PROTECTING INFORMATION

RESOURCES

Chapter 5

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 PROTECTING INFORMATION
RESOURCES

Information technologies can be misused to invade users’ privacy and to commit

computer crimes.

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 RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES

The costs of cyber crime to the global economy

In 2024, cybercrime cost companies globally $9.5 trillion, and it will exceed $10.5 trillion
in 2025.

The costs will include:

• loss of revenue
• stolen identities
• intellectual property, and trade secrets
• damage done to companies’ and individuals’ reputations

A recent survey indicates that 19 percent of shoppers would abandon a retailer

that has been hacked. The survey also found that the majority of retailers have
not invested in cybersecurity.
The total cost will also include the expense of enhancing
and upgrading a company’s network security after an
attack. The opportunity costs associated with downtime
and lost trust as well as the loss of sensitive business
information. Job losses would include manufacturing
jobs as well as jobs where stolen trade secrets and other
intellectual properties resulted in jobs being moved
overseas.

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 THE COSTS OF CYBER CRIME TO
THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2018:

• A political consulting firm harvested data from millions of Facebook users without
consent to manipulate elections.
• Facebook lost billions in market value.

Twitter Bitcoin scam in 2020:

• Hackers took control of high-profile Twitter accounts (Elon Musk, Barack Obama,
Apple, etc.) to promote a fake Bitcoin giveaway scam.
• Twitter’s security weaknesses were exposed, making users question the platform’s
reliability in protecting high-profile accounts.

A recent survey indicates that 19 percent of shoppers would abandon a retailer

that has been hacked. The survey also found that the majority of retailers have
not invested in cybersecurity.
The total cost will also include the expense of enhancing
and upgrading a company’s network security after an
attack. The opportunity costs associated with downtime
and lost trust as well as the loss of sensitive business
information. Job losses would include manufacturing
jobs as well as jobs where stolen trade secrets and other
intellectual properties resulted in jobs being moved
overseas.

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 SPYWARE AND ADWARE

Spyware is software that secretly gathers information

about users while they browse the Web.

Spyware can also interfere with users’ control of their

computers, through such methods as installing
additional software and redirecting Web browsers.

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 SPYWARE AND ADWARE

Adware is a form of spyware that collects information about the user

(without the user’s consent) to determine which advertisements to display
in the user’s Web browser.

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 PHISHING, PHARMING, BAITING,
QUID PRO QUO

Phishing is sending fraudulent e-mails

that seem to come from legitimate
sources, such as a bank or university.

Spear phishing it is an attack that is

targeted toward a specific person or
group.

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 PHISHING, PHARMING, BAITING,
QUID PRO QUO

Pharming is directing Internet users to fraudulent Web sites with the

intention of stealing their personal information, such as Social Security
numbers, passwords, bank account numbers, and credit card numbers.

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 PHISHING, PHARMING, BAITING,
QUID PRO QUO

Baiting is similar to phishing attacks, except for the promise that the
baiter gives to the recipient.
For example, after completing this form you will receive free software
or a gift card.

Quid pro quo involves a hacker requesting the exchange

of critical data or login information in exchange for a service
or prize.

SMiShing (SMS phishing)—This technique tricks a user to download malware

onto his or smartphone or other mobile devices. Vishing (voice or VoIP
phishing)—This technique tricks a user to reveal important financial or personal
information to unauthorized entities. It is similar to phishing but uses voice
technology such as voice e-mail, VoIP (voice over IP), landline, or cellular
telephones.

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 KEYSTROKE LOGGERS

Keystroke loggers monitor and record keystrokes and can

be software or hardware devices.

Companies use these devices to track employees’ use of e-

mail and the Internet, and this use is legal. However,
keystroke loggers can be used for malicious purposes, too,
such as collecting the credit card numbers that users enter
while shopping online.

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 SNIFFING AND SPOOFING

Sniffing is capturing and recording network traffic.

It can be done for legitimate reasons, such as monitoring network
performance, hackers often use it to intercept information.

Spoofing is an attempt to gain access to a network by posing as an

authorized user in order to find sensitive information, such as passwords and
credit card information.

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 COMPUTER AND NETWORK
SECURITY

Threats can also be categorized by whether they are:

• Unintentional (such as natural disasters, a user’s accidental deletion of data,

and structural failures).

• Intentional threats include hacker attacks and attacks by disgruntled

employees— such as spreading a virus on the company network.

computer And network security

Confidentiality means that a system must prevent disclosing information to
anyone who is not authorized to access it.

Integrity refers to the accuracy of information resources within an organization.

Availability means that computers and networks are operating, and authorized
users can access the information they need. It also means a quick recovery in
the event of a system failure or disaster.

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 INTENTIONAL THREATS

Viruses are a type of malware (malicious software), which is any program

or file that is harmful to computers or networks.

A virus consists of self propagating program code that is triggered by a

specified time or event. When the program or operating system containing
the virus is used, the virus attaches itself to other files, and the cycle
continues.

I Love You (2000) virus referred to as a love bug or a love letter. It infected over 10
million computers and it started spreading as an email message with the subject
I love you. In that message, there is an attachment sent in the email LOVE-
LETTER-FOR-YOU.txt.vbs. Many users consider the .vbs extension as a plain text
file. It catches many users’ attention and makes them open the attachment.
When the user opens the attachment the Visual Basic script gets activated and
damages the local machine.

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 INTENTIONAL THREATS

A worm travels from computer to computer in a network, but it does not

usually erase data. Worms are independent programs that can spread themselves
without having to be attached to a host program.

A Trojan program contains code intended to disrupt a computer, network, or

Web site, and it is usually hidden inside a popular program. Users run the
program, unaware that the malicious program is also running in the background.

A logic bomb is a type of Trojan program used to release a virus, worm, or other
destructive code. Logic bombs are triggered at a certain time (sometimes the
birthday of a famous person) or by a specific event, such as a user pressing the
Enter key or running a certain program.

A backdoor (also called a trapdoor) is a programming routine built into a system

by its designer or programmer. It enables the designer or programmer to bypass
system security and sneak back into the system later to access programs or files.

A blended threat is a security threat that combines the characteristics of computer

viruses, worms, and other malicious codes with vulnerabilities found on public and
private networks.

A denial-of-service (DoS) attack floods a network or server with service requests to

prevent legitimate users’ access to the system.

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 SOCIAL ENGINEERING

Social engineering means using “people skills”—such as being a good listener

and assuming a friendly—to trick others into revealing private information.
This is an attack that takes advantage of the human element of security systems.

Social engineers use a variety of tools and techniques to gather private

information, including publicly available sources of information—Google Maps,
company Web sites, newsgroups, and blogs, for example.

Because of the popularity of cryptocurrency, a new type of threat has been

created called cryptojacking where hackers secretly use the computing power
of a user in order to mine cryptocurrency. Cryptojacking reduces the
performance of the victim’s computer. Installation of ad-blocking software or an
anti-crypto-mining extension on Web browsers could guard against this threat.

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 SOCIAL ENGINEERING

Google and Facebook: Victims of Social Engineering

• A Lithuanian cybercriminal, posed as a legitimate vendor. He convinced Google
& Facebook to wire $23M and $100M through fake invoices.
• The scam was part of a Business Email Compromise (BEC) attack, which costs
small businesses billions yearly.
• Social engineering attacks include phishing, impersonation, and phone call
pretexting.

Scam losses worldwide $1 trillion in 2024.

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 SECURITY MEASURES AND
ENFORCEMENT

Biometric security measures use a physiological element that is unique to a

person and cannot be stolen, lost, copied, or passed on to others.

Drawbacks of biometrics are:

High cost, users’ reluctance, and complex installation.

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 SECURITY MEASURES AND
ENFORCEMENT

A comprehensive security system should include the following:

• Facial recognition • Signature analysis

• Fingerprints • Vein analysis
• Hand geometry • Voice recognition
• Palm prints

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 SECURITY MEASURES AND
ENFORCEMENT

Face Recognition Technology in Action

• Google: Identifies users in image searches & Google Glass.
• Facebook: Uses DeepFace (97.25% accuracy) for tagging & targeted ads.
• Apple: Unlocks devices with Face ID.
• Retail & Marketing: Ads adjust based on age & gender (e.g., Kraft Foods, Adidas).

❑Commercial potential: Personalized ads & enhanced security.

❑Privacy concerns: Unlike fingerprints, people can be identified without consent.
❑Public surveillance Risks: Any camera can track individuals in real time.

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 NONBIOMETRIC SECURITY
MEASURES

A firewall is a combination of hardware and software that acts as a filter or

barrier between a private network and external computers or networks,
including the Internet.
A network administrator defines rules for access, and
all other data transmissions are blocked.

A callback modem verifies whether a user’s access is valid by logging the user
off (after he or she attempts to connect to the network) and then calling the user
back at a predetermined number.

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 PHYSICAL SECURITY MEASURES

Primarily control access to computers and networks, and they include devices
for securing computers and peripherals from theft.

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 ACCESS CONTROLS

Access controls are designed to protect systems from unauthorized access in

order to preserve data integrity.

A password is a combination of numbers, characters, and symbols that is entered

to allow access to a system.

A virtual private network (VPn) provides a secure “tunnel” through the Internet
for transmitting messages and data via a private network.

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