This document summarizes various internet security threats. It discusses how viruses and worms can infect computers and spread via email or file transfers. Viruses attach to programs while worms spread independently. Their payloads can erase disks, install trojans, or redirect users to unwanted sites. Trojans also install unwanted programs like spyware. The document outlines social engineering techniques used to steal information as well as hacking methods like port scanning and exploiting vulnerabilities to break into systems. Denial of service attacks aim to make systems unavailable by overloading them with traffic from bots. Potential attackers range from hackers to disgruntled employees, virus writers, and cyber criminals or terrorists.

1. Security Threats

2. During the 90’s when the Internet/internet grew into what has become a major part of everyone's lives. Unfortunately it also has been vulnerable to attacks from outside/inside sources, and today Internet Security soon became a big part of IT management.

3. Major Threats Viruses/Worms Attacking Individuals Hacking Denial-of-Service (DoS) Type of Attacker

4. Viruses & Worms Viruses Are pieces of a code that attach to other programs Are executed when infected programs are activated It can infect other programs on your computer/machine Spread to other computers via e-mail attachments, IM’s, peer-to-peer file transfer, etc.

5. Worms Is a stand alone program and it does not need to attach itself to other programs Like a Virus it can spread via e-mail, file transfers, IM’s, etc. Unlike a virus, worms will need help, they need a user to open an e-mail or attachment but this is unreliable and slow Vulnerability-enabled worms don’t need human intervention, these worms look for weak spots in the programs, so they spread faster

6. Payloads After they infect your computer and other machines the viruses/worms execute their payloads. Hard disk can be erased Install a Trojan Horse Misdirect you to other sites like pornography Can turn your computer into a spam generator

7. Trojan Horse This is a program that can be installed on the user’s computer, and once installed it will continue to cause damage. Relies on worms/viruses/hackers/unknowingly installing it Trojan name as it is called, explains why it hides itself as a file in your system which may seem legitimate but is not Major problem of this program is spyware

8. Spyware It does what it say’s, it spyies Web surfing details Passwords Personal Identification Data mining, searches for information on your computer This information can be sent back to its source

9. Attacks to Individuals Social engineering Spam

10. Social Engineering This is when the attacker convinces another person to give up any personal information Selling a fake or non-existing product Wining a contest, that never existed Service that does not exist or is never done In Social sites like Facebook, MySpace, chat rooms, etc.

12. ID theft

13. Fraud

15. Nmap Scanning Program

16. Once Inside Downloads Hacker Tools, are a collection of programs that will automate tasks that will be done as soon as the attacker is in Deleting Log Files, another tool that erases log in files so the real owner does not know that they have been compromised, what was done, and how it was done Backdoor, using the toolkit the hacker will create a backdoor and even if the vulnerability has been fixed. The backdoor can be disguised.

17. Once inside (continued) Downloading Trojan Horses, to keep attaking even after the hacker has been long gone. Manual work, even with the toolkits the hacker may chose to do other damage, whether to delete files, change names or file locations.

18. Denial-of-Service (DoS) Does not involve hacking into a computer No Viruses or Worms Main purpose of DoS, is to make the computer unavailable to its user(s) Bots, are general purpose exploitation programs

21. Traditional Attackers Hackers Disgruntled Employee or Ex-Employee Virus Writers Criminal Attackers, which are mostly motivated by money Cyber-terrorist and National Governments, cyber-terror which are attacks by extremist, & cyber-war are attacks by other national governments