COMPUTER SECURITY III

DEFINITION OF ANTIVIRUS:

Antivirus software is a class of program designed to prevent, detect and remove malware infections on individual computing devices, networks and IT systems.Antivirus software, originally designed to detect and remove viruses from computers, can also protect against a wide variety of threats, including other types of malicious software, such as  keyloggers, browser hijackers, Trojan horses, worms, rootkits, spyware, adware, botnets and ransomware.

BITDEFENDER:

This award-winning anti-malware solution has been recognized by experts and users for its unparalleled virus detection.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2017 is amazingly powerful and efficient. It protects from viruses, worms and Trojans, ransomware, zero-day exploits, rootkits and spyware. Your data and your privacy are in good hands.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus takes care of all digital threats, so you can enjoy the peace of mind that you deserve. What you get:

• Best antivirus protection against all e-threats
• Superior performance with no slowdowns
• Wi-Fi Security Advisor. Always secure on the go
• Single-touch security. Advanced automatic protection

ADVANTAGES

• Autopilot mode allows to work with computer without interruptions and slowdowns, all protection functions are being performed automaticly;
• spam filter high efficiency;
• protected browser;
• firewall effectively stands against direct targeted attacks;
• social network security, privacy setting ups control.

DISADVANTAGES

• Firewall default settings has some negative protection measures;
• system performance average influence;
• some difficulties with installation on infected systems;
• functionally limited password manager.

 

PANDA

 Panda Cloud Antivirus is an antivirus software developed by Panda Security, a free and a paid version are available.

According to Panda Security, Panda Cloud Antivirus is able to detect viruses, trojans, worms, spyware, dialers, hacking tools, hacker and other security risks.

Panda Cloud Antivirus relies on its “Collective Intelligence” and the cloud for up-to-date information.

ADVANTAGES

1. Good Detection rate
2. Low memory usage
3. Web protection
4. Collective intelligence
5. Good program configuration
6. Good behavioural analysis
7. Improve handling of hardware resources

DISADVANTAGES

1. Slow scan
2. Some removal issues
3. Dependant on internet connection (weaker offline protection)
4. Heavy on system for a cloud program
5. Some false positives despite information available in the cloud

 

NORTON

Norton AntiVirus is an anti-malware software developed and distributed by Symantec Corporation since 1991 as part of its Norton family of computer security products. It uses signatures and heuristics to identify viruses. Other features included in it are e-mail spamfiltering and phishing protection.

ADVANTAGES:

Experience: Norton has been around since the primary versions of Windows and Macintosh. It has evolved accordingly along with all versions of operating systems to deal with software, codes and procedures which have ill intentions in circulation over internet.

Sensible and fast: Norton’s virus definitions are cloud based and are quick responsive. In that, malicious URL blocking is an excellent feature and scored high in antiphishing test.

Cross platform protection: Norton has security solutions for computers running on different platforms like Windows, Mac OS, Android, and iOS and simultaneously protects 10 devices from some of the worst Internet predators. The Norton Antivirus Customer service ensures that the clients make the best use of the software.

Security features: The software has security features like smart firewall, Spam filtering, Password management and Performance optimization which ensure safety from malicious attachments received from strangers or even friends.

Online backup: It offers 25GB online backup to its users. Any issue related to this does not need Norton technical support and is simple to be resolved.

Parental Control: One of the remarkable features is its Award-winning parental control. It gives complete freedom to parents to control and protect their child’s exposure to internet.

DISADVANTAGES

Demanding on Resources (Size): It takes up plenty of laptop resources to do its job. If one has Norton on a computer run for many years, you would observe slowed down overall performance of the computer. It is also noticed that your computer runs considerably quicker without Norton. Norton technical support is not a destination anyway as this is an inherent issue.

Un-installation Problems: If you attempt to remove Norton Antivirus, the un-installation process proves difficult. Rather than wiping the computer clean of the program, traces of it continue to linger on the hard drive.

MCAFEE

McAfee, Inc. (known as Intel Security Group in 2014–2017) is an American global computer security software company headquartered in Santa Clara, California and claims to be the world’s largest dedicated security technology company.

The company was purchased by Intel in February 2011, and became part of the Intel Security division.

On September 7, 2016, Intel announced a strategic deal with TPG Capital to convert Intel Security into a joint venture between both companies called McAfee.That deal closed on April 3, 2017. Thoma Bravo took a minority stake in the new company, and Intel maintains a 49% stake.

ADVANTAGES

Decent Price: McAfee offers wide range of features at the price offered. It has a satisfactory security portfolio assuring many users at a best price. McAfee Antivirus Customer Service is the best platform to know the prices of its diversified products.

Regular updates: McAfee comes up with new versions at regular intervals so that the users’ protection software has the most advanced virus database to give protection from latest malicious codes and viruses. The whole updates and maintenance procedures are done in the background without the user having to deal with the ongoing tasks of the PC.

Affordable and cheap: McAfee is comparatively cheaper over its other counterparts and the detection rate is still at the top of the charts. As there are other antivirus software with greater detection rates, McAfee is quiet enough to keep the viruses away at such a price.

DISADVANTAGES

Comparisons and tests held by TopTenReviews.com analyzed that McAfee antivirus that it is not the fastest program amongst the similar programs as it takes a huge memory be it a scan or a real time protection.

The scan duration is quite long and the memory used to scan is high. If the antivirus program eats little memory during scanning, the user will have options to multi task while the scanner is on.

As the memory usage is too high, the user may have to leave the PC until the scan gets completed preventing the user from accessing the computer. However, all the memory concerns are solved by the McAfee customer support.

As the McAfee antivirus is favorite to many users despite its little disadvantages, the software is quiet competitive to many of its counterparts in its speed and response.

AVAST

Avast is a Czech multinational cybersecurity software company headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic. Avast has more than 400 million users and the largest market share among anti-malware application vendors worldwide. The company has more than 1,000 employees, with about 650 at its headquarters in the Czech Republic. Avast was founded by Pavel Baudiš and Eduard Kučera in 1988 as a cooperative and has been a private company since 2010.

Avast is at the top of the antivirus market share with 20.5%, as of June 2017. In July 2016, Avast acquired competitor AVG Technologies for $1.3 billion, at the time it was the third-ranked product.

ADVANTAGES

 

1. Really light on the system
2. Modern and neat UI
3. Fully customizable installer: can select features to install
4. Hardened mode to block all unknown programs
5. Lots of features and components to tweak
6. Good detection capability with supporting secondary components

DISADVANTAGES:

1. Many ad’s and pop-up’s
2. Default setup is bloated
3. Need an account to use the product after 1 month
4. Need an anti-ransom ware module
5. DeepScreen is not good enough and disabled by default
6. Unintuitive Settings UI, HIPS module needs to improve (remember option necessary)
7. Ads in web plugin and has a long way to go (not great at the moment)
8. Not great signatures for real-world protection
9. Cloud reputation needs improvement

AVG

AVG (AntiVirus Guard) es un software antivirus desarrollado por la empresa checa, AVG Technologies, disponible para sistemas operativos Windows, Linux, Android, iOS y Windows Phone, entre otros. Actualmente este software de antivirus en todas sus versiones es propiedad de Avast.

ADVANTAGES

1. AVG Installation is quite easy
2. Auto update over online ( Schedule Update )
3. AVG can be installed on the Mozilla Firefox browser as a plugin so it is safer surfing
4. Virus scanning is faster
5. Memory used on the PC is not too much
6. Resident option does not slow down computer performance
7. Fiture have Anti-Spyware, Link-Scanner, Email Scanner
8. Anti Spam

DISADVANTAGES

1. To AVG lates version ( AVG 9 ) The first installation is quite long
2. Setting operation is rather complicated
3. file that the virus was removed by usual along with the AVG Virus
4. AVG usually rely on computer operating systems used
5. AVG sometimes assume .exe file as a virus, especially in crack
6. Update antivirus longer

COMPUTER SECURITY IV- Safe Password

1.- What is a password? Why do we need them?

A password is a word or string of characters used for user authentication to prove identity or access approval to gain access to a resource (example: an access code is a type of password), which is to be kept secret from those not allowed access.

2.- How to choose a secure password. What makes a password secure?

The easier a password is for the owner to remember generally means it will be easier for an attacker to guess. However, passwords which are difficult to remember may also reduce the security of a system because (a) users might need to write down or electronically store the password, (b) users will need frequent password resets and (c) users are more likely to re-use the same password. Similarly, the more stringent requirements for password strength, e.g. «have a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters and digits» or «change it monthly», the greater the degree to which users will subvert the system. Others argue longer passwords provide more security (e.g., entropy) than shorter passwords with a wide variety of characters.

3.-Password managers? What are they?Anyone for free?

A password manager is a software application that is used to store and manage the passwords that a user has for various online accounts and security features. Password managers store the passwords in an encrypted format and provide secure access to all the password information with the help of a master password.

There are many types of password managers, differing in the way they encrypt the information, type of storage and the additional features provided.

4.-List of the most common password used by internet users

• The name of a pet, child, family member, or significant other
• Anniversary dates and birthdays
• Birthplace
• Name of a favorite holiday
• Something related to a favorite sports team
• The word «password»

5.-Try installing a free password manager and try it out?

COMPUTER SECURITY II- Terminology

Online banking:

Online banking, is an electronic payment system that enables customers of a bank or other financial institution to conduct a range of financial transactions through the financial institution’s website. The online banking system will typically connect to or be part of the core banking system operated by a bank.

Automated supermarket checkouts:

Customers order their food online then collect from a drive-through, with bags pre-packed and loaded into the boot by supermarket employees. Payment is made online via an app or through a web browser.

Online classes:

They are academic classes (usually a college degree, but sometimes the term includes high school diplomas and non-degree certificate programs) that can be earned primarily or entirely through the use of an Internet-connected computer, rather than attending college in a traditional campus setting.

Online shopping:

Online shopping is The act of purchasing products or services over the Internet. Online shopping has grown in popularity over the years, mainly because people find it convenient and easy to bargain shop from the comfort of their home or office. One of the most enticing factor about online shopping, particularly during a holiday season, is it alleviates the need to wait in long lines or search from store to store for a particular item.

Online travel resources:

An OTA is a travel website that specializes in the sale of travel products to consumers.  Some agencies sell a variety of travel products including flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, activities, and packages.  Other agencies, such as Viator, GetYourGuide, BeMyGuest, and others specialize in the sale of tours and activities.  In all cases, the travel agency has an agency agreement with tour or activity suppliers to resell their products where the agency takes payment from the consumer and pays net rates to the supplier.

Malware:  MALicious softWARE

Malware, or malicious software, is any program or file that is harmful to a computer user. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses and spyware. These malicious programs can perform a variety of functions, including stealing, encrypting or deleting sensitive data, altering or hijacking core computing functions and monitoring users’ computer activity without their permission.

Security Breaches:

A security breach is any incident that results in unauthorized access of data, applications, services, networks and/or devices by bypassing their underlying security mechanisms. A security breach occurs when an individual or an application illegitimately enters a private, confidential or unauthorized logical IT perimeter.

A security breach is also known as a security violation.

DoS:  Denial of Service attacks

A denial-of-service attack is a security event that occurs when an attacker takes action that prevents legitimate users from accessing targeted computer systems, devices or other network resources.

Denial-of-service (DoS) attacks typically flood servers, systems or networks with traffic in order to overwhelm the victim resources and make it difficult or impossible for legitimate users to use them. While an attack that crashes a server can often be dealt with successfully by simply rebooting the system, flooding attacks can be more difficult to recover from.

Web Attacks:

A web threat is any threat that uses the World Wide Web to facilitate cybercrime. Web threats use multiple types of malware and fraud, all of which utilize HTTP or HTTPS protocols, but may also employ other protocols and components, such as links in email or IM, or malware attachments or on servers that access the Web. They benefit cybercriminals by stealing information for subsequent sale and help absorb infected PCs into botnets.

 

Session Hijacking

In computer science, session hijacking, sometimes also known as cookie hijacking is the exploitation of a valid computer session—sometimes also called a session key—to gain unauthorized access to information or services in a computer system. In particular, it is used to refer to the theft of a magic cookie used to authenticate a user to a remote server. It has particular relevance to web developers, as the HTTP cookies^[1] used to maintain a session on many web sites can be easily stolen by an attacker using an intermediary computer or with access to the saved cookies on the victim’s computer (see HTTP cookie theft).

DNS Poisoning

DNS cache poisoning, also known as DNS spoofing, is a type of attack that exploits vulnerabilities in the domain name system (DNS) to divert Internet traffic away from legitimate servers and towards fake ones.

One of the reasons DNS poisoning is so dangerous is because it can spread from DNS server to DNS server. In 2010, a DNS poisoning event resulted in the Great Firewall of China temporarily escaping China’s national borders, censoring the Internet in the USA until the problem was fixed.

Virus

A computer virus is a type of malicious software program («malware») that, when executed, replicates itself by modifying other computer programs and inserting its own code. When this replication succeeds, the affected areas are then said to be «infected» with a computer virus.

Trojan horse

In computing, a Trojan horse is a program that appears harmless, but is, in fact, malicious. Unexpected changes to computer settings and unusual activity, even when the computer should be idle, are strong indications that a Trojan is residing on a computer.

Spyware

Spyware is software that is installed on a computing device without the end user’s knowledge. Such software is controversial because even though it is sometimes installed for relatively innocuous reasons, it can violate the end user’s privacy and has the potential to be abused.

Logic Bomb

A logic bomb is a piece of code intentionally inserted into a software system that will set off a malicious function when specified conditions are met. For example, a programmer may hide a piece of code that starts deleting files (such as a salary database trigger), should they ever be terminated from the company.

Software that is inherently malicious, such as viruses and worms, often contain logic bombs that execute a certain payload at a pre-defined time or when some other condition is met. This technique can be used by a virus or worm to gain momentum and spread before being noticed. Some viruses attack their host systems on specific dates, such as Friday the 13th or April Fools’ Day. Trojans that activate on certain dates are often called «time bombs».

 

Hackers

A hacker is an individual who uses computer, networking or other skills to overcome a technical problem. The term hacker may refer to anyone with technical skills, but it often refers to a person who uses his or her abilities to gain unauthorized access to systems or networks in order to commit crimes. A hacker may, for example, steal information to hurt people via identity theft, damage or bring down systems and, often, hold those systems hostage to collect ransom.

White hats:

The term «white hat» in Internet slang refers to an ethical computer hacker, or a computer security expert, who specializes in penetration testing and in other testing methodologies to ensure the security of an organization’s information systems. Ethical hacking is a term coined by IBM meant to imply a broader category than just penetration testing. Contrasted with black hat, a malicious hacker, the name comes from Western films, where heroic and antagonistic cowboys might traditionally wear a white and a black hat respectively.

Black hats:

A black hat hacker (or black-hat hacker) is a hacker who «violates computer security for little reason beyond maliciousness or for personal gain».

The term was coined by hacker culture theorist Richard Stallman to contrast the exploitative hacker with the white hat hacker who hacks protectively by drawing attention to vulnerabilities in computer systems that require repair. The black hat/white hat terminology originates in the Western genre of popular American culture, in which black and white hats denote villainous and heroic cowboys respectively.

Black hat hackers are the stereotypically illegal hacking groups often portrayed in popular culture, and are «the epitome of all that the public fears in a computer criminal». Black hat hackers break into secure networks to destroy, modify, or steal data, or to make the networks unusable for authorized network users.

Gray hats:

The term «grey hat«, alternatively spelled as «greyhat» or «gray hat«, refers to a computer hacker or computer security expert who may sometimes violate laws or typical ethical standards, but does not have the malicious intent typical of a black hat hacker.

The term began to be used in the late 1990s, derived from the concepts of «white hat» and «black hat» hackers. When a white hat hacker discovers a vulnerability, they will exploit it only with permission and not divulge its existence until it has been fixed, whereas the black hat will illegally exploit it and/or tell others how to do so. The grey hat will neither illegally exploit it, nor tell others how to do so.

Script kiddies

In programming and hacking culture, a script kiddie or skiddie is an unskilled individual who uses scripts or programs developed by others to attack computer systems and networks and deface websites. It is generally assumed that most script kiddies are juveniles who lack the ability to write sophisticated programs or exploits on their own and that their objective is to try to impress their friends or gain credit in computer-enthusiast communities. However, the term does not relate to the actual age of the participant. The term is generally considered to be pejorative.

Sneakers

A security hacker is someone who seeks to breach defenses and exploit weaknesses in a computer system or network. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, such as profit, protest, information gathering, challenge, recreation, or to evaluate system weaknesses to assist in formulating defenses against potential hackers. The subculture that has evolved around hackers is often referred to as the computer underground.

Ethical hackers

An ethical hacker is a computer and networking expert who systematically attempts to penetrate a computer system or network on behalf of its owners for the purpose of finding security vulnerabilities that a malicious hacker could potentially exploit.

Firewall

In computing, a firewall is a network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. A firewall typically establishes a barrier between a trusted internal network and untrusted external network, such as the Internet.

Firewalls are often categorized as either network firewalls or host-based firewalls. Network firewalls filter traffic between two or more networks and run on network hardware. Host-based firewalls run on host computers and control network traffic in and out of those machines.

Proxy server

In computer networks, a proxy server is a server (a computer system or an application) that acts as an intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers. A client connects to the proxy server, requesting some service, such as a file, connection, web page, or other resource available from a different server and the proxy server evaluates the request as a way to simplify and control its complexity. Proxies were invented to add structure and encapsulation to distributed systems. Today, most proxies are web proxies, facilitating access to content on the World Wide Web, providing anonymity and may be used to bypass IP address blocking.

Intrusion Detection System

An intrusion detection system (IDS) is a system that monitors network traffic for suspicious activity and issues alerts when such activity is discovered. While anomaly detection and reporting is the primary function, some intrusion detection systems are capable of taking actions when malicious acitivity or anomalous traffic is detected, including blocking traffic sent from suspicious IP addresses.

Computer Security I

What´s computer security?

Cybersecurity, computer security or IT security is the protection of computer systems from the theft and damage to their hardware, software or information, as well as from disruption or misdirection of the services they provide.

Cybersecurity includes controlling physical access to the hardware, as well as protecting against harm that may come via network access, data and code injection. Also, due to malpractice by operators, whether intentional or accidental, IT security is susceptible to being tricked into deviating from secure procedures through various methods.

Types of Computer Security Threats:

People (Different between active and passive people):

Active people (or attack): Active attacks on computers involve using information gathered during a passive attack, such as user IDs and passwords, or an outright attack using technological «blunt instruments.» Such instruments include password crackers, denial-of-service attacks, email phishing attacks, worms and other malware attacks. In an active attack, the attacker is out to bring a website down, steal information or even destroy computing equipment.

Passive people (or attack): A passive attack involves someone listening in on telecommunications exchanges or passively recording computer activity. An example of the former is an attacker sniffing network traffic using a protocol analyzer or some other packet capturing software. The attacker finds a way to plug into the network and begins capturing traffic for later analysis. Other attackers rely on keyloggers, usually as a Trojan horse in a «free download,» to record keystrokes such as user IDs and passwords. The goal, regardless of the method, is just to listen and record the data passing through. The passive attack itself is not harmful, per se, but the information gathered during the session could be extremely damaging.

 What needs to be protected?

There are numerous ways to protect and remove malware from our computers. No one method is enough to ensure your computer is secure. The more layers of defense, the harder for hackers to use your computer. Here are five simple, but critical steps to protect your computer,

• Install Firewall
• Install Antivirus Software
• Install Anti-Spyware Software
• Use Complex and Secure Passwords
• Check on the Security Settings of the Browser

Install Firewall

A firewall enacts the role of a security guard. There are of two types of firewalls: a software firewall and hardware firewall. Each serves similar, but different purposes. A firewall is the first step to provide security to the computer. It creates a barrier between the computer and any unauthorized program trying to come in through the Internet. If you are using a system at home, turn on the firewall permanently. It makes you aware if there are any unauthorized efforts to use your system.

Install Antivirus Software:

Antivirus is one other means to protect the computer. It is software that helps to protect the computer from any unauthorized code or software that creates a threat to the system. Unauthorized software includes viruses, keyloggers, trojans etc. This might slow down the processing speed of your computer, delete important files and access personal information. Even if your system is virus free, you must install an antivirus software to prevent the system from further attack of virus.

 

Antivirus for Windows 8 software may include advanced features such as email protection, blocking of pop-ups and identity theft.

Install Anti-Spyware Software:

Spyware is a software program that collects personal information or information about an organization without their approval. This information is redirected to a third party website. Spyware are designed in such a way that they are not easy to be removed. Anti-Spyw

are software is solely dedicated to combat spyware. Similar to antivirus software, anti-spyware software offers real time protection.

Use Complex and Secure Passwords:

The first line of defence in maintaining system security is to have strong and complex passwords. Complex passwords are difficult for the hackers to find. Use a password that is at least 8 characters in length and include a combination of numbers, letters that are both upper and lower case and a special character. Hackers use certain tools to break easy passwords in few minutes. One recent study showed that a 6 character password with all lower case letters can be broken in under 6 minutes!

Check on the Security Settings of the Browser:

Browsers have various security and privacy settings that you should review and set to the level you desire. Recent browsers give you ability to tell web sites to not track your movements, increasing your privacy and security.

Differences between viruses and malwares

VIRUS:

A computer virus is a program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. Viruses can also replicate themselves. All computer viruses are man-made.

 

MALWARE:

We’ve all heard about computer viruses. We’ve probably all had one at some point. But we’re increasingly hearing about different malicious computer software, like worms, spyware, adware, hijackers, and Trojans, and these terms confuse a lot of people. This lesson will help clear up the confusion.

Malware is a combination of the words malicious and software and is used to describe, in general terms, any type of bad code we may find on a computer. Any software that gets installed on your machine that performs some unwanted or harmful task, normally for the benefit of some third party, qualifies as malware.

Types of Malware:

1. Adware:. The least dangerous and most lucrative Malware. Adware displays ads on your computer.
2. Spyware:. Spyware is software that spies on you, tracking your internet activities in order to send advertising (Adware) back to your system.
3. Virus: A virus is a contagious program or code that attaches itself to another piece of software, and then reproduces itself when that software is run. Most often this is spread by sharing software or files between computers.
4. Worm: A program that replicates itself and destroys data and files on the computer. Worms work to “eat” the system operating files and data files until the drive is empty.
5. Trojan: The most dangerous Malware. Trojans are written with the purpose of discovering your financial information, taking over your computer’s system resources, and in larger systems creating a “denial-of-service attack ” Denial-of-service attack: an attempt to make a machine or network resource unavailable to those attempting to reach it. Example: AOL, Yahoo or your business network becoming unavailable.
6. Rootkit: This one is likened to the burglar hiding in the attic, waiting to take from you while you are not home. It is the hardest of all Malware to detect and therefore to remove; many experts recommend completely wiping your hard drive and reinstalling everything from scratch. It is designed to permit the other information gathering Malware in to get the identity information from your computer without you realizing anything is going on.
7. Backdoors: Backdoors are much the same as Trojans or worms, except that they open a “backdoor” onto a computer, providing a network connection for hackers or other Malware to enter or for viruses or SPAM to be sent.
8. Keyloggers: Records everything you type on your PC in order to glean your log-in names, passwords, and other sensitive information, and send it on to the source of the keylogging program. Many times keyloggers are used by corporations and parents to acquire computer usage information.  
9. Rogue security software: This one deceives or misleads users. It pretends to be a good program to remove Malware infections, but all the while it is the Malware. Often it will turn off the real Anti-Virus software. The next image shows the typical screen for this Malware program, Antivirus 2010
10. Ransomware: If you see this screen that warns you that you have been locked out of your computer until you pay for your cybercrimes. Your system is severely infected with a form of Malware called Ransomware. It is not a real notification from the FBI, but, rather an infection of the system itself. Even if you pay to unlock the system, the system is unlocked, but you are not free of it locking you out again. The request for money, usually in the hundreds of dollars is completely fake.
11. Browser Hijacker:  When your homepage changes to one that looks like those in the images inserted next, you may have been infected with one form or another of a Browser Hijacker. This dangerous Malware will redirect your normal search activity and give you the results the developers want you to see. Its intention is to make money off your web surfing. Using this homepage and not removing the Malware lets the source developers capture your surfing interests. This is especially dangerous when banking or shopping online. These homepages can look harmless, but in every case they allow other more infectious

 

COMPUTER NETWORK

What is a network?

In information technology, a computer network, also called a data network, is a series of points, or nodes, interconnected by communication paths for the purpose of transmitting, receiving and exchanging data, voice and video traffic.

Network devices including switches and routersuse a variety of protocols and algorithms to exchange information and to transport data to its intended endpoint. Every endpoint (sometimes called a host) in a network has a unique identifier, often an IP address or a Media Access Control address, that is used to indicate the source or destination of the transmission. Endpoints can include servers, personal computers, phones and many types of network hardware.

 

Wired and wireless technologies

Networks may use a mix of wired and wireless technologies. Network devices communicate through a wired or wireless transmission medium. In wired networks, this may consist of optical fiber, coaxial cable or copper wires in the form of a twisted pair. Wireless network pathways include computer networks that use wireless data connections for connecting endpoints. These endpoints include broadcast radio, cellular radio, microwave and satellite.

Networks can be private or public. Private networks require the user to obtain permission to gain access. Typically, this is granted either manually by a network administrator or obtained directly by the user via a password or with other credentials. Public networks like the internet do not restrict access.

Type of networks

LAN (Local area network): A local area network (LAN) is a group of computers and associated devices that share a common communications line or wireless link to a server. Typically, a LAN encompasses computers and peripherals connected to a server within a distinct geographic area such as an office or a commercial establishment. Computers and other mobile devices use a LAN connection to share resources such as a printer or network storage.

WAN (Wide Area Network): A wide area network (WAN) is a geographically distributed private telecommunications network that interconnects multiple local area networks (LANs). In an enterprise, a WAN may consist of connections to a company’s headquarters, branch offices, colocation facilities, cloud services and other facilities. Typically, a router or other multifunction device is used to connect a LAN to a WAN. Enterprise WANs allow users to share access to applications, services and other centrally located resources. This eliminates the need to install the same application server, firewall or other resource in multiple locations, for example.

WLAN  (Wireless Network Technology): A wireless local area network (WLAN) is a wireless distribution method for two or more devices that use high-frequency radio waves and often include an access point to the Internet. A WLAN allows users to move around the coverage area, often a home or small office, while maintaining a network connection.

A WLAN is sometimes call a local area wireless network (LAWN).

Examples of networks

PSN (PlayStation Network):  PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smartphones, tablets, Blu-ray players and high-definition televisions. As of April 2016, over 110 million users have been documented, with 70 million of them active monthly.

PlayStation Network’s services are dedicated to an online marketplace (PlayStation Store), a premium subscription service for enhanced gaming and social features (PlayStation Plus), movie streaming, rentals and purchases (PlayStation Video), a cloud-based television programming service (PlayStation Vue), music streaming (PlayStation Music) and a cloud gaming service (PlayStation Now).

BEIN CONNECT: beIN Connect, also known as beIN Sports Connect, is a subsidiary over-the-top content (OTT) service launched in 2014. It allows users to watch live and on-demand video content from a Mac, Windows PC, mobile phone, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 or PlayStation 4 via a broadband or Wi-Fi internet connection. On demand content comprises sports highlights, movies, and TV shows. beIN CONNECT is available as a paid service in France, Spain, United States, Canada and the MENA region

RISKS AND THREATS:

Assess risk and determine needs. When it comes to designing and implementing a risk assessment framework, it is critical to prioritize the most important breaches that need to be addressed. Although frequency may differ in each organization, this level of assessment must be done on a regular, recurring basis.

Include a total stakeholder perspective. Stakeholders include the business owners as well as employees, customers and even vendors. All of these players have the potential to negatively impact the organization (potential threats) but at the same time they can be assets in helping to mitigate risk.

Designate a central group of employees who are responsible for risk management and determine the appropriate funding level for this activity.

Implement appropriate policies and related controls and ensure that the appropriate end users are informed of any and all changes

Monitor and evaluate policy and control effectiveness. The sources of risk are ever-changing which means your team must be prepared to make any necessary adjustments to the framework. This can also involve incorporating new monitoring tools and techniques.

 

Malware: Malware is short for “malicious software.” Wikipedia describes malware as a term used to mean a “variety of forms of hostile, intrusive, or annoying software or program code.” Malware could be computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, dishonest spyware, and malicious rootkits—all of which are defined below.

Computer virus: A computer virus is a small piece of software that can spread from one infected computer to another. The virus could corrupt, steal, or delete data on your computer—even erasing everything on your hard drive. A virus could also use other programs like your email program to spread itself to other computers.

Rogue security software: Have you ever seen a pop-up window that advertises a security update or alert? It appears legitimate and asks you to click on a link to install the “update” or “remove” unwanted malicious software that it has apparently detected. This could be rogue security software designed to lure people into clicking and downloading malicious software. Microsoft has a useful webpage that describes rogue security software and how you can protect yourself.

Trojan horse: Users can infect their computers with Trojan horse software simply by downloading an application they thought was legitimate but was in fact malicious. Once inside your computer, a Trojan horse can do anything from record your passwords by logging keystrokes (known as a keystroke logger) to hijacking your webcam to watch and record your every move.

 

Malicious spyware: Malicious spyware is used to describe the Trojan application that was created by cybercriminals to spy on their victims. An example would be keylogger software that records a victim’s every keystroke on his or her keyboard. The recorded information is periodically sent back to the originating cybercriminal over the Internet. Keylogging software is widely available and is marketed to parents or businesses that want to monitor their kids’ or employees’ Internet usage.

Computer worm: A computer worm is a software program that can copy itself from one computer to another, without human interaction. Worms can replicate in great volume and with great speed. For example, a worm can send copies of itself to every contact in your email address book and then send itself to all the contacts in your contacts’ address books.

Botnet: A botnet is a group of computers connected to the Internet that have been compromised by a hacker using a computer virus or Trojan horse. An individual computer in the group is known as a “zombie“ computer.

Spam: Spam in the security context is primarily used to describe email spam —unwanted messages in your email inbox. Spam, or electronic junk mail, is a nuisance as it can clutter your mailbox as well as potentially take up space on your mail server. Unwanted junk mail advertising items you don’t care for is harmless, relatively speaking. However, spam messages can contain links that when clicked on could go to a website that installs malicious software onto your computer.

Phishing: Phishing scams are fraudulent attempts by cybercriminals to obtain private information. Phishing scams often appear in the guise of email messages designed to appear as though they are from legitimate sources. For example, the message would try to lure you into giving your personal information by pretending that your bank or email service provider is updating its website and that you must click on the link in the email to verify your account information and password details.

Rootkit: According to TechTarget, a rootkit is a collection of tools that are used to obtain administrator-level access to a computer or a network of computers. A rootkit could be installed on your computer by a cybercriminal exploiting a vulnerability or security hole in a legitimate application on your PC and may contain spyware that monitors and records keystrokes.

My first post

Introduction:

Hello to everyone! My name is Pablo Picabea and I am the administrator of this webpage.

This page will be about computers and technology especially about computer security.

Computer Security:

Firstly I will explain to you what is computer security and some features about it:

Definition:

Computer security can be defined as controls that are put in place to provide confidentiality, integrity, and availability for all components of computer systems. These components include data, software, hardware, and firmware. This is a complex definition. Let’s illustrate the definition by showing you a day in the life of Samantha, a security manager just hired for a small company. The company doesn’t have any computer security yet, so she knows to start with the very basics.

Components of computer security:

• Hardware is the physical part of the computer, like the system memory and disk drive.
• Firmware is the permanent software that runs the processes of the computer and is mostly invisible to the user, like the start-up functions that make elements of the hardware work together.
• Software is the programming that offers services to the user and administrator. The operating system, word processor, computer games, and Internet browser are all examples of software commonly found on a computer.