CHAPTER ONE

Introduction to Computer Security

By: Kidanemariam F.(MSc)

1
 Outlines
• Define Computer security

• Threats, Vulnerabilities, Risk, Controls

• Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability

• Security Policy and Security Mechanisms

• Prevention , Detection, and Assurance

2
 Overview of Computer
Security?

• Computer security, cybersecurity or information technology

security is the protection of computer systems and networks
from information disclosure, theft of or damage to their
hardware, software, or electronic data, as well as from the
disruption or misdirection of the services they provide.
• Computer facilities have been physically protected for three
reasons:
– To prevent theft of or damage to the hardware
– To prevent theft of or damage to the information
– To prevent disruption of service
• Computer security rests on confidentiality, integrity, and
availability.

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 Computer Security terms
• Threats: is a potential violation of security. It is a new or
newly discovered incident that has the potential to harm a
system or your company overall.
• Vulnerabilities: is a weakness which can be exploited by a
threat actor, such as an attacker, to cross privilege boundaries
within a computer system.
• Attack: the actualization of threat due to weakness in
defense.
• Controls: are safeguards or countermeasures to avoid, detect,
counteract, or minimize security risks to computer systems,
or other assets.
• Risk: is defined as the potential for loss or damage when a
threat exploits a vulnerability
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 Computer Security Goals

Prevention of
unauthorized disclosure
of information Confidentiality

Prevention of
Prevention of
unauthorized withholding
unauthorized modification
of information or resource
of information

Integrity
Availaibility

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 Cont’d
• Confidentiality: is the protection of information or resources.
The need for keeping information secret arises from the use
of computers in sensitive fields such as government and
industry. "need to know" principle.
• Ensure that assets are viewable only by authorized parties
– Example: Abebe peeks at Almaz’s password when she is logging in
– Abebe copies a file from Almaz’s account

• Integrity: Integrity refers to the trustworthiness of data or

resources, and it is usually phrased in terms of preventing
improper or unauthorized change.

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 Cont’d
• Ensure assets are usable by and accessible to all
authorized parties
– Example: There is a process running in Almaz’s machine,
which is updating a database from a remote machine. Abebe
interrupts the process, results in inconsistent databases.
• Availability: Assures that systems work promptly
and service is not denied to authorized users.
• Ensure that assets are usable by and accessible to
all authorized parties
– Example: Abebe deletes the file from Almaz’s directory.

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 Cont’d
 A security policy is a statement of what is, and
what is not, allowed.
 Security mechanism is a method, tool, or procedure
for enforcing
 Given a security policy's specification of "secure"
and "non-secure" actions, these security mechanisms
can prevent the attack, detect the attack, or recover
from the attack.
 Prevention means that an attack will fail. For
example, if one attempts to break into a host over
the Internet and that host is not connected to the
Internet, the attack has been prevented.
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 Cont’d

 Detection: is most useful when an attack cannot be

prevented, but it can also indicate the effectiveness of
preventative measures.
 Detection mechanisms accept that an attack will occur; the
goal is to determine that an attack is underway, or has
occurred, and report it.
 Assurance: is provide a basis for determining "how much"
to trust a system.

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 Computer Security and
Privacy/Attacks
Categories of Attacks

Interruption: An attack on availability

Interception: An attack on confidentiality

Modification: An attack on integrity

Fabrication: An attack on authenticity

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 Computer Security and
Privacy/Attacks
Categories of Attacks/Threats
Source

Destination
Normal flow of information
Attack

Interception
Interruption

Modification
Fabrication

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 Exercise
 Classify each of the following as a violation of confidentiality, of
integrity, of availability, or of some combination.
a. Abebe copies Betty's homework.
b. Lemmessa crashes DDU's system.
c. Almaz changes the amount of Chaltu's check from 100 birr to 1000
birr.
d. Bruk registers the domain name "AddisonWesley.com" and refuses to
let the publishing house buy or use that domain name.
e. Yohannes obtains Petros's credit card number and has the credit card
company cancel the card and replace it with another card bearing a
different account number.

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 Exercise(Cont’d)
a. Betty spoofs Yohannes's IP address to gain access to
her computer.
b. Yohannes peeks at Almaz’s password when she is
logging in.
c. Yohannes logs into Almaz’s account using Almaz’s
password without Almaz knowing about it.
d. There is a process running in Almaz’s machine,
which is updating a database from a remote
machine. Yohannes interrupts the process, results in
inconsistent databases.
e. Yohannes copies a file from Almaz’s account and
then deletes the file from Almaz’s directory

13
 Exercise
Authenticating people is typically based on what you know, what you
have, and who you are. Give an example for each of them.
Answer
What you know: password
What you have: smart card
Who you are: biometrics

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Many Thanks!
Letting if u
have
any