The Threat of Online Security : How Safe is Our Data?

As a user of computer and internet, I am concerning about how safe actually is our data. Even though there are a lot of online securities, but there would not be 100% protecting our data. There are several major threats to our computer :

1. Non Technical Attack

• Social Engineering or Phishing

It is a practice of uses social pressures to set a trap so that the attacker can get confidential information to manipulate any transaction on behalf of the users. For example, an email sent to a user and makes he or she thought is an administrator and asking for password or credit card information to “update their account”, if failed to do so within 3 days, the current account will be suspended. In such case, users normally will access it without extra consideration and this makes the social engineering works.

2. Technical or Malicious Attack

• Denial-of-service (DoS) attack

It is an attack on a website in which an attacker uses specialized software to send a flood of data packet to the target computer with the aim of overloading its resources. Due to overloading, it caused the network shut down and make users cannot access to the site.

First, the attacker uses a fake IP address in each packet and sends it to a user (victim).

Then, the user cannot differentiate which is the request is fake and legal, so he or she will tries to respond every request that he or she receives.

After that, the replies will reached to a computer that does not exist which means the attacker obtained the user’s information successfully.

Virus

A piece of software code that need to inserts itself into a host program including the operation systems, to spread from one computer to another computer. It can destroy your computer hardware, software and personal information.

In order to prevent the virus spread, you are recommended to have a good anti virus installed in your computer before connected to Internet. In addition, the anti virus program need to be updated.

• Worm

Is a software program that runs independently, not like virus, it can spreads over the network without attached with host program. As a result, the attacker can take control of your computer remotely.

Due to this reason, you are advised not to simply open any attachment from your email unless you are clearly known what the content of the attachment is. Even though you want to open the attachment, you can save it into a folder on your hard drive and scan it with your anti virus software before you open it.

• Trojan Horse

It is a program that appears to have a useful function but it may contains a hidden function that presents a security risk.

Users might lured by the Trojan horse that seems appeared as a gift, but it is actually brings harmfulness to your computer such as it allows the attacker to take control of your computer, steal your personal data such as credit card information and passwords, and even worst is caused your computer to stop functioning.

As a conclusion, we as a user of computer and internet, are responsible and be aware to protect our data to be kept safely besides depends on the online security.

references:

http://ia.metrostate.edu/sobis/document/mattord_social_engineering_v3.pdf

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=trojan+horse&go=&form=QBIR#focal=2ad274a860e407906280a2aefa0e18df&furl=http%3A%2F%2Fthundercloud.net%2Fsecurity%2Fhorse.gif

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=denial+of+service+attack&go=&form=QBIR#focal=a911f6fbaa7013f94a615168c36902cc&furl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.caida.org%2Fdata%2Fpassive%2FDoS_Frame_3.gif