Network Security
Information and system security is important for individuals and organizations. Individuals tend to expose themselves by sharing personal information, for example, on social media. An organization is likely to house business and client information which is not likely shared outside of the organization. Keeping information safe with firewalls and antivirus would be beneficial to both individuals and organizations as they are both susceptible to security breaches; however, there are other attacks and other ways to protect a computer system or network.
There are several attacks and security breaches individuals and organization should be cautious of. Among them are denial of service, phishing, and computer viruses. A denial-of-service is a security threat that occurs when the attacker floods the network server with packets, making it difficult for legitimate users to access the network. (Vahid 2019) This type of attack can be done by using ping commands. Phishing and computer viruses tend to be delivered via email. Phishing is an attempt to lure information out of a person using a fraudulent email or even text message. The email or message will appear to be from a well-known company such as Amazon, FedEx or Bank of America stating there is an issue that needs to be addressed. This is an attempt to get the person to punch in the requested information. Computer viruses are delivered differently. Via email it could come as a form of attachment to download. Computer virus can also infect your computer after visiting free websites and websites that contain adult content.
Symptoms of a phishing email is in the details of the email. Often a phishing email will be poorly written and will create a sense of urgency. For example, an email would claim Amazon.com is where the notification originated but a closer look would reveal the misspelling of the domain: Amazn.com. These subtle clues would indicate, this is a phishing email that would need to be deleted. Once a computer virus infects your computer, symptoms would appear in the form of unexpected behavior from the computer. The computer will start to slow down, windows might pop-up randomly and your computer can crash if infected which is why protecting your computer and its information is important.
The best way to protect yourself from phishing emails is to really evaluate the incoming message. For example, Bank of America emails you, stating you over drafted and to “Click here” to access funds immediately. Examine the email and look for flaws. Most importantly, check your bank account using another method that does not require you to use the emailed link. Perhaps use the mobile app or call in. Once you realize there is no legitimacy to the claim in the email, delete immediately. Same applies to computer viruses. Downloading email content or attachments from an unknown source will put you at a higher risk for infection so having an antivirus installed in your computer could minimize the risk. It is always better to just use best practices and not trust everything you receive online.
In conclusion, Information and system security is important for individuals and organizations. There are a multitude of security threats and protecting yourself should include exercising caution to the sites you are visiting, the emails you are receiving and the attachments you are downloading. Encryptions, firewalls and antivirus work well but security starts with you.
References
Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. (2019). Computing technology for all. zyBooks.
Touhid (2019). Most Common 10 Symptoms of Computer Viruses https://cyberthreatportal.com/10-symptoms-of-computer-viruses/
Fruhlinger, J (2022) What is phishing? Examples, types, and techniques. https://www.csoonline.com/article/2117843/what-is-phishing-examples-types-and-techniques.html
