Week Ten- Revised notes COSC

Types of Threats:

  • Virus:
    • program that replicates itself and spreads to other files
    • Can display a message or imagine, delete files or reformate your drive
    • Usually combines with worms
  • Worms:
    • Malware that spreads from computer to computer
    • Does Not necessary need to be activated to replicate itself
  • Trojan horse:
    • Program masking real intentions
    • Example: game that masks intent to steal passwords
  • Adware:
    • Presents
    • Pop-up, pop-under, overlays used for click fraud
  • Spyware:
    • Program that obtains users information via keystocks (keyloggers), copies of emails/chats or screenshots
    • Usually used for identity theft
    • Sometimes used on student or corporate computers
  • Ransome:
    • Encrypting or threatening to publish information unless a ransom is paid.
    • Recent variant is cryptojacking

Malware at Scale: Bots

  • Bots:
    • Malware that turns client computers into “slaves”.
  • Botnet:
    • A network of captured computers
    • Responds to attackers commands
    • Spambots, adware for click fraud

Phishing:

  • A deceptive online attempt by a third party to get confidential information for financial gain.
  • “Fishing” for information
  • No malware involved
  • Online con artists who trick people into voluntarily giving what they requested.
  • Offers to give you something as long as you respond with certain information
    • Eg. email scams, account verification, etc.

Sniffing:

  • Eavesdropping programs that monitor information traveling on a network like wiretapping.
  • Positives:
    • uses include troubleshooting Network traffic
  • negatives(criminals use):
    • capturing private information such as usernames passwords message
    • recording instant messages or other communications
    • getting cookies to log in

Spoofing:

  • Pharming: Spoofing a website (often used for phishing purposes)
  • Spam/ junk websites: sites promise some product or services but are simply collection of ads (often contain malware)

Cyber Vandalism: → Methods to intentionally disrupt, defend or destroy a site.

  • Hackers: individuals who intend to gain unauthorized access to a computer.
  • Black hats: hackers who act with intention of causing harm
  • White hats: Harkers hired to help locate or fix security Flaws by hacking into the site externally .
  • Grey Hats: Hackers who believe they are pursuing greater cause by breaking in and revealing system flaws also known as trolls.
  • Script kiddies: people who do not know what they are doing

Threat Modeling:

  • asset: what we want to protect
  • Advertisement: who i want to protect my assets from
  • Threats: How bad the consequences are if i fail
  • Risk: the likelihood that particular threat against a particular asset will actually occur.
  • Adversary capability: what it is able to do achieve its aims