Network Security Importance

Hey Everyone,

Cyber attacks have now been easier to commit than ever and the likeliness of becoming a target to this form of attack has substantially increased since entering into the digital age of the 21^st century.  This blog post is meant to examine a few of the forms of cyber attacks and express the level of security threats that they can impose on not only large organizations but individuals as well.

Computer systems can be vulnerable to threats of password cracking and computer viruses for various reasons. When it comes to password cracking, an individual’s personal information can be obtained, photos and videos can be leaked or viewed without consent, contact lists can be accessed and used for negative reasons, and personal and private subjects could be shared to humiliate or harm an individual (Vahid & Lysecky, 2019). For some, financial theft and identity theft can even be the byproduct of an unsecured password. However, vulnerabilities are not just limited to passwords. Computer viruses can also lead to threats of computers being used for illicit tasks, personal information being stolen, or data being deleted (Vahid & Lysecky, 2019). Often these illicit tasks are meant to infect other computers, without the originally infected computer noticing that it is being used to continue sending viruses to others. The most common way that these viruses are spread is through emails or illegitimate websites. It can be extremely difficult to determine whether a computer has been infected with a virus, but it is possible for someone to discover that their computer is infected if it begins running slower than usual or if there are signs that the computer may be active even when it is not in use.

In addition to password cracking and computer viruses, Ping flooding is another form of cyber-attack that can be used to execute an attack just by using simple ping commands, this form of attack is known as a Denial of service (DoS). DoS attacks are done by overloading a specific website by sending a large amount of access requests to overwhelm the site and cause legitimate requests to be denied service (Vahid & Lysecky, 2019). This type of attack can also be completed using multiple computers to overload a specific site, which is often referred to as a distributed denial of service (DDoS). This form of attack is often done when an individual is dissatisfied with a website or the government, when wanting to hurt a company’s business, or when trying to hassle an organization.

The best way to protect a computer from security breaches such as password cracking and computer viruses can include setting up two-step verifications for accounts that require passwords, as the individual attempting to crack a password will not have access to the temporary code most likely sent to the account holder’s phone. Similarly, updating passwords regularly and creating complex passwords that don’t contain defined words (Vahid & Lysecky, 2019) can help to prevent password cracking overall. Protecting a computer from a malicious virus can be a more difficult attempt as some viruses are harder to detect. A few ways to protect a computer against viruses can be to remain cautious when clicking external links found within emails or by downloading antivirus software to alert the computer when accessing an unsecured or reliable website (Stouffer, 2018). Installing antivirus software does not always ensure that malware and viruses will not be installed onto your computer, but it can be an effective way to stay alert.

References:

Stouffer, C. (2018, August 8). 6 tips to avoid getting a virus on your devices from the internet. Norton. https://us.norton.com/blog/how-to/avoid-getting-a-virus-on-the-internet

Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. (2019). Computing technology for all. zyBooks