ENT 101 Week 9 - Securing Information Systems F24 100 % correct & verified 2026 update Toronto Metropolitan University

This weeks learning objectives CITM102 - Securing Information Systems Roger de Peiza 3 • Breakdowns, configuration errors, damage from improper use or crime Hardware problems • Programming errors, installation errors, unauthorized changes Software problems • Power failures, flood, fires, etc. Disasters Use of networks and • For example: with domestic or offshore computers outside of outsourcing vendors firm’s control If we have a look at this graphic carefully, we will observe that almost every component of an information system, from client computers, to the corporate systems and the networks and servers in between, is venerable to attack from an ever-changing series of sources that present serious security challenges. Information systems are venerable to a whole host of problems and attacks that come from various sources. These include hardware problems such as computer breakdowns, configuration errors and damage from improper use or crime. They include software problems such as programming errors, installation errors, unauthorized changes. Then there are disasters (natural and unnatural) such as power failures, flood, fires, etc.. Also, the use of the networks and computers outside of firm’s control exposes information systems to tampering from outside sources. Each of these components presents security challenges and vulnerabilities. Why systems are vulnerable CITM102 - Securing Information Systems Roger de Peiza 4 Based on data from er Security Institute, 2009. Source: Comput In 2009 the Computer Security institute conducted a survey on the types of attacks against Computer Systems. The survey revealed that viruses constituted 50% of the attacks whereas insider abuse and laptop theft were 44% and 42 percent of attacks on computer systems respectively. A later survey on US cybersecurity that was done by PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2015 revealed that in 2014 attacks from hackers remained the greatest cyber treat to US organizations. The report goes on to state that “the year 2014 saw the term “data breach” become part of the broader public vernacular, with The New York Times devoting more than 700 articles related to data breaches, versus fewer than 125 the previous year.” Types of Attacks Against Computer Systems CITM102 - Securing Information Systems Roger de Peiza 5 • Artificial intelligence (AI) has increasingly become a dual-edged sword in cybersecurity, facilitating both • Illegally utilizes the computing resources of unsuspecting victims to mine cryptocurrency. • Legacy infrastructure exploits occur when threat actors target outdated systems that have not been updated or replaced. • Manipulates software to perform unintended actions that can severely compromise data integrity and security. • Government-backed threat actors accounted for 23% of all cyber incidents in 2023. • Threat actors progressively leverage software vulnerabilities to access systems or enhance their privileges • As digital connections within supply chains intensify, they introduce new vulnerabilities • Threats targeting cloud environments have significantly increased. • Throughout 2023, there was a 63% surge in global DDoS attack incidents • Identity-related threats, such as phishing, social engineering, and credential stuffing, is rising 3128.746510.D.ICeCRSdCRCynpabnuLeptlpesderoitoIlotrgtyonyWAmfeaTj-jtCaSaechbwtCcyharcearoafketcarsaidrivkaioenreneistnedcgse ExaIeDncfdruriAvat(EtiesDostnapnorcuiSbo/kc)ynst0uaA-grDIeay VulnEexpralobitlsities • 2023 marked a notable escalation in ransomware activities SOCRadar, one of the fastest-growing cyber security companies in the world, produced a list of the top 10 Cyber Threats in 2024. These include: 1. Ransomware: 2023 marked a notable escalation in ransomware activities, with a 55.5% increase in the number of affected organizations, totaling 5,070 worldwide. 2. Identity-based Attacks: The prevalence of identity-related threats, such as phishing, social engineering, and credential stuffing, is rising, often facilitated by advances in generative AI. 3. Denial of Service (DoS): Throughout 2023, there was a 63% surge in global DDoS attack incidents compared to the prior year, significantly influenced by geopolitical tensions. 4. Cloud Attacks: With the accelerate adoption of cloud computing, threats targeting cloud environments have significantly increased. Cloud security incidents saw a 75% increase in 2023 compared to the previous year. 5: Supply Chain Attacks: as digital connections within supply chains intensify, they introduce new vulnerabilities, thereby increasing both the potential and severity of these security incidents. Supply chain attacks saw a 42% increase in 2023. 6. Remote Code Execution / 0-Day Vulnerabilities: Threat actors progressively leverage software vulnerabilities to access systems or enhance their privileges 7. Cyber Warfare and Espionage: Government-backed threat actors accounted for 23% of all cyber incidents in 2023. Nearly half (48%) of espionage attacks specifically targeted the government and defense sectors. 8. Code Injection Attacks: This cyber threat manipulates software to perform unintended actions that can severely compromise data integrity and security. 9. Legacy Infrastructure Exploits: Legacy infrastructure exploits occur when threat actors target outdated systems that have not been updated or replaced. 58% of attacks on critical infrastructure involved outdated systems or software. The average age of the software exploited in these attacks was 7 years. 10. Cryptojacking: This form of cyberattack, which illegally utilizes the computing resources of unsuspecting victims to mine cryptocurrency, has seen remarkable increases in frequency and sophistication. In 2023, there was a staggering 399% increase in cryptojacking incidents in the first half of the year alone, with a total of 332 million incidents recorded, Additionally there is an eleventh threat which us Cyber Threats Driven by AI. Artificial intelligence (AI) has increasingly become a dual-edged sword in cybersecurity, facilitating both innovative defenses and sophisticated attacks. Top 10 Cyber Threats Top 10 Cyber Threats in 2024 CITM102 - Securing Information Systems Roger de Peiza 6 • Internet – Fixed IP addresses with permanent connections to Internet – E-mail attachments – IM messages can be easily intercepted • Wireless security – Radio frequency bands easy to scan – Easy to identify access points – Eavesdroppers drive by buildings and try to intercept network – Users often fail to set up router security features • Rogue software program that attaches itself to other software programs Viruses • Independent programs that copy themselves from one computer to other computers over a network Worms • Software that appears nonthreatening but does something other than expected Trojan horses • Small programs install themselves secretly Spyware on computers to monitor your Web surfing activity and serve up advertising So, lets now have a look at the kinds of computer vulnerabilities that are out there. First off and as you know the internet can be a very insecure place. The fixed IP addresses that are use when we connect to the internet are easy targets fro hackers. The as if often the case we can get virus and other malicious software that comes in our email attachments or when we go to an unsecured website perhaps to download a free software program. Oftentimes people send all types of documents using unsecured methods. Some organizations routines transmit trade secrets like this. Also, our instant messages are sent across the Internet as plain text making their contents easily readable when they are intercepted. Next, we have Wireless security where Radio frequency bands are easy to scan, or it is easy to identify access points or service set identifiers (SSIDs). Some people engage in War driving, that is driving by buildings and Eavesdropping to try to intercept network traffic. If your ever set up a wireless router in your home, you know that people often fail to use security features such as WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) thereby making their wireless home network very easy to access or break into. Other types of vulnerabilities include: Viruses - Rogue software program that attaches itself to other software programs; Worms - Independent programs that copy themselves from one computer to other computers over a network; Trojan horses Software that appears benign but does something other than expected; Spyware - Small programs install themselves secretly on computers to monitor your Web surfing activity and serve up advertising; Key loggers - Software that records every keystroke and mouse click