COMP1120 Week 4: Protecting Your Computer System

Flashcards covering system hardening, authentication practices, data protection in transit and locally, backup strategies, and historical cybersecurity case studies.

According to Verizon (2023), what percentage of breaches result from poor patching, and what occurred in the Equifax (2017) mini case?

Over $60\%$ of breaches result from poor patching. In the Equifax (2017) breach, failure to patch Apache Struts exposed $147\text{ million}$ records and cost over $1.4\text{ billion}$.

What is system hardening, and which specific tools are cited for implementing it?

System hardening reduces attack surfaces by eliminating unnecessary vulnerabilities. Mentioned tools include CIS Benchmarks, Microsoft Baselines, Nessus, and OpenVAS.

What types of factors does Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) combine, and what percentage of automated attacks does it block according to Microsoft (2021)?

MFA combines two or more factors consisting of knowledge, possession, and biometric factors. According to Microsoft (2021), MFA alone blocks $99.9\%$ of automated attacks.

What occurred during the Twitter hack (2020) mini case regarding authentication?

Attackers tricked staff members to bypass weak authentication, allowing them to post scams from verified accounts.

Which encryption tools and regulations are highlighted for protecting data locally?

Encryption tools include BitLocker, FileVault, and VeraCrypt. Referenced regulations include GDPR (EU, 2018), HIPAA (US, 1996), and Oman's Data Protection Law (2022).

What key protocols and methods are used to secure data in transit?

Methods include HTTPS/TLS (encrypts browser-server traffic and ensures authenticity), VPN (creates an encrypted tunnel), SSH (secure remote login), and End-to-End Encryption (ensuring only sender and receiver can decrypt).

What vulnerability and consequence were demonstrated in the Marriott (2018) mini case?

Attackers intercepted guest data over weak network protections, resulting in millions of compromised accounts.

In backup and recovery strategies, how are RPO and RTO defined?

RPO (Recovery Point Objective) defines tolerable data loss, while RTO (Recovery Time Objective) defines tolerable downtime.

What does the 3-2-1 backup best practice rule dictate?

The rule dictates maintaining $3$ copies of data, stored on $2$ different media types, with $1$ copy located offsite.

What flaw did the WannaCry (2017) ransomware exploit, and what was its global impact?

WannaCry exploited an unpatched Windows SMB flaw, infecting over $200{,}000$ systems across $150+$ countries and causing major NHS hospital disruptions in the UK.