Page 144 - DCAP516_COMPUTER_SECURITY

Computer Security

Notes 10. The ‘Kournikova’ or ‘I Love You’ are prime examples of ……………………
11. The term ‘slow infector’ is sometimes used for a virus that, if it is …………………. in
memory.

12. The term ‘sparse infector’ is used for a virus that infects only……………………………...
13. A ………………………….. is a series of commands to perform an application-specific task.
14. A …………………… generally appears as an e-mail message that describes a particular
virus that does not exist.
15. A …………………………. is an e-mail that appears to originate from one source but has
actually emerged from another source.

11.2 Reasons for the Vulnerability of Computers

After dealing with cyber crimes, let us examine the basic reasons for the vulnerability of computers
as below:

1. Easy Accessibility: A bank’s vault, which usually contains a few lakh rupees is well guarded
from unauthorized persons. The vault itself is made of very strong material, located in a
control room, guarded by security personnel. Only trusted employees have the keys or
access codes. On the contrary, a bank’s server which has ‘virtual’ control over hundreds of
crores of rupees, is not that difficult to break. The strongest of firewalls and biometric
authentication systems have been cracked in the past and will continue to be cracked in the
future. A secretly implanted logic bomb, key loggers that can steal access codes, advanced
voice recorders; retina imagers etc. that can fool biometric systems can be utilized to
break many security systems.
2. Storage Capacity: Thousands of pages of written matter can be stored on a single CD
ROM. Stealing tonnes of printed information may be very difficult in comparison to
stealing a CD ROM containing all the data and files.
3. Operating Systems: Operating systems are composed of lakhs of lines of code and no
single individual can understand the security implications of every bit of these computer
instructions. Hackers easily exploit the numerous weaknesses in operating systems and
security products. When one weakness is exposed and exploited openly by the hackers,
the operating system manufacturer patches it up. The hackers then find another weakness
to exploit and the cycle goes on. It is very easy to find weaknesses in existing operating
systems rather than designing and developing a new secure operating system.
4. Internal Threats: It is quite obvious that people with access to networks and sensitive
information can do a lot of damage to an organisation or individual. Most of the employees
working in an organisation do not realize the security implications of not following the
prescribed computer security policies. In this way, employees pose a variety of threats,
from simple mistakes to corporate spying. A dissatisfied employee is often a major insider
threat. Such a person may have been demoted or penalized or laid off. He may use his
knowledge or his access to corporate networks to cause destruction. A competitor may be
able to bribe an employee to give up sensitive information or an employee leaving a
company for a competitor may copy some useful data for his new position.

Task Enumerate the basic reasons for the vulnerability of computers.

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