As with any type of crime, the threats to the privacy
and integrity of data come from a very small minority
of vandals. However, while one car thief can steal only
one car at a time, a single hacker working from a basic
computer can generate damage to a large number of
computer networks that wreaks havoc around the world.
Perhaps even more worrisome is the fact that the threats
can come from people we know. In fact, most network
security experts claim that the majority of network
attacks are initiated by employees who work inside the
corporations where breaches have occurred. Employees,
through mischief, malice, or mistake, often manage to
damage their own companies’ networks and destroy data.
Furthermore, with the recent pervasiveness of remote
connectivity technologies, businesses are expanding to
include larger numbers of telecommuters, branch offices,
and business partners. These remote employees and
partners pose the same threats as internal employees,
as well as the risk of security breaches if their remote
networking assets are not properly secured and monitored.
Whether you want to secure a car, a home, a nation, or
a computer network, a general knowledge of who the
potential enemies are and how they work is essential.
Who are the enemies?
Hackers
This generic and often over-romanticized term applies to
computer enthusiasts who take pleasure in gaining access
to other people’s computers or networks. Many hackers
are content with simply breaking in and leaving their
“footprints,” which are joke applications or messages on
computer desktops. Other hackers, often referred to as
“crackers,” are more malicious, crashing entire computer
systems, stealing or damaging confidential data, defacing
Web pages, and ultimately disrupting business. Some
amateur hackers merely locate hacking tools online and
deploy them without much understanding of how they
work or their effects.
Unaware Staff
As employees focus on their specific job duties, they often
overlook standard network security rules. For example,
they might choose passwords that are very simple to
remember so that they can log on to their networks easily.
However, such passwords might be easy to guess or crack
by hackers using simple common sense or a widely
available password cracking software utility. Employees
can unconsciously cause other security breaches including
the accidental contraction and spreading of computer
viruses. One of the most common ways to pick up a virus
is from a floppy disk or by downloading files from the
Internet. Employees who transport data via floppy disks
can unwittingly infect their corporate networks with
viruses they picked up from computers in copy centers or
libraries. They might not even know if viruses are resident
on their PCs. Corporations also face the risk of infection
when employees download files, such as PowerPoint
presentations, from the Internet. Surprisingly, companies
must also be wary of human error. Employees, whether
they are computer novices or computer savvy, can make
such mistakes as erroneously installing virus protection
software or accidentally overlooking warnings regarding
security threats.
