Network Security

 

Understanding Network Attacks

 

               Having the ability to understand computers and their capabilities is crucial for both professionals and enthusiasts. As technology continues to advance and become more and more integrated into everyday life, learning about tools like a ping command is a valuable skill. This knowledge can be useful for troubleshooting network connectivity and other connection related problems. Conversely, these simple commands in the wrong hands can be used as a type of attack. Depending on the intent of the user, ping commands can be both good and bad.

 

              Ping commands in their simplest form can be run to test network connection and troubleshoot any issues along the way. Available to every user on their daily computer, these commands prove to be helpful in many ways. “The PING-based Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are known to be quite damaging to the availability of the web-based services.” (Kumar, S.,2006).  Ping commands can also be used to execute several types of lethal attacks in ways such as Ping Floods, Smurf Attacks, and even Ping of Death. Ping floods infiltrate a targeted system by essentially overloading it with many ping requests that consume its operating power and cause system failure. Smurf attacks are an amplified version of the ping flood, broadcasting ping requests to a whole network, causing massive disruption across a wide variety of assets connected to the network. The ping of death manipulates the ping packet sizes. This alteration causes buffer overflow and can lead to the entire system crashing.

 

              Computer viruses infiltrate and propagate systems by identifying and exploiting their vulnerabilities. Viruses can be diagnosed by a number of symptoms that the everyday user can easily identify. These symptoms include slow performance, data corruption, and even access denial to files that should otherwise be accessible. Preventative measures can be taken to mitigate viruses by keeping the system updated, installing robust antivirus software, and educating oneself on safe computer use practices.

 

              Phishing attacks are very common as they can be masked as a harmless item. “Phishing is an attack wherein the attacker exploits social engineering techniques to perform identity theft.” (Aleroud, A., & Zhou, L., 2017). A simple deceptive email or website link can be programmed to steal sensitive and valuable information. Once the system is compromised it can result in financial losses, identity theft, or even access denial to the whole system. There are preventative measures for this threat as well including email filters that are designed to detect corrupt links, multi-factor authentication, and user training.

 

              Computers are incredibly useful and powerful devices, aimed at enhancing the everyday life of their users. They are also inherently vulnerable to threats, ranging from network-based ping attacks to social engineering tactics like phishing. Taking proactive measures like keeping the system updated, upgrading software, and educating oneself in threats can help keep the system at a low risk of being infiltrated. It is imperative for organizations and individuals to remain vigilant and implement robust security measures.