Cyber Security Fundamentals

Cyber Security

• Cyber security refers to the protection of information systems, data, and services from unauthorized access, harm, or misuse.
• Protection includes harm caused intentionally by the system operator or accidentally due to failing to follow security procedures.

Information Security

• Information security is the preservation of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.
• Additional properties involved in information security include authenticity, accountability, non-repudiation, and reliability.

Malware

• Malware is a generic term for software with a malicious purpose.
• Types of malware include viruses, worms, adware, Trojan horses, and spyware.
• Viruses are small programs that replicate and hide themselves inside other programs, usually without the user's knowledge.
• Viruses can cause network slowdowns due to heavy network traffic caused by replication.
• Trojan horses are electronic programs that appear to be benign but secretly download malware onto the computer.
• Spyware is software that tracks a user's activities on their computer, including browsing history.
• Logic bombs are software that lay dormant until a specific condition is met, then perform malicious acts.
• Key loggers record all keystrokes and can take periodic screenshots of the computer.

Security Breaches

• Security breaches include any attempt to gain unauthorized access to a system.
• Examples of security breaches include cracking passwords, elevating privileges, and breaking into a server.
• Cracking is the act of intruding into a system without permission, usually with malevolent intent.
• Social engineering is a technique for breaching a system's security by exploiting human nature rather than technology.
• War-dialing and war-driving are techniques used to gain entry to a system by calling phone numbers or locating vulnerable wireless networks.