Page 33 - DCAP309_INFORMATION_SECURITY_AND_PRIVACY

Unit 2: Threats

Threat: Any person, act, or object that poses a danger to computer security is called a threat. Notes
Trojan Horses: This malware attack disguises itself as something innocent like a computer game
or a search results page.

Viruses: The term virus refers specifically to malware inserting malicious code into existing
documents or programs.
Vulnerability: Any kind of asset that is not working optimally and is mission-critical or essential
to the organization, such as data that are not backed-up, is called a vulnerability.
Zombie Computers: ‘Zombie’ computer is a computer under seize of a spammer who has infected
the computer attached to a network with malware so that it acts as a tool of a spammer by
silently sending out thousands of emails from the owner’s email address.

2.7 Review Questions

1. How do we keep our own and other people’s computers safe from hackers? Explain with
the help of a hypothetical situation.
2. How do we keep viruses from attacking all our computers if we get connected to the
Internet?
3. Make distinction between information level threat and network level threat.
4. Explain the techniques used by hackers to steal passwords.
5. What does the term packet filtering firewall mean? Where would such a device be used
and for what purpose?
6. Illustrate briefly two kinds of security attacks, which can be directed against an Internet-
connected computer system.
7. Explain the security threats of information systems.
8. Describe the physical threats of information systems.
9. Discuss various Malicious Threats with their accessing damages respectively.

10. Threats from outside the organization must be addressed, since the damages from
non-secured information system can effect in disastrous consequences for the organization.
Comment.

Answers: Self Assessment

1. countermeasure 2. vulnerability
3. outside 4. Network level
5. Information-based 6. virus

7. trojan horses 8. News service
9. Phishing 10. Botnets
11. Denial-of-Service attack (DoS) 12. IP spoofing
13. Time Bomb 14. Fire damage

15. Hardware malfunction

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