Cyber Crime and Cyber Security

Cyber Crime

• Cyber crimes involve using computers, phones, or the internet to commit illegal acts.
• Illegal interception of data is a cyber crime.
• System interferences is a cyber crime.
• Copyrights infringements is a cyber crime.
• Sale of illegal items is a cyber crime.

Cyber Security

• Cyber security is the body of technologies, processes, and practices involved in protecting individuals and organizations from cyber crime.
• Cyber security is designed to protect the integrity of networks, computers, programs, and data from attack, damage, or unauthorized access.

Cyber Security Principles

• There are five key principles in cyber security which are: confidentiality, integrity, availability, accountability and auditability.

Cyber Security Principle Definitions

• Confidentiality is a set of rules that limits access or places restrictions on certain types of information.
• Integrity is the assurance that information is trustworthy and accurate.
• Availability is defined as the guarantee of reliable access to information by authorized people.
• Accountability is an assurance that an individual or an organization will be evaluated on their performance or behavior related to something for which they are responsible.
• Auditability is a security audit as a systematic evaluation of the security of a company's information system, by measuring how well it conforms to a set of established criteria.

Cyber Threat

• A cyber threat is any malicious act that attempts to gain access to a computer network without authorization or permission from the owners.
• A cyber threat refers to the wide range of malicious activities that can damage or disrupt a computer system, a network, or the information it contains.
• Common cyber threats are social engineered trojans, unpatched software, phishing, network worms, etc.

Sources of Cyber Threats

• Cyber threats can come from a wide variety of sources.
• Notable sources of threats include national governments, terrorists, industrial secret agents, rogue employees and hackers.
• Further sources of threats involve business competitors and organization insiders.

Cyber Threat Classifications

• Threats can be classified by multiple criteria.
• The criteria for classification are: attacker's resources, attacker's organization and attacker's funding.
• On the basis of these criteria, threats are of 3 types which are: unstructured threats, structured threats, and highly structured threats.

Unstructured Cyber Threats

• Unstructured cyber threats include the following parameters: resources, organization, funding, and attack.
• Resources involve individual or small groups.
• Organization shows little or no organization.
• Funding is negligible.
• Attack is easy to detect and makes use of freely available cyberattack tools.
• Exploitation is based on documented vulnerabilities.

Structured Cyber Threats

• Structured cyber threats include the following parameters: resources, organization, funding and attack.
• Resources involve well trained individual and group attack.
• Organization is well-planned attack.
• Funding is available for attack.
• Attack is against a particular individual or organization.
• Exploitation is based on information Gathering.

Highly Structured Cyber Threats

• Highly structured cyber threats demonstrate: extensive organization, resources, and planning over time, and attack.
• The attack is a long term attack on particular machine or data.
• Exploitation uses multiple methods that include technical, social, and insider help.

Cyber Security Threat Index Level

• Cyber threats are evaluated daily by the CTU (counter threat unit)
• Threat index levels are: Level 1: Guarded, Level 2: Elevated, Level 3: High, Level 4: Critical.

Types of Cyber Attacks

• Advanced Persistent Threat (APT): Is a network attack in which an unauthorized person gains access to networks undetected for a long period of time.
• Backdoor: is used as a method of bypassing normal authentication and gaining access in OS or application.
• Buffer Overflow: Is an Exploit that takes advantage of a program.
• Man-in-the-middle Attack: intercepts messaging between two directly communicative parties.
• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): Is a code injection attack allowing hackers to use malicious JavaScript in another user’s browser.
• Denial of Service Attack: Attack where the attempters try and keep service unavailable to authorize users.
• SQL injection: A very common exploited web application where hackers can steal or alter database data.
• Zero-day exploit: A vulnerability disclosed that doesn’t have a patch.

Impacts of Cyber Attacks

• A successful cyber attack, can cause major damage to organizations or systems, as well as to business reputation and consumer trust.
• Some potential results of attacks include: Financial Loss, Reputational Damage and Legal Consequences.

Types of Malicious Code

• Virus: Is a malicious software program executing, that replicates itself via, modifying or inserting other self-code.
• Network Worm: Is standalone malware which copies itself to spread.
• Trojan Horse: Program claiming to rid a computer of viruses, but spreads its own.
• Botnet: Performs DDoS, stealing data, sending spam, and allowing device hacking.
• Keylogger: Surveillance technology which monitors and records keystrokes.
• Rootkit: Is a collection of administrator tools enabling high access.
• Spyware: Software for data collection, like passwords and more.
• Adware: A platform displaying ads and requests, for more data.
• Ransomware: Limits user access unless requirements have been met, like paying for a ransom.

What is a Vulnerability?

• Vulnerability refers to a flaw in a system that can leave it open to attack.
• Vulnerability is the composition of three elements: a flaw in system, access of attacker to that flaw and capability of attacker to exploit the flaw.

Classification of Vulnerabilities

• Vulnerabilities are classified according to the asset.
• The classifications are: hardware, software, network, personal, physical site and organizational.

Causes of Vulnerabilities

• Causes for system vulnerability:
• Missing Patches
• Cleartext Credentials
• Using Unencrypted Channels
• RF Emanation

Cryptography

• Cryptography is a method of protecting information and communications through the use of codes, so that only those for who the information is intended can read and process it.
• The prefix "crypt-" means "hidden" or "vault"
• The suffix "-graphy" stands for "writing."
• Cryptography helps to understand basic encryption concepts.
• Cryptography helps to differentiate between symmetric and asymmetric encryption and to explain the advantages and disadvantages of both.
• Cryptography helps to demonstrate encryption and decryption using basic tools or programming.

Terminology

• Algorithm: List of instructions accomplishing a task.
• Cipher: Algorithm used to encrypt data.
• Ciphertext: Is text in encrypted form, not plain text.
• Codes: Substitutes text for substitutions in equivalences,
• Decrypt/Decipher: Retrieves plain text from ciphertext.
• Encrypt/Encipher: Alters plain text using a code otherwise it can be unintelligible to unauthorized parties
• Key: System or code, used to solve cipher code.
• Plain text: Is an original message for encoding.

Encryption

• Encryption has the ability to transform data.
• Encryption has authorized users as the only individuals who can access performed processes.
• Encryption technology has basic terms used to describe its applications, such as file encryption, message scrambling, authentication, and securing internet transactions to communicate safely and store information securely.
• Encryption encodes key through shared coding.
• It also hides data and cannot be decrypted without being "unscrambled".
• Total number of possible algorithm keys are used for encryption and functions of the value placements.

Importance of Cryptography in Cybersecurity

• Caesar Cipher is simple, where each letter is moved to a specific position throughout the alphabet.
• Enigma Machines create variable complex ciphers with rotors for WWII encrypting which can be hard to break
• Enigma utilizes much more complexity compared to Caesar with letter-shifting.
• Files and messages relate to substitutions which can add or transfer computer files.
• Banking, emails, SSL/TLS, and VPNs can be used in real world transactions
• Data is transferred and exposed to computer office threats, with integrity. However the role of encryption can show encryption and confidentiality. As security confirms user identity and confidential integrity.
• One role that cryptography cannot fill is defense against data destruction.
• Even with a lack of availability, cryptography ensures extra defense versus computer information.

Symmetric Encryption

• Symmetric encryption uses a single key for encryption and decryption.
• Common algorithms are: AES, DES, 3DES, Blowfish.
• The way symmetric encryption works are: a sender encrypts plaintext through a key and a receiver decrypts the text using the same key.
• Encryption can securely store files, through VPNS and database.
• Symmetric encryption cons and pros are: efficiency, speed, but suffer issues with distributor keys.

Asymmetric Encryption

• Asymmetric encryption is a type of cryptography the uses: a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption. Common Algorithms are: RSA, ECC, DIffie-Hellman.
• Encryption public encrypts through data, only to have a private key access the data.
• Encryption can be secured through SSL/TLS, digital signatures and other cryptocurrency, while also delivering authentications as a whole. Encryption cons are being slower than asymmetric encryption.

Comparison of Encryption

• Symmetric encryption utilizes fast algorithms for encryption.
• Asymmetric encryption uses a public and private key, which are slower than symmetric algorithms.
• Encryptions range in exchanges from lower secure keys, to higher authentic secured measures to verify the exchange.
• Use cases are: File encryption (symmetric), VPNS, and digital signatures. It transmits both small and large data.

Hashing

• Hashing is a mathematical process that converts any size of data into a fixed string to verify that data is used in an algorithm.
• A "digital signature" utilizes encoding to safe keep documents.
• A "certificate" authenticates by verifying certain digital signatures, of websites and people to create reliability!
• Hashing creates unique short stings, and is utilized for password safeguards.
• Signature is a verified way for secure transfers.
• All keys are encrypted to trust communications.

Explore cyber crime and cyber security, including illegal interception of data, system interferences, and copyright infringements. Learn about the principles of cyber security: confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Understand how these concepts protect networks and data from unauthorized access and damage.