The Big Picture of Computer Safety and Assurance

The term “computer security” refers to the process of safeguarding and protecting computers as well as the data, networks, software, and hardware that are associated with them against unauthorised access, misuse, theft, and other forms of information loss and other forms of security threats. The Internet has simplified our lives and brought us many benefits, but it has also placed the safety of our system at danger, increasing the likelihood that it will be compromised by a virus, that it will be hacked, that information will be stolen, that the system will be damaged, and many other things.

The globe is more within reach of the ever-advancing capabilities of modern technology. Even a single day without the presence of electronic gadgets is difficult for us to comprehend.

Invaders, hackers, and thieves are using this developing technology to attempt to compromise the safety of our computers for a variety of reasons, including financial gain, recognition, ransom demands, harassing others, and attacking other companies and organisations, among other motives. The importance of computer security cannot be overstated in terms of its role in mitigating all of these threats to our system.

Different kinds of computer safeguards

There are four distinct categories that may be used to computer security:

1. Cybersecurity: Cybersecurity refers to the practise of protecting our computers, electronic devices, networks, programmes, and systems from being breached by malicious actors using the internet. Assaults on our system that take place when it is linked to the Internet are referred to as cyber attacks.
2. Information Security: Information security refers to the process of guarding the information contained inside our system from unauthorised usage, theft, and unlawful activity such as piracy. The confidentiality, integrity, and accessibility of information are the primary goals of information security.
3. Application Security: Application security refers to the process of protecting our apps and data from being hacked, as well as ensuring that the databases used by such applications are kept secure and private to the application’s owner, so ensuring that user data is kept private.
4. Network Security: When we talk about network security, we are referring to the process of safeguarding a network as well as protecting the information of users about who is connected via that network. Hackers take control of a computer network, steal data packets, and then utilise those data for their own gain by using techniques such as denial of service, man in the middle assault, war drive, and others.

Different kinds of online assaults

1. Denial of service attack, also known as DOS: A denial of service attack, also known as DOS, is a type of cyber attack in which the attackers disrupt the services of the particular network by sending an infinite number of requests and either temporarily or permanently rendering the network or machine resources unavailable to the audience that was intended to use them.
2. Backdoor: A backdoor attack is when malicious software such as a trojan horse, virus, or malware is placed in our system and begins to compromise its security in addition to the primary file. Take the following scenario into consideration: you have located free software on a certain domain on the internet and want to install it. Now, without your knowledge, a harmful file will also be loaded together with this programme. As soon as you run the software that was installed, the malware in that file will be activated, and it will begin to compromise the security of your computer. A backdoor is another name for this entrance.
3. Eavesdropping: Eavesdropping is the act of surreptitiously eavesdropping to the conversation of another person without either their consent or their knowledge. Attacks actively or passively listen in on network traffic, know passwords, and attempt to steal, alter, change, or hack information or systems in order to achieve their goals. A concrete illustration of this would be the situation in which you and another member of your organisation are engaged in a discussion, and a third person listens in on your chat without your knowledge. In this case, the third person is eavesdropping on your conversation. In a similar vein, attackers may listen in on your private discussion while connected to your network if it is not secure by eavesdropping on your conversation while you are having it over the internet.
4. Phishing: “Phishing” is pronounced the same way as “fishing,” and its working and functional meanings are likewise quite similar. When we go fishing, we catch fish by using bait to attract them to our hooks. Similarly, in phishing, a user is duped by an attacker who either earns the user’s confidence by acting as if he is a real person or behaves as if he is a legitimate person in order to mislead the user into giving over their information before stealing it. Not just malicious attackers, but also certain websites that, at first glance, seem to be legitimate but are, in fact, scam sites. The users are duped by these websites, and as a result, they wind up handing out personal information such as their login information, bank data, card numbers, and so on. There are various variations of phishing, such as voice phishing, text phishing, and so forth.
5. Spoofing: Spoofing is the act of masquerading as a valid entity by falsifying data (such as an IP address or username), in order to gain access to information or resources that one would otherwise be unauthorised to obtain. This is done in order to gain access to information or resources that one would otherwise be unable to obtain. There are several varieties of spoofing, including email spoofing, spoofing of IP addresses and MAC addresses, spoofing of biometric information, and so on.
6. Malware: Malware is an acronym that stands for malicious software. Malware is a combination of two terms: malware and software. Intruders known as malware sneak into the system with the intention of wreaking havoc on our machines. Adware, spyware, ransomware, Trojan horses, and other forms of malicious software are all examples of different sorts of malware.
7. Social engineering: Social engineering is a kind of assault that includes psychologically influencing individuals in order to earn their confidence and then stealing secret or sensitive information from them. Generally speaking, the attacker takes advantage of the trust that individuals or users have in them by depending on their cognitive base.
8. Polymorphic Assaults: Poly means “many” and morph means “form,” thus polymorphic attacks are ones in which the attacker assumes various forms and modifies them so that they are not readily recognised by their target. Because of the shifting nature of these sorts of assaults, it may be difficult to identify them.

Measures should be taken to guarantee the safety of a computer

Users should maintain system security by taking the following procedures in order to safeguard our system from the assaults described above:

1. Ensure that your computer’s operating system is always up to date. Keeping it up to date lowers the likelihood that they may be attacked by malware, viruses, or other forms of malicious software.
2. Always make sure that your network connection is encrypted. It is imperative that one constantly connect to a safe network. It is best to avoid connecting to public Wi-Fi hotspots and unprotected networks, since they are more likely to be targeted by cybercriminals.
3. You should always use an antivirus programme and make sure to keep it updated. An antivirus is a piece of software that checks your computer for viruses and separates an infected file from the other files on your system so that the other files don’t become corrupted. In addition, we need to look at commercial antivirus programmes since they provide a higher level of protection.
4. Activate the firewall software. A system that is meant to restrict unwanted access to and from a computer, as well as to a private network of computers, is known as a firewall. A firewall could be implemented in software, in hardware, or in any mix of the two.
5. Use strong passwords. Always use robust and unique passwords for all of your social media accounts so that they cannot be key logged, brute forced, or quickly discovered using dictionary attacks. This will prevent hackers from accessing your accounts in any of these methods. A secure password is one that comprises 16 characters, all of which are a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters. Additionally, the password should have at least one unique character. Altering your passwords on a frequent basis is also strongly recommended.
6. Do not give someone your trust too quickly. It is impossible to determine the motivations of another individual; thus, you should not give someone your personal information out of hasty faith in them. You have no way of knowing how they will put the information you provide to use.
7. Be sure to keep all of your private information secret. Avoid sharing an excessive amount of private information on social media. You can never be sure who is watching you behind your back. We make every effort, just like we would in the real world, to avoid striking up conversations with random people and disclosing any personal information to them. In a similar vein, social media platforms often include users who the user is not familiar with, and if the user chooses to reveal all of their personal information on these platforms, the user may find himself in a difficult situation.
8. If you get an email with an attachment, you should not download the file until you have verified that the email came from a reliable source. The majority of the time, these attachments include malware that, if executed, will infect your machine or do it damage.
9. Do not make any purchases of any kind over the internet. Always make sure that you are purchasing anything from a reputable website when you are conducting any kind of buying online. There are a number of fraudulent websites that, as soon as you complete your purchase on their site, may take your credit card information, causing you to lose all of your money.
10. Educate yourself on the ethics of computing and computer security. You should have a solid understanding of the proper procedures for safe computing as well as the ethics that govern the field of computing. Acquiring the necessary information is, as always, beneficial in the fight against cybercrime.
11. If you are attacked, you must immediately report it to the cyber cell. This will allow them to take the required measures and will also prevent other people from being attacked by the same individual. Do not be afraid to complain just because you believe other individuals may make your pleasure more difficult.
12. Do not utilise any material that has been stolen. People often engage in the practise of downloading pirated movies, videos, or web series in an effort to get the content in question at no cost. When you download anything that has been illegally distributed, you put your computer at risk of being infected with malicious software, viruses, or worms. If you do this, the security of your system will be compromised.

Published at : 09 Aug 2022 10:52 AM (IST)