ware [to] gain access to information illegally”. Generally two skill levels among hackers: Expert hacker unskilled hacker(Script kiddies).
Question 38. What Is Information Extortion?
Information extortion is an attacker or formerly trusted insider stealing information from a computer system and demanding compensation for its return or non-use.
Extortion found in credit card number theft(A Russian hacker named Maxus,who hacked the online vendor and stole several hundred thousand credit card numbers).
Question 39. What Is Deliberate Acts Of Sabotage And Vandalism?
Individual or group who want to deliberately sabotage the operations of a computer system or business, or perform acts of vandalism to either destroy an asset or damage the image of the organization
These threats can range from petty vandalism to organized sabotage
Organizations rely on image so Web defacing can lead to dropping consumer confidence and sales
Rising threat of hacktivist or cyber-activist operations – the most extreme version is cyber-terrorism.
Question 40. What Is Cyber Terrorism?
Cyberterrorism is amost sinister form of hacking involving cyberterrorists hacking systems to conduct terrorist activities through network or internet pathways.
An example was defacement of NATO web pages during the war in Kosovo.
Question 41. What Are The Deliberate Acts Of Theft?
Illegal taking of another’s property – physical, electronic, or intellectual
The value of information suffers when it is copied and taken away without the owner’s knowledge
Physical theft can be controlled – a wide variety of measures used from locked doors to guards or alarm systems
Electronic theft is a more complex problem to manage and control – organizations may not even know it has occurred.
Question 42. What Are Deliberate Software Attacks?
When an individual or group designs software to attack systems, they create malicious code/software called malware
Designed to damage, destroy, or deny service to the target systems
back door or trap door
Question 43. What Are The Forces Of Nature Affecting Information Security?
Forces of nature, force majeure, or acts of God are dangerous because they are unexpected and can occur with very little warning
Can disrupt not only the lives of individuals, but also the storage, transmission, and use of information
Include fire, flood, earthquake, and lightning as well as volcanic eruption and insect infestation
Since it is not possible to avoid many of these threats, management must implement controls to limit damage and also prepare contingency plans for continued operations.
Question 44. What Are Technical Hardware Failures Or Errors?
Technical hardware failures or errors occur when a manufacturer distributes to users equipment containing flaws
These defects can cause the system to perform outside of expected parameters, resulting in unreliable service or lack of availability
Some errors are terminal, in that they result in the unrecoverable loss of the equipment
Some errors are intermittent, in that they only periodically manifest themselves, resulting in faults that are not easily repeated.
Question 45. What Are Technical Software Failures Or Errors?
- This category of threats comes from purchasing software with unrevealed faults
- Large quantities of computer code are written, debugged, published, and sold only to determine that not all bugs were resolved
- Sometimes, unique combinations of certain software and hardware reveal new bugs
- Sometimes, these items aren’t errors, but are purposeful shortcuts left by programmers for honest or dishonest reasons.
Question 46. What Is Technological Obsolescence?
When the infrastructure becomes antiquated or outdated, it leads to unreliable and untrustworthy systems
Management must recognize that when technology becomes outdated, there is a risk of loss of data integrity to threats and attacks
Ideally, proper planning by management should prevent the risks from technology obsolesce, but when obsolescence is identified, management must take action.
Question 47. What Is An Attack?
An attack is the deliberate ac