Computer Crimes and Internet Security

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Table of Contents

Solutions to Hacking/ Malware
Computer Viruses
Techniques to Steal Information
Security Types
Conclusion
Works Cited

Today, as numerous technologies evolve and innovative prototypes are released almost every day, humanity is on the verge of being overwhelmed by their own success. Of course, saying that the progress that people made over the span of the last 20 years is substantial would be an understatement (“Information Systems Security Association” par. 3). Nonetheless, there will always be both upsides and downsides to this situation. There are individuals who use these modern technologies to steal other individuals’ information, personal data, and even identity. The problem of computer crimes and Internet security should be addressed as soon as possible. It is evident that there are strategies intended to help guarantee the safety of those in need (Day 33). Nonetheless, those criminals who use computers to steal other people’s information always seem to be one step ahead of the officials, police enforcement agencies, and policy-makers.

The author of this paper is interested in exploring the phenomena of cyber crimes and finding ways to mitigate potential attacks. The researcher concentrates on the significance of cyber security and reviews possible outcomes of computer crimes. In order to answer these complex questions, the author is going to analyze relevant sources in the area. After the synthesis of this information, the researcher will obtain the necessary background to evaluate the current state of affairs in the area of computer crimes and Internet security. The author is going to draw reasonable conclusions supported by evidence and based on objective facts concerning the current situation.

Solutions to Hacking/ Malware

Tough Passwords

First, the passwords should be different for every account. This is necessary because in case if one of the accounts gets hacked all of the other accounts belonging to that same user also become vulnerable. Nonetheless, it would be rather hard to remember all types of passwords. This is why it is reasonable to use password managers – third-party software that allows keeping all passwords in the same place. Moreover, there are apps that are able to generate tough passwords so no one would ever need to create their own passwords. In combination, password managers and generators are designed to take away the anxiety associated with the password management (Schell 80).

Two-Part Authentication

Numerous websites are presently taking full advantage of two-step verification. This means that user has to do more than just entering his or her password into the designated field (Gross 1). There is also a text message that is delivered to the user which contains a special alphanumeric (in most cases, it is simply numeric) code used to verify the user’s identity.

Change Your Behavior

This point is rather important because nowadays every piece of information can be used against an ordinary individual. That does not necessarily mean that one should minimize the time he or she spends online. It means that one should be really careful about the details that are posted online (disclosing birth date or graduation year may be harmful). Internet crimes become more and more complex, so users have to pay attention to what they post and where.

Consolidation

If that is possible, one should delete all the accounts that were created but never used or abandoned. A lot of important personal details can be stolen from those accounts. The less private information is presented online, the better chances are that the accounts will be safe.

Back It Up

The most significant solution to hacking is the creation of backups. One may use online services (OneDrive, Dropbox) or an external storage device. In general, the data that we only store online is vulnerable because of the attacks and lack of replication (Moore 346). For instance, if someone loses their smartphone, it would not be hard to restore the data if it was previously backed up compared to a situation where no backups were made.

Computer Viruses

There are three major ways to spread viruses – Internet downloads, email attachments, and external storage devices. Even though the Internet has a bad reputation for being the major source of malicious apps, the probability to catch a virus is rather low and similar to the chance of catching a virus from brand new out-of-the-box software. Regardless, antivirus software should be updated recurrently, and all the downloads should be checked for viruses. The majority of viruses spread via rich email and email attachments. One should always scan the attachments and never open files attached to the emails from unknown individuals. The era of external drive viruses is almost over, and more and more viruses are being caught online.

Techniques to Steal Information

Cookie Theft

Browser cookies are used to save the state user’s presence on the Internet. A cookie is basically a text file which helps the owners of websites to track their visitors’ activity. Stolen cookies usually result in the account theft and grave consequences for the victim (Freidman 78). Every other invented cookie attack helps the developers to transform their safety measures and teach users to evade any issues. One of the ways to certify users’ safety is to use innovative crypto ciphers.

Waterhole Attacks

This type of attacks is named after the inventive method that is used to steal users’ information. This methodology is based on the fact that the victims of these attacks are usually operating within a certain physical or cybernetic site. After that, the attackers flood that site with malicious code or software in order to achieve their illegal objectives.

Bait and Switch

This technique is one of the most interesting ways to steal users’ private data. The victims of this approach are told that they are, for instance, downloading one thing, but it eventually gets replaced by malicious files shortly after the download has started (Goodman 103). One should be aware of this peculiar method because any unknown link might lead to adverse outcomes without his or her permission.

Security Types

There are three common types of security – Internet security, standalone computer security, and data loss security. The most renowned Internet security measure is SSL security protocol. It is used to prevent hackers from stealing users’ personal information (Marzilli 44). SSL is utilized to establish a secure and protected connection between the server and the user. For standalone computers, the most used type of security is antivirus software. There are numerous brands and titles out there, so the users are free to choose from an extensive number of options if they want to protect their computer. When it comes to the data loss security, no one is safe because a network failure or a hard disk crash are never predictable. The user has to have a decent backup plan in order to minimize adverse effects of these accidents.

Conclusion

The issue of cyber security should be addressed because nowadays crimes come in many shapes and sizes. Cybercriminals invent novel ways to steal personal data and use it for their own purposes. Today, no one safe so there is a need to try as much as possible to protect devices in both online and offline environments. The paper enumerated the ways to steal information and presented the methods that could be used to guarantee a user’s safety.

Works Cited

“Information Systems Security Association.” Information Systems Security Association, www.issa.org/.

Day, Paul. Cyber Attack: The Truth about Digital Crime, Cyber Warfare and Government Snooping. London, Carlton Books, 2014. Print.

Freidman, Lauri. Cyberbullying. Detroit, Greenhaven Press, 2011. Print.

Goodman, Marc. Future Crimes: Everything Is Connected, Everyone Is Vulnerable and What We Can Do about It. New York, Double Day, 2015. Print.

Gross, Darren. “Multi-Factor Authentication Can Prevent Unauthorized Users.” Infosecurity Magazine, 2016, www.infosecurity-magazine.com/blogs/guess-whos-accessing-your-network.

Marzilli, Alan. The Internet and Crime. New York, NY, Chelsea House, 2010. Print.

Moore, Keith. “The Race Against Cyber Crime Is Lost without Artificial Intelligence.” ISSA Journal, vol. 14, no. 11, 2016, pp. 342–350. Print.

Schell, Bernadette H. Online Health and Safety: From Cyberbullying to Internet Addiction. Santa Barbara, CA, Greenwood, 2016. Print.

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