Network Security

 

     A ping attack is where the attackers use pings to gather information about target systems such as IP addresses, operating systems and network configuration. This information can then be used to launch more targeted attacks. Another way Pings are used in attacks is by flooding a target system with a massive number of ping requests. The targeted system may then get overwhelmed by trying to process and respond to the request. This consumes bandwidth and resources leading to network congestion and slowdowns and that can lead to services being unavailable for legitimate users.

     The two security incidents that I chose to write about are security holes/vulnerabilities and password cracking. With security vulnerabilities there is a human error factor. Software is created by humans who make mistakes. Even with rigorous testing it is impossible to eliminate all bugs and vulnerabilities in complex software. These vulnerabilities and flaws can be exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized access and to cause damage. The same with coding errors, they can introduce vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit. One recommendation that I would make to protect systems is to have regular security audits that identify and address vulnerabilities. The second security incident I chose to research and write about is password cracking. Password cracking is made easy by people using weak passwords that are easy to remember. Passwords that are easy for attackers to crack or guess like common names, birthdays and simple patterns. Another mistake that is made is re-use of passwords. The problem with re-use of passwords is if one account is compromised then all accounts that use that password are vulnerable. Beyond password cracking other ways that passwords are obtained through data breaches and social engineering attacks that trick users into revealing passwords through phishing emails and fake websites. Some recommendations to keep systems and passwords safe are to use longer and more complex passwords. The longer and more complex the password is the more computing power it takes. A second way to keep passwords and systems safe is to add MFA. This second layer of verification like using a fingerprint makes accounts and systems safer.

References

Harris, R. Hunt, TCP/IP security threats and attack methods, Computer Communications, Volume 22, Issue 10,1999, Pages 885-897,ISSN 0140-3664, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S014036649900064X

 

Ahmed, M., Sharif, L., Kabir, M., & Al-Maimani, M. (2012). Human errors in information security. International Journal, 1(3), 82-87.

 

 Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. (2019). Computing technology for all. zyBooks.