Tag: Security Threats

November 28, 2014

With advancement in technology, Computer networks have made changed the way we used to work. However there are a number of threats that can breach the security of the system and allow illegal access to important information that can be used for malicious purposes. Some of the possible attacks are:

Denial Of Service (DoS) Attacks

These are probably one of the vilest attacks that are extremely difficult to resolve. A denial of service attack is a malevolent effort to make a network resource or a server inaccessible by the users. This is usually done by temporarily suspending or interrupting the services of the host linked to the Internet. You should make sure that you employ packet filtering in order to restrict the entry of forged traffic to your network space. You must also keep yourself updated about the recent patches available to ensure your security from malicious attacks.

Illicit Execution of Commands

This threat involves an unidentified person executing various commands from your server. Depending upon its severity, this threat can be categorized under normal user access (where the unidentified source is executing commands to only access data on systems) to administrator access (where unknown user makes or attempts to make system configuration changes).

Unauthorized Access

This is a comprehensive term used to denote a number of network security threats. The purpose of these attacks is to access the information from a computer or network source that your device is programmed not to provide to the attacker. You should make sure that you set up an alert to be informed whenever someone is trying to make an unauthorized access. Many systems are also programmed to lock an account after a set number of unsuccessful login attempts.

Confidentiality Breaches

This involves gaining access of confidential and private data by the hackers. This may include trade secrets, credit card numbers, financial statements, secret formulas, patents etc. Such information, if slipped into the hands of a malicious user, can severely harm you on a personal or professional level.

Destructive Behavior

Destructive attacks may be categorized as:

• Data Destruction: This involves deleting or destroying the data stored on your network or hard disk drive so that it becomes completely unreadable and unusable for you.
• Data Diddling: It occurs when a hacker modifies the important information before or at the time of entering it into the device.  These may include counterfeiting or forging documents, changing details of online financial transactions etc.

These network security attacks can come up either from physical access, Internet or dial-up modems. You should make sure that you follow all the important steps to protect yourself from such vulnerabilities.