Blog Post # 6 - Network Security

Network Security

Ping attack types: 

The ping utility uses the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) to deliver its packets. Two types of attacks using the Ping utility are Ping Flood and DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service). The ping utility is typically used to test network connectivity; Ping has been used for many years to diagnose hardware and networks to troubleshoot and narrow down the cause (s) of issues.

In both Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) and Ping Flood attacks, the attacker attempts to overwhelm the target system with packets. Using software designed to send large amounts of packets to an intended target repeatedly, an attacker may impact the target system’s ability to process regular traffic; the target system receives packets and must send reply packets thus increasing network traffic overall. These attacks are usually the result of a coordinated multi-user attack aimed at larger systems but ultimately affects the end-user by denying access to the site under attack.

For the second part of the Network Security Paper, I chose to explore the Phishing and Social engineering topics. Phishing and Social engineering are two types of attacks that go together. Social engineering is the act of coercing or tricking people through lies and deceit to extract information. Phishing is pretty much the same idea, only less human to human interaction.

Consider the following definitions retrieved from www.dictionary.com: Phishing is the fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers. Social engineering is (in the context of information security) the use of deception to manipulate individuals into divulging confidential or personal information that may be used for fraudulent purposes. In a nutshell, Phishing involves tricking users into entering personal or account information which is then logged and used later to gain access to systems or defraud the victim. Social engineering involves more person to person contact via phone call or online chat session, for example.

The four phases of social engineering are information gathering, gaining trust, exploitation, and exit (G. Rajendran, .2016). Each of these phases depends on the previous one to successfully “hack” a person. Before engaging with a potential target, the attacker will collect some information on their victim to gain their trust and feel them out for possible vulnerabilities to exploit. The attacker might take a glimpse into their personal life via social media or through a series of phone calls to gauge their weakness and gullibility. Once a target is successfully vetted, the attacker will exploit all information gained from the interaction and begin covering his or her tracks to avoid detection upon completion.

Phishing is a more impersonal but effective way of gaining access to information from a potential target or targets; phishing scams, while easier to detect with software, can reach further than social engineering alone. Phishing, a form of social engineering, can include fake emails that look legitimate as well fake links which will redirect the user to a fraudulent website that may look and feel like a real one, to collect information (Adil, M., Khan, R., & Nawaz Ul Ghani, M. A. (2020).

Both computer security incidents previously mentioned are challenging to address because the common denominator is human error. Unfortunately, the more successful a corporation, the more extensive their network of computers is likely to become which in turn means a larger workforce for hackers to phish from and social engineer. An attack on a network will likely result in loss of revenue and depending on the severity of the attack, system downtime, and neither is cost-effective.

Fortunately, preventative measures are available to lower the chances of an employee being compromised. First is education; an I.T. department should routinely hold a seminar, webinar or in-service to properly educate employees on how to identify as well as handle malicious emails, websites and phone calls. Secondly, the corporation should require users to change their passwords more frequently or add secondary credentials such as biometrics or pins to access their workstation and account.