity
– Additional effort for IT workers
• Storm worm
The Storm worm, originally posing as breaking news of bad weather
hitting Europe, infected computers around the world in 2007. Millions
of infected PCs were taken over by hackers and used to spread spam
and steal identities.
• ILOVEYOU
In 2000, the ILOVEYOU worm was spread as an email attachment.
Clicking the attachment resulted in an infection, rather than an
expression of affection. This infection could overwrite most of the data
on the infected computer.
• Code Red Released in 2001, and it exploited a weakness
in a popular Microsoft Web server.
• MSBlast
Spread during 2003, it is said to be the most damaging, malicious
software in history. It resulted in the infection of 25 million computers,
a nightmare for Microsoft's tech support center.
 Trojan Horses
• Malicious code hidden inside seemingly harmless
programs
• Users are tricked into installing them
• Delivered via email attachment, downloaded from a
Web site, or contracted via a removable media
device
• Logic bomb
– Executes when triggered by certain event
– (example by a change in a particular file, by typing a
specific series of keystrokes.)
 Spam
• Abuse of email systems to send unsolicited email to
large numbers of people
– Low-cost commercial advertising for questionable
products
– Method of marketing also used by many legitimate
organizations
• Completely Automated Public Turing Test to Tell
Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA)
– Software generates tests that humans can pass but
computer programs cannot
 Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS)
Attacks
• Malicious hacker takes over computers on the Internet and
causes them to flood a target site with demands for data and
other small tasks
– The computers that are taken over are called zombies
– Botnet is a very large group of such computers controlled
by hackers
• Does not involve a break-in at the target computer
– Target machine is busy responding to a stream of
automated requests
– users cannot access target machine (example dialing a
telephone number repeatedly so that other callers hear a
busy signal)
 Rootkits
• Set of programs that enables its user to gain administrator level access to
a computer without the end user’s consent or knowledge
• Attacker can gain full control of the system and even obscure the
presence of the rootkit.
– Rootkits are one part of a blended threat, consisting of the dropper, loader,
and rootkit.
– The dropper code gets the rootkit installation started and can be activated by
clicking on a link to a malicious Web site in an email or opening an infected
PDF file.
– The dropper launches the loader program and then deletes itself.
– The loader loads the rootkit into memory; at that point, the computer has been
compromised.
– Rootkits are designed so cleverly that it is difficult even to discover if they are
installed on a computer.
• Fundamental problem in detecting a rootkit is that the operating system
currently running cannot be trusted to provide valid test results.
• Some symptoms of rootkit infections:
– The computer locks up or fails to respond to input from
the keyboard or mouse.
– The screen saver changes without any action on the part
of the user.
– The taskbar disappears.
– Network activities function extremely slowly.
• When it is determined that a computer has been
infected with a rootkit, there is little to do but
– reformat the disk;
– reinstall the operating system and all applications;
– reconfigure the user’s settings.
 Phishing
• Act of using email fraudulently to try to get the
recipient to reveal personal data
• Legitimate-looking emails lead users to counterfeit
Web sites
• Spear-phishing
– Fraudulent emails to an organization’s employees
• Smishing
– Phishing via text messages
• Vishing
– Phishing via voice mail messages
 Types of Perpetrators
(a person who carries out a harmful, illegal, or immoral act)
• Perpetrators include:
– Thrill seekers wanting a challenge
– Common criminals looking for financial gain
– Industrial spies trying to gain an advantage
– Terrorists seeking to cause destruction
• Different objectives and access to varying
resources
• Willing to take different levels of risk to accomplish
an objective
Types of Perpetrators (cont’d.)
 Hackers and Crackers
• Hackers
– Test limitations of systems out of intellectual curiosity
• Some smart and talented
• termed “lamers” or “script kiddies”
• Crackers
– Cracking is a form of hacking
– Clearly criminal activity
• DEF CON (also written as DEFCON, Defcon, or
DC) is one of the world's largest annual hacking
conferencehacker con.
 Malicious Insiders
• Major security concern for companies
• Fraud within an organization is usually due to
weaknesses in internal control procedures
• Collusion
– Cooperation between an employee and an outsider
• Insiders are not necessarily employees
– Can also be consultants and contractors
• Extremely difficult to detect or stop
– Authorized to access the very systems they abuse
• Negligent insiders have potential to cause damage
 Industrial Spies
• Use illegal means to obtain trade secrets from
competitors
• Trade secrets are protected by the Economic
Espionage Act of 1996
• Competitive intelligence
– Uses legal techniques (internet surfing)
– Gathers information available to the public
– Focus on external business environment.(Competitor
news)
• Industrial espionage
– Uses illegal means
– Obtains information not available to the public
 Cybercriminals
• Hack into corporate computers to steal
• Engage in all forms of computer fraud
• Chargebacks are disputed transactions
• Example transferring money from one account to
another
• Loss of customer trust has more impact than fraud
• To reduce potential for online credit card fraud:
– Use encryption technology
– Verify the address submitted online against the
issuing bank
– Use transaction-risk scoring software
 Cybercriminals (cont’d.)
• Smart cards
– Contain a memory chip
– Updated with encrypted data each time card is used
 Hacktivists and Cyberterrorists
• Hacktivism
– Hacking to achieve a political or social goal
• Cyberterrorist
– Attacks computers or networks in an attempt to
intimidate a government in order to advance certain
political or social objectives
– Seeks to cause harm rather than gather information
– Uses techniques that destroy or disrupt services
Federal Laws for Prosecuting
Computer Attacks
Ethics in Information Technology, Fourth Edition
Implementing Trustworthy Computing
• Trustworthy computing
– Delivers secure, private, and reliable computing
– Based on sound business practices
• Security:-the protection of information systems against unauthorized
access to or modification of information, whether in storage, processing or
transit, and against the denial of service to authorized users or the
provision of service to unauthorized users, including those measure
necessary to detect, document, and counter such threats.
• Privacy:-the quality or state of being apart from company or observation b)
freedom from unauthorized intrusion.
• Reliability- the extent to which an experiment, test, or measuring
procedure yields the same results on repeated trials. Relaibiltiy in the
content of Trustworthy Computing is presented by Microsoft as more then
just reliable software and provding support. Microsoft believes it means
being a reliable business partner, maintaining an open dialogue with our
customers and industry partners, and seeking feedback about how we can
improve our software and services.
• Integrity- the quality or state of being complete or undivided.
• A company must display and earn the trust with the client. Trust is assured
reliance on the character, ability, strength, of a business . · Character
feedback and opinions from clients and team members will display
leadership and open up ideas for improvement

Ethics in Information Technology, Fourth Edition

 Implementing Trustworthy Computing
(cont’d.)
• Security of any system or network
– Combination of technology, policy, and people
– Requires a wide range of activities to be effective
• Systems must be monitored to detect possible
intrusion
• Clear reaction plan addresses:
– Notification, evidence protection, activity log
maintenance and recovery
 MCQ
A(n) ____ takes place before the security community or
software developer knows about the vulnerability or has
been able to repair it.
a. Zero-day attack
b. Hacking
c. Spying
d. System testing.
• Which of the following is not the type of exploits?
a. Worms
b. Virus
c. Spam
d. firewall
_____ is a piece of code that causes a computer to
behave in an unexpected and usually undesirable
manner.
a. Worms
b. Trojan Horses
c. Viruses
d. DDoS Attacks
 Questions
• Types of exploits
• Four pillars of trustworthy computing
• Types of Perpetrators
 Risk Assessment
• Process of assessing security-related risks:
– To an organization’s computers and networks
– From both internal and external threats
• Identifies which investments of time and resources
will best protect from most likely and serious
threats
• Focuses security efforts on areas of highest payoff
• An asset is any hardware or
software,network,database that is used by org. to
achieve its business objectives
 Risk Assessment (cont’d.)
• Eight-step risk assessment process
– #1 Identify assets of most concern
– #2 Identify loss events that could occur
– #3 Assess likelihood of each potential threat
– #4 Determine the impact of each threat
– #5 Determine how each threat could be reduced
– #6 Assess feasibility of reduced options
– #7 Perform cost-benefit analysis
– #8 Decide which countermeasures to implement
• Step 1:- assets that supports the org mission and the
meeting of its primary goals.
• Step 2:- Identify the loss events or risks that could
occur such as Ddos attack.
• Step 3:-Asses the frequency of threats example insider
fraud are more likely to occur than others
• Step 4:- determine the impact of each threat occurring.
Would it have a minor impact or major impact.
• Step 5:-determine how each threat can be
mitigated(action of reducing the seriousness) so that it
becomes much less likely to occur example antivirus.
• Step 6:- Feasibility(the state or degree of being easily
or conveniently done.)of implementing the mitigation
options
• Step 7:- Perform a cost benefit analysis to ensure
that your efforts will be cost effective.
• The concept of reasonable assurance recognizes
that managers must use their judgement to ensure
that the cost of control does not exceed the
system’s benefit risk or risk involved.
• Step 8:- Make decision on whether or not to
implement a particular countermeasure. If you
decide against implementing a particular
countermeasure,you need to reassess if the threat
is truly serious, if so identify a less costly counter
measure
Risk Assessment (cont’d.)
Risk Assessment (cont’d.)
 Establishing a Security Policy
• A security policy defines:
– Organization’s security requirements
– Controls and sanctions needed to meet the
requirements
• Describe responsibilities and expected behavior
• Outlines what needs to be done
– Not how to do it
Establishing a Security Policy (cont’d.)
• Trade-off (compromise)between:
– Ease of use
– Increased security
• Areas of concern
– Email attachments(block an email with attachment)
– Wireless devices
• VPN(virtual private network) uses the Internet to
relay communications but maintains privacy
through security features
• Additional security includes encrypting originating
and receiving network addresses
 Educating Employees, Contractors,
and Part-Time Workers
• Educate and motivate users to understand and
follow policy
• Discuss recent security incidents
• Help protect information systems by:
– Guarding passwords
– Not allowing sharing of passwords
– Applying strict access controls to protect data
– Reporting all unusual activity
– Protecting portable computing and data storage
devices
 Prevention
• Implement a layered security solution
– Make computer break-ins harder
– If any attacker breaks one layers their will be another
layer to protect it.
• Installing a corporate firewall
– Limits network access
• Intrusion prevention systems
– Block viruses, malformed packets, and other threats
• Installing antivirus software
– Scans for sequence of bytes called virus signature.
– Indicates the presence of specific virus,if found the
antivirus informs the user and it may clean or delete
the affected files.
Prevention (cont’d.)
Prevention (cont’d.)
 Prevention (cont’d.)
• Safeguards against attacks by malicious insiders
• Departing employees and contractors
– Promptly delete computer accounts, login IDs, and passwords
of the employees who have left company.
• Carefully define employee roles and separate key
responsibilities
• Create roles and user accounts to limit authority.
• Example:- accountant should not be able to review the
pay and attendance record of the employee and a
member of HR should not know how much was spent to
modernize a piece of equipment.
 Prevention (cont’d.)
• Defending against cyberterrorism
– Department of Homeland Security and its National
Cyber Security Division (NCSD) is a resource
• Builds and maintains a national security
cyberspace response system
• Implements a cyber-risk management program
for protection of critical infrastructure, including
banking and finance, water, government
operations, and emergency services
 Prevention (cont’d.)
• Conduct periodic IT security audits
– Evaluate policies and whether they are followed
– Test system safeguards
– Information Protection Assessment kit is available
from the Computer Security Institute
– Example:- if the company says that after every 30
days the users must change their passwords.
– In this case security audits will check how well the
policy is being implemented
 Detection
• Detection systems
– Catch intruders in the act
• Intrusion detection system
– Monitors system/network resources and activities
– Notifies the proper authority when it identifies:
• Possible intrusions from outside the organization
• Misuse from within the organization
– Knowledge-based approach
– Contains information about specific attack
– Example:-repeated failed login.
– Behavior-based approach
– Any change in the behavior when compared with original
model.
– Example:- unusual traffic at odd hours or a user in HR dept
who accesses an accounting program that she has never used
before
 Response
• Response plan
– Develop well in advance of any incident
– Approved by:
• Legal department
• Senior management
• Primary goals
– Regain control and limit damage
– Not to monitor or catch an intruder
 Response (cont’d.)
• Incident notification defines:
– Who to notify
– Who not to notify
• Security experts recommend against releasing
specific information about a security compromise in
public forums, conference or seminar.( it should be
shared with other groups but not through corrupted
system))
• Document all details of a security incident
– All system events
– Specific actions taken
– All external conversations
 Response (cont’d.)
• Act quickly to contain an attack
• Eradication effort(the complete destruction of
something.)
– Collect and log all possible criminal evidence
– Verify necessary backups are current and complete
– Create new backups
• Follow-up
– Determine how security was compromised
• Prevent it from happening again
 Response (cont’d.)
• Review
– Determine exactly what happened
– Evaluate how the organization responded
• Weigh carefully the amount of effort required to
capture the perpetrator
• Consider the potential for negative publicity
 Computer Forensics
• Combines elements of law and computer science
to identify, collect, examine, and preserve data and
preserve its integrity so it is admissible as evidence
• Computer forensics investigation requires
extensive training and certification and knowledge
of laws that apply to gathering of criminal evidence
 Summary
• Ethical decisions in determining which information
systems and data most need protection
• Most common computer exploits
– Viruses
– Worms
– Trojan horses
– Distributed denial-of-service attacks
– Rootkits
– Spam
– Phishing, spear-fishing, smishing, vishing
 Summary (cont’d.)
• Perpetrators include:
– Hackers
– Crackers
– Malicious insider
– Industrial spies
– Cybercriminals
– Hacktivist
– Cyberterrorists
 Summary (cont’d.)
• Must implement multilayer process for managing
security vulnerabilities, including:
– Assessment of threats
– Identifying actions to address vulnerabilities
– User education
• IT must lead the effort to implement:
– Security policies and procedures
– Hardware and software to prevent security breaches
• Computer forensics is key to fighting computer
crime in a court of law
 Mcq

Pillars of trustworthy computing

a. Security, Privacy, Reliability, Business Integrity
b. Security, Protection, Reliability, Business Integrity
c. Speed, Protection, Reliability, Business Integrity
d. Safety, Privacy, Reliability, Business Integrity
_____ is the one in which organization receive
fraudulent emails
a. Spear -Phishing
b. Smishing
c. Vishing
d. Phishing
Which among following is not the vendor of firewall
a. F-Secure Corporation
b. NiT kernel Resources
c. Panda Security
d. Check Point Software Technologies ltd.

IPS stands for

a. Intrusion Protection System
b. Internet Prevention System
c. Intrusion Precaution System
d. Intrusion Prevention System
Template defines the means to establish a culture of
openness, trust, and integrity in business practices.
a. Information Sensitivity Policy
b. Ethics Policy
c. Risk Assessment Policy
d. Voicemail Policy