Constructive threat examination techniques to enhance data security Essay

Introduction

The duties of intelligence technologist are becoming more complicated as the field of science technology introduces new products and ideas even before applying proper security measures to avert threats that may crop up along the way. The ability to understand the technological modifications calls for contemporary and prospective threats, as well as data overload to materialize the practical efforts by security experts.

In the past years, the world has faced a series of cyber attacks of unexpected intricacies. These unprecedented attacks indicate that the information kept by businesses, governments, as well common citizens are at the verge of being manipulated by malicious attackers and intelligence technologist should be ready to handle such problems.

Moreover, workers have brought consumer technology such as smartphones into their workplace, which have improved productivity and destabilized the security norms in equal measure. The success of institutions depends on the level of security and effectiveness of their technology.

For technology professional to avert these imminent dangers, they have to work in unity with all the stakeholders to comprehend the rising threats and come up with proactive security remedies that can protect the Internet and all other infrastructure that are associated to it. The discussions in this paper focus on the emerging and future threats in technology that need urgent remedies.

Current Threats

Although every institution is distinctive in its nature of activities of products, all are susceptible to experience a restrained detachment of dangerous agents who perpetrate impositions against institutions’ infrastructures. These dangerous agents entail insiders, industrial surveillance, systematized crime, as well as hackers¹.

Insiders

A group of researchers recently observed that in comparison to past years, the rate of insider threats are decreasing, but this should not be construed to mean that the measures used to hamper insider threats should come to a halt. Intelligence technologists still consider insiders as one of the formidable threats.

Probably, the incidents of insider threats are reducing because institutions have refocused their attention to external factors and barely notice insider threats and insiders have hiding techniques that enterprise rarely discover². Moreover, there is a rising trend of insider placement, which permits penetration schemes.

Systemized threat agents who cannot infiltrate through the external security tactics often place their agents in institutions where they intend to infiltrate, as interim workers or systems supervisors. Considering this imminent danger, enterprises initiate security programs that protect an organization from insider threats.

Such security programs should incorporate background supervision for workers who access vital systems, a continuous training initiative that can assist workers to discover and share prospective insider dangers, as well as execute internal security policies and network supervision³.

By placing insiders in an institution, threat agents are capable of getting its internal access to Information Technology (IT) assets. There have been numerous cases where a single worker is found to work in various software development companies as well various government organizations to create custom software programs.

The intentions of such a worker only raise questions with no proper answers. In a period when distributed computing is popular, there should be an effective formula for scrutinizing subcontractors as well as assisting employees and examining internal network resources to control this exacerbating threat⁴.

Industrial Surveillance and Systemized Crime

Over the years, technology experts have affirmed the dangers, which are planned by rivals or government- initiated espionage that industrial surveillance organizations pose to an institution. Despite the fact that industrial espionage is an existing danger that most companies are aware of, it affects data privacy and not its accessibility.

The subtle nature of business data calls for the need to have security programs that secure its privacy and veracity. Systemized crimes expeditions are likely to obtain crucial company’s data such as financial statements and plans. Although vital infrastructure attacks are not part of systemized organized, it is important for companies to recognize that systemized crime agents could substitute terrorists⁵.

Hackers

As contemporary firms continue with their operations, they are likely to experience assaults from hackers. There has been increased trend in cases of intrusion of networks for either specific purpose of random attacks. The cases have been so imminent that one could infer that only companies with faulty monitoring programs do not experience these attacks.

A recent research disclosed that any susceptible system linked to an unrestricted network, is likely to be attacked within less than three days. Hence, the significance for employees to adopt and adhere to effective information security practices to avoid the hackers.

Organizations should note that by using the Internet, they are not only exposing themselves to domestic and continental threat, but also international perils. Considering the extensive scope of unwanted attacks, enterprises should be assiduous in measures that help them on mitigating on this menace.

These mitigating measures could include technical controls such as antivirus, Intrusion Detection System (IDS), or Firewall. Enterprises can also introduce multifactor authentication system for employee identification. Moreover, firms can also encourage their workers to communicate through secure forms instead of email links when using the Internet to prevent the chances of clients sending/receiving confidential messages through online clear text⁶.

Emerging Threats

Apart from countering the present threats, intelligence technologists should be adequately equipped to emerging threats such as malware, information manipulation, nation states, terrorism, mobile device threats, and cloud security. Though some firms are vulnerable to nation states as well as terrorism, firms that are considered to have substantial infrastructures are often potential targets. In essence, states and terrorists are more likely to target private infrastructure than government enterprises⁷.

Mobile Devices Threats

The safety of mobile devices continues to raise formidable questions for some issues have made it intricate to exploit various devices including their operating systems, which is not as extensive as Windows. Moreover, their surrounding environment, numerous applications, and the lack of adept to remove malicious applications has hampered their exploitation. There have also been setbacks in monetizing altered mobile devices⁸.

However, the huge number of smartphones as well as tablets subscribers presents a chance that threat agents are likely to target. Currently, there is a higher demand of smartphones than PCs, whilst there are more subscribers accessing the Internet through mobile phones than PCs.

In the corporate world, workers have been permitted to own and even operate some tasks using the devices. The popularity of mobile devices suggests that security scholars and threat agents are likely to apply their security intelligence on the devices. It is anticipated that new attacks as well as novel techniques of monetizing mobile devices is likely to develop⁹.

Latest reports indicate that malware developers have began viewing the opportunity created by mobile devices as a chance to initiate feasible businesses. The figures of malicious or unauthorized applications have augmented from 30,000 to 175, 000 for a period of just three months (June to September) in 2012¹⁰.

Recent studies have shown that the percentage of devices that have been affected by malware is about 0.002 per cent in the U.S. The study also noted that the malicious apps are only noticed after the climax of an operation, and thus security practices such as eliminating the activity from storefront had little, if any, initial effect. Nonetheless, such practices have the potential to avert the spread of malicious programs.

The participants from the latter research were mainly residents of the U.S. Other researches that have included other counties such as Russia and China have shown disparate, but amazing results. In China, the malicious infections had a high percentage of about 40 per cent¹¹.

Web browser developers, in an attempt to balance the rate of subscription and security, have not installed security pointers on smartphones and as a result, phones are three times susceptible to malicious intrusion than PCs. For instance, renowned mobile browsers such as Opera Mini do not permit their subscribers to access data information that can help to identify the legitimacy of the Web sites, for example its certificate data.

In case of an attack, which is very likely, one cannot recognize this attack because of lack of adequate information. In addition, other apps are connected to TLS as well as SSL networks, a move that makes a subscriber more susceptible to attack. The future of such subscribers is bleak, if mobile browser developers remain reluctant in devising methods of disseminating security data¹².

Nation States

Several countries have introduced programs to help protect IT elements of crucial infrastructures. Recent analyses show that about 100 countries are presently creating data and warfare programs. The United States, which is the highest target of attack due to its massive dependence on IT, is at the forefront of this initiative.

Although this threat is bona fide, the possibility of a state- financed full-blown attack is unlikely for various reasons. To begin with, the majority of the countries with the potential to instigate an attack have bilateral association with the U.S. If they were to launch an attack that affects the U.S. economy, the impact will trickle down to their own economy.

Moreover, the U.S. stipulations in relation to information warfare assault prevents any country intends to apply information in place of conventional warfare. Nonetheless, these stipulations do not prevent a villain country to apply information attack as a means of acquiring tactical lead in a case of conventional battle to instigate conservative reaction.

In a world where a country is anonymously assaulted, the entire reproach falls on multinational terrorists, and thus nations must adopt new ways of addressing this peril. Although one may infer that this move creates an opportunity for state-financed detached infrastructure assaults, it is still untenable or nominal impact such as mental impact that can be resolved by adequate preparation¹³.

In the U.S., the federal authorities have the role of preventing the citizens from state-promoted threats. Private enterprises are incapable of handling impacts of state attacks in the absence of adequate information from the federal authorities. Therefore, it is important for the federal government to issue indicators whenever there is a forthcoming threat¹⁴.

Cloud Security

The effectiveness of transferring information through clouds has attracted the attention of many subscribers who opted to keep their documents on Yahoo mail, iCloud, or even DropBox, as it is cheap and convenient. However, various enterprises are becoming reluctant to keep their confidential documents and apps on this medium by questioning the credibility of their security.

However, some enterprises have been lured by the increased productivity and reduction in operation costs created by the online services. The rising number of activities being transferred to the cloud demands that technologists should the security of these documents and their impact to the firms¹⁵.

Many security experts have asserted that information stored in the cloud is safer, but more targeted threat agents. The accretion of information in the cloud has inspired cloud service providers as well as the subscribers to security measures deter unauthorized persons from accessing their documents. Nevertheless, whilst the improved security measures may impede intrusion, it increasingly attracts intruders. In case of any failure, the impact may be detrimental.

One of the recent attacks in 2012 is a clear indication of how far attackers are targeting the cloud. In June 2012, one of the accounts of CloundFlare’s clients was unsuccessfully attacked with the intent of manipulating the site. The attempt failed for the experts at CloudFlare reacted quickly and detected the assault.

Most security analysts have observed that these attacks are likely to rise due to the critical data that is kept in the cloud. The two-factor authentication technique adopted by Google has been considered an effective way of protecting information stored in the cloud. Under this technique, a subscriber uses an identified device with a legitimate password for every application in the system¹⁶.

Nevertheless, cloud is not entirely composed of data. If intruders manipulate virtualized computers, then they can easily introduce botnets. This accretion draws the attention of intruders and they can use all their skills to infiltrate into the documents. Attackers are likely to use illegal credit cards that they own to infiltrate into the clouds.

They can use the false credit cards to design insidious virtual systems¹⁷. Considering this impending threat, the cloud service providers should redefine their security thinking. They should be certain of the role they play in protecting their subscribers’ data.

Studies indicate that a huge percentage of service providers believe that the clients are in charge of the data, and thus ought to create their own security measures. This assertion is a worrying inference for firms that do not institute stringent security measures expose their documents to attack by threat agents.

Some companies have begun developing private clouds to protect their data. This turn of events should prompt researchers to develop a method that make data easily accessible whilst at the same time secure from attack. Though certain firms opt to store encrypted information, accessing such data has become a difficult process.¹⁸

Conclusion

In a current environment where technology is becoming a basic component for an enterprise’s success and a growing number of threats agents, organizations must form constructive threat examination techniques to enhance data security. The techniques adopted should be in a position to handle different types of threats as well as predict prospective threats and devising ways to avoid them through the application of past and present experiences.

The methodology used should identify potential security measures and expenses that an institution will have by applying the given practices. Predictably, in the near future, attackers are going to be attracted to mobile devices, nation states, and cloud security, and thus it is important for relevant institutions to input practices that can control such attacks from occurring. The threats poised on IT infrastructure are factual, and their impacts are unfavorable, hence the need to avert the threats before they occur.

Works Cited

Devost, Mathew. Current and Emerging Threats to Information Technology Systems and Critical Infrastructures, 2002. Web.

Gollmann, Dieter, and Jeffrey Hunker. Insider threats in cyber security, Pennsylvania: Springer, 2010. Print.

Government Accountability Office. Information Security: Emerging Cybersecurity Issues Threaten Federal Information Systems, 2005. Web.

Wenke, Lee, and Bo Rotoloni. Georgia Tech Cyber Security Summit 2012: Emerging Cyber Threats Report 2013, 2013. Web.

Whitman, Michael, and Herbert Mattord. Principles of information security, Massachusetts: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.

Footnotes

1. Government Accountability Office. Information Security: Emerging Cybersecurity Issues Threaten Federal Information Systems, 2005. Web. p.3
2. Dieter Gollmann and Jeffrey Hunker. Insider threats in cyber security, Pennsylvania: Springer, 2010. p. 78.
3. Mathew Devost. Current and Emerging Threats to Information Technology Systems and Critical Infrastructures, 2002. Web. p. 20.
4. Gollmann and Hunker, p. 14.
5. Devost, p. 21.
6. Michael Whitman and Herbert Mattord. Principles of information security. Massachusetts: Cengage Learning, 2011, p. 16.
7. Lee Wenke and Bo Rotoloni. Georgia Tech Cyber Security Summit 2012: Emerging Cyber Threats Report 2013, 2013. Web. p. 2.
8. Devost, p. 23.
9. Government Accountability Office, p. 12.
10. Wenke and Rotoloni, p.16.
11. Wenke and Rotoloni, p. 5
12. Whitman and Mattord, p. 32.
13. Wenke and Rotoloni, p. 5.
14. Whitman & Mattord, p. 42.
15. Wenke and Rotoloni, p. 8.
16. Whitman & Mattord, p. 53.
17. Ibid. p.57.
18. Wenke and Rotoloni, p. 8.