University of Sargodha, Mandi Bahauddin Campus

1. Computer Security Risks

2. Computer Security Risks
• A computer security risk is any event or
• action that could cause a loss of or damage to
• computer hardware, software, data, information,
• or processing capability

3. Cybercrime
Any illegal act involving a computer
generally is referred to as a computer crime.
The term cybercrime refers to online or
Internet-based illegal acts. Software used by
cybercriminals sometimes is called crimeware.
Today, cybercrime is one of the FBI’s top three
priorities.

4. Hacker
• Someone who accesses a
• computer or network illegally is called hacker.
• Some hackers
• claim the intent of their security breaches is
• to improve security.

5. Cracker
• A cracker also is someone who accesses
• a computer or network illegally but has
• the intent of destroying data, stealing
• information, or other malicious action.
• Both hackers and crackers have advanced
• computer and network skills.

6. Script kiddie
• A script kiddie has the same intent as a
• cracker but does not have the technical skills

7. Cyberextortionist
(CRIMINAL LAW obtaining something by illegal threats)
A cyberextortionist is someone who uses
e-mail as a vehicle for extortion. These
perpetrators send an organization a
threatening e-mail message indicating they
will expose confidential information, exploit
a security flaw, or launch an attack that will
compromise the organization’s network — if
they are not paid a sum of money.

8. Cyberterrorist
• A cyberterrorist is someone who uses the
• Internet or network to destroy or damage computers for political
reasons. The
• cyberterrorist might target the nation’s air
• traffic control system, electricity-generating companies, or a
telecommunications infrastructure.
• The term, cyberwarfare, describes an attack whose goal ranges from
disabling a government’s computer network to crippling
• a country. Cyberterrorism and cyberwarfare usually require a team of
highly skilled

9. Internet and Network Attacks
• Information transmitted over networks has a
• higher degree of security risk than information
• kept on an organization’s premises. In an organization,
• network administrators usually take
• measures to protect a network from security
• risks. On the Internet, where no central administrator
• is present, the security risk is greater.

10. Security service
• To determine if your computer is vulnerable
• to an Internet or network attack, you
• could use an online security service. An online
• security service is a Web site that evaluates
• your computer to check for Internet and e-mail
• vulnera bilities

11. How virus can spread through Email Message

12. Safeguards against Computer Viruses
and Other Malware
• Methods that guarantee a computer or
• network is safe from computer viruses and other
• malware simply do not exist. Users can take several
• precautions, however, to protect their home
• and work computers and mobile devices from
• these malicious infections

13. Precautions
• Do not start a computer with removable media inserted in the drives or plugged in the ports.
• For example, optical disc drives should be empty, and a USB port should not contain a USB
flash
• drive. During the startup process, a computer
• may attempt to execute the boot sector on media
• in certain drives and ports. Even if the attempt is
• unsuccessful, a virus on the boot sector of removable
• media can infect the computer’s hard disk.
• If you must start the computer with media in a
• drive or port, be certain the media are uninfected
• or from a trusted source

14. Precautions
• Never open an e-mail attachment unless you
• are expecting the attachment and it is from a
• trusted source. If the e-mail message is from an
• unknown source or untrusted source, delete the
• e-mail message immediately — without opening
• or executing any attachments.

15. Precautions
• Some viruses are hidden in macros, which
• are instructions saved in software such as a word
• processing or spreadsheet program. In programs
• that allow users to write macros, you should set
• the macro security level so that the application
• software warns users that a document they are
• attempting to open contains a macro

16. Precautions
• Users should install an antivirus program and
• update it frequently.
• An antivirus program protects a computer against
• viruses by identifying and removing any computer
• viruses found in memory, on storage media,
• or on incoming files.

17. Precautions
• One technique that antivirus programs use to
• identify a virus is to look for virus signatures. A
• virus signature, also called a virus definition, is
• a known specific pattern of virus code. Computer
• users should update their antivirus program’s
• signature files regularly