ATTACK TYPES

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Tyrell Krishantha Wood

BEng. (Hons) in Networking Kingston University
Assistant Lecturer
IBSL

1. Denial service
Denial service of attack is an external attack, which makes the resources of the
network unavailable to its users by sending numerous requests to the network.
Denial service of attack will create a bottle neck on the network which will
interrupt the network and resources.

Denial service of attack normally tries to target huge company servers such as,
banks, credit cards payments and pay pal. When denial service of attack attacks
the computer, it will respond slowly or it won’t respond at all, because of the
bandwidth of the bottle that caused by the denial service of attack.

Denial attack is external attack because it’s coming from the outside of the
organisation through the internet connection.

2. Back door

Trap door is another name for the back door. This uses two the two
components called server and client computers in the network. Back door is a
way bypassing the verification to secure access to the computer while remaining
hidden. It also can obtain the not permitted access to the administrator of the
network. Back door also has ability to act as a programme that installed in the
computer. This is an internal attack which comes through internet unsecured
WIFI point.

3. Trojan horse

Trojan horse is fully working software although it can contain malicious

software that can damage your system. This malware will affect your system
and disable your functions one by one and delete the data. This can be an

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internal or external attack because it can comes through the via internet or it can
also coin in a USB drive.

Malware hidden in the

program
Programme

Virus

Virus is a program that created to damage your computer software. There are
viruses that have different effects on your computer. such as,

 Virus can delete or corrupt data

 Use the email to spread itself to other computers
 Delete the data on the hard disk it
 Slowdown the performance of the computer
 Disable the functions of the computer

This can be an either internal or external attack because it can be downloaded

and send the virus through the internet or someone can put the virus to the
computer using a CD or an USB.

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 4. Root kit

Root kit malicious software that gives the privileges to the person to take the
whole network down root kit is harder to find because it will be hidden in the
network.

taking down the network using the root kit organization will lose money
important data will get in to the wrong hands company will be sued under the
law of data protection act. This can take a form of external and internal attack

5. Brute Force

This is where user manually trying to find the most logical code using different
combinations. This is the slowest way to bring down a security system. This
method takes months or years to access an account. If the user go beyond the 3
or 4 attempts to find the correct password then the system will lock it.

6. Worms

Worms is a programme that replicates and spread throughout the network.

Worms can also spread through the internet by coping themselves to the email.
Worms can use the computer bandwidth and storage which will not allow you
to save your files into the computer. This can take a form of internal or
external attack.

7. Spyware

Spyware is malicious software which installs itself to the computer to collect the
information such as, bank card details, sort codes and business-related

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documents. People use spyware to steal money, sell the information out to
someone who needs it. This is an external attack which coming from the outside
of the organisation by using the unsecured WIFI access.

8. Adware

Adware is malicious software which takes a form of advertisement. This is

normally repeated, which advertise in a pop-up window. Advertise is chosen
with the creator’s choice. These advertisements can contain malicious software
such as virus Trojan horse. This is an external attack because it is coming
through the outside the organisation.

9. Mathematical

This attack will allow user to crack and decode the password using all the
possible password combinations. This can be an internal or an external attack.

10. Software exploitation

Using a glitch of a network or a firewall to access the internal source of the

organisation, this is the reason organisation always update their security and the
software to prevent glitches of the system

11. Spoofing

This is an external source of attack which creates a fake website similar to

original website to steal the private information such as, bank details and credit

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card details or to steal the customers from the original website. This can bring
the bad reputation to the original website.

12. External Attack

External attack comes from the outside of the organisation through the internet
or unsecured WIFI point.

Example

Person who sends the virus contained emails from his house to organisation is
an external attack.

Using the root kit user can attack the organisation network from the outside of
the organisation to gain the access to the network

13. Internal attack

Internal attack comes within the organisation. This can be a work of a staff
member or group of people within the organisation

Examples

One person within the organisation can insert virus contain CD or DVD to a
work station in an organisation

Staff members can receive or send virus contained emails within the
organisation

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