Computer Security form the foundation for protecting systems, data, and networks from a wide range of threats.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!- These concepts revolve around three core principles, known as the CIA triad:
1.) Confidentiality:
- Confidentiality ensures that sensitive information is only accessible to those who are authorized to view it, preventing unauthorized access and disclosure.
2.) Integrity:
- Integrity ensures the accuracy, consistency, and trustworthiness of data and systems, protecting them from unauthorized alterations or corruption.
3.) Availability:
- Availability guarantees that authorized users have continuous access to information and resources whenever needed, even in the face of attacks or failures.
Additional Concepts:
4.) Authentication:
- Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of users or systems to ensure that access is granted only to legitimate entities.
5.) Authorization:
- Authorization determines what actions or resources a user or system can access, based on policies and permissions.
6.) Accountability:
- Accountability ensures that all actions performed on a system can be traced back to responsible individuals or entities, enforcing security policies and deterring misuse.
Threats
A threat is any potential cause that can exploit vulnerabilities to compromise the security of systems, networks, or data.
- Threats can originate from various sources, including malicious actors, accidental errors, and natural disasters.
Types of Threats:
- External Threats: These originate outside an organization, such as hackers, malware, or nation-state actors.
- Internal Threats: These come from within the organization, such as disgruntled employees, negligence, or accidental data leaks.
- Physical Threats: These include events like theft, vandalism, or natural disasters that can damage hardware or data centers.
- Cyber Threats: These involve attacks on digital systems, such as phishing, ransomware, or Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.
Attacks
An attack is the actual realization of a threat, where an attempt is made to exploit vulnerabilities in systems, networks, or data to cause harm or gain unauthorized access.
- Attacks can vary in complexity and target specific assets or systems.
Purpose and Impact of Attacks:
- Steal sensitive information (e.g., passwords, financial data)
- Disrupt services (e.g., taking a website offline)
- Damage systems or reputations
- Demand ransom (e.g., through ransomware)
- Manipulate or corrupt data
Types of Attacks:
1.) Malware Attacks:
- These attacks involve malicious software (malware) intentionally designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized control over a computer system.
- These involve malicious software such as viruses, worms, Trojans, or ransomware designed to disrupt or gain control over systems.
2.) Phishing Attacks:
- These attacks deceive users into revealing sensitive information (e.g., passwords, credit card details) by pretending to be a trusted entity, often via email, SMS, or fake websites.
3.) Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS):
- These attacks flood a target system with excessive traffic, rendering it unavailable to legitimate users.
4.) Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks:
- An attacker intercepts and possibly alters communication between two parties without their knowledge, often during data transmission over insecure networks.
5.) SQL Injection:
- This involves inserting malicious SQL code into a database query, allowing attackers to view or manipulate sensitive data.
6.) Zero-Day Attacks:
- These target software vulnerabilities that are unknown to the vendor, leaving systems exposed until a patch is released.
7.) Insider Attacks:
- Malicious actions taken by employees or trusted individuals within an organization to steal, destroy, or manipulate data.
Assets:
An asset in computer security refers to any resource, data, or system that is valuable to an organization and needs protection from threats and attacks.
- The protection of assets is crucial for ensuring business continuity, maintaining trust, and safeguarding sensitive information.
Components of Assets:
1.) Data:
- It is one of the most critical assets in any organization. It includes sensitive or proprietary information such as customer records, intellectual property, financial data, and business strategies.
- Examples: Customer names, credit card information, employee records, patents, and trade secrets
2.) Hardware:
- It refers to the physical devices and equipment used to support an organization’s operations.
- This includes servers, laptops, routers, storage devices, and any other physical infrastructure that stores or processes critical data.
3.) Software:
- It encompasses applications, operating systems, utilities, and all the programs required to perform tasks within an organization.
- It is essential for running business operations and providing services to users.
4.) Networks:
- It represents the communication infrastructures through which data is transmitted. They connect systems within an organization and with external entities, such as customers, vendors, and partners.
- Examples: The internet, local area networks (LANs), virtual private networks (VPNs), and intranets.
5.) People:
- They are the human resources involved in an organization’s operations. Employees, contractors, customers, and other stakeholders all interact with systems and data, making them an essential part of asset protection.
- Examples: IT staff, end-users, customers, third-party vendors.
6.) Processes:
- It refers to the established workflows, policies, and procedures that dictate how resources (data, hardware, software, etc.) are utilized and protected within the organization.
- Examples: Incident response procedures, backup protocols, and encryption standards.