Introduction to Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity Introduction

• Cybersecurity is the continuous protection of individuals, organizations, and governments from digital attacks
• It protects networked systems and data from unauthorized use or harm

Levels of Cybersecurity Protection

• Personal: Protecting your identity, data, and computing devices
• Organizational: Protecting the organization's reputation, data, and customers is everyone's responsibility
• Government: Protecting national security, economic stability, and the safety/wellbeing of citizens

Protecting Personal Data

• Personal data is any information that can be used to identify you
• Personal data exists both offline and online

Offline Identity

• The real-life persona presented daily at home, school, or work
• Includes details like your full name, age, and address known by family and friends
• Securing offline identity is important because identity thieves can steal data easily

Online Identity

• Not just a name, it is how you present yourself to others online
• Encompasses username or alias for online accounts and portrayed social identity online
• Limiting personal information is key

Online Presence

• Having social media or online accounts is not essential for online identity
• Simply using the web creates an online identity

Data Vulnerability

• Personal data includes name, SSN, driver's license, birth date/place, mother's maiden name, and exchanged pictures/messages
• Cybercriminals use this data to identify, impersonate, and infringe on privacy, causing reputational damage

How Hackers Access Personal Data

Medical Records

• Physical/mental health and wellbeing info is added to electronic health records (EHRs) during doctor visits
• Fitness trackers collect clinical data like heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels, storing and displaying via the cloud

Education Records

• Academic qualifications and achievements are recorded
• Contact information, attendance, disciplinary reports, health/immunization records, and individualized education programs (IEPs) are also stored

Employment and Financial Records

• Employment data, past employment, and current performance reviews
• Financial records include income, expenditure, tax records, paychecks, credit card statements, credit rating, and bank account details
• If this data is not safeguarded properly, it can compromise privacy and enable cybercriminals

Data Location

• Photos taken at work on a mobile phone are available on the mobile device.
• Sharing with friends can lead to copies on their devices
• Posting photos online puts them on servers worldwide, accessible to unknown individuals

Loyalty Cards

• Store loyalty cards save money on purchases
• Stores use these cards to build a purchasing behavior profile, which can then target special offers

Smart Devices

• Computing devices provide access to personal data and generate information
• Wearable technologies like smartwatches and activity trackers collect data for clinical research, patient health monitoring, plus fitness and wellbeing tracking
• The global fitness tracker market grows, and so does the risk to your personal data

Hackers' Objectives

• Hackers are after more than money
• They also steal identity and ruin lives

Identity Theft

• Medical theft includes cybercriminals stealing medical insurance for benefits, and medical procedures save in one's medical records
• Banking: private data theft accesses bank accounts, credit cards, social profiles, and other online accounts
• Identity thieves can file fake tax returns and get refunds or take out loans in your name to ruin your credit rating/life

Data Desirability

• Internet Service Providers (ISP), Advertisers, search engines, social media platforms, and visited websites all want personal data

ISPs

• ISPs track online activity and may sell data to advertisers for a profit in some countries
• ISPs may be legally required to share your information with government surveillance

Advertisers

• Advertisers monitor and track online activities like shopping habits and preferences to send targeted ads

Search Engines and Social Media

• These platforms want gender, geolocation, phone number, and political/religious ideologies based on search histories and online identity
• This information is sold to advertisers for a profit

Website Data Collection

• Websites use cookies to track activities
• A data trail linked to online identity often ends up in the hands of advertisers!

Cybercriminal Sophistication

• Cybercriminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their pursuit of data
• They pose a huge threat to organizational data

Organizational Data Types

• Traditional data: Generated and maintained by all organizations, big and small
• Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data

Traditional Data

Transactional

• Details related to buying and selling
• Production activities
• Basic organizational operations
• All information used to make employment decisions

Intellectual Property

• Patents, trademarks, and new product plans
• Enables an organization to have an economic advantage over competitors
• Losing intellectual property (trade secrets) is harmful to a company's future

Financial

• Income statements
• Balance sheets
• Cash flow statements
• Insight into the health of a company

The Cube

• The McCumber Cube is a model framework created by John McCumber in 1991
• It helps organizations establish and evaluate information security initiatives and considers related factors

Foundations to Protect Information Systems

• Security measures used to protect data
• Protection of information in all possible states

Confidentiality

• Rules preventing the disclosure of sensitive information to unauthorized entities
• Achieved through data encryption, identity proofing, and two-factor authentication

Integrity

• Ensuring system information or processes are protected from intentional or accidental changes
• Achieved through hash functions or checksums

Availability

• Authorized users able to access systems and data when/where needed
• Achieved by maintaining equipment, performing hardware repairs, updating operating systems/software, and doing backups

The Protection of Information

• Processing: Data used to perform operations like updating records (data in process)
• Storage: Data stored on memory or permanent devices like hard drives/SSDs/USB drives (data at rest)
• Transmission: Data traveling between systems (data in transit)

Security Measures

• Awareness, training, and education: Ensuring users know potential security threats and actions to protect information
• Technology: Software and hardware solutions designed to protect information systems with firewalls
• Policy and Procedure: Administrative controls for information assurance, incident response plans, and best practice guidelines

Phishing Example

• A fraudulent email is sent that looks like it is from @Apollo
• There is something 'phish-y' about it

Phishing

• Phishing is common and works often
• Elite gaming brand Razer experienced a data breach in August 2020

Razer

• Razer exposed the personal information of approximately 100,000 customers
• A misconfigured cloud cluster exposed Razer's infrastructure to the public internet, causing a data leak
• Cybercriminals had access to customer information that could be used in social engineering/fraud attacks while it took over three weeks to secure the cloud instance
• Organizations need to take a proactive approach to cloud security

Data Security Breaches

Persirai Botnet

• In 2017, the Internet of Things (IoT) botnet, Persirai, targeted over 1,000 different models of Internet Protocol (IP) cameras
• Ports were accessed to inject commands, malware was installed, and was then deleted and able to run in memory to avoid detection
• 122,000 cameras from several manufacturers were hijacked and conducted DDoS attacks
• DDoS attacks: numerous malware-infected devices overwhelm a targeted system
• IoT creating opportunities for cybercriminals to attack

Equifax

• In September 2017, consumer credit reporting agency Equifax announced a data breach event
• Attackers exploited a vulnerability in web application software
• Hackers gained access to the sensitive data of millions of customers
• Equifax established a website for customers to check if data was compromised
• New domain names let cybercriminals create unauthorized websites, which used tactics to trick customers into providing personal information
• Attackers can use customer identities and are privy to personal information making it difficult to discern
• Quickly verify if your information was compromised, and when in a crisis, beware of unauthorized websites
• Be vigilant over the Internet because cybercriminals may exploit data
• Check credit reports regularly and immediately report fraudulent information/purchases

Consequences of Security Breach

Reputational Damage

• Security breaches negatively impact an organization's reputation
• Customers notify, and may seek compensation
• Employees turn to competitors and may choose to leave in light of a scandal
• Repairing an organization's reputation can take a long time

Vandalism

• Hackers vandalize websites by posting untrue information or minor edits to contact information
• Online vandalism shows unprofessionalism and have a negative impact on reputation
• Data breaches often involve stolen, sensitive personal data

Theft

• Cybercriminals can make information public or steal an individual's money and/or identity

Revenue Loss

• The financial impact of a security breach can be devastating
• Hackers take down websites to prevent business online.
• Loss of customer information stops company growth
• Requires an investment in security infrastructure

Damage to Intellectual Property

• Intellectual property loss can be devastating
• Hackers hands on confidential documents, trade secrets, and intellectual property

Safeguards

• Protecting organizations from every cyber-attack is not possible
• Cybercriminals are always finding new ways
• Cybersecurity professionals need to respond quickly
• Security breaches have devastating consequences therefore protecting companies from a cyber attack is vital. Security breaches have devastating consequences therefore cybersecurity pros are vital

Scenario 1

• A hotel chain reports a data breach where personal guest information was exposed to hackers
• The hackers are using the login details of its employees
• Account passwords or financial information are not obtained
• Guests are able to check the portal to see if they have been impacted

eLearning Scenario 2

• eLearning platforms are becoming prime targets for digital learning
• A training platform admitted leaving personal data was on a publicly accessible cloud database
• Hackers directly accessed students’ full names, email addresses, phone numbers, and school enrollment details

Security Breach Key Takeaways

• A security breach results in unauthorized access to data, applications, services, or devices and exploits personal information.
• There are different measures to take to protect yourself and remain vigilant so that you aren't being personally negatively impacted

Identifying Cyber Attackers

• Attackers exploit vulnerabilities in a bid for personal or financial gain.

Hackers' Interests

• Credict cards and product designs

Types of Attackers

• White hat, gray hat, or black hat

Amateurs (Script Kiddies)

• Amateur hackers emerged in the 1990s who use instructions found on the Internet to launch attacks
• They use basic tools in attacks that can have devastating consequences

White Hat Attackers

• Break into networks/computer systems to identify weaknesses so that the security of a system/network can be improved

Grey Hat Attackers

• Finds vulnerabilities in a system to report findings to the owners
• They publish details about the vulnerability on the Internet so that other attackers can exploit it
• They set out to find vulnerabilities in a system and only report findings if they coincide with their agenda

Black Hat Attacker

• These attackers include hackers who take advantage of any vulnerabilities for illegal personal, financial, or political gain

Organized Hackers

• These attackers include those cybercriminals, hacktivists, terrorists, and state-sponsored hackers.

Hacktivists

• Protest or make political statements to create awareness about issues that are important to them

State-Sponsored

• They commit sabotage on behalf of their government
• They are usually highly trained and well-funded, and their attacks are focuses on goals for their government.
• They commit the task to gather intelligence

Attack Origins

• Cyber-attacks originate inside and outside of organizations

Internal Attacks

• Employees, contract staff, or trusted partners can mishandle confidential data, facilitate attacks
• Infect USB Media and invite malware
• Employees access malicious emails and websites
• They can threaten operations of internal servers or network infrastructure devices

External Attacks

• Amateurs and skilled attackers outside of the organization can exploit vulnerabilities, gain unauthorized access to computing devices, and use social engineering to gain unauthorized access to organizational data.

Cyberwarfare Introduction

• Cyberwarfare is the use of technology to attack another nation’s computer systems/networks
• Used to cause damage or disrupt services, like shutting down a power grid

Cyberwarfare Purpose

• Resorted to to give adversaries whether competitors or nations
• It helps Narrow gaps in industries/military by having intel and also blackmailing personnel

Impeding on Infrastructure

• A nation can continuously invade another nation’s infrastructure to cause disruption and chaos
• Shutting down a major city's power grid is a cyber-attack and will result in traffic being congested, the exchange of goods and services halted, patients unable to get care, and internet access disrupted