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Network administrators are surrounded today with a growing list of security risks and analysts are faced with not just one crisis but more while accessing servers. Dealing with such security risks is an overwhelming job and everyday, as these risks multiply, they are affecting more and more corporate lives.
Cyber security still has to keep worms, Trojans and viruses at bay, provided by many hackers and cyber criminals over the years. Despite the threat of cyber-terrorism, employers, as well as employees who use instant messengers and those who download featured movies and other applications increase their risk of being attacked by viruses.
Here is the list of the risk factors involved which the network security company should guard themselves against:
· Email attachments- when employees open attachments, especially unknown ones, they allow a worm or a virus to enter the corporate network. The latest worms can make their way into the system even without clicking a link to them.
· Blended attacks- viruses and worms are becoming more and more complicated and a single virus or worm can attack more than one platform.
· Downloading from websites- the employees frequently misuse the network access at their work place by downloading too many things like games, movies, music, etc. It creates a platform for the viruses to attack and they can use up most of the bandwidth.
· By renaming documents-when an employee saves critical business information under a different file name, the monitoring software that regularly checks the emails leaving the company might fail to recognize the saved information under the different name.
· Music and video browsers- these are browsers that automatically connect the user with the related websites without the user's permission. If a music browser knows a user's interest, it can automatically connect the user to the related sites and execute the applications that could put the networks at risk and potentially use a huge portion of the bandwidth.
There are other network security risks that can cause disastrous effects to the server and automatically damage a huge amount of online corporate functionalities. To prevent these damages, the employees and the employers need to avoid all of the risks associated with network security. The network security company, with the use of intrusion detection system (IDS) and intrusion prevention system (IPS) can ensure an effective network security for your organization so that you can perform effectively and safely.
Network security companies have a large number of dedicated security teams that can effectively install next generation firewalls that can protect your server from hackers and cyber criminals. Moreover, with the help of the expanded firewall protection, the server can then create a good network administration. To find the best network security company, you could search online for the one that best suits your needs and requirements.
Get 100% guaranteed network security with best software firewall, network Intrusion detection system, next generation firewall and Intrusion prevention system.
When you log on any social media website there are potential threats that can damage your system and steal important data. You need to be vigilant against these threats and be aware of the ways by which you can prevent these malicious actions. Let us learn about the top 5 security threats that active online social networking users face.
Virus and malware threats -Viruses that enter your system can wreak havoc. Often the most vicious attack that a user encounters is while surfing social websites. This is where they run the risk of malware entering their system. Once this enters the PC, the user faces a lot of issues ranging from slow PC performance to software issues and error messages. If these go unattended then it can even lead to a system crash.
Phishing attacks - It has always been the trend that the most popular websites are prone to become the target of hackers. The reason is simple. People often divulge their personal information even to strangers who they meet via the web without knowing their real identity. This becomes a threat to their own security when the information shared is misused for the purpose of committing crimes or tampering with financial information. A simple way to avoid this mess is by not answering e-mails or chat messages that come from unknown or suspicious sources. Even if these are coming from a known source you still need to be careful.
Scam emails - Often it happens that a user may get an email that claims to have come from the administrator of a website. This kind of emails, trick the user into believing that the password has been automatically reset due to some technical difficulties. Now you are asked to open the attachment to get the new password. This is a potential threat to your system as this attachment is designed to steal your password. The hacker will get to know the details of your account and tamper with the information. The easiest way to recognize these are the numerous sentence constructions, grammatical errors that are there in the content. In order to prevent your computer from getting infected, avoid responding to these scam emails. One more thing to remember is that a social networking website may send you an email for resetting the password but will never do so without prior intimation.
Selective Sharing of information - While chatting with a friend or a random acquaintance you often share personal information. This information can be misused by anyone. Divulging information to a random stranger is a potential threat to your own security. You should avoid sharing information to people randomly as this is the only way by which you can be secure. What kind of information you are sharing and with whom is extremely important and you need to be very specific about choosing people when it comes to information sharing.
Privacy settings - You need to be aware of security and privacy settings once you access a social network website. Websites like Facebook, Orkut comes powered with various security measures. If you are not aware of them, you need to read their online manual for the required security settings and opt for ways by which you can protect your online privacy. You will find an entire step by step tutorial for setting up these privacy related filters.
Security should have multi-levels and multi-layers so that it provides complete protection. After realizing the potential threats prevailing on social networking website the next step is to secure you data and PC from hackers. To know more about securing your PC and protecting your privacy online you need to get in touch with a premium computer support provider that offers online tech support.
She is a Technology writer who is keen on any new emerging technology updates. She is working with Qresolve as a Technical Support Engineer. Semeli Karen McPherson has been offering online tech support to global customers for issues related to laptops, desktops, Mac and devices including iPods, tablets, iPhones computer support and more.She caters to the segment of core technology and provides viable solutions to any issues related to technology and software. Her expertise and skills in handling key technology issues is immaculate and quick result bearing. Through her articles and postings she aims to provide knowledge and solutions to common technology issues that a user faces.
Network based Security Attacks
Network is a collection of nodes connected to each other. These nodes can be a computer or computing devices (like mobile and PDA), peripheral devices (like printer, scanner), other networks (connect via bridge or router) or any service (like directory service, mailing service) etc. As the boom in networking has joined whole world in one network called the Internet, we have also joined with many new problems. These are due to malicious activity peoples who – intentionally or unintentionally and for profit or without profit trying to harm us. To be protected and to be secure it is necessary to understand their way of action. This small note will help you understand these attacks.
Types of Attack –
Network based security attacks can be categorized in following. This list is based on a server, a user accessing data on the server and data that the server holds.
1. Attack on availability – making any part or whole network unavailable to users. Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) is one of the best examples of network attack. In this the server is clogged in such a way that the server starts denying services to legitimate users.
2. Attack on confidentiality – unauthorized access of any data. It can be active or passive. Eavesdropping is one of the best examples of such attack. In this network line is tapped or gained access.
3. Attack on Integrity – attack on confidentiality and then modifying any part or whole data. One of the famous attack in this category is changing the secure HTTP content by using some local proxy.
4. Attack on authenticity – creating data and sending it to users by faking themselves as authentic. Now days a very famous spamming technique called scams is cheating users world wide. In this a mail that is believed to be sent from any authorized bank is send. In the mail request of data is asked and a link that seems authentic in url text is given. The url can be like http://www.xyzbank.com/register/user.php but the url is something like [http://221.211.2.222/.http://www.xyzbank.com] which is incorrect. Many users are trapped by these scammers.
5. Attack on access control – faking as an authentic user and utilizing all resource provided to that user. It is very common sometimes active sometimes passive, many users try to enter server’s computer and also many of hackers gained access in computers from defense labs to PC’s. A fresh case of this is use of Robots. These are small programs which were entered in the victim computer. These programs are capable of taking commands from network and then executing them on the victim’s computer. A teenager group has caught, since they break up in a hospital’s ICU computers and damaged vital schedules of it.
6. Attack on privacy – Gaining access of user’s computer and spy on its usage and then selling this information to many business bodies, so that they can target their customers. It is now becoming one of the most common attacks. Spywares are installed on the victim’s computer and all surfing information is uploaded to some desired marketing site. This is later used as weapon of mass advertisement.
How to secure our data
There is no one panacea solution for this. Better practice of security can help. Some attacks can be reduced by using software and some by being careful.
Carefully handle your mail – whenever you get mail regarding - providing any vital information like account no. and password, don’t jump on any conclusion. Mail the responsible authority with a copy of that mail and get what you have to do. Check that the link given and the URL text written are same. If you find something fraudulent, immediately contact police or responsible certification authority.
When you are about to purchase something through Internet, make sure that the seller is certified by CA (certifying authority) like VeriSign or any other renowned CA of your country. Also read the certificate and check if the certificate is not invalid and is not invoked by the CA.
Software that can help you
Many free software and patches for vulnerability are available. The best to have is a good virus scanner like AVG free virus scanner, running on your computer in real time. You should also know that virus scanner work on the basis virus available at the moment, so any old virus scanner will not find newly created viruses. For this you must install the updates time to time.
Other than virus scanners, there are many other softwares working against network based security attacks. I will not give any name of software but I will give you types of software that can be used. You can search them at http://www.download.com.
Firewalls – there are many typed of firewalls that one can run, but we are concerned here about proxy based firewalls. Such a firewall setup a proxy server on your computer, this proxy scans all out going requests and incoming responses from your computer. This way they block any unauthorized access to your computer.
Spyware sweeper – Spywares can be small software installed on your computer or cookies based online spy of your system. A Spyware sweeper first searches all possible locations of Spywares like cookies, your system registry, start up folder of your Windows and system’s root. After finding that, they ask you what action they should take, like, deleting, shielding or blocking such Spywares. If you browse the Internet using low security software like Internet Explorer, this is highly recommended that you should use a Spyware sweeper.
Network block – even if your computer is secure and virus – Spyware free, other computer attached to your computer network can setup them. This can be cured by using network blockers. These are firewall software that runs in real time and alert you with all LAN based packets coming to your system. Such software provide you facility to unblock few parts of your network also.
Conclusion
Finally, I can say that never curse others who damaged your computer or information, curse yourself that you were not able to block them.
“If you actively not attack them, they will actively attack you.”
Be careful, be updated and know all moves of your opponents (malicious software) before they even have taken any step. If you want to be simple user of network based system, them you are candidate of being victim also. A smart move can thwart your opponents and help you stand unaffected in swamp of malicious software.
Manu Dutt Tripathi is a young energetic computer professional working as a consultant DBA in leading IT firm of Bangalore, India. He has a master degree in computer science. He is a active member of many technical forums and help users and computer professional through out the world.
More such ideas can be found at http://manudutt.wikispaces.com
The Internet is probably one of the most revolutionary advancements in technology. And because of the number of people using it every day, it brings with it a lot of unforeseen threats that could lead to grim situations if not dealt with accordingly. Risks could be as harmless as simple errors or as detrimental as viruses and identity thieves which steal and exploit one's confidential data for their monetary or social gain.
Because of this, Internet security has now become the chief concern of the Internet industry. Relatively, Instant Messaging is possibly one program who provides the most direct and greatest danger. It is referred to as conversations between users through the internet in real time. Otherwise known as cyber chatting, IM is usually common in software such as Yahoo! Messenger and MSN Messenger. Today, it can be used as a gateway for thieves online to steal confidential information since it is so easy to get hooked on it due to its flexibility, dynamism and real time characteristics.
Because of this reality, a large number of users are alarmed since even adults can be vulnerable to the threats of Instant Messaging. Not only are users of the Internet in danger of identity theft, there are even more precarious threats online. These can involve scandalous crimes such as sexual predation, stalking and a lot more.
However, these threats can be avoided by maintaining Internet security, more specifically, in Instant Messaging. You can protect yourself from the dangers of Instant Messaging by using simple yet practical steps so that you can keep on enjoying the perks of Instant Messaging without worry.
There are quite a few safety measures that you can observe while using the Internet. The most important rule to remember about sharing information is confidentiality. As teenagers are likely to give out a lot of information about themselves in the thrill of social networking or Instant Messaging, they are more susceptible to the hazards posed by using the Internet. Here are some tips to avoid these threats.
1. The screen names you use should not obviously suggest or refer to any of your personal data regardless of how insignificant it may seem to you. As online thieves are always on the prowl for anything worthy of stealing, even the tiniest bit of information may lead you to them.
2. Avoid publishing too much information online especially in social networking sites. Certain programs used by hackers are on the lookout for email addresses where they can send spam mail to containing adware, spyware, viruses or any other type of malware. These can disclose information to hackers. In addition, you should not give out pieces of data easily since hackers can simply intercept these instant messages and acquire private information.
3. Utilize a tough anti-virus or anti-spyware program. They can look into your drivers and remove any viruses from your computer and preventing information leak.
4. And lastly, you need to always check and scan all the files you download and receive before opening them for these may contain malware.
Tina L. Douglas is a skilled writer from California. With numerous experiences in the field of writing for several financial institutions, she is greatly qualified across a variety of economic issues. Her notable pieces of writing involve internet security.
The Internet is probably one of the most revolutionary advancements in technology. And because of the number of people using it every day, it brings with it a lot of unforeseen threats that could lead to grim situations if not dealt with accordingly. Risks could be as harmless as simple errors or as detrimental as viruses and identity thieves which steal and exploit one's confidential data for their monetary or social gain.
Because of this, Internet security has now become the chief concern of the Internet industry. Relatively, Instant Messaging is possibly one program who provides the most direct and greatest danger. It is referred to as conversations between users through the internet in real time. Otherwise known as cyber chatting, IM is usually common in software such as Yahoo! Messenger and MSN Messenger. Today, it can be used as a gateway for thieves online to steal confidential information since it is so easy to get hooked on it due to its flexibility, dynamism and real time characteristics.
Because of this reality, a large number of users are alarmed since even adults can be vulnerable to the threats of Instant Messaging. Not only are users of the Internet in danger of identity theft, there are even more precarious threats online. These can involve scandalous crimes such as sexual predation, stalking and a lot more.
However, these threats can be avoided by maintaining Internet security, more specifically, in Instant Messaging. You can protect yourself from the dangers of Instant Messaging by using simple yet practical steps so that you can keep on enjoying the perks of Instant Messaging without worry.
There are quite a few safety measures that you can observe while using the Internet. The most important rule to remember about sharing information is confidentiality. As teenagers are likely to give out a lot of information about themselves in the thrill of social networking or Instant Messaging, they are more susceptible to the hazards posed by using the Internet. Here are some tips to avoid these threats.
1. The screen names you use should not obviously suggest or refer to any of your personal data regardless of how insignificant it may seem to you. As online thieves are always on the prowl for anything worthy of stealing, even the tiniest bit of information may lead you to them.
2. Avoid publishing too much information online especially in social networking sites. Certain programs used by hackers are on the lookout for email addresses where they can send spam mail to containing adware, spyware, viruses or any other type of malware. These can disclose information to hackers. In addition, you should not give out pieces of data easily since hackers can simply intercept these instant messages and acquire private information.
3. Utilize a tough anti-virus or anti-spyware program. They can look into your drivers and remove any viruses from your computer and preventing information leak.
4. And lastly, you need to always check and scan all the files you download and receive before opening them for these may contain malware.
Tina L. Douglas is a skilled writer from California. With numerous experiences in the field of writing for several financial institutions, she is greatly qualified across a variety of economic issues. Her notable pieces of writing involve internet security.
The Internet is probably one of the most revolutionary advancements in technology. And because of the number of people using it every day, it brings with it a lot of unforeseen threats that could lead to grim situations if not dealt with accordingly. Risks could be as harmless as simple errors or as detrimental as viruses and identity thieves which steal and exploit one's confidential data for their monetary or social gain.
Because of this, Internet security has now become the chief concern of the Internet industry. Relatively, Instant Messaging is possibly one program who provides the most direct and greatest danger. It is referred to as conversations between users through the internet in real time. Otherwise known as cyber chatting, IM is usually common in software such as Yahoo! Messenger and MSN Messenger. Today, it can be used as a gateway for thieves online to steal confidential information since it is so easy to get hooked on it due to its flexibility, dynamism and real time characteristics.
Because of this reality, a large number of users are alarmed since even adults can be vulnerable to the threats of Instant Messaging. Not only are users of the Internet in danger of identity theft, there are even more precarious threats online. These can involve scandalous crimes such as sexual predation, stalking and a lot more.
However, these threats can be avoided by maintaining Internet security, more specifically, in Instant Messaging. You can protect yourself from the dangers of Instant Messaging by using simple yet practical steps so that you can keep on enjoying the perks of Instant Messaging without worry.
There are quite a few safety measures that you can observe while using the Internet. The most important rule to remember about sharing information is confidentiality. As teenagers are likely to give out a lot of information about themselves in the thrill of social networking or Instant Messaging, they are more susceptible to the hazards posed by using the Internet. Here are some tips to avoid these threats.
1. The screen names you use should not obviously suggest or refer to any of your personal data regardless of how insignificant it may seem to you. As online thieves are always on the prowl for anything worthy of stealing, even the tiniest bit of information may lead you to them.
2. Avoid publishing too much information online especially in social networking sites. Certain programs used by hackers are on the lookout for email addresses where they can send spam mail to containing adware, spyware, viruses or any other type of malware. These can disclose information to hackers. In addition, you should not give out pieces of data easily since hackers can simply intercept these instant messages and acquire private information.
3. Utilize a tough anti-virus or anti-spyware program. They can look into your drivers and remove any viruses from your computer and preventing information leak.
4. And lastly, you need to always check and scan all the files you download and receive before opening them for these may contain malware.
Tina L. Douglas is a skilled writer from California. With numerous experiences in the field of writing for several financial institutions, she is greatly qualified across a variety of economic issues. Her notable pieces of writing involve internet security.
Scammers attempt to create panic by claiming that their credit card bill is overdue by one week. Users who download the file out of panic or curiosity to check the authenticity of the claim, inadvertently download a malware on their computer systems. Security researchers at Sophos have detected the malware as Troj/Invo-Zip. The Trojan arrives in a Zip file and attempts to download more malware into the compromised machine. The malware affects Windows operating system.
Scammers also attempt to defraud users by sending URLs or image and video files related to an event or celebrity. Scammers may also send a fake invoice related to a parcel service or entice users to fill a malicious form for tax refund. In one of the recent spam attack, scammers attempted to capitalize the death of pop singer Amy Winehouse to download malware and compromise computer systems.
Internet users must not click on suspicious links and avoid downloading attachments in e-mails with suspicious claims. They must regularly update the security software to benefit from the latest virus and malware definitions added by the vendor. They may keep track of the security updates by visiting the websites of Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) and product developers. E-learning and online degree programs may help Internet users in gaining insights on security threats and safe online computing practices.
Scammers may also target employees through social engineering techniques. As such, organizations must update employees on the latest threats through training sessions and e-alerts. They may also encourage employees to undertake online university degree programs to gain understanding of the security fundamentals and improve their cyber security practices.
Professionals qualified in masters of security science help organizations in making assessment of different threats in the IT environment and initiate corrective measures.
So you own a webcam? Good! Welcome to being watched then.
Cyber crime is a fascinating field: constantly evolving, and always innovating. Meet its most latest brain child: hacking webcams without even the owner knowing!
The idea is simple: they turn on your webcam and watch you. Oh no, you will not be asked to pose or say cheese. They simply capture away pictures and videos of yours or anything in the webcam's field, when you go about doing stuff, blissfully unaware.
Switching off your cam is not going to help either. The webcam hacking spyware works with a Trojan backdoor software that will turn on the web cam on its own. This can be installed in your system when you download innocent-looking picture or video or music files.
Still skeptical? Okay, let us get you some more details. If your system has a webcam, then it also requires a software to control it. Even if your webcam is connected, it need not be on. That requires the software we are talking about. Ideal case is when there is just a single software that can access the cam, and you are its sole controller.
Having said that, there are apps that access the webcam other than the ones we are talking about. Examples are Yahoo! Messenger and the like. No cause to worry because these apps require you to 'allow' access.
BUT...
There are other softwares that can be installed in your system, softwares that can access your webcam without your permission. You don't have to be using the webcam or turning it on, consider it a job done by the software. The malicious code can be installed when you download something. Once installed, it can access your web cam, turn it on and click away! Shutter bug, did I say?
And hey, this ain't elaborate conjectures on possible threats in the future. What we are talking about has already been done.
Some news reports: in Cyprus, a 45-year-old man was arrested in connection with hacking a teenage girl's webcam, in order to take illicit pictures of the young woman in her bedroom. In Spain, police have arrested a man suspected of stealing online bank passwords and of writing a virus that is capable of spying on people through their webcams. More disturbing is the fact that the police found information from thousands of computers worldwide in his system. The Blake J Robbins v Lower Merion School District (PA) is legendary already, and the school used student laptop webcams to spy on them at school and home. Stories do not end here. Some of them can make Little Brother look tame.
So what do you do? Apart from panicking and biting nails, that is.
For starters, unplug your web cam cable whenever it is not in use. No software can plug your cable back and use your web cam. If you cannot unplug the webcam, like in a laptop, cover it using tape. If you do not want the tape residue on the lens, then at least cover it with an old sock.
Same goes for your internet connection too. Disable it when it is not in use. Not having a device connected to any network would be the only way to prevent broadcasting data from your system.
Stop downloading files from unknown sources like insecure websites or simply, strangers in chats. Those files are the surest way of being a victim of all sorts of hack attempts.
And if possible, get a webcam that turns on a small light, or gives a physical indication of some sort when in use. So if you ever see the web cam light go on, and if you have not executed the webcam software, you know you are being spied on. If you know your stuff well, you can insert a webcam light by simple hardware modification: check the chip's pins with a scope, find which signals correspond with activity, and connect the suitable ones to LEDs.
If you want to be fully sure, take your laptop apart, locate the cam, and insert a physical switch.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, ensure the security of your system. Update and tighten it like mad! Better antiviruses, better firewalls and better operating systems can help tonnes. Linux tends to be more secure, especially if you know what you are doing. In any case, a decent firewall should protect your system from outsiders accessing it in the first place.
The issue of webcams being hacked is creepy at the first glance, and the implications are scary in a blood-curdling way. Think about the degree of intrusion into privacy that this can facilitate. Your credit card numbers, sensitive financial information can all be hacked; even visuals of places used to store the information can be obtained easily.
Hacking surveillance cameras in public places can yield gigantic amounts of images. One may argue that this might not be personally sensitive material, but what if the surveillance cameras within an organization are hacked? That can be a veritable Mecca of privileged information.
And in a world where terrorists are more clean-shaved tech jargon-speaking geeks than gun-branding wild-looking cavemen, the possibilities take on an entirely new level of threat. Horrible, but inevitable.
Make people aware. It is a cliched line, but the principle still works best. Technology may be your best friend, but it is also your worst enemy. Looking over your shoulders constantly is not paranoia anymore, it is actually commendable caution. Like Mad eye Moody says, be in "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!!".
Of course, there are still people who tout the line "I don't have anything to hide, so I'm not concerned about privacy protection".
To them: know the laptop sitting in your 14 year old daughter's bedroom? A hacker who thinks it is worth the effort can hack into her webcam and watch her while she is changing. Nothing to hide, you say?
ANUSHREE NARAYANAN
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