CP3302 – Chap2 – Flashcards
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Why is information security a management problem? What can management do that technology cannot?
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Management need to perform risk assessments and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to protect the day to day functioning of the organisation. Technology set policy nor fix issues
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Why is data the most important asset an organization possesses? What other assets in the organization require protection?
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Because data represents the ability to deliver value to its customers, without data the organisation would not be able to carry out its day to day functions.
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Which management groups are responsible for implementing information security to protect the organizations ability to function?
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IT management, Senior Management
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Has the implementation of networking technology created more or less risk for businesses that use information technology? Why?
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It has created more of a risk because information can travel much faster from locations.
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What is information extortion? Describe how such an attack can cause losses, using an example not found in the text.
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Information extortion occurs when an attacker or trusted insider steal information from a computer system and demands compensation for its return or for an agreement not to disclose it.
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Why do employees constitute one of the greatest threats to information security?
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Because they typically have access to sensitive information and have the potential to cause damage or harm to it.
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What measures can individuals take to protect against shoulder surfing?
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- Be aware of who is around you - Limit the number of times you access confidential information - Avoid accessing confidential information while others are present
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How has the perception of the hacker changed over recent years? What is the profile of a hacker today?
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Hacking used to be reserved for knowledgeable people who would pull things apart to see how they worked whereas these days it has a more malicious undertone to it and.
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What is the difference between a skilled hacker and an unskilled hacker (other then the lack of skill)? How does protection against each differ?
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A skilled hacker develops software and code exploits, and masters many technologies like programming, networking protocols and operating systems. An unskilled hacker uses expert written software to exploit a system with little knowledge of how it works.
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What are the various types of Malware? How do worms differ from viruses? Do Trojan horses carry viruses or worms?
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Malware: Torjans, Worms, Viruses, logic bombs, backdoors. Viruses and Worms both replicate but worms are typically standalone programs. A trojan horse may carry either.
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Why does polymorphism cause greater concern than traditional malware? How does it affect detection?
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Because it changes overtime which makes it more difficult to detect
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What is the most common form of violation of intellectual property? How does an organization protect against it? What agencies protect from it?
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Software piracy. Preventions can be licensing with a product key. Key agencies are Software Information Industry Association and Business Software Alliance
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What are the various types of force majeure? Which type might be of greatest concern to an organization in Las Vegas? Oklahoma City? Miami? Los Angeles?
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Force majeure = force of nature LA - dust storms Atlanta - tornados
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How does technology obsolescence constitute a threat to information security? How can an organization protect against it?
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It occurs when technology becomes outdated. Planning is the best way to avoid this by planning to update outdated technology in a timely fashion.
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What are the 3 types of password attacks? What can a systems administrator do to protect against them?
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Cracking, brute force and dictionary attacks. Limit the number of password attempts, enforce a minimum complexity policy for the passwords and don't allow dictionary words in passwords
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What is the difference between a denial-of-service attack and a distributed denial-of-service attack? Which is potentially more dangerous and devastating? Why?
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DOS attacks are a single user sending a large number of connections in an attempt to overwhelm or crash a target server. DDOS is when many users (or many compromised systems) simultaniously perform a DOS attack. The DDOS is more dangerous because ulike a DOS there is no single user you can block and no easy way to overcome it.
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For a sniffer attack to succeed, what must the attacker do? How can an attacker gain access to a network to use the sniffer system?
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The attacker must first gain access to a network to install the sniffer. Usually this is done using social engineering to get into the building to plant a sniffer device.
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What method does a social engineering hacker use to gain information about a user's login and password? How would this method differ if it were targeted towards an administrator's assistant versus a data-entry clerk?
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Most commenly it is done by roleplaying someone else. e.g a maintenance team or a janitor to get a physical access to assets. A data entry clerk may be easily persuaded by mentioning the CEO would get upset, whereas someone higher up would require more convincing.
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What is a buffer overflow, and how is it used against a Web server?
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A buffer overflow occurs when more data is sent than can be receivers buffer can handle - usually resulting in non-buffer application memory being overwritten. Buffer overflow on a webserver may allow an attacker to run executable code on the webserver either manipulating files directly or creating a backdoor for later use.
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The principle goal of the information security program should be to ________.
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Ensure that the systems and their contents stays the same
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Information Security has more to do with _______ than with _________.
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management, technology
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True or False - Many organisations find that their most valuable asset is their data
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True
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A _______ is an object, person or other entity that represents a constant danger to an asset.
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Threat
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When an unauthorised individual gains access to the information an organisation is trying to protect, that act is categorised as a deliberate act of ______.
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Trespass
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A ______ hacks the public telephone network to make free calls or disrupt services.
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Phreaker
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When an individual steals information from computer system and demands compensation for its return or nondisclosure, that act is categorized as a deliberate acts of ________.
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information extortion
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Attacks on the face of organization (i.e. its Web site), is categorized as a deliberate acts of __________.
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sabotage or vandalism
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________ are software programs that hide their true nature and reveal their designed behavior only when activated.
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Trojan horses
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True or False: Warnings of attacks that are not valid are usually called hoaxes.
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True
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Applying computer and network resources to try exhaustive combinations for access is called a(n) _______ attack.
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brute force
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When a program tries using all commonly used passwords, __________ this is known as a(n) .
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dictionary attack
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When a program tries to reverse-calculate passwords, this is known as a(n) _________ .
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password crack
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Using a known or previously installed access mechanism is called using a _____. a) hidden bomb b) vector c) spoof d) back door
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d
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Unsolicited commercial e-mail is also called _______
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spam
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Another name for TCP hijacking is . a) man-in-the-middle b) mail bombing c) spoong d) denial of service
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a
