COMPUTER SECURITY

Threats to computer Security

 What do they mean by a threat?

 A threat, in the context of computer security, refers to anything

that has the potential to cause serious harm to a computer system.
A threat is something that may or may not happen, but has the
potential to cause serious damage. Threats can lead to attacks on
computer systems, networks and more. A threat can be either
"intentional"(i.e., intelligent; e.g., an individual cracker or criminal
 Viruses
Computer Virus are nothing but computer program
that do unwanted things with your computer resources
e.g. you are working on PC and you are repeatedly
receiving annoying message
 Viruses: A virus is a small piece of software that
piggybacks on real programs. For example, a virus
might attach itself to a program such as a
spreadsheet program. Each time the spreadsheet
program runs, the virus runs, too, and it has the
chance to reproduce (by attaching to other
programs) or wreak havoc.
 E-mail viruses: An e-mail virus travels as an
attachment to e-mail messages, and usually
replicates itself by automatically mailing itself to
dozens of people in the victim's e-mail address
book. Some e-mail viruses don't even require a
double-click -- they launch when you view the
infected message in the preview pane of your e-
mail software
  Trojan horses: A Trojan horse is simply a computer program.
The program claims to do one thing (it may claim to be a
game) but instead does damage when you run it (it may erase
your hard disk). Trojan horses have no way to replicate
automatically.

 Worms: A worm is a small piece of software that uses

computer networks and security holes to replicate itself. A
copy of the worm scans the network for another machine that
has a specific security hole. It copies itself to the new machine
using the security hole, and then starts replicating from there,
as well.

Virus Origins (http://computer.howstuffworks.com/virus1.htm)

 Why they are called Virus?
 Computer viruses are called viruses because they share some
of the traits of biological viruses. A computer virus passes
from computer to computer like a biological virus passes from
person to person.

 Similar to the way a biological virus must hitch a ride on a

cell, a computer virus must piggyback on top of some other
program or document in order to launch. Once a computer
virus is running, it can infect other programs or documents.
 What /who make virus?

 who: People write computer viruses. A person has to write

the code, test it to make sure it spreads properly and then
release it. A person also designs the virus's attack phase,
whether it's a silly message or the destruction of a hard disk.
 Why are viruses made?
 Why:

 The first is the same psychology that drives vandals and arsonists. For some people,
that seems to be a thrill. If that sort of person knows computer programming, then
he or she may funnel energy into the creation of destructive viruses.


 The second reason has to do with the thrill of watching things blow up. Some
people have a fascination with things like explosions and car wrecks. Creating a
virus is a little like that -- it creates a virtual bomb inside a computer, and the more
computers that get infected, the more "fun" the explosion.

 The third reason involves bragging rights. Sort of like Mount Everest -- the
mountain is there, so someone is compelled to climb it. If you are a certain type of
programmer who sees a security hole that could be exploited, you might simply be
compelled to exploit the hole yourself before someone

And then there's cold, hard cash. Viruses can trick you into buying fake software, steal
your personal information and use it to get to your money, or be sold on the digital
equivalent of the black market. Powerful viruses are valuable -- and potentially lucrative
-- tools.
 Virus History
Traditional computer viruses were first widely seen in the late 1980s,

 Some Virus the Melissa virus in March 1999 was spectacular in its
attack. Melissa spread in Microsoft Word documents sent via e-mail.
 The ILOVEYOU virus, which appeared on May 4, 2000, was even
simpler. It contained a piece of code as an attachment. People who
double-clicked on the attachment launched the code. It then sent
copies of itself to everyone in the victim's address book and started
corrupting files on the victim's machine.

 Worms: A worm is similar to a virus by design and is considered to

be a sub-class of a virus. Worms spread from computer to computer,
but unlike a virus, it has the capability to travel without any human
action. A worm takes advantage of file or information transport
features on your system, which is what allows it to travel unaided.
 Worms use up computer processing time and network
bandwidth when they replicate, and often carry
payloads that do considerable damage.

 Some example of worms: A worm called Code Red

made huge headlines in 2001.

 The Slammer worm (which caused mayhem in January

2003) exploited a hole in Microsoft's SQL server.
 A worm called Storm, which showed up in 2007,
immediately started making a name for itself. Storm
used social engineering techniques to trick users into
loading the worm on their computers.
 HOW TO PROTECT YOURS
SYSTEM..?
 Keep The Operating System Updated

 Use a Firewall

 Anti-virus software is crucial to preventing virus attacks,

but this strategy only works if users update their software.
 Know that the only way a virus spreads is either by
launching an infected file or by booting an infected disk.
You cannot get a virus by simply being online or by
reading e-mail.
 Anti-Virus Software: vast, Avira, McAfee, Nortan and
many more
 FIREWALL
 A firewall is a system designed to prevent
unauthorized access to or from a private network.
Firewalls can be implemented in both hardware
and software, or a combination of both. All
messages entering or leaving the intranet pass
through the firewall, which examines each message
and blocks those that do not meet the specified
security criteria.

 Hardware and Software Firewalls:

 Firewalls can be either hardware or software but

the ideal firewall configuration will consist of both.
Hardware firewalls can be purchased as a stand-
alone product but are also typically found in
broadband routers, and should be considered an
important part of your system and network set-up.
Most hardware firewalls will have a minimum of
four network ports to connect other computers, but
for larger networks, business networking firewall
COMMON FIREWALL TECHNIQUES
 There are several types of firewall techniques that will prevent potentially harmful
information from getting through:

 1. Packet Filter

 Looks at each packet entering or leaving the network and accepts or rejects it based on
user-defined rules. Packet filtering is fairly effective and transparent to users, but it is
difficult to configure. In addition, it is susceptible to IP spoofing.


 2. Application Gateway

 Applies security mechanisms to specific applications, such as FTP and Telnet servers.
This is very effective, but can impose a performance degradation.

 3. Circuit-level Gateway

 Applies security mechanisms when a TCP or UDP connection is established. Once the
connection has been made, packets can flow between the hosts without further checking.
 CYBERCRIME
 Cybercrime encompasses any
criminal act dealing with
computers and networks (called
hacking). Additionally, cybercrime
also includes traditional crimes
conducted through the Internet.
For example; hate crimes,
telemarketing and Internet fraud,
identity theft, and credit card
account thefts are considered to be
cybercrimes when the illegal
activities are committed through
the use of a computer and the
Internet.
 COMPUTER ETHICS
 Computer Ethics is set of moral principles that regulate the use of computers. Some common issues of computer
ethics include intellectual property rights (such as copyrighted electronic content), privacy concerns, and how
computers affect society.

 You shall not use a computer to harm other people.

 You shall not interfere with other people's computer work.

 You shall not snoop around in other people's computer files.

 You shall not use a computer to steal.

 You shall not use a computer to bear false witness

 You shall not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid.

 You shall not use other people's computer resources without authorization or proper compensation.
 You shall not appropriate other people's intellectual output.

 You shall think about the social consequences of the program you are writing or the system you are designing.
 You shall always use a computer in ways that ensure consideration and respect for your fellow humans.
 HACKERS AND CRAKERS
 A hacker is a person intensely interested in
the arcane and recondite workings of any
computer operating system. Hackers are
most often programmers. As such, hackers
obtain advanced knowledge of operating
systems and programming languages. They
might discover holes within systems and the
reasons for such holes. Hackers constantly
seek further knowledge, freely share what
they have discovered, and never
intentionally damage data.


 A cracker is one who breaks into or otherwise

violates the system integrity of remote machines
with malicious intent. Having gained
unauthorized access, crackers destroy vital data,
deny legitimate users service, or cause problems
for their targets. Crackers can easily be identified
because their actions are malicious.
 A white hat hacker breaks security for non-malicious reasons,
perhaps to test their own security system
 A "black hat" hacker is a hacker who "violates computer security
for little reason beyond maliciousness or for personal gain"
 A grey hat hacker lies between a black hat and a white hat
hacker. A grey hat hacker may surf the Internet and hack into a
computer system for the sole purpose of notifying the
administrator that their system has a security defect,


 A social status among hackers, elite is used to describe the most

skilled.


 A blue hat hacker is someone outside computer security

consulting firms who is used to bug-test a system prior to its
launch, looking for exploits so they can be closed
 CYBER LAWS
 Cyber means the use of Internet technologies and computers it
includes computers, networks, software, data storage devices,
Internet, websites, emails, ATM machines etc. To protect the
cybercrime over Internet, this law is Passed to protect the Internet
cybercrime. This law is approved by the government.
Cyber law Includes:

 Cybercrimes

 Electronic and Digital Signatures

 Intellectual Property

 Data protection and privacy

 Importance of Cyber Law:
Companies now be able to carry out electronic
commerce using the legal infrastructure provided
by the Act allows Government to issue notification
on the web thus heralding e-governance Protect
Computer fraud and Unauthorized access.
Consumers are now increasingly using credit cards
for shopping. Most people are using email, cell
phones and SMS messages for communication as
well as Deal with Internet Banking Transactions
 BACKUP AND RESTORE
 Backup and Restore (formerly Windows Backup and Restore Center) is a
component of Microsoft Windows introduced in Windows Vista and included
in later versions that allows users to create backups and restore from backups.


 There are two different types of backup supported: File backup and system
image.


 File backups are saved to ZIP files. Two methods of file backup are supported:
The first, normal backup, stores everything selected for backup. The second,
incremental backup stores only files that are changed after a previous backup.


 System image: The image-based full system backup option, called Complete PC
Backup in Windows Vista or system image in Windows 7, allows for the
imaging of the entire system including operating system and data volumes.
The backed up image can later be restored through the Windows Recovery
Environment either to the same computer or to a new computer of different
brand and type.
 TO BACKUP YOUR FILES
 1. Open Backup and Restore by clicking the Start
button , clicking Control Panel, clicking System and
Maintenance, and then clicking Backup and Restore.

 Do one of the following:

 If you've never used Windows Backup before, click
Set up backup, and then follow the steps in the
wizard.
 If you've created a backup before, you can wait for
your regularly scheduled backup to occur, or you can
manually create a new backup by clicking Back up
now.
 Restore files from a backup
 Open Backup and Restore by clicking the
Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking
System and Maintenance, and then clicking
Backup and Restore.

 Do one of the following:

 To restore your files, click Restore my files.
 To restore the files of all users, click Restore all
users' files. If you're prompted for an
administrator password or confirmation, type
the password or provide confirmation.
Thank you ……..!