Cys 102
Cys 102
Cys 102
Fundamentals of
CYBER SECURITY I
Cyber security is the most concerned matter as cyber threats and attacks are overgrowing.
Attackers are now using more sophisticated techniques to target the systems. Individuals,
small-scale businesses or large organization, are all being impacted. So, all these firms
whether IT or non-IT firms have understood the importance of Cyber Security and focusing
on adopting all possible measures to deal with cyber threats.
"Cyber security is primarily about people, processes, and technologies working together to
encompass the full range of threat reduction, vulnerability reduction, deterrence, international
engagement, incident response, resiliency, and recovery policies and activities, including
computer network operations, information assurance, law enforcement, etc."
OR
Cyber security is the body of technologies, processes, and practices designed to protect
networks, computers, programs and data from attack, damage or unauthorized access.
The term cyber security refers to techniques and practices designed to protect digital
data.
Whereas security related to the protection which includes systems security, network
security and application and information security.
Because of the above reasons, cyber security has become an important part of the
business and the focus now is on developing appropriate response plans that minimize
the damage in the event of a cyber-attack.
But, an organization or an individual can develop a proper response plan only when
he has a good grip on cyber security fundamentals.
It also means trying to keep the identity of authorized parties involved in sharing and holding
data private and anonymous.
Data encryption
Two-factor authentication
Biometric verification
Security tokens
Integrity
Cryptographic checksums
Using file permissions
Uninterrupted power supplies
Data backups
Availability
Availability is making sure that authorized parties are able to access the information when
needed.
1) Web-based attacks
2) System-based attacks
Web-based attacks
These are the attacks which occur on a website or web applications. Some of the important
web-based attacks are as follows-
1. Injection attacks
It is the attack in which some data will be injected into a web application to manipulate the
application and fetch the required information.
Example- SQL Injection, code Injection, log Injection, XML Injection etc.
2. DNS Spoofing
DNS spoofing is a type of computer security hacking. Whereby a data is introduced into a
DNS resolver's cache causing the name server to return an incorrect IP address, diverting
traffic to the attackers computer or any other computer. The DNS spoofing attacks can go on
for a long period of time without being detected and can cause serious security issues.
3. Session Hijacking
It is a security attack on a user session over a protected network. Web applications create
cookies to store the state and user sessions. By stealing the cookies, an attacker can have
access to all of the user data.
4. Phishing
Phishing is a type of attack which attempts to steal sensitive information like user login
credentials and credit card number. It occurs when an attacker is masquerading as a
trustworthy entity in electronic communication.
5. Brute force
It is a type of attack which uses a trial and error method. This attack generates a large number
of guesses and validates them to obtain actual data like user password and personal
identification number. This attack may be used by criminals to crack encrypted data, or by
security, analysts to test an organization's network security.
It is an attack which meant to make a server or network resource unavailable to the users. It
accomplishes this by flooding the target with traffic or sending it information that triggers a
crash. It uses the single system and single internet connection to attack a server. It can be
classified into the following-
Volume-based attacks- Its goal is to saturate the bandwidth of the attacked site, and is
measured in bit per second.
Application layer attacks- Its goal is to crash the web server and is measured in request per
second.
7. Dictionary attacks
This type of attack stored the list of a commonly used password and validated them to get
original password.
8. URL Interpretation
It is a type of attack where we can change the certain parts of a URL, and one can make a
web server to deliver web pages for which he is not authorized to browse.
It is a type of attack that allows an attacker to access unauthorized or essential files which is
available on the web server or to execute malicious files on the web server by making use of
the include functionality.
It is a type of attack that allows an attacker to intercepts the connection between client and
server and acts as a bridge between them. Due to this, an attacker will be able to read, insert
and modify the data in the intercepted connection.
System-based attacks
These are the attacks which are intended to compromise a computer or a computer network.
Some of the important system-based attacks are as follows-
1. Virus
It is a type of malicious software program that spread throughout the computer files without
the knowledge of a user. It is a self-replicating malicious computer program that replicates by
inserting copies of itself into other computer programs when executed. It can also execute
instructions that cause harm to the system.
3. Trojan horse
It is a malicious program that occurs unexpected changes to computer setting and unusual
activity, even when the computer should be idle. It misleads the user of its true intent. It
appears to be a normal application but when opened/executed some malicious code will run
in the background.
4. Backdoors
It is a method that bypasses the normal authentication process. A developer may create a
backdoor so that an application or operating system can be accessed for troubleshooting or
other purposes.
5. Bots
A bot (short for "robot") is an automated process that interacts with other network services.
Some bots program run automatically, while others only execute commands when they
receive specific input. Common examples of bots program are the crawler, chatroom bots,
and malicious bots.
Cyber threats are security incidents or circumstances with the potential to have a negative
outcome for your network or other data management systems.
Examples of common types of security threats include phishing attacks that result in the
installation of malware that infects your data, failure of a staff member to follow data
protection protocols that cause a data breach, or even a tornado that takes down your
company’s data headquarters, disrupting access.
Vulnerabilities are the gaps or weaknesses in a system that make threats possible and tempt
threat actors to exploit them.
Types of vulnerabilities in network security include but are not limited to SQL injections,
server misconfigurations, cross-site scripting, and transmitting sensitive data in a non-
encrypted plain text format.
When threat probability is multiplied by the potential loss that may result, cyber security
experts, refer to this as a risk.
Computer criminals
Computer criminals have access to enormous amounts of hardware, software, and data; they
have the potential to cripple much of effective business and government throughout the
world. In a sense, the purpose of computer security is to prevent these criminals from doing
damage.
We say computer crime is any crime involving a computer or aided by the use of one.
Although this definition is admittedly broad, it allows us to consider ways to protect
ourselves, our businesses, and our communities against those who use computers maliciously.
One approach to prevention or moderation is to understand who commits these crimes and
why. Many studies have attempted to determine the characteristics of computer criminals. By
studying those who have already used computers to commit crimes, we may be able in the
future to spot likely criminals and prevent the crimes from occurring.
CIA Triad
The CIA Triad is actually a security model that has been developed to help people think
about various parts of IT security.
CIA triad broken down:
Confidentiality
It's crucial in today's world for people to protect their sensitive, private information from
unauthorized access.
Protecting confidentiality is dependent on being able to define and enforce certain access
levels for information.
Some of the most common means used to manage confidentiality include access control lists,
volume and file encryption, and UNIX file permissions.
Integrity
This is an essential component of the CIA Triad and designed to protect data from deletion or
modification from any unauthorized party, and it ensures that when an authorized person
makes a change that should not have been made the damage can be reversed.
Availability
This is the final component of the CIA Triad and refers to the actual availability of your data.
Authentication mechanisms, access channels and systems all have to work properly for the
information they protect and ensure it's available when it is needed.
The CIA Triad is all about information. While this is considered the core factor of the
majority of IT security, it promotes a limited view of the security that ignores other important
factors.
For example, even though availability may serve to make sure you don't lose access to
resources needed to provide information when it is needed, thinking about information
security in itself doesn't guarantee that someone else hasn't used your hardware resources
without authorization.
It's important to understand what the CIA Triad is, how it is used to plan and also to
implement a quality security policy while understanding the various principles behind it. It's
also important to understand the limitations it presents. When you are informed, you can
utilize the CIA Triad for what it has to offer and avoid the consequences that may come along
by not understanding it.
Intentional threats include things such as criminal hacking or a malicious insider stealing
information, whereas accidental threats generally involve employee error, a technical
malfunction or an event that causes physical damage, such as a fire or natural disaster.
Motive of Attackers
Masquerade: in this attack, the intruder pretends to be a particular user of a system to gain
access or to gain greater privileges than they are authorized for. A masquerade may be
attempted through the use of stolen login IDs and passwords, through finding security gaps in
programs or through bypassing the authentication mechanism.
Session replay: In this type of attack, a hacker steals an authorized user’s log in information
by stealing the session ID. The intruder gains access and the ability to do anything the
authorized user can do on the website.
Message modification: In this attack, an intruder alters packet header addresses to direct a
message to a different destination or modify the data on a target machine.
In a denial of service (DoS) attack, users are deprived of access to a network or web
resource. This is generally accomplished by overwhelming the target with more traffic than it
can handle.
Passive Attacks:Passive attacks are relatively scarce from a classification perspective, but
can be carried out with relative ease, particularly if the traffic is not encrypted.
Eavesdropping (tapping): the attacker simply listens to messages exchanged by two entities.
For the attack to be useful, the traffic must not be encrypted. Any unencrypted information,
such as a password sent in response to an HTTP request, may be retrieved by the attacker.
Traffic analysis: the attacker looks at the metadata transmitted in traffic in order to deduce
information relating to the exchange and the participating entities, e.g. the form of the
exchanged traffic (rate, duration, etc.). In the cases where encrypted data are used, traffic
analysis can also lead to attacks by cryptanalysis, whereby the attacker may obtain
information or succeed in unencrypting the traffic.
Logic A Logic Bomb is malware that lies dormant until triggered. A logic bomb is a
Bomb specific example of an asynchronous attack.
Backdoor creation; the presence of hidden methods for bypassing normal computer
authentication systems
Counterfeiting product assets that can produce extraordinary operations and those
made to gain malicious access to systems.
Cyber Threats-Cyber Warfare: Cyber warfare refers to the use of digital attacks -- like
computer viruses and hacking -- by one country to disrupt the vital computer systems of
another, with the aim of creating damage, death and destruction. Future wars will see
hackers using computer code to attack an enemy's infrastructure, fighting alongside
troops using conventional weapons like guns and missiles.
Cyber warfare involves the actions by a nation-state or international organization to attack
and attempt to damage another nation's computers or information networks through, for
example, computer viruses or denial-of-service attacks.
Cyber Crime:
Cybercrime is criminal activity that either targets or uses a computer, a computer network
or a networked device. Cybercrime is committed by cybercriminals or hackers who want
to make money. Cybercrime is carried out by individuals or organizations.
Some cybercriminals are organized, use advanced techniques and are highly technically
skilled. Others are novice hackers.
Cyber Terrorism:
Cyber terrorism is the convergence of cyberspace and terrorism. It refers to unlawful
attacks and threats of attacks against computers, networks and the information stored
therein when done to intimidate or coerce a government or its people in furtherance of
political or social objectives.
Examples are hacking into computer systems, introducing viruses to vulnerable
networks, web site defacing, Denial-of-service attacks, or terroristic threats made via
electronic communication.
Cyber Espionage:
Cyber spying, or cyber espionage, is the act or practice of obtaining secrets and
information without the permission and knowledge of the holder of the information from
Security Policies:
Security policies are a formal set of rules which is issued by an organization to ensure that the
user who are authorized to access company technology and information assets comply with
rules and guidelines related to the security of information.
A security policy also considered to be a "living document" which means that the document
is never finished, but it is continuously updated as requirements of the technology and
employee changes.
We use security policies to manage our network security. Most types of security policies are
automatically created during the installation. We can also customize policies to suit our
specific environment.
1) It increases efficiency.
Firewall Policy:
It blocks the unauthorized users from accessing the systems and networks that connect
to the Internet.
It detects the attacks by cybercriminals and removes the unwanted sources of network
traffic.
This policy automatically detects and blocks the network attacks and browser attacks.
It also protects applications from vulnerabilities and checks the contents of one or
more data packages and detects malware which is coming through legal ways.
This policy protects a system's resources from applications and manages the
peripheral devices that can attach to a system.
The device control policy applies to both Windows and Mac computers whereas
application control policy can be applied only to Windows clients.
CYBERSPACE
Cyberspace can be defined as an intricate environment that involves interactions between
people, software, and services. It is maintained by the worldwide distribution of information
and communication technology devices and networks.
With the benefits carried by the technological advancements, the cyberspace today has
become a common pool used by citizens, businesses, critical information infrastructure,
military and governments in a fashion that makes it hard to induce clear boundaries among
these different groups. The cyberspace is anticipated to become even more complex in the
upcoming years, with the increase in networks and devices connected to it.
Cybercrimes can be controlled but it needs collaborative efforts of the lawmakers, the
Internet or Network providers, the intercessors like banks and shopping sites, and, most
importantly, the users. Only the prudent efforts of these stakeholders, ensuring their
confinement to the law of the cyber land - can bring about online safety and resilience.
ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL LAWS
In various countries, areas of the computing and communication industries are regulated by
governmental bodies There are specific rules on the uses to which computers and computer
networks may be put, in particular there are rules on unauthorized access, data privacy and
spamming There are also limits on the use of encryption and of equipment which may be
used to defeat copy protection schemes There are laws governing trade on the Internet,
taxation, consumer protection, and advertising There are laws on censorship versus
freedom of expression, rules on public access to government information, and individual
access to information held on them by private bodies Some states limit access to the
Internet, by law as well as by technical means.
INTERNATIONAL LAW FOR CYBER CRIME
Cybercrime is "international" that there are ‘no cyber-borders between countries’ The
complexity in types and forms of cybercrime increases the difficulty to fight back fighting
cybercrime calls for international cooperation Various organizations and governments have
already made joint efforts in establishing global standards of legislation and law enforcement
both on a regional and on an international scale
To create a secure cyber ecosystem in the country, generate adequate trust and
confidence in IT system and transactions in cyberspace and thereby enhance adoption
of IT in all sectors of the economy.
To create an assurance framework for the design of security policies and promotion
and enabling actions for compliance to global security standards and best practices by
way of conformity assessment (Product, process, technology & people).
To strengthen the Regulatory Framework for ensuring a SECURE CYBERSPACE
ECOSYSTEM.
To enhance and create National and Sectoral level 24X7 mechanism for obtaining
strategic information regarding threats to ICT infrastructure, creating scenarios for
response, resolution and crisis management through effective predictive, preventive,
protective response and recovery actions.
The forensic examination of computers, and data storage media, is a complicated and highly
specialized process. The results of forensic examinations are compiled and included in
reports. In many cases, examiners testify to their findings, where their skills and abilities are
put to ultimate scrutiny.
DIGITAL FORENSICS:
Digital Forensics helps the forensic team to analyzes, inspect, identifies, and preserve the
digital evidence residing on various types of electronic devices.
Digital forensic science is a branch of forensic science that focuses on the recovery and
investigation of material found in digital devices related to cybercrime.
THE NEED FOR COMPUTER FORENSICS
Computer forensics is also important because it can save your organization money from a
technical stand point, the main goal of computer forensics is to identify, collect, preserve, and
analyze data in a way that preserves the integrity of the evidence collected so it can be used
effectively in a legal case.
CYBER FORENSICS AND DIGITAL EVIDENCE:
Digital evidence is information stored or transmitted in binary form that may be relied on in
court. It can be found on a computer hard drive, a mobile phone, among other places. Digital
evidence is commonly associated with electronic crime, or e-crime, such as child
pornography or credit card fraud. However, digital evidence is now used to prosecute all
types of crimes, not just e-crime. For example, suspects' e-mail or mobile phone files might
contain critical evidence regarding their intent, their whereabouts at the time of a crime and
their relationship with other suspects. In 2005, for example, a floppy disk led investigators to
the BTK serial killer who had eluded police capture since 1974 and claimed the lives of at
least 10 victims.
Header Analysis – Meta data in the e-mail message in the form of control
information i.e. envelope and headers including headers in the message body contain
information about the sender and/or the path along which the message has traversed.
Some of these may be spoofed to conceal the identity of the sender. A detailed
analysis of these headers and their correlation is performed in header analysis.
Bait Tactics – In bait tactic investigation an e-mail with http: “<imgsrc>” tag having
image source at some computer monitored by the investigators is send to the sender of
e-mail under investigation containing real (genuine) e-mail address. When the e-mail
is opened, a log entry containing the IP address of the recipient (sender of the e-mail
under investigation) is recorded on the http server hosting the image and thus sender
is tracked. However, if the recipient (sender of the e-mail under investigation) is using
a proxy server then IP address of the proxy server is recorded. The log on proxy
server can be used to track the sender of the e-mail under investigation. If the proxy
server’s log is unavailable due to some reason, then investigators may send the tactic
e-mail containing a) Embedded Java Applet that runs on receiver’s computer or b)
HTML page with Active X Object. Both aiming to extract IP address of the receiver’s
computer and e-mail it to the investigators.
Erasing or deleting an email doesn’t necessarily mean that it is gone forever. Often emails
can be forensically extracted even after deletion. Forensic tracing of e-mail is similar to
traditional detective work. It is used for retrieving information from mailbox files.
OST and PST Viewer – Nucleus Technologies’ OST and PST viewer tools help you
view OST and PST files easily without connecting to an MS Exchange server. These
tools allow the user to scan OST and PST files and they display the data saved in it
including email messages, contacts, calendars, notes, etc., in a proper folder structure.
Email Tracker Pro – Email Tracker Pro analyses the headers of an e-mail to detect
the IP address of the machine that sent the message so that the sender can be tracked
down. It can trace multiple e-mails at the same time and easily keep track of them.
The geographical location of an IP address is key information for determining the
threat level or validity of an e-mail message.
Collection: The first step in the forensic process is to identify potential sources of data and
acquire data from them.
Examination: After data has been collected, the next phase is to examine the data, which
involves assessing and extracting the relevant pieces of information from the collected data.
This phase may also involve bypassing or mitigating OS or application features that obscure
data and code, such as data compression, encryption, and access control mechanisms.
Analysis: Once the relevant information has been extracted, the analyst should study and
analyze the data to draw conclusions from it. The foundation of forensics is using a
methodical approach to reach appropriate conclusions based on the available data or
determine that no conclusion can yet be drawn.
Reporting: The process of preparing and presenting the information resulting from the
analysis phase. Many factors affect reporting, including the following:
a. Alternative Explanations: When the information regarding an event is incomplete, it
may not be possible to arrive at a definitive explanation of what happened. When an
event has two or more plausible explanations, each should be given due consideration
in the reporting process. Analysts should use a methodical approach to attempt to
prove or disprove each possible explanation that is proposed.
Technical challenges
Legal challenges
Resource Challenges
TECHNICAL CHALLENGES
As technology develops crimes and criminals are also developed with it. Digital forensic
experts use forensic tools for collecting shreds of evidence against criminals and criminals
use such tools for hiding, altering or removing the traces of their crime, in digital forensic this
process is called Anti- forensics technique which is considered as a major challenge in digital
forensics world.
LEGAL CHALLENGES
The presentation of digital evidence is more difficult than its collection because there are
many instances where the legal framework acquires a soft approach and does not recognize
every aspect of cyber forensics, as in Jagdeo Singh V. The State and Ors case Hon’ble High
Court of Delhi held that “while dealing with the admissibility of an intercepted telephone call
in a CD and CDR which was without a certificate under Sec. 65B of the Indian Evidence Act,
1872 the court observed that the secondary electronic evidence without certificate u/s. 65B of
Indian Evidence Act, 1872 is not admissible and cannot be looked into by the court for any
purpose whatsoever.” This happens in most of the cases as the cyber police lack the
necessary qualification and ability to identify a possible source of evidence and prove it.
Besides, most of the time electronic evidence is challenged in the court due to its integrity. In
the absence of proper guidelines and the nonexistence of proper explanation of the collection,
and acquisition of electronic evidence gets dismissed in itself.
Legal Challenges
Privacy Issues
Admissibility in Courts
Preservation of electronic evidence
Power for gathering digital evidence
Analyzing a running computer
Resource Challenges
As the rate of crime increases the number of data increases and the burden to analyze such
huge data is also increasing on a digital forensic expert because digital evidence is more
sensitive as compared to physical evidence it can easily disappear. For making the
investigation process fast and useful forensic experts use various tools to check the
authenticity of the data but dealing with these tools is also a challenge in itself.
Change in technology
Due to rapid change in technology like operating systems, application software and hardware,
reading of digital evidence becoming more difficult because new version software’s are not
supported to an older version and the software developing companies did provide any
backward compatible’s which also affects legally.
The confidentiality, availability, and integrity of electronic documents are easily get
manipulated. The combination of wide-area networks and the internet form a big network
that allows flowing data beyond the physical boundaries. Such easiness of communication
and availability of electronic document increases the volume of data which also create
difficulty in the identification of original and relevant data.
Mobile computing is "taking a computer and all necessary files and software out into the
field." Many types of mobile computers have been introduced since 1990s. They are as
follows:
1. Portable computer: It is a general-purpose computer that can be easily moved from one
place to another, but cannot be used while in transit, usually because it requires some
"setting-up" and an AC power source.
2. Denial-of-service (DoS): The main objective behind this attack is to make the system
unavailable to the intended users. Virus attacks can be used to damage the system to make the
system unavailable. Presently, one of the most common cyber security threats to wired
Internet service providers (ISPs) is a distributed denial-of-service (DDos) attack .DDoS
Mobile - Viruses
Concept of Mishing
Concept of Vishing
Concept of Smishing
Hacking - Bluetooth
2. Laptop safes: Safes made of polycarbonate - the same material that is used in bulletproof
windows, police riot shields and bank security screens-can be used to carry and safeguard the
laptops. The advantage of safes over security cables is that they protect the whole laptop and
its devices such as CD-ROM bays, PCMCIA cards and HDD bays which can be easily
removed in the case of laptops protected by security cables.
3. Motion sensors and alarms: Even though alarms and motion sensors are annoying owing
to their false alarms and loud sound level, these devices are very efficient in securing laptops.
Once these devices are activated, they can be used to track missing laptops in crowded
places. Also owing to their loud nature, they help in deterring thieves. Modern systems for
laptops are designed wherein the alarm device attached to the laptop transmits radio signals to
a certain range around the laptop.
4. Warning labels and stamps: Warning labels containing tracking information and
identification details can be fixed onto the laptop to deter aspiring thieves. These labels
cannot be removed easily and are a low-cost solution to a laptop theft. These labels have an
identification number that is stored in a universal database for verification, which, in turn
makes the resale of stolen laptops a difficult process. Such labels are highly recommended for
the laptops issued to top executives and/or key employees of the organizations.
5. Other measures for protecting laptops are as follows:
Engraving the laptop with personal details
Keeping the laptop close to oneself wherever possible