Computer security

{

"text": "Computer security, also known as cybersecurity or IT security, is a vital subdiscipline of information security. It focuses on protecting computer software, hardware, and networks from various threats. These threats can cause unauthorized information disclosure or the theft of data. They can also lead to the damage of physical hardware or the disruption of essential services.

As our world becomes more dependent on the Internet, security becomes more critical. This reliance includes smart devices like smartphones and televisions. These items are part of the Internet of Things, or IoT, which connects everyday objects to the web. Digital infrastructure now manages essential societal functions like power grids, finance, and electoral processes. Because these systems are so complex, they often contain new vulnerabilities.\n\nA vulnerability is a flaw in how a system functions, executes, or manages oversight. When an attacker finds a way to use such a flaw, it is called an exploit. Many discovered vulnerabilities are documented in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database. Actors who maliciously seek these flaws are known as threats. These threats may use automated tools or customized scripts to hunt for weaknesses. While many people are at risk, certain groups face different levels of danger. For example, a 2023 report from the United Kingdom surveyed businesses, charities, and education institutions. It found that 32% of businesses and 24% of charities experienced breaches in a 12-month period. Large businesses saw even higher rates, with 69% reporting attacks. Small and midsize businesses (SMBs) are also vulnerable because they often lack advanced defense tools.\n\nMalware, or malicious software, is code specifically written to harm a system or its users. Once installed, malware can leak passwords, delete data, or give an attacker control. There are several distinct types of malware. Viruses are code that hijacks software to spread copies of itself to other programs. Worms are similar but are self-replicating, meaning they spread without needing a human to run a program. Trojan horses are programs that pretend to be helpful to trick users into installing them. Some Trojans, called Remote Access Trojans (RATs), create secret backdoors for attackers. Spyware, such as keyloggers, secretly records keyboard inputs to steal bank details or passwords. Scareware uses social engineering to trigger anxiety, often through urgent pop-up messages. Finally, ransomware encrypts a victim's files and demands a ransom, usually in Bitcoin, to return them.

\n\nAttackers also use methods to bypass normal security controls, such as backdoors. A backdoor is a secret method to bypass authentication. These can exist due to original design flaws or poor configuration. Criminals often use malware to install these backdoors to gain remote administrative access. Once inside, they can modify files or steal personal information. Another major threat is the Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack. These attacks are designed to make a network or machine unavailable to its users. An attacker might overload a network to block everyone at once. A more difficult version is the Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack. In a DDoS attack, the traffic comes from many different points, such as a botnet of \"zombie\" computers. Some attacks use a technique called distributed reflective DoS (DRDoS) to fool innocent systems into sending traffic to a victim.\n\nPhysical security is just as important as digital security. A direct-access attack occurs when an unauthorized user gains physical access to a computer. They might try to copy data, install software worms, or use keyloggers. Even with standard security, an attacker might bypass protections by booting a different operating system from a CD-ROM. To prevent this, experts use disk encryption and the Trusted Platform Module standard.

There are also direct memory attacks. These take advantage of how modern devices, like graphics cards, can access a computer's memory directly. Without physical and digital layers working together, hardware remains at risk.\n\nEavesdropping is the act of secretly listening to private digital communications. This usually happens when a user connects to a network that is not encrypted. An attacker can intercept sensitive data as it moves across an open network. Unlike malware, eavesdropping is hard to notice because it does not usually hurt network performance. An attacker can even monitor the faint electromagnetic transmissions from hardware, a concept known as TEMPEST.

To protect against this, people use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to encrypt data between two points. It is also best practice to use HTTPS instead of unencrypted HTTP for web browsing.\n\nFinally, man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks involve an attacker intercepting communications between two parties. The attacker \"spoofs" or fakes identities to inject themselves into the conversation. One type is IP address spoofing, where routing protocols are hijacked to reroute traffic. Message spoofing involves faking identities in emails or SMS messages to monitor conversations. WiFi SSID spoofing occurs when an attacker simulates a real Wi-Fi station to capture transactions.

Another type is DNS spoofing, which redirects traffic to systems controlled by the attacker. By understanding these various methods, from digital malware to physical tampering, we can better build the defenses needed for our connected world.",

"media": [

"File:CIAJMK1209-en.svg",

"File:Hacker behind PC.svg",

"File:Computer locked.jpg",

"File:Encryption - decryption.svg",

"File:PhishingTrustedBank.png"

]

}