The threat of online security: How safe is our data?

Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks. It allows everyone to exchange information and data with other users who are staying at different countries. But, how safe is our data?

In year 2007, the University of California server was hacked into and the confidential information such as names, social security numbers and bank account details of 46,000 students, faculties and staffs were disclosed. The reason for the amount of cybercrimes is rapidly increasing because the cyber criminals know that successful attack is very profitable.

Hence, the users need to be aware the threat of online security and it can improve user's knowledge about methods to prevent the data to be disclosed. Types of threats and attacks can be divided into two categories:

1. Nontechnical attack which is an attack that uses techniques to trick people into revealing sensitive information or performing actions that compromise the security of a network. For example:

• Social engineering which uses social pressures such as human weaknesses (scare, no confident) to trick computer users into comprising computer networks to which those individuals have access. This method is usefulness for cyber criminals to trick computer users rather than waste times and cost to break control system.
  

Phishing is one example of social engineering and it is a technique used to gain personal information such as account number and passwords by sending fraudulent e-mail messages to e-mail users.



2. Technical attack is using programming skills and knowledge to inappropriate use of data.
For example:

• Virus which is a program that attaches itself to other program. For example: I love you virus

• Worm which is a program that copy themselves until it interrupts the operation of network or computer system. This program is automatic attack other computers through network if one of the computers is attacked by worm eventhough already stop the operation network.

• Denial of service (DOS) is hackers flood a network server with thousands of false request to crash networks.Like constantly dialing tel no so no one can get through. For example, February 6, 2000:DOS on e-commerce cause 3 hours slow performance in Yahoo.

In conclusion, the threat of online security cannot eliminate regardless the strongest of internet security such as passwords, change of file permissions, back up of computer's data and so on. However, those threats can be reduced through internet securities.