Cybercrime Flashcards
what it includes
Cybercrime includes:
Offences ranging from criminal activity against data to content and copyright infringement (Council of Europe’s CC Treaty)
United Nations refers to acts of fraud, forgery and unauthorized access
Unlawful acts wherein the computer is either a tool or a target or both
National Security Strategy: Priority Risk (Tier One)
The UK National Security Council considered the following groups of risks to be those of highest priority for UK national security looking ahead, taking account of both likelihood and impact.
International terrorism
Hostile attacks upon UK cyber space by other states and large scale cyber crime
A major accident or natural hazard which requires a national response
An international military crisis between states
National Security Strategy: Priority Risk (Tier Two)
The National Security Council considered the following groups of risks to be the next highest priority looking ahead, taking account of both likelihood and impact. (For example, a CBRN attack on the UK by a state was judged to be low likelihood, but high impact.)
An attack on the UK by another state or proxy using chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) weapons
Risk of major instability, insurgency or civil war overseas which creates an environment that terrorists can exploit to threaten the UK
A significant increase in the level of organised crime affecting the UK
Severe disruption to information received, transmitted or collected by satellites, possibly as the result of a deliberate attack by another state.
UK Cyber Security Strategy 2011 (Vision)
Our vision is for the UK in 2015 to derive huge economic and social value from a vibrant, resilient and secure cyberspace, where our actions, guided by our core values of liberty, fairness, transparency and the rule of law, enhance prosperity, national security and a strong society.
UK Cyber Security Strategy 2011 (Objectives)
Objective 1:
The UK to tackle cyber crime and be one of the most secure places in the world to do business in cyberspace
Objective 2:
The UK to be more resilient to cyber attacks and better able to protect our interests in cyberspace
Objective 3:
The UK to have helped shape an open, stable and vibrant cyberspace which the UK public can use safely and that supports open societies
Objective 4:
The UK to have the cross-cutting knowledge, skills and capability it needs to underpin all our cyber security objectives
Computer Virus
Program which can copy itself and surreptitiously infect another computer, often via shared media such as a CD, USB drive, shared directory, etc. Viruses are always embedded within another file or program
Worm
A computer worm is a standalone malware computer program that replicates itself in order to spread to other computers. Often, it uses a computer network to spread itself, relying on security failures on the target computer to access it.
Trojan
program which purports to do one thing, but secretly does something else; example: free screen saver which installs a backdoor
Root Kit
set of programs designed to allow an adversary to surreptitiously gain full control of a targeted system while avoiding detection and resisting removal, with the emphasis being on evading detection and removal
Botnet
set of compromised computers (“bots” or “zombies”) under the unified command and control of a “botmaster;” commands are sent to bots via a command and control channel (bot commands are often transmitted via IRC, Internet Relay Chat).
Spyware
assorted privacy-invading/browser-perverting programs
Malware
software which is specifically designed to disrupt or damage a computer system
Phishing
the fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers, online.
Hacking
gain unauthorized access to data in a system or computer.
Case study: Conficker
In 2008, Microsoft Windows computers began being infected by an advanced worm called Conficker, which spread when users shared files, either over networks or via USB flash memory drives.
The malware disabled important security features, such as antivirus software and automated update systems and blocked users from downloading fixes. Conficker’s authors clearly were not amateurs.
They regularly released new variants to overcome weaknesses in the original malware and took steps, (including using digital signatures), to ensure that no one else could hijack their program.
