Cybercrime and Identity Theft Overview

Cybercrime and Hacking

• Cybercrime: Criminal actions primarily done through computers
• Hackers: Individuals who break into computer systems illegally
• Types of Hackers:
  • White-hat hackers: Break in for non-malicious reasons
  • Black-hat hackers: Break in for illegal gain or to harm systems
  • Grey-hat hackers: Break in to show expertise
• Cybercriminals: Individuals who use computers to commit crimes
• Common complaints:
  • FBI-related scams
  • Identity theft
  • Non-delivery of merchandise
• Complaints not related to fraud:
  • Computer intrusions
  • Child pornography
  • Blackmail

Identity Theft

• Identity theft: Thief steals personal info to run up debt in a person's name
• Types of scams:
  • Counterfeiting credit/debit cards
  • Requesting address changes
  • Opening new credit cards
  • Obtaining medical services
  • Buying a home

Data and Internet Travel

• Data travels through the Internet in packets
• Packet analyzer (sniffer): A program that examines Internet packets
• IP address: Used to identify packets

Trojan Horses and Rootkits

• Trojan horse: Useful-looking program with malicious intent
• Rootkits: Programs that allow hackers to take control of a computer without knowledge

Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attacks

• DoS attack: Hackers bombard a system with requests to make it shut down
• Botnet: A large group of software programs that operates independently on computers to perform attacks

Computer Viruses

• Virus: A program that attaches to and spreads to other programs
• Virus types:
  • Polymorphic: Periodically rewrite themselves to avoid detection
  • Multipartite: Infect multiple file types
  • Stealth: Erase from hard drive and reside in active memory
• Virus categories:
  • Boot-sector
  • Script/macro
  • Logic bomb/time bomb
  • Worms
  • E-mail
  • Encryption
• Methods of attack:
  • Downloading infected files
  • Sharing flash drives
  • Opening infected emails
• Virus functions:
  • Detection: Identify virus code
  • Stopping execution: Prevent virus spread
  • Quarantining: Securely isolate virus
  • Preventing future infection: Storing virus records

Online Annoyances and Social Engineering

• Spyware: Program that secretly tracks activity and transmits information
• Cookies: Small text files websites store on your computer
• Phishing: Fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information (like credit card numbers)

Authentication & Passwords

• Strong Passwords: Use long, complex passwords, not common words, use different passwords for different accounts
• Biometric Authentication: Using unique biological characteristics for verification

Backing Up Data

• Backing up data: Creating copies of files for security and recovery
• Types of backups:
  • Incremental backups (partial backup for files changed since last backup)
  • Image backups to copy entire system

Protecting Physical Computing Assets

• Power surges: Electrical current exceeding normal voltage
• Surge protectors: Devices that protect computers and other devices from power surges
• Theft prevention: Keeping devices and data secure

Firewalls and Antivirus

• Firewalls: Protect computers from hackers by blocking unwanted access
• Antivirus software: Designed to detect and remove viruses
• Software Updates: Regularly updating software to protect it and patch security vulnerabilities