Why is Information and System Security Important?

Protect Information:

            In the evolving technological world, information and system security should be at the forefront of every individual’s and organization’s mind. The availability and access to information can be used for various purposes, in some cases malign. This concept’s foundation is that every piece of information shared online may have value to somebody, whether that be being sold to third-party companies, being used for marketing, or being used for blackmail or coercion (Lysecky & Vahid, 2017). For example, in the intelligence community, we use social media posts to gauge heuristics and events in a region. While a video on social media may not be of value to someone else, a federal agency may use that to determine valuable information about a particular region. Keeping in mind that information sent to and throughout the internet, whether private or public, can still be accessed, individuals and organizations must be careful with the information they share and post. Anything that is sent should be assessed how that information would be conveyed if it were to become public.

Develop a Robust System Security:

               System security is the next step to prevent unauthorized computer access and distribution of information. This is important because it provides an initial layer of protection for individuals’ and organizations’ sensitive information. The compromise of information stems from any piece of shared data, no matter if it is public or private. “Companies and organizations are especially vulnerable since they have a wealth of information from their employees” (Ubilla, 2016, para. 4). Computer users with malicious intent can use phone numbers, social media posts, location information, emails, credit card information, and many other things to compromise an individual or information system. If a computer becomes compromised, the organization or individual “…may suffer tremendous trouble, stress, and financial loss…” (Lysecky & Vahid, 2017, Sec. 8.1). Individuals and organizations can combat this threat by increasing user awareness and improving security systems.

What is DoS and DDoS?

               Different types of attacks can be executed using ping commands; however, they can be broadly categorized as a denial of service (DoS) or distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. In a DoS attack, an attacker denies legitimate users from accessing a service by flooding the targeted system’s bandwidth (Yihunie, Abdelfattah, & Odeh, 2018). DoS and DDoS’s difference is that DoS uses a single machine to disrupt services, and DDoS uses multiple compromised machines. Both of these attacks aim to crash a service by overloading the network traffic to the system through access requests. Further dividing this type of attack, volume-based attacks (UDP floods, ICMP floods, etc.), protocol attacks (SYN floods, Smurf DDoS, etc.), and application-layer attacks (GET/POST floods, etc.) are different ways to flood a target (Imperva, n.d.). UDP, ICMP, SYN, and GET/POST floods use these different types of packets to overwhelm and disrupt a target’s service. In a Smurf DDoS attack, the Smurf program exploits vulnerabilities of the Internet Protocol (IP) and Internet Control Message Protocols (ICMP) to bring down a target’s network. Overall, utilizing the ping command, a malicious user can degrade and disrupt a system by sending multiple access requests.

               Computer systems are inherently vulnerable to DoS and DDoS attacks because they take advantage of how computer networks communicate (Weisman, 2020). Essentially, these attacks exploit the way computers communicate and overwhelm the targeted website, server, or network. Computers with minimal security systems have open protocol ports that allow requests to come in. Further, computers cannot distinguish between which requests are fake and legitimate; therefore, they send a response. Since the IP address is spoofed, the three-way handshake cannot be completed, and the connection is left open. Eventually, the target system gets overwhelmed with requests and shuts down.

               Symptoms of ping attacks include slow or no service. Website downtime can have a negative financial impact and introduce other vulnerabilities. Consequently, these attacks cause some significant damage to a system. Server and hosting issues may be one condition that could be experienced. The most dangerous outcome is that your site becomes more vulnerable to hacks because all of the systems are focused on getting the site back online. Most DoS and DDoS attacks are precursors to much larger and more robust attacks. The end result is that there is a substantial amount of lost time and money when these attacks occur.

Recommendations:

               To prevent any kind of security breach, a few simple implementations can make a network more impervious to attacks. First, keeping the security software, operating system, and applications updated allows simple patches for known vulnerabilities. Second, utilizing trusted security software can help defend against known malware that can compromise a system. Third, using a router with built-in DoS and DDoS protection will boost the security of a system. Lastly, using a website hosting service that emphasizes security will effectively impede malicious attempts to compromise a system (McCollin, 2020). While these are all hardware and software upgrades to defend a network, an individual or organization must not neglect the fact that most incidents stem from human error. Learning or implementing a program that teaches individuals how to reduce human error is the most cost-effective solution to reduce compromised systems. A great program will teach how to combat phishing and social engineering attempts, create strong passwords, and make sure a system is updated.

               Email spam and phishing are two of the most common ways to spread malware and for malicious users to gain information. Email spam is mass-sent email that is unwanted by a recipient (Lysecky & Vahid, 2017). Usually, spam comes in the form of advertisements for products or sites and introduces malware when the recipient clicks on an attachment or link. Similarly, phishing accomplishes the same outcome by tricking an individual into providing sensitive information (Lysecky & Vahid, 2017). Malicious users will use this information to take control of user’s accounts and steal money. Educated computer users will be able to identify spam or phishing attempts. A simple presentation or learning opportunity conducted by individuals or employers is a great way to reduce the human error rate of compromised systems.

References:

Imperva. (n.d.). DDoS attack types & mitigation methods. Retrieved from https://www.imperva.com/learn/ddos/ddos-attacks/

Lysecky, S. & Vahid, F. (2017). Computing technology for all. Retrieved from zybooks.zyante.com/

McCollin, R. (2020, October 26). DDoS attacks explained: Causes, effects, and how to protect your site. Kinsta Managed WordPress Hosting. Retrieved from https://kinsta.com/blog/what-is-a-ddos-attack/

Ubilla, A. (2016, April 29). The importance of information systems security. ITI Technical College | Technical Training | Associate Degrees. Retrieved from https://www.iticollege.edu/the-importance-of-information-systems-security/

Weisman, S. (2020, February 5). What are denial of service (Dos) attacks? DoS attacks explained. Official Site | Norton™ - Antivirus & Anti-Malware Software. Retrieved from https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-emerging-threats-dos-attacks-explained.html

Yihunie, F., Abdelfattah, E., & Odeh, A. (2018). Analysis of ping of death DoS and DDoS attacks. 2018 IEEE Long Island Systems, Applications and Technology Conference (LISAT), Systems, Applications and Technology Conference (LISAT), 2018 IEEE Long Island, 1–4. https://doi-org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.1109/LISAT.2018.8378010