Unit IV

(a) Meaning and Concept of ICT Security

What is ICT?
Information and Communication Technologies are defined as all devices, tools, content,
resources, forums, and services, digital and those that can be converted into or delivered
through digital forms, which can be deployed for realising the goals of teaching learning,
enhancing access to and reach of resources, building of capacities, as well as management of
the educational system.
These will not only include hardware devices connected to computers, and software
applications, but also interactive digital content, internet and other satellite communication
devices, radio and television services, web based content repositories, interactive forums,
learning management systems, and management information systems.
These will also include processes for digitisation, deployment and management of content,
development and deployment of platforms and processes for capacity development, and
creation of forums for interaction and exchange.

ICT, or information and communications technology (or technologies), is the infrastructure

and components that enable (empower) modern computing.

Although there is no single, universal definition of ICT, the term is generally accepted to
mean all devices, networking components, applications and systems that combined allow
people and organizations (i.e., businesses, nonprofit agencies, governments and criminal
enterprises) to interact in the digital world.

ICT- “Diverse set of technological tools and resources used to communicate, and to create,
disseminate, store, and manage information.”

Security, in information technology (IT), is the defense of digital information and IT assets
against internal and external, malicious (cruel) and accidental threats.

This defense includes detection, prevention and response to threats through the use of
security policies, software tools and IT services.

Security is critical for enterprises and organizations of all sizes and in all industries. Weak
security can result in compromised systems or data, either by a malicious threat actor or an
unintentional internal threat.

TYPES OF SECURITY

Physical security

Physical security is the protection of personnel, hardware, software, networks and data from
physical actions, intrusions and other events that could damage an organization. This
includes natural disasters, fire, robbery and terrorism, among others.

Information security
Information security, also called infosec, encompasses a broad set of strategies for managing
the process, tools and policies that aim to prevent, detect and respond to threats to both
digital and non-digital information assets.

Infosec includes several specialized categories, including:

a. Application security - the protection of applications from threats that seek to manipulate
application and access, steal, modify or delete data. These protections use software,
hardware and policies, and are sometimes called countermeasures. Common
countermeasures include application firewalls, encryption programs, patch management and
biometric authentication systems.

b. Cloud Security- the set of policies and technologies designed to protect data and
infrastructure involved in a cloud computing environment. The top concerns that cloud
security looks to address are identity and access management, and data privacy.

c. Endpoint security - the part of network security that requires network devices nodes to
meet certain security standards before they can connect to a secure network. Nodes devices
include PCs, laptops, smartphones and tablets. Endpoint security also extends to equipment
like point-of-sale (POS) terminals, bar code readers and IoT devices.

d. Internet security - the protection of software applications, web browsers and virtual
private networks (VPNs) that use the internet. Using techniques such as encryption and
internet security aim to defend the transfer of data from attacks like malware and phishing as
well as denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.

e. Mobile security - the protection of portable devices, such as smartphones, tablets and
laptops. Mobile security, also known as wireless security, secures the devices and the
networks they connect to in order to prevent theft, data leakage and malware attacks.

f. Network security - the protection of a network infrastructure and the devices connected
to it through technologies, policies and practices. Network security defends against threats
such as unauthorized access, and malicious use and modifications.

ICT security
1.1 Definition
Computer security, cybersecurityor information technology security (IT security) is the
protection of computer systems from theft or damage to their hardware, software or
electronic data, as well as from disruption or misdirection of the services they
provide.A secure connection is a connection that is encrypted by one or more security
protocols to ensure the security of data flowing between two or more nodes.

1.2 Types of ICT threats

1.2.1 Hardware Threats:
“Hardware is a common cause of data problems. Power can fail, electronics age, add-in
boards can be installed wrong, you can mistype, there are accidents of all kinds, a repair
technician can actually cause problems, and magnets you don’t know are there can damage
disks.”
Unfortunately, hardware errors frequently damage data on even young PCs and disks. Here
are some examples.
POWER FAULT:

Brownout Lower voltages at electrical outlets. Usually they are caused by an

extraordinary drain on the power system. Frequently you will see a
brownout during a heat wave when more people than normal have air
conditioners on full. Sometimes these power shortages will be
“rolling” across the area giving everyone a temporary brownout.
Maybe you’ll get yours just as that important file is being written to
disk.
Voltage spike Temporary voltage increases are fairly common. Large motors or
circuit breakers in industry can put them on the electrical line.
Sudden losses (e.g., a driver hits a power pole) can causes spikes as
the circuits balance. An appliance in your home can cause a spike,
particularly with older wiring. Lightning can put large spikes on
power lines.
Frequency shift While infrequent, if the line frequency varies from the normal 60
Hertz (or 50 Hertz in some countries), the power supply on the
computer can be affected and this, in turn, can reflect back into the
computer causing data loss.
Solution: Consider a combined surge protector and uninterruptible power supply.

AGE: As computers age they tend to fail more often. Electronic components are stressed
over time as they heat up and cool down. Mechanical components simply wear out. Some of
these failures will be dramatic. Regrettably, it’s not a question of “if”, but “when” in regard
to equipment failure.
Solution: Keep an eye on the specials after three to five years.
INCOMPATIBILITIES: You can have hardware problems on a perfectly healthy PC if
you have devices installed that do not properly share interrupts. Sometimes problems are
immediately obvious, other times they are subtle and depend upon certain events to happen
at just the wrong time, then suddenly strange things happen!
Solution: Make a really good backup before installing anything (hardware or software) so
you can revise the system back to a stable state should something crop up.
FINGER FAULTS: (Typing error)
These are an all too frequent cause of data corruption. This commonly happens when you
are intending to delete or replace one file but actually get another.
Another finger fault problem arises with touchpads below the space bar on notebook
computers. It’s very easy to brush the touchpad when you are typing away and suddenly find
yourself entering characters in a screen location very different from where you were before
you touched the pad.
Solution: Be careful and look up now and again to make certain your cursor is where you
want it.
MALICIOUS OR CARELESS DAMAGE: Someone may accidentally or deliberately
delete or change a file on your PC when you’re not around. If you don’t keep your PC
locked in a safe, then this is a risk. Most of this type of damage is done unintentionally by
someone you probably know. This person didn’t mean to cause trouble; they simply didn’t
know what they were doing when they used your PC.
Solution: Never run the computer as an administrative user and have guest accounts
available for others who use the computer. Keep up-to-date backups as well.
TYPHOID MARY: One possible source for computer infections is the Customer Engineer
(CE), or repairman, they will almost always run a diagnostic program from diskette. It’s
very easy for these diskettes to become infected and spread the infection to your computer.
Always check your system after other people have placed their floppy disk into it. (Better
yet, if you can, check their disk with up-to-date anti-virus software before anything is run.)
Solution: Insist on testing their disk before use or make certain they’ve used an up-to-date
anti-virus before coming to your location.
 MAGNETIC ZAPS: Computer data is generally stored as a series of magnetic changes on
disks. While hard disks are generally safe from most magnetic threats because they are
encased within the computer compartment, floppy disks are highly vulnerable to magnets.
Some of the more subtle sources of magnetism include:
Computer Monitor. Don’t put floppy disks anywhere near the monitor; it generates a
magnetic field. (Generally applies to the older CRT displays.)
Telephone. When ringing, telephones (particularly older phones with a bell) generate a
magnetic field.
Bottom Desk Drawer. While the desk drawer does not generate a magnetic field, the vacuum
cleaner that the maintenance people slide under the desk to clean the floor does.
Bottom Bookcase Shelf and File Cabinet Drawer. Same comment as the desk drawer just
above.
Pets. Pet fur generates a strong electrostatic charge which, if discharged through a disk, can
affect files on the disk.

Solution: Stay away from magnets or sources of static of all kinds when working with a
computer.

1.2.2 Software threats:

“Software threats are malicious pieces of computer code and applications that can damage
your computer, as well as steal your personal or financial information. For this reason, these
dangerous programs are often called malware (short for “malicious software.”)”

Mobile Software Threats

Mobile virusescan infect one cellular phone and then spread to other devices via the mobile
phone network. Viruses that spread themselves via the mobile phone network can infect
mobile devices. These have been a limited threat to date due to the fact that mobile phones
use many different operating systems, but as a small number of systems (such as Android
and iOS) become dominant, these viruses will be able to spread more widely. In all other
respects these are identical to other computer viruses.
 Bluesnarfin Bluesnarfing is the actual theft of data from Bluetooth enabled devices
g (especially phones). Like blue jacking it depends on a connection to a
Bluetooth phone being available. A Bluetooth user running the right
software from a laptop can discover a nearby phone and steal the contact
list, phonebook and images etc. Furthermore, your phone’s serial number
can be downloaded and used to close the phone. Again, the only current
defense is to turn your Bluetooth off by setting it to “undiscoverable”.
Bluejacking Bluejacking uses a feature originally intended to exchange contact
information to send anonymous, unwanted messages to other users with
Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones or laptops. In some cases this is used to
send obscene or threatening messages or images, and it could be used to
spread malware as well.

Security Tips for Software Threats

In order to protect yourself from mobile viruses it is important to regularly update your
operating system. Security software is also available for a variety of mobile operating
systems, including Android and iOS (iPhone and iPad). Many of these are produced by the
same publishers as popular security suites for desktop computers such
as Norton and McAfee.
The only way to avoid Bluejacking is to turn off your Bluetooth device or set it to
“undiscoverable”. To limit the risk of Bluesnarfing, only use Bluetooth devices in private.

1.2.3 Other Common Threats

Malware: Malware is short for “malicious software.” Wikipedia describes malware as a
term used to mean a “variety of forms of hostile, intrusive, or annoying software or program
code.” Malware could be computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, dishonest spyware, and
malicious rootkits—all of which are defined below.

Computer virus: A computer virus is a small piece of software that can spread from one
infected computer to another. The virus could corrupt, steal, or delete data on your computer
—even erasing everything on your hard drive. A virus could also use other programs like
your email program to spread itself to other computers.
Rogue security software: It is a pop-up window that advertises a security update or alert. It
appears legitimate and asks you to click on a link to install the “update” or “remove”
unwanted malicious software that it has apparently detected. This could be rogue security
software designed to lure people into clicking and downloading malicious software.
Microsoft has a usefulwebpage that describes rogue security software and how you can
protect yourself.

Trojan horse: Users can infect their computers with Trojan horse software simply by
downloading an application they thought was legitimate but was in fact malicious. Once
inside your computer, a Trojan horse can do anything from record your passwords by
logging keystrokes to hijacking your webcamto watch and record your every move.

Malicious spyware: Malicious spyware is used to describe the Trojan application that was
created by cybercriminals to spy on their victims. An example would be key logger software
that records a victim’s every keystroke on his or her keyboard. The recorded information is
periodically sent back to the originating cybercriminal over the Internet. Key logging
software is widely available and is marketed to parents or businesses that want to monitor
their kids’ or employees’ Internet usage.

Computer worm: A computer worm is a software program that can copy itself from one
computer to another, without human interaction. Worms can replicate in great volume and
with great speed. For example, a worm can send copies of itself to every contact in your
email address book and then send itself to all the contacts in your contacts’ address
books.Because of their speed of infection, worms often gain notoriety overnight infecting
computers across the globe as quickly as victims around the world switch them on and open
their email.

Botnet: A botnet is a group of computers connected to the Internet that have been
compromised by a hacker using a computer virus or Trojan horse. An individual computer in
the group is known as a “zombie “computer.The botnet is under the command of a “bot
herder” or a “bot master,” usually to perform nefarious activities. This could include
distributing spam to the email contact addresses on each zombie computer, for example. If
the botnet is sufficiently big in number, it could be used to access a targeted website
simultaneously in what’s known as a denial-of-service (DoS) attack. The goal of a DoS
attack is to bring down a web server by overloading it with access requests. Popular
websites such as Google and Twitter have been victims of DoS attacks.

Spam: Spam in the security context is primarily used to describe email spam—unwanted
messages in your email inbox. Spam, or electronic junk mail, is a nuisance as it can clutter
your mailbox as well as potentially take up space on your mail server. Unwanted junk mail
advertising items you don’t care for is harmless, relatively speaking. However, spam
messages can contain links that when clicked on could go to a website that installs malicious
software onto your computer.

Phishing: Phishing scams are fraudulent attempts by cybercriminals to obtain private

information. Phishing scams often appear in the guise of email messages designed to appear
as though they are from legitimate sources. For example, the message would try to lure you
into giving your personal information by pretending that your bank or email service provider
is updating its website and that you must click on the link in the email to verify your account
information and password details.

Rootkit: According to TechTarget, a rootkit is a collection of tools that are used to obtain
administrator-level access to a computer or a network of computers. A rootkit could be
installed on your computer by a cybercriminal exploiting a vulnerability or security hole in a
legitimate application on your PC and may contain spyware that monitors and records
keystrokes.

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