Computer Security

Lecture Five
What is computer security?

• Computer security refers to the set of techniques developed to

help protect single and network linked computers from accidental
or intentional harm.

• A computer system can be damaged due to accidental or

intentional hardware and software malpractice.

• Computer security also involves issues pertaining to human error,

loss of training and criminal activities like creating computer
viruses and an attempt to access confidential information by
unauthorized individuals.
General computer hazards

• Computer hazards range from the destruction of the computer

hardware and hence loss of data due to natural disaster to the
modification and theft of confidential information on the
computer

• Generally, hazards to the computers can be categorized into

three major categories.
• Physical hazards
• Malicious programs
• Intruder
Physical hazards
• Damages to the computer’s hardware can be caused due to the number of
reasons; among which fire and flood being the most prominent ones.

• computer’s hardware can also be damaged due to excessive heat, dust

and moisture.
• On a typical desktop computer, for example, there are two fans: one on top of
the processor and the other at the power supply.

• Their main purpose of fans is to cool down the system.

• to save the computer system from damage such kinds of computers are
placed in an air conditioned environment.
Cont..
• Dust and moisture can also corrupt the computer’s hardware.
Hence, the computer hardware has to be placed in a dust and
moisture free environment.

• The other hazard involves the power issue.

• When power is interrupted suddenly, data loss can occur
immediately.
• Power fluctuations can also damage the computer system.
• To avert such kind of situations power saving and regulating
devices like UPSs (Uninterruptible Power Supply) have to be
used.
Malicious programs
•
• There are lots of malicious programs written to disrupt the
computer system.
• Among which the most important ones are the following:
• Computer virus
• Worm
• Trojan horse
• Logic bomb
Computer virus
• Computer virus is a set of computer program instructions that
attaches itself to a host program or file, copies itself and
attacks a computer system.

• A virus can only spread from one computer to another when

its host is taken to the uninfected computer,

• Computer viruses operate, replicate, and cause damage only

when they are run.
Types of viruses
• Parasitic or file viruses infect executable files or programs that are identified by
the extension .exe.

• Bootstrap-sector viruses reside on the first portion of the hard disk or floppy
disk, known as the boot sector.
• These viruses replace either the programs that store information about the disk's
contents or the programs that start the computer.
• Typically, these viruses spread by means of the physical exchange of floppy disks.

• Multi-partite viruses combine the abilities of the parasitic and the bootstrap-
sector viruses, and so are able to infect either files or boot sectors.
• These types of viruses can spread if a computer user boots from an infected
diskette or accesses infected files.
Worm
• Worm is a malicious program similar to a virus but is a self-
contained program that transports itself from one computer
to another through networks.

• Unlike a virus, worms don’t need to attach themselves to an

existing program.
Cont....
• Trojan horse is a program that pretends to be something
interesting and harmless, such as a game, but when it runs it
may have harmful effects.

• Unlike virus or worms, Trojan horse programs don’t replicate

themselves.

• Instead, they might lie dormant for months before they are
activated and do something devious to the computer.
Logic bomb
• Logic bomb is a piece of malicious program that delivers its
instruction and cause damage when it is triggered by a specific
condition, such as when a particular date or time is reached or
when a combination of characters is typed on a keyboard.

• unlike a virus, logic bomb does not replicate itself.

• C. Hackers (crackers) are individuals who are well versed in
computing and are engaged in various kinds of criminal
activities ranging from writing virus programs to the data and
identity theft. Initially the term hacker refers to individuals
who are computer enthusiasts, loves to know a great deal
about computer system, highly engaged in programming and
with no criminal intent. But with the advance of networking
that followed, some of these experts began to be involved in
some sort of criminal activity such as stealing confidential
information through a network.
Security mechanisms
• There are various ways that we can use to help protect our
computer’s hardware, software and data from numerous
possible hazards.

• Since prevention is better and easier to deal with than trying

to cure after infection, most of the security mechanisms that
would be discussed here deals with prevention.

• All security mechanisms don’t solve all the security threats.

Therefore, each of the following security mechanisms will be
treated with its respective threat type that would avert it.
Cont...
• Back up
• Antivirus software
• Fire wall
• Use of password and authentication methods
• Encryption