Chapter One

Computer Security
and Privacy
 Computer Security and Privacy

“The
most secure
computers are those
not connected
to the Internet and
shielded
from any interference”
air gap jumping
 Computer Security and Privacy

Computer security is about

provisions and policies adopted to
protect information and property
from theft, corruption, or natural
disaster while allowing the
information and property to remain
accessible and productive to its
intended users.
 Computer Security and Privacy
Network security on the other hand deals with
provisions and policies adopted to prevent and
monitor unauthorized access, misuse, modification, or
denial of the computer network and network-
accessible resources.

Not Sufficient!!

Internet
Computer Security and Privacy
Security Goals: to achieve CIA

Confidentiality

Integrity
Availaibility
 Computer Security and Privacy/ Overview
Definitions
Security: The prevention and protection of computer
assets from unauthorized access, use, alteration,
degradation, destruction, and other threats.

Privacy: The right of the individual to be protected

against intrusion into his personal life or affairs, or those
of his family, by direct physical means or by publication
of information.

Security/Privacy Threat: Any person, act, or object

that poses a danger to computer security/privacy.
 Computer Security and Privacy/ History

Until 1960s computer security was limited to

physical protection of computers
In the 60s and 70s
 Evolutions
 Computers became interactive
 Multiuser/Multiprogramming was invented
 More and more data started to be stored in computer
databases
 Organizations and individuals started to worry about
 What the other persons using computers are doing to their
data
 What is happening to their private data stored in large
databases
 Computer Security and Privacy/ History

In the 80s and 90s

 Evolutions
 Personal computers were popularized
 LANs and Internet invaded the world
 Applications such as E-commerce, E-government and
E-health started to develop
 Viruses become majors threats
 Organizations and individuals started to worry about
 Who has access to their computers and data
 Whether they can trust a mail, a website, etc.
 Whether their privacy is protected in the connected world
 Computer Security and Privacy/ History

Famous security problems

 Morris worm – Internet Worm
 November 2, 1988 a worm attacked more than 60,000 computers
around the USA
 The worm attacks computers, and when it has installed itself, it
multiplies itself, freezing the computer
 It exploited UNIX security holes in Sendmail and Finger
 A nationwide effort enabled to solve the problem within 12 hours

 Robert Morris became the first person to be indicted

under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
 He was sentenced to three years of probation, 400 hours of
community service and a fine of $10,050
 Finally he is associate professor at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT)
 Computer Security and Privacy/ History

Famous security problems …

 NASA shutdown
In 1990, an Australian computer science student was
charged for shutting down NASA’s computer system
for 24 hours
 Airline computers
In 1998, a major travel agency discovered that
someone penetrated its ticketing system and has
printed airline tickets illegally
 Bank theft
In 1984, a bank manager was able to steal $25 million
through un-audited computer transactions
 Computer Security and Privacy/ History

Famous security problems …

 In Ethiopia
 Employees of a company managed to change their salaries by
fraudulently modifying the company’s database
 In 1990s Internet password theft

Hundreds of dial-up passwords were stolen and sold to other users

Many of the owners lost tens of thousands of Birr each
A major company suspended the use of a remote login software by
technicians who were looking at the computer of the General
Manager
 In Africa: Cote d’Ivoire
 Anemployee who has been fired by his company deleted all the
data in his company’s computer
 Computer Security and Privacy/Attacks

Categories of Attacks

Interruption: An attack on availability

Interception: An attack on confidentiality

Modification: An attack on integrity

Fabrication: An attack on authenticity

 Computer Security and Privacy/Attacks

Categories of Attacks/Threats (W. Stallings)

Source

Destination
Normal flow of information
Attack

Interruption Interception

Modification Fabrication
 Computer Security and Privacy/Vulnerabilities
Types of Vulnerabilities/ Susceptible to attack

Physical vulnerabilities (Ex. Buildings)

Natural vulnerabilities (Ex. Earthquake, fire, water…)

Hardware and Software vulnerabilities (Ex. Failures)

Media vulnerabilities (Ex. Disks can be stolen)

Communication vulnerabilities (Ex. Wires can be tapped)

Human vulnerabilities (Ex. Insiders)

 Vulnerability Classification

 Vulnerabilities are classified according to the

asset class they related to:
1. Hardware
 susceptibility to humidity

 susceptibility to dust

 susceptibility to soiling

 susceptibility to unprotected storage

2. Software
 insufficient testing

 lack of audit trail

 Contd.

3. Network
 Unprotected communication lines
 Insecure network architecture

4. Personnel
 inadequate recruiting process
 inadequate security awareness

5. Site
 area subject to flood, unreliable power source

6. Organizational
 lack of regular audits, lack of continuity plans
 Computer Security and Privacy/ Countermeasures

Computer security controls

Authentication (Password, Cards, Biometrics)
(What we know, have, are!)
Encryption
Auditing
Administrative procedures
Standards
Certifications
Physical Security
Laws
 Computer Security and Privacy/ Physical Security

=>
Physical security is much more
difficult to achieve today than some
decades ago
 Computer Security and Privacy/ Physical Security

Safe area
Safe area often is a locked place where
only authorized personnel can have
access
-Are the locks reliable?
 The effectiveness of locks depends on the design,
manufacture, installation and maintenance of the keys!
Surveillance with guards
 The most common in Ethiopia
 Not always the most reliable since it adds a lot of human factor
Surveillance with video
 Uses Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)
 Why Is Computer and Network Security Important?

1. To protect company assets:- One of the primary goals of computer and network
security is the protection of company assets (hardware, software and/or information).

2. To gain a competitive advantage:- Developing and maintaining effective security

measures can provide an organization with a competitive advantage over its
competition

3. To comply with regulatory requirements and fiduciary responsibilities:- organizations

that rely on computers for their continuing operation must develop policies and
procedures that address organizational security requirements.

 Such policies and procedures are necessary not only to protect company assets but
also to protect the organization from liability

4. To keep your job:-Security should be part of every network or systems administrator's

job. Failure to perform adequately can result in termination.
 Vulnerabilities(Attack Surface)

 The vulnerability is not the attack, but rather exploiting

the weak point/loops in order to gain access.
 Vulnerability is the intersection of three elements:
1. A system susceptibility or flaw,
2. attacker access to the flaw, and
3. attacker capability to exploit the flaw
Computer Security and Privacy/ Attacks & Threats

Computer Security Attacks and

Threats
 Computer security/ Attacks & Threats

A computer security threat is any person,

act, or object that poses a danger to
computer security

Computer world is full of threats!

And so is the real world!
Thieves, pick-pockets, burglars,
murderers, drunk drivers, …
 Computer security/ Attacks & Threats
Types of Threats/Attacks … (Chuck Eastom)

Hacking Attack:
Any attempt to gain unauthorized access to
your system

Physical Attack:
Stealing, breaking or damaging of computing
devices
 Computer security/ Attacks & Threats
Types of Threats/Attacks (Chuck Eastom)

Malware Attack:
A generic term for software that has malicious
purpose
Examples
Viruses
Trojan horses
Spy-wares
New ones: Spam/scam, identity theft, e-payment
frauds, etc.
 Computer security/Threats
Malware Attack:
Viruses
 “A small program that replicates and hides itself inside
other programs usually without your knowledge.”
Symantec
 Similar to biological virus: Replicates and Spreads

Worms
 An independent program that reproduces by copying
itself from one computer to another
 It can do as much harm as a virus
 It often creates denial of service
 Computer security/Threats
Malware Attack…
Trojan horses
 (Ancient Greek tale of the city of Troy and the wooden
horse) - ??
 Secretly downloading a virus or some other type of mal-
ware on to your computers.

Spy-wares
 “A software that literally spies on what you do on your
computer.”
 Example: Simple Cookies and Key Loggers
 Computer security/Threats
Most software based attacks are commonly
called Viruses: How do viruses work?
Infection mechanisms
First, the virus should search for and detect
objects to infect
Installation into the infectable object
 Writing on the boot sector
 Add some code to executable programs
 Add some code to initialization/auto-executable
programs
 Write a macro in a word file
…
 Computer security/Threats
How do viruses work? …

Trigger mechanism
 Date
 Number of infections
 First use

Effects: It can be anything

A message
 Deleting files
 Formatting disk
 Overloading processor/memory
 Etc.
 Computer security/Threats
Anti-Virus
There are
Generic solutions
Ex. Integrity checking

Virus specific solution

Ex. Looking for known viruses

Three categories
Scanners
Activity monitors
Change detection software
 Computer security/Threats
Anti-Virus …

Functions of anti-viruses
Identification of known viruses
Detection of suspected viruses
Blocking of possible viruses
Disinfection of infected objects
Deletion and overwriting of infected
objects
 Computer security/Threats
Hackers/Intrusion Attack:

Hacking: is any attempt to intrude or gain

unauthorized access to your system either via
some operating system flaw or other means. The
purpose may or may not be for malicious
purposes.

Cracking: is hacking conducted for malicious purposes.

 Computer security/Threats
Denial of Service (DoS) Attack:
DoS Attack: is blocking access of legitimate
users to a service.

Distributed DoS Attack: is accomplished by

tricking routers into attacking a target or using
Zumbie hosts to simultaneously attack a given
target with large number of packets.
 Computer security/Threats

Simple illustration of DoS attack (from Easttom)

C:\>Ping <address of X> -l 65000 –w 0 -t

Web Server X

Ping
Ping

Ping

Legitimate User Ping

 Computer Security and Privacy
Group Assignment
1. How security threats attack your Group-3
confidential information?
Eavesdropping
[Link] short note about how these
Cracking
attacks work
Session Hijacking
Group-1
War Dialing
Spoofing Attack
DoS/DDoS
Brut Force Attack
Stexnet
Malware Attack
Group-4
Virus/Worm Attack
I Love You-
SMURF Attack
Code Red
wanacry
Melisa
Group-2
Sasser
SYN Attack
Zeus
Trojan Horse
Mydoom
Logic Bomb
Ping of Death
Packet Sniffing
Conficker