With the increase in innovation, cyber-crime has gone up to a very great extent leading to loss of important information to internal and the external threats. Those threats want to acquire personal information for identity theft, use the company or the individual logics to acquire their objectives, acquiring bank information for the fraudulent transaction. All this is encouraged by most companies, organizations, and individuals that have websites which serve as the hub of their marketing ventures on the air with weak passwords, users accessing insecure websites, downloading insecure files, being ignorant of the company policies among other many insecure behaviors’.
Since this cannot be avoided, it is minimized by installing security software’s e.g. Firewall, antivirus, etc.Using simple but complex passwords, abiding by the companies policies, and being careful in the sites that you visit, ensuring that you have a protected operating system. By doing all these, we will also increase our income in that most of the fund will not be spent in maintaining the security of the organization or the banks being attacked.It will also benefit the government by assisting the state in its endeavor in cyber security legislation (Cham, 2015). This is made possible by analyzing various cases and a case study in different parts of the world which can help further development of the inspection of the cyber security.
There are two important aspects of cyber security: Information Technology security and the information assurance. The IT security is an important factor to any organizations’ it protects data from any potential attack that might be launched. It prevents malicious attacks from being directed to systems that are used within the organization.
Information Assurance is responsible for data recovery in the event of cyber-attack or any external force directed to technology gadgets. Physical loss of data could be as a result of a natural phenomenon, server breakdown, or loss of computers, mobiles or any other gadgets where data has been stored.
The two major aspects discussed above are crucial in the management of private data. Any organization is expected to protect information about their users as though it were their own. Organizations are legally bound, and it’s their obligation to ensure that data is protected. Risks include data transmitted between company sites, or between the company and employees, partners, and contractors at home or other locations. Data corruption may breach the validity of data and may be used to the advantage of third parties (Hershey, 2014). Email interception, email spoofing, and web data Interception are communication noises that could result from software corruption.
In the case of data breaching event, confidentiality of information is risked. Unauthorized users may access information that may be considered private. It is crucial therefore that organizations put in place verification methods that are complex which hackers may not be able to break through.
The integrity of data should be maintained to ensure accuracy and consistency are kept intact throughout its life-cycle. Any unauthorized data modification should be blocked. It is important to keep sites where data is communicated up and running. The systems unused from computing, storage and security must be kept updated to avoid any attempt of a security breach or accidental leaks.
In articulation, relationships are visualized between the past and the current situation of cyber security. And we can see that most of the cybercrime is caused by the internal threats which include the workers. Integrity among data cyber security employees is crucial as they the closest from exploiting any organization either by manipulation of data or by leaking. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, & United States. (2010) Says that cyber-crime also increases because most of the people are being exposed to digital work. But this can be reduced by the management of the company by employing cyber security rules such as using a secured password, validation, and authentication of the user imposing harsh policy against the broken security laws and selecting a security manager officer who will be handling all the security issues.
2.1.2 Divergent
Before installing the software, ensure that it has a trusted path, intrusion detection, discretionary access, control, identification, and authentication. This reduces potential threats that may be harbored by the software.
Different software is developed and used as a prototype for testing the security issues.The ones which are identified as feeble are taken back for further modification and rectification to ensure that there is maximum security. This ensures that software developed are completely protected from hackers
Cyber security can be maintained and achieved if the internal threats are minimized. Some of the internal threats could be posed by the employees. Activities such as bringing your personal devices to work may end up exposing the data to third parties that may be interested in that information for reasons that could compromise the company (IT Governance Publishing, 2013).
The global technological advancement has led to an increase in crime. It is important to understand how individuals use aspects of human advancement to destroy it. There before, the internet theft was done physically by stealing mails and then get access to personal information. In this digital age, cyber criminals work as individuals or in groups and form crime networks from all over the world via the internet.
These online criminal communities have created sophisticated tools where they share strategies and information about potential clients they could attack. Many of these criminals have formed organizations where they plan attacks and can trade stolen data (Clancy, 2014). The anonymity of internet users makes a tracing of these people very difficult. It is difficult to trace the source of attacks because a hacker can work from any part of the globe. Computers used to hack the system are placed in different locations such that they are untraceable.
Many of the cyber criminals find joy in seeing others being in misery. They feel superior when they launch attacks on unsuspecting individuals. Many of them do not realize the extent of damage they cause to people and companies. The morals of these individuals and their socialization do not favor human advancement rather tries to breaks it down.
Cyber criminals have become a significant threat to personal identity. By accessing databases, Hackers could steal a personal identity by obtaining birthdates, credit cards numbers and social security information (Suri& Chhabra, 2013). They could use this information to create false accounts that extort people their money. Cyber-criminals have a reputation of taking money with no mercy. They even attack older adults who may not be able to detect the scam. Internet users need to be on the lookout to avoid any possible scams that would compromise their privacy. People should consult and be able to get information on how they could detect such attempts by hackers.
A total of $112-388 billion had been lost to cyber-crime activities by the year 2012. Trillions of dollars have been used to remedy the situation yet cyber-crime is still on the rise (Suri& Chhabra, 2013). Companies continue to face possible attacks from these hackers despite the constant fight against this social and economic vice. Many hackers find these activities lucrative, and they have continued to recruit more people to participate in the hacking. For the coming years, personal data continue to face these vulnerabilities, and this will lead to more sophisticated technologies being developed.
Cyber criminals use different methods to hack into gadgets, and they include Botnet which spreads malware using robots and are fast and most undetectable. Fast flux is similar to botnet but happens across computers within the shortest time possible (Rosenzweig, 2013). Zombie computers are used to intercept networks that connect computers. Cyber-crimes can direct traffic to a target network to limit access to the same site or server. And the use of skimmers is mostly undetected because victims may not be in a position to protect their credit cards when swiping while out shopping or restaurants this mostly used in underground trade by cyber criminals.
Most of the criminals target institutions that store sensitive information about people such as schools and banks. Many of the data in such institutions are protected, and hackers are blocked which makes them resolve to less protected home computers. It is advisable therefore those homes secure their gadgets to avoid a possible breach of data.
Cyber criminals have devised ways to trick internet users to click certain sites that are a scam. They use compelling stories to attract users to launch attacks on users. This is commonly done through email scams where individuals are tricked into logging into websites and in the process giving away their private information.
They could also send messages to users to open attachments that are important such as anti-malware but inside they are malware. They could also use networks to trick users into giving them their passwords. They could even scam users of having won prizes and that they are supposed to give their credit card information. These attackers use all sorts of tricks that may look convincing to users especially those new to the internet.
3.1.3 Reformation
It is possible to criminals to be reformed and in turn use their skills for a good course. They are called the Grey Hack Hackers because they would now be tasked with protecting information that they previously preyed on. Most are tasked with ensuring that systems are properly functioning or work as cyber security consultants. There are more experienced in identifying loopholes within the systems. Many companies may be skeptical of hiring such people since their criminal past cannot be wiped off.
There are two categories of cyber-crime: sabotage and data security attack. With the technology savvy in the world we live in, a lot of data is stored online, making it vulnerable to attacks which may, in turn, compromise the privacy of the data (Massar, 2013). These data include personal data, classified data about countries and other data that may be of interest to potential hackers. This kind of attacks makes storage of information shaky. Attackers can implement sabotage by blocking users from accessing services and clogs them with junk messages. This can also stop systems from fully functioning, and infrastructure is disabled.
There are several incidents of unreported cyber-attacks with some companies preferring to stay numb rather than looking weak. The consequences of attacks may be severe as it may affect the existence of a company due to potential lawsuits by clients. Cyber-crime has led to many people being put behind bars while others face prosecutions in courts (Halder& Jaishankar, 2012). Many incidences also have been left undetected especially on espionage making data records more difficult to access. Confidentiality is protected, and many of these organizations avoid investigations for fear of reprisal. Companies may continue to make losses due to undetected security breaches. This may continue for years because most of the decisions are carried out without any human involvement.
Although major strides have been made by governments and security experts, cyber-crime continues to make data vulnerable to attacks. Cyber criminals are getting more sophisticated which puts security experts on their toes. Increasing innovation made has increased more exposure of data to third parties (Britz, 2013). The increase in platforms where criminals can collect data has increased vulnerability to attacks. Centralization of data creates opportunities for attacks to be made. The coming of Internet has changed how humans operate appliances, and if machines are left to give orders, they become susceptible to manipulation by cyber criminals. Across the world, many of infrastructure used are controlled by computers and if they are not protected a potential human catastrophe looms.
Technology cannot solely work to reduce cyber crime rather other aspects that have had a continuous impact on technology need to be considered. These factors include policies put in place and also sharing of information on forms of possible attacks. Culture is required to ensure that security apparatus set up takes its course. Organizations need to establish a culture that is resilient to any possible attacks, and all its employees need to be part of the establishment not just a few experts in the area. All employees should have a part which they play in protecting the organization from cyber-attacks. Employees should be trained on cyber security frequently to ensure that they are updated on the current cyber-crime trends.
This year alone, 2017, activities of potential cyber-crime have hit headlines of international and local news stations. The recent US presidential election has been marred with possible cyber-attack that influenced the outcome of the election. Cyber-attacks have been launched on, many countries and some have compromised the national security. This is a phenomenon that has been going on for decades as long as there have been differences and conflicts between countries. Many of the current conflicts going on in the Middle East have been engineered by cyber-crime. Databases on war management have been hacked and have compromised security in different regions in the world. Politics has a big role in cybercrime, either reducing or encouraging depending on the side in which its influence will be felt. The current stalemate between the US and Russia consistently destroys the progress made to soften the relationship between this two nations.
With increasing complexity in technology, crime becomes revolutionized and becomes more complex too. In the recent past, there has been an increase in cyber-attacks both small and large scale parameters all around the world. In the 2016 US election, there has been a controversy of potential hacking that aimed to aid one presidential candidate to secure a seat. Hacking has compromised the privacy of individuals and even organizations. Wiki leaks are widely known to be the mastermind in exposing private information about individual, organizations and even situations. The exposure of the Hilary Clinton’s email is the most recent result of such cyber-attacks on prominent individuals
Some of the potential risks associated with cybercrime include cyber theft cases. Many cyber criminals aim at extorting money from people online. A lot of personal financial information could be accessed online. This is being fueled by the increase in mobile payments that do not require online transactions. Although these modes are more protected, individuals are responsible for their security. Potential hackers could be able to breach information if they have the cards with them.
The insecure password also results in risking cyber security. Passwords of any account should be complex especially for the high profile people. Numerical and texts could be combined to create a password that’s stronger and not susceptible to possible attacks. Over-sharing of information in this age has become a major concern for the privacy of information. Social media has led to sharing of information to people who may not have good intentions.
In this era, most of the home appliances could be connected to a single server that controls them. The intranet created could be compromised by hackers to collect data from unsuspecting users, (Joshi, 2016). Many organizations create their interconnectivity that allows transfer of information and eases their retrieval. This is one of the newest risk in cyber-crime since the technology does not consider the potential risks it might pose to the individuals or institutions. It is a risk that has been created in the process of trying to make services efficient. Most of these appliances have been exposed to potential hackers (Aalst, 2016).
Ransomware is one of the latest global phenomena where Smartphone’s and computers have become the prime target for this attack. This is a malware that victims install into their gadgets systems without being aware. This kind of malware encrypts all their data and asks users to pay the ransom so that their data could be released. It targets cloud-based storage as the Dropbox, One Drive, and Google Drive. All the data is infected and cannot be accessed unless a ransom is paid. This also affects all the backups and online credentials of the user.
According to Detlev Gabe of the White &Case in Frankfurt, (2015) cyber security requires a collective responsibility. In the event of a cyber-attack, organizations have a responsibility to take up the blame for not doing enough to protect the information about their clients. Management has to be up to date on the state of cyber security of an organization. They should be able to initiate measures that protect organizational data from possible attacks. Organizations need to be better equipped with knowledge of potential security breach. Companies in the US must comply with regulations requiring them to have a disclosure agreement with investors on potential cyber-attacks. Investors are given a detailed analysis of potential risks so they could make sound decisions in the process of investing.
Some of the strategies that can be implemented include creating internal policies that would prevent possible errors in its cyber security. Some of the employees may breach security for their selfish gains, and this may leave companies in ruins. Some employees may expose the companies’ data by using weak passwords for their accounts. It is crucial to update employees on the latest potential risks related to cyber security. Servers within the organization require shielding from any attacks that may be set on it.
Keeping computers and mobile phones updated regularly. Users tend to ignore notifications of updates not knowing that they are providing a loophole to attackers. Outdated systems are vulnerable to attacks since their defense walls can be attacked more easily. It is crucial to keep all software’s updated to avoid any potential attack.
Hiring security experts to manage cyber security within an organization. These experts reduce the vulnerability of organizations’ data, and potential hackers are blocked in time. Many of social media companies employ cybersecurity experts because their platforms are more susceptible to attacks (Donovan& Bernier, 2009). Cyber criminals are increasingly becoming sophisticated which then require a counteracting force to stop their advances. They have devised new ways to infiltrate businesses and steal from them. Hiring a security expert is expensive, but in the long run, it saves organizations money and damages that may be caused by hackers.
It is important that organizations realize the importance of education and have a reference from past cyber-attacks. It becomes a drawing board for an organization while formulating measures to block any attacks (Middleton, 2009). Disclosing private data to third parties is one of the mistakes that many companies in the past have done and may have found that they had compromised their security.
There are criminal offenses that are committed online by masterminds for their selfish gain or other participants. They are referred to as cyber-crimes. This is a new type of offense, and there has not been much law or rulings given to offenders of this nature. Regulations have been made to counter these crimes that affect how companies, countries, and individuals work online.
Information Resources Management Association (2012) notes that there are various federal laws that US government has put in place to prevent cyber security risks. The regulations made aimed at safeguarding healthcare system, banking and other financial institutions and any other federal institutions information systems. These regulatory laws ensure that institutions implement compulsory policies, guidelines, and standards that protect data. Although many of the regulations in place have the minimal scope of intended courses, companies and institutions use the guidelines to formulate their strategies.
Some of the state regulations passed to ensure that citizens are provided with information in case of any security breach. These laws provide the citizens with the right to know the state of their information that is in the hands of institutions (Warren& Streeter, 2015). These security measures put in place protect companies from attacks and in the case of attacks, the government compensates them in an attempt to protect information. Many of the states including California have adopted these regulatory and other states are following suit in implementing them.
There is a proposed legislation on cyber security that would affect how financial institutions disclose information about their clients. This act is the Consumer Data Security Notification Act which aims at scrutinizing data of users to ensure confidentiality. This act is set to identify users and avoid illegal activities that would pose potential threats.
This is the most important and a risky part of cyber security. The only difference between the cyber security professionals and cyber criminals are the rules and standards that guide the professionals in the line of duty. Cyber security ethics has a wide scope of many schools of thoughts that guide in decision making. Ethics in any field makes decision-making complex, therefore, making a right decision requires a person to be of integrity. Many IT professionals are constantly bombarded by ethical dilemmas of cyber security. Implementation of cyber security requires a strong basis of ethics otherwise; it would compromise the organization’s data.
With technological revolution, cyber security has become a priority for many organizations but forget the need to give limitations to these experts. Reports indicate that there is a shortage of skilled personnel on the cyber security jobs. Many of these organizations are desperate to protect their data from being attacked; this has led to the in-house training of employees on cyber security. There has been a sudden need to train individuals that could assume these jobs. This rush has been met with the lack of preparedness of a backlash from the new recruits. These people could potentially harm the security that they were trained to protect. Ethics of cyber security may not be at the core center of training these individuals, and this could lead to potential errors that could either be intentional or accidental (Koushik & Ravindran, 2016).
The basis of ethics within an organization affects the implementation cyber security to protect the organization. The organization should avoid shaky moral ground that may not be able to maintain a ground in decision making. Ethics in an organization should be intrinsic which ensures continuity in certain values (Johnson, 2016). New employees can follow suit. A code of conduct should be put in place to ensure that employees working on cyber security have guidelines and would not act in a way that may compromise the organization’s security. These guidelines should be updated regularly to fit the cyber environment of the current trend. Policies that are clear and precise would ensure that employees constantly engage in ethical conversations and would be able to share information that could be helpful to their work says Voeller, (2014).
Organizations need to meet their obligations in case of a security breach. How organizations respond to security attacks is crucial to understanding future attacks and how to stop or handle them. The ability of organizations to determine possible attacks put them in a better position to respond to them. Organizations should have clear strategies in responding to attacks, and this may include communicating to customers on possible loss or exposure of personal data. This is also crucial because organizations can prepare its clients psychologically. It is unethical to withdraw information from clients who directly affect them. This also reduces possible lawsuits from the customers as they could salvage their data. Any delay in communication could cause irreversible damage to the organization’s reputation and image. Chief security officers should uphold ethical practices this encourages the juniors to follow suit, (Zaccaro, Dalal, Tetrick& Steinke, 2016).
Education on ethics is important in ensuring that aspiring has a background on the nature of many moral dilemmas they would face when they get to the field of practice. It cultivates an attitude paying attention to detail on the morality of any action they will take. Carrying out awareness campaign is also important in ensuring that organizations, cybersecurity professionals, and the general public get to understand how it affects them either directly or indirectly. This bridges the cyber security knowledge gap in the public domain. Some of the social media companies have initiated challenges in which budding hackers are tested and if proficient to establish possible vulnerabilities, they are taken under their umbrella to train them and offer them jobs.
The work plan is characterized by paying visits to direct companies and collect data concerning the cyber security. Next, data is collected, analyzed and conclusions are drawn from them.
From the visits and the data collection and analysis from the project, we can conclude that if the managers of the companies will impose strict laws governing the cyber security to the workers and the entire users, the cybercrime will reduce drastically hence secured data and confidentiality.
9.0 Conclusion
Cyber security is a human-made catastrophe in the history of technology. It is a field that has continually grown over the years with jobs being created as a result of increased use of technology. It is evident that the risks that it poses; there is more need to mitigate these risks to avoid disasters striking. Data management should be protected and stored in trusted sites. We all have a responsibility in ensuring that cyber-crime stop. Policies implemented by governments and organizations should be adhered to avoid breaching security.
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