Chapter 3 beginning

Application and Network Attacks

Application Attacks

• Attacks that target applications
• Category continues to grow
• Web applications attacks
• Client-side attacks
• Buffer overflow attacks

• Zero day attacks
• Exploit previously unknown vulnerabilities
• Victims have no time to prepare or defend

More after the break

Chapter 2 Cont.

Chapter 2 Cont- Social Engineering Attacks

• Directly gathering information from individuals
• Relies on trusting nature of individuals
• Psychological approaches
• Goal:  persuade the victim to provide information or take action
• Flattery or flirtation
• Conformity
• Friendliness
• Attacker will ask for only small amounts of information
• Often from several different victims
• Request needs to be believable
• Attacker "pushes the envelope" to get information:
• Before victim suspects anything
• Attacker may smile and ask for help

More after the break

Chapter 2 start

Lots and lots of Malware today!  Just the terms though.  Trying to stay on top of this stuff for the semester instead of falling behind, so I'll be updating this on breaks when I can.

Attacks using Malware

• Malicious software (malware)
• Enters a computer system:
• Without the owner's knowledge or consent
• Refers to a wide variety of damaging or annoying software

• Primary objectives of malware
• Infecting systems
• Concealing its purpose
• Making profit

More after the break

Chapter 1 Cont

Most of what we talked about this class meeting was types of attackers and what their goals generally are.  We also got hit with a rather nasty quiz.  I hate quizzes.

**Edit- added the rest of this class' notes.

Extra Credit

Cyber security books (Critical system error)

Pretest for network fundamentals

RGE  Resume Generating Event. 

More IS Terms

• Options to deal with risk
• Accept
• Realize there is a chance of loss
• Diminish
• Take precautions
• Most information security risks should be diminished
• Transfer risk to someone else
• Ex: purchasing insurance

 More after the break

Week Two Security News

I'll post up more notes as I move along, but here is this week's Security News.

Securing Port 80 is no Longer Enough

In a nutshell, the article talks about the lack of securing ports that are used by file sharing and networking sites (Twitter).  The focus has been on Port 80 for so long, IT security techs are forgetting to look outside the box.

Basically?  Secure Port 80. But also secure Port 443 and any other port your users could be using to access the Internet.

Chapter 1 Notes

Today’s security attacks

Advances in computing power

Make password-breaking easy

Software vulnerabilities often not patched

Smartphones a new target

Examples of recent attacks

Bogus av software

Marketed by CC thieves

Online banking attacks

Hacking contest

Nigerian 419 advanced fee fraud

#1 internet fraud

Identity theft using Firesheep

Malware

Infected USB flash drive devices

More after the break

Week one...

And not really off to a good start.  I'm not even officially in the class, but since I'm fighting tooth and nail to be so, I'm going to do the work just like the rest of the students.

IBM software eases role-based security operations

I did what any self respecting geek would do for an assignment like this- I Googled "network security" and clicked on the news link.  This particular article caught my eye first, and I chose this one for next Thursday.