MICHAEL S.

RODRIGUEZ
CS101 INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTING BSCS 1D
INSTRUCTOR: MA'AM MARY JANE BRIONES (THURSDAY 1-4PM)

Assignment - Finals (January 03, 2023)

Research what makes a system secured?

A system may be secure if it has excellent system security. System security includes
the development and implementation of security countermeasures. These include
firewalls, data encryption, passwords, and biometrics.

There are security threats, which is why we need excellent system security.
Computer systems face a number of security threats. One of the basic threats is data
loss, which means that parts of a database can no longer be retrieved. This could be
the result of physical damage to the storage medium (like fire or water damage), human
error or hardware failures.

Another security threat is unauthorized access. Many computer systems contain

sensitive information, and it could be very harmful if it were to fall in the wrong hands.
Imagine someone getting a hold of your social security number, date of birth, address
and bank information. Getting unauthorized access to computer systems is known as
cracking.

You have heard the term hacker to refer to those nefarious folks who access systems
illegally. But to a professional IT person, and in the IT field, a hacker is actually
someone who is a very good programmer. On the other hand, someone who accesses
systems illegally is actually carrying out cracking. Basically, they are trying to break
(crack) things.

These individuals have developed sophisticated methods to obtain data from

databases, which they may use for personal gain or to harm others.

A third category of security threats consists of viruses and other harmful programs. A
computer virus is a computer program that can cause damage to a computer's software,
hardware or data. It is referred to as a virus because it has the capability to replicate
itself and hide inside other computer files.
System Security
The objective of system security is the protection of information and property from theft,
corruption and other types of damage, while allowing the information and property to
remain accessible and productive. System security includes the development and
implementation of security countermeasures. There are a number of different
approaches to computer system security, including the use of a firewall, data
encryption, passwords and biometrics.

Firewall
One widely used strategy to improve system security is to use a firewall. A firewall
consists of software and hardware set up between an internal computer network and
the Internet. A computer network manager sets up the rules for the firewall to filter out
unwanted intrusions. These rules are set up in such a way that unauthorized access is
much more difficult.

A system administrator can decide, for example, that only users within the firewall can
access particular files, or that those outside the firewall have limited capabilities to
modify the files. You can also set up a firewall for your own computer, and on many
computer systems, this is built into the operating system.

Encryption
One way to keep files and data safe is to use encryption. This is often used when data
is transferred over the Internet, where it could potentially be seen by others. Encryption
is the process of encoding messages so that it can only be viewed by authorized
individuals. An encryption key is used to make the message unreadable, and a secret
decryption key is used to decipher the message.

Encryption is widely used in systems like e-commerce and Internet banking, where the
databases contain very sensitive information. If you have made purchases online using
a credit card, it is very likely that you've used encryption to do this.

Passwords
The most widely used method to prevent unauthorized access is to use passwords.
A password is a string of characters used to verify the identity of a user during the
authentication process. Passwords are typically used in tandem with a username; they
are designed to be known only to the user and allow that user to gain access to a
device, application or website. Passwords can vary in length and can contain letters,
numbers and special characters.

A password is sometimes called a passphrase, when the password uses more than one
word, or a passcode or passkey, when the password uses only numbers, such as a
personal identification number (PIN).
A password is a simple application of challenge-response authentication, using a verbal,
written or typed code to satisfy the challenge request. The order and variety of
characters are often what determines the difficulty, or security strength, of a given
password. That is why security systems often require users to create passwords that
use at least one capital letter, number and symbol. For a password to be an effective
security mechanism, its details must be kept secret. Otherwise, unauthorized users
could gain access to the files and securities one is trying to protect.

How to create a secure password

Passwords, when carefully created and protected, increase safe and secure interactions
online and in the workplace and can prevent password cracking. To maximize the
strength and efficacy of passwords, organizations often establish password policies.
These policies are designed to help users create strong passwords and adopt best
practices for managing login credentials. Below are a few examples of the practices that
contribute to effective password management and creation:

A minimum length of eight characters and a maximum between 16 to 64 characters.

While there is no limit to the length of a password, it does reach a point of diminishing
returns.
Include both uppercase and lowercase letters with case sensitivity. This increases the
number of variables at play and, therefore, its difficulty.
Use at least one number.
Use at least one special character.
Avoid using easily guessed elements such as names of children, pet names and
birthdays.
Consider using a password management tool.

Examples of strong passwords

The most important components of strong passwords include sufficient length and a mix
of character types. Security experts recommend using passphrases that combine
several words and interchange numbers and symbols but are still fairly easy to
remember. For example, the phrase "my hobby is buying shoes online" can convert to
"Myho88y!$ buYing$HO3$ 0nlin3."

Security practitioners also recommend using the first letter of each word in a long
sentence to create a complex string, again replacing some letters with numbers and
symbols. For example, "I spend all my money in the shoe department at Nordstrom
because their shoes are great" can convert to "I$@MM1TSD@N8T$AG."

Random password generators and password management tools can also produce
complex passwords and remember them for users. Despite vulnerabilities that
sometimes surface in password managers, the security community recommends their
use.

How to avoid weak passwords

Users and businesses should strive to eliminate common password vulnerabilities that
threat actors tend to look for. With social media being more present than ever before,
any recognizable personal information can be easily obtained by a persistent
cybercriminal. Common weaknesses include:

 Use of the word "password"

 Sequential numbers starting from one, such as "12345678"
 Inclusion of accessible information: birthdates, names of relatives, home
addresses and names of pets or children

The SolarWinds hack that emerged in late 2020 showed how cybercriminals can
compromise weak passwords. Instead of performing an elaborate attack, the Russia-
backed hackers simply guessed the password "solarwinds123," which proved to be the
password to the company's update server. This allowed the attackers to hide a virus in
SolarWinds' Orion software update, which was later shipped to its clients and
compromised them as well.

How often should passwords be changed?

Strong passwords don't just depend on the code or the individual; they also depend on
the expiration date. Corporate password policies often place an expiration date on their
users' passcodes, forcing users to replace old passwords with new ones. Password
time periods commonly span 90 to 180 days. Sophisticated password creation systems
may also force users to create new passwords that don't share major similarities to their
previous iterations.

Alternative methods to passwords

Passwordless authentication has emerged to help eliminate the complexities and
vulnerabilities of traditional passwords. This method is especially beneficial for users on
mobile devices or social platforms. Instead of creating a unique password, users receive
a one-time authentication code via a text message, email or other messaging alert or
service. The code allows users to log in automatically.

Other authentication methods can also be combined with or in place of passwords.

These options include:

 Two-factor authentication (2FA) -- 2FA requires users to provide two

authentication factors that include a combination of something the user knows
 (like a password or PIN), something the user has (like an ID card, security token
or smartphone) and something the user is (like a fingerprint or eye scan).
 Multifactor authentication (MFA) -- MFA is similar to 2FA except that it is not
limited to only two authentication factors. It also uses something the user knows,
something the user has and something the user is.
 Biometrics -- Biometric methods authenticates users based on physiological
characteristics such as fingerprints or retinal scans or behavioral characteristics
such as typing patterns and voice recognition.
 Tokens -- A security token is a physical hardware device like a smart card or key
fob that a user carries to authorize access to a network.
 One-time passwords (OTP) -- An OTP is an automatically generated password
that only authenticates a user for a single transaction or session. These
passwords change for every use and are typically stored on security tokens.
 Social login -- This type of login enables users to authenticate themselves on
applications or websites by connecting to social media account such as
Facebook or Google instead of using a separate login for each and every site.

Biometrics
The rapid development of biometric recognition technology has led to biometric security
systems being used increasingly more for physical access control. Not just in high-
security locations such as banks, but also in environments needing lower security levels
such as office complexes. Biometric systems are opening up whole new opportunities to
improve the protection of people, places and possessions, while also offering more
user-friendly ways for people to identify themselves.

What is biometric security?

It involves using biometric security software to automatically recognise people based on
their behavioural or biological characteristics. The biometric technology currently used
most often in physical access control is fingerprint recognition because of its lower
price. Among 2D fingerprint sensors, multispectral sensors are often a better choice
over optical sensors. They’re slightly more expensive but offer higher accuracy and
more reliable performance.

Other identifiers used include finger veins, palm veins, faces and irises. For high-
security environments, iris recognition provides the best accuracy, followed by palm
vein recognition. Some biometric security systems verify identities using one or more
detection technologies, while others don’t verify the identity at all to keep costs low.
What benefits do biometric security systems offer?

 Biometric systems strengthen security

One of the key benefits of biometric security devices is that they can help to increase
your protection. It’s much harder, for example, to clone or steal a fingerprint than an
access card.

In situations where you need to increase security, biometrics can also be used for
multifactor verification. After someone’s presented their badge, for example, they then
need to present their fingerprint to verify that they are who they claim to be. This is safer
than using a PIN for verification as that can easily be passed to other people.

 Biometric systems improve convenience

Biometric security systems can also offer users more convenience. It’s easy to forget a
card or key, but you always have your biometrics with you. And if the identifier allows
handsfree or long-distance recognition, the convenience levels increase further – you
may be allowed to enter your building simply by having your face scanned as you pass
the entrance.

Are there downsides to biometric security solutions?

Although biometric security systems offer many advantages, there are still some
concerns and even potential risks to consider.

Accuracy
Although the probability of identifying someone via a biometric system is high, 100%
accuracy isn’t guaranteed. Each biometric recognition technology has its own false
acceptance rate and false rejection rate, and factors such as sunlight and the
cleanliness of the sensor can affect accuracy.

Privacy
As biometrics are classified as sensitive personal data in European General Data
Protection Regulation (GDPR), it’s important to use and store biometric information in
line with local regulations. In some countries, for example, you’re not allowed to store
any biometric data in a central database.

Enrolment issues
Factors such as dry fingers, vague fingerprints, eye disease or exceptionally dark irises
mean that a small number of people can’t be enrolled using some biometric recognition
technologies.
Fraudulent use
Presenting a photo of a fingerprint or face can fool some biometric systems and create
opportunities to breach security. In some biometric security solutions, it’s possible to
add liveness detection as extra functionality. This checks that the body part presented is
from a living person who is at the sensor there and then.

Some inconvenience
Users must be physically present for registration using biometric identifiers, whereas an
access card or PIN can be prepared in advance. Biometric security systems are often
slower to use too, which can be a problem if large numbers of people need to gain
access within a certain timeframe.

GDPR compliance
In some countries, to comply with local privacy regulations, biometric templates must be
stored on access cards rather than in a separate database. The upside of this is that
each person owns and carries their own biometric template, and if their card is lost or
stolen only they are affected. The downside is that biometrics can only be used for
verification as identification is still done by the access card. Also, templates stored on
cards often have a lower resolution, which makes comparing characteristics more
difficult.

Biometric systems will, undoubtedly, be used increasingly more in physical access

control in the coming years. Especially as technology develops to mitigate some of the
risks that remain.

References link:

https://study.com/academy/lesson/systems-security-firewalls-encryption-passwords-
biometrics.html#:~:text=and%20computer%20viruses.-,System%20security%20includes
%20the%20development%20and%20implementation%20of%20security
%20countermeasures,to%20filter%20out%20unwanted%20intrusions.

https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/password#:~:text=A%20password
%20is%20a%20string,a%20device%2C%20application%20or%20website.

https://www.nedapsecurity.com/insight/biometric-security/#:~:text=It%20involves
%20using%20biometric%20security,because%20of%20its%20lower%20price.