Chapter 1

Introduction to Computer Security

Reading Chapter 1:
Chuck Easttom, [2016], Computer
Security Fundamentals, Third Edition,
Pearson Education.
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 Chapter 1 Objectives

• Identify top threats to a computer network

• Assess the likelihood of an attack
• Define key terms like cracker, sneaker, firewall,
and authentication
• Compare and contrast perimeter and layered
approaches to network security
• Use online resources

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 Introduction

• Computer systems and networks are all

around us.
– Online banking
– Automated supermarket checkouts
– Online classes
– Online shopping
– Online travel resources

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 Introduction

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 Introduction (cont.)

• How is personal information safeguarded?

• What are the vulnerabilities?
• What secures these systems?
• Who can access my information?

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 Identifying Types of Threats

• Malware: MALicious softWARE (virus attacks,

worms, adware, Trojan horses, and spyware)
• Security Breaches: This group of attacks includes
any attempt to gain unauthorized access to your
system. This includes cracking passwords, elevating
privileges, breaking into a server...all the things you
probably associate with the term hacking.

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 Identifying Types of Threats

• DoS (Denial of Service attacks): These are

designed to prevent legitimate access to your
system.
• Web Attacks: This is any attack that attempts to
breach your website. Two of the most common such
attacks are SQL injection and cross-site scripting.
• Session Hijacking: These attacks are rather
advanced and involve an attacker attempting to take
over a session.

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 Identifying Types of Threats

• Insider threats: These are breaches based on

someone who has access to your network
misusing his access to steal data or
compromise security.
• DNS poisoning: This type of attack seeks to
compromise a DNS server so that users can be
redirected to malicious websites, including phishing
websites.
• There are other attacks, such as social engineering.
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 Malware

• Software with a malicious purpose

– Virus
– Trojan horse
– Spyware
– Logic Bomb

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 Malware (cont.)

Virus
– One of the two most common types
– Usually spreads through e-mail
– Uses system resources, causing slowdown or
stoppage
According to Symantec (makers of Norton antivirus and
other software products), a virus is “a small program
that replicates and hides itself inside other programs,
usually without your knowledge”
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 Malware (cont.)

Trojan Horse
– The other most
common kind of
malware
– Named after the
wooden horse of
ancient history

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 Malware (cont.)

Spyware
– The most rapidly growing types of malware
• Cookies
• Key logger

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 Malware (cont.)

Logic Bomb
– Lays dormant until some logical condition is met,
often a specific date.

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 Compromising System Security

Intrusions
– Attacks that break through
system resources
• Hackers
• Crackers
• Social engineering
• War-driving

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 Denial of Service Attacks

• The attacker does not

intrude into the system
but just blocks access by
authorized users.

• Cannon Ion Cannon Low

(LOIC).

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 Web Attacks

• The attacker attempts to

breach a web
application.
• Common attacks of this
type are SQL injection
and Cross Site Scripting.

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 Web Attacks

• SQL injection
SELECT * FROM tblUsers WHERE USERNAME = ’ " + txtUsername.Text +' AND
PASSWORD = ’ " + txtPassword.Text +” '

SELECT * FROM tblUsers WHERE USERNAME = ’ ' or '1' = '1' AND PASSWORD = ’ '
or '1' = '1'

• Cross-site scripting
<script> window.location = "http://www.fakesite.com"; </script>

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 Session Hijacking

• This is a complex attack

that involves actually
taking over an
authenticated session.

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 Insider Threats

• An insider threat is simply

when someone inside your
organization either misuses
his access to data or
accesses data he is not
authorized to access.

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 DNS Poisoning

• This involves altering

DNS records on a DNS
server to redirect client
traffic to malicious
websites, usually for
identity theft.

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 Assessing the Likelihood of an
Attack on Your Network
• Viruses
– Catch up on new and refurbished viruses
• Unauthorized use of systems
– DoS attacks
– Intrusions
– Employee misuse

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 Basic Security Terminology

People:
– Hackers
• White hats
• Black hats
• Gray hats
– Script kiddies
– Sneakers (penetration tester = pentester)
– Ethical hackers

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 Basic Security Terminology
(cont.)

Devices
– Firewall
• Filters network traffic
– Proxy server
• Disguises IP address of internal host
– Intrusion Detection System
• Monitors traffic, looking for attempted attacks

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 Basic Security Terminology
(cont.)
Activities
– Authentication
– Auditing

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 How Do Legal Issues Impact Network
Security?

• The Computer Security Act of 1987

• OMB Circular A-130
• See www.alw.nih.gov/Security/FIRST/papers/
legal/statelaw.txt for state computer laws
• Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act of 1996, HIPAA

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 Online Security Resources

• CERT
– www.cert.org
• Microsoft Security Advisor
– www.microsoft.com/security/default.mspx
• F-Secure
– www.f-secure.com
• SANS
– www.sans.org

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 Summary

• Network security is a constantly changing

field.
• You need three levels of knowledge.
– Take the courses necessary to learn the basic
techniques.
– Learn your enterprise system intimately, with all
its strengths and vulnerabilities.
– Keep current in the ever-changing world of threats
and exploits.

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 Summary

• What is malware?
• What is a penetration tester?
• What is spyware?
• What is a computer virus?
• What is war-driving?
• What is the most common threat on the Internet?
• Hacker Terminology ?

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