|
Why is Cyber Security a Problem?
You've heard the news stories about credit card numbers being stolen
and email viruses spreading. Maybe you've even been a victim yourself.
One of the best defenses is understanding the risks, what some of the
basic terms mean, and what you can do to protect yourself against
them.
|
What is cyber security?
It seems that everything relies on computers and the internet now
communication (email, cellphones), entertainment (digital
cable, mp3s), transportation (car engine systems, airplane
navigation), shopping (online stores, credit cards), medicine
(equipment, medical records), and the list goes on. How much of your
daily life relies on computers? How much of your personal information
is stored either on your own computer or on someone else's system?
Cyber security involves protecting that information by preventing,
detecting, and responding to attacks.
What are the risks?
There are many risks, some more serious than others. Among these
dangers are viruses erasing your entire system, someone breaking into
your system and altering files, someone using your computer to attack
others, or someone stealing your credit card information and making
unauthorized purchases. Unfortunately, there's no 100% guarantee that
even with the best precautions some of these things won't happen to
you, but there are steps you can take to minimize the chances.
What can you do?
The first step in protecting yourself is to recognize the risks and
become familiar with some of the terminology associated with them.
Hacker, attacker, or intruder - These terms are applied to the
people who seek to exploit weaknesses in software and computer systems
for their own gain. Although their intentions are sometimes fairly
benign and motivated solely by curiosity, their actions are typically
in violation of the intended use of the systems they are exploiting.
The results can range from mere mischief (creating a virus with no
intentionally negative impact) to malicious activity (stealing or
altering information).
Malicious code - Malicious code, sometimes called malware,
is a broad category that includes any code that could be used to
attack your computer. Malicious code can have the following
characteristics:
- It might require you to actually do something before it infects
your computer. This action could be opening an email attachment or
going to a particular web page.
- Some forms propagate without user intervention and typically start
by exploiting a software vulnerability. Once the victim computer has
been infected, the malicious code will attempt to find and infect
other computers. This code can also propagate via email, websites, or
network-based software.
- Some malicious code claims to be one thing while in fact doing
something different behind the scenes. For example, a program that
claims it will speed up your computer may actually be sending
confidential information to a remote intruder.
Viruses and worms are examples of malicious code.
Vulnerability - In most cases, vulnerabilities are caused by
programming errors in software. Attackers might be able to take
advantage of these errors to infect your computer, so it is important
to apply updates or patches that address known vulnerabilities (see Understanding
Patches for more information).
This series of cyber
security tips will give you more information about how to
recognize and protect yourself from attacks.
Authors: Mindi McDowell, Allen Householder
Copyright 2004, 2009 Carnegie Mellon University. Terms of use
|
|
|
Last
updated May 6, 2009
|
|