Network Security

Network security is essential for both individuals and organizations. As security breaches become more common, protecting sensitive and valuable information is crucial. Knowing about the different types of attacks and threats is essential to protecting against them. A few of those are ping command attacks, computer viruses, and phishing.

 The ping command is a tool that can be used to test network connectivity. Unfortunately, it can also be used to attack a network using a Denial-of-Service attack. Using the ping command, an attacker will try to crash or destabilize the network by sending huge packets (Imperva Inc, 2020). Some newer systems have been patched against this attack, but it can still be a problem for others.

 Computer viruses are another type of threat. According to the textbook, a computer virus will usually run without permission and spread to other computers, usually through email (Vahid & Lysecky, 2019). The book also says that the purpose of a virus may be performing illicit tasks, stealing information, or even deleting information (which is less common). However, there are ways to protect an individual or organization from viruses. One is to use antivirus software and regular scans to ensure a computer is not infected. Another is to not click on pop-up advertisements, as these are likely linked to viruses and other malware (What Are Computer Viruses? | Definition & Types of Viruses, n.d.). Avoiding suspicious email attachments is another way. Antivirus software is typically used to scan attachments.

Another common threat is phishing. Phishing is when a scammer tries to trick someone into giving up sensitive information (Vahid & Lysecky, 2019). This is commonly done through email or text messages. The scammer will pretend to be from a legitimate company with which the user may have a trusted relationship. There are multiple ways to try and protect from phishing. Email spam filters help, but scammers are getting better at avoiding them. The Federal Trade Commission recommends using security software and setting up cell phones to update automatically (How to Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams, 2022). They also recommend protecting accounts through multi-factor authentication. This can mean entering an additional one-time code after the username and password or using biometrics such as fingerprint or face recognition.

In conclusion, having good network security is invaluable as attacks and threats become increasingly dangerous and frequent. I addressed a few common threats and some ways to protect against them. Keeping our data safe from attackers will allow us to continue to reap the benefits of our very connected world.

References

How to recognize and avoid phishing scams. (2022, October 25). Consumer Advice. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams

Imperva Inc. (2020, September 30). What is Ping of Death (PoD) | DDoS Attack Glossary | Imperva. Learning Center. https://www.imperva.com/learn/ddos/ping-of-death/

Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. (2019). Computing technology for all. zyBooks.

What are Computer Viruses? | Definition & Types of Viruses. (n.d.). Fortinet. https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/computer-virus