Internet Security: Understanding Management Issues in the Face of Network Intruders - Essay Sample

Introduction

The TCP-IP Internet is facing security issues since its invention. Network intruders are always alarmed on the current designs on the internet and produce measures to counter-attack the new systems. As a result, there is a need to understand management issues on the internet with every design coming. Current advents include IPv6 and the 5G network. Most people are computer literate yet do not know how to safeguard the information they share via the internet. Thus, when network hackers find such information on the web, they corrupt it, and one will be using a personal account alongside them. It is one of the major concerns in the business world to keep information safe from unauthorized persons. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to identify the existing network management issues and relate the role of a computer administer in fulfilling network security in an organizational set-up.

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Network Management Issues

Computer System Vulnerability

A computer system can be vulnerable in terms of the data, design, procedures, or the implementation process. Such loopholes may create safety issues that can be configured by attackers leading to losses to a company. Also, the vulnerability can be defined by the lack of user identity authorization systems. In such cases, the system does not verify user information before granting access; thus, any other unauthorized person can easily access the information. If that happens, data security is manipulated, and the system becomes porous to hackers (Tavani, 2016). Therefore, users have to beware of the security management in the program they are accessing. If a system portrays a red flag by not asking for user information, it is porous; thus, the user should avoid it. By doing so, the user avoids cases of manipulation or their information being shared elsewhere as impersonation. Software vulnerabilities include the deletion of data files, while hardware vulnerabilities include substitution, theft, and denial of service. Vulnerabilities associated with information include loss of data.

Computer System Threats

Computer threats include a collection of situations that have the power to cause harm to the data, hardware, software, or the user. Whereas a vulnerability is a weakness in the system bound to cause damage, a threat implies the probability of the harm to occur. Computer threats can either be human-initiated or computer-initiated. Such risks include software failures, hardware flaws, and human errors (Brandt et al., 2016). Natural disasters also pose threats to computer system safety. Floods entering a room will cause harm to the computers. Moreover, an earthquake may shake or destroy a network connection center. There are four main types of threats common among users.

Interception involves third-party access to a computer system. Unauthorized third parties include people, computing systems, or programs. Such threats occur through wiretapping to acquire data or to copy data directly from an application. It is possible to detect loss even though most attackers engage a silent interceptor that leaves no traces for quick detection.

Interruption is a system threat that causes loss, inaccessibility, or unavailability of a computer system or program. If a hardware device is maliciously destroyed, it becomes a security threat. Other examples of system interruption include data erasure or flopping of the operating system file manager, causing non-retrieval of a file earlier saved in the system.

Another type of computer threat is modification. In this case, an attacker has access to the computer and also tampers with the program or stored information. A person may alter the information value in a document database or cause alteration to a program adding more details of the existing file. An attacker may also modify the information being electronically transmitted to another source. Hardware can also be altered and may be simple to detect. However, there are other subtle cases of data modification that are undetectable. There are various forms of software modification, including viruses, Trojan horses, information leaks, and trapdoor. The last type of threat is fabrication in which an attacker creates counterfeit products on a computer system (Brandt et al., 2016). Fabrication occurs when an intruder adds records to a prevalent database. It may also happen if an attacker inserts scrupulous information into a communication system.

Computer System Attacks

If a human exploits the vulnerability poised to a computer system, they cause attacks to the systems. Accessing an unsecured website causes harm to the computer in the form of aggression. Attacks also arise from a second system. When one system sends a set of numerous messages to another, the recipient system will lose functionality due to the overcrowding of data. In the end, the recipient systems face a denial of service attack that is very common among users in daily lives. Potential attackers include terrorists, amateurs, crackers, and career criminals.

An attacker is described in three ways. First, the method of attack implies the knowledge, skills, tools which enable them to attack the system or program. Knowledge about word processors or effective means is, at times, availed to potential clients on the system website such as Apple or Microsoft (Bastos et al., 2018). Therefore, an attacker may purchase such information and learn how the system was developed and predict ways to produce a counterfeit of the same. An attacker is also described by the opportunity available to foster the attack. The possibility, therefore, refers to the time and location convenient for the offense to implement plans. Lastly, an attacker always has a motive. The attack does not happen unanimously but with a reason.

Computer System Control

Making computer usage safe requires the creation of control over the system. Therefore a control system uses designs or procedures to eliminate a threat, an attack, or a vulnerability.

Other than data, hardware, and software vulnerabilities, there are different types of services at risk of attacks "(Almorsy et al., 2016). They include the users, access, and the network. If a company only has one computer expert, security issues will occur when the person is away for emergency issues like illness.

The Role of a Computer Administrator in Achieving Security

A computer system administrator is bestowed with the authority to manage a company's information and programs, hence the responsibility to create security measures. The administrator should uphold the ACM principles of system management to achieve this role.

Contribute to Society

An administrator contributes to the community by recognizing all the involved stakeholders in computing. For instance, one may create computer literacy programs with the help of the company managers to teach all staff members on the basics of computing. As technology is taking up the business world, most services are computerized. Most departments have computers to enhance timely documentation, as most companies try to evolve from paperwork. Therefore, as an administrator, it is essential to teach all the departmental users on the ways of safeguarding information to prevent malicious attacks (ACM, 1992). If this happens, many attacks or poised threats will be adequately mitigated.

Harm Avoidance

An administrator is an essential asset of the company. Being ill or absent on personal issues may jeopardize critical company activities. Therefore, as an administrator, it is necessary to avoid harm bay all means. Harm may be intended, or unintended, is characterized by leakage of information to unauthorized persons resulting from the flip of the tongue or too much trust (Tavani, 2016). One may also avoid possible mental or brain damage resulting from falls or stressing issues, as this is likely to interfere with the brain coordination of data as it is implemented on a computer system (ACM, 1992). One should stick to the unacceptable Code of Ethics to avoid unintended harm to self, others, or the systems under their responsibility.

Upholding Integrity, Honesty, Confidentiality, and Trustworthiness

The four values are essential aspects of data security. Integrity implies the ability to use computer information or assets for the intended purpose rather than personal activities. An administrator should, therefore, learn to disengage personal computing services professional tasks. Honesty implies the ability to relay information to the management and accept mistakes committed under you (ACM, 1992). Confidentiality involves shutting out unauthorized persons from knowing or accessing company information known to you. Lastly, trustworthiness entails the ability to build a rapport with the management by living according to the code of ethics. Let the administration know of security risks posed by all the users, including themselves.

Identifying Risks Requires Developing Mitigation Measures

Conclusively, the existing data security issues may not fear the advent of 5G network. Attackers will maliciously create ways of creating a counterfeit of future systems. Whereas computer technology is helpful to business companies, educational institutions, health facilities, and criminal investigation, guarding information is vital. Measures such as prevention, deterring, detection, deflection, recovery from the effects will save companies from security risks.

References

ACM, C. M. (1992). ACM code of ethics and professional conduct. Code of Ethics. http://tareksobh.org/online_courses/cpe300/Handouts/Handout7/ACM_Code_of_Ethics.pdf

Almorsy, M., Grundy, J., & Muller, I. (2016). An analysis of the cloud computing security problem. arXiv preprint arXiv:1609.01107. https://arxiv.org/abs/1609.01107

Bastos, D., Shackleton, M., & El-Moussa, F. (2018). Internet of Things: A survey of technologies and security risks in smart home and city environments. https://digital-library.theiet.org/content/conferences/10.1049/cp.2018.0030

Brandt, D. D., Hall, K., Anderson, M. B., Anderson, C. D., & Collins, G. B. (2016). U.S. Patent No. 9,412,073. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/4a/43/75/c566d5325254a4/US9412073.pdf

Tavani, H. T. (2016). Ethics and technology. Wiley. https://fokt.pw/vav.pdf

Zhao, F., Li, C., & Liu, C. F. (2014, February). A cloud computing security solution based on fully homomorphic encryption. In 16th international conference on advanced communication technology (pp. 485-488). IEEE. http://www.icact.org/upload/2014/0134/20140134_finalpaper.pdf