Why require security?

1.1 Why require security?

We need security to:

• To protect our data, files and folders
• To protect our resources
• To protect e-commerce transaction information: user-id, password, pin, etc
• To Protect my site from getting blocked by any attack such as DOS
• To protect our I/P/ Address:
• To protect my e-mails:
• To protect Incoming packets so that no virus / worms comes in
• To protect outgoing packets so that the secrets does not leak out.

There are various ways in which the functionality of computer systems is threatened.

In commerce, assets are: Land, Building, Plant and Machinery; however in e-commerce the main assets are considered to be data and information: Data is collection of raw facts where as the processes data is called information. We would require security to safeguard the information or resources, which are assets to the organization.

Now days, we hear that many systems run by Govt. & other organizations have been disrupted or penetrated.

Examples:

1. Yahoo, Amazon, Ebay, BUY.com brought down for more than 48 hours! All users across the globe remained disconnected. Attackers were never caught. Thus there was Loss of Revenue. Share values down. This was a DOS (Denial of Services) attack
2. NASA: The premier space research agency in the world. Had just finished a successful spaceship launch, when the unexpected happened. An 11-year-old Russian teenager changed the path of the spaceship remotely. Loss of money. Unnecessary worry.
3. BARC Group: One of the most sensitive atomic and missile research facilities in India. Pakistani criminal organizations broke into network and stole sensitive missile info. Loss of sensitive data. Threat to national security.

These kinds of activities are now increasing & there is a computer related security issue worth considering. This would require some policy formulated by the organization to keep protected from these kinds of attacks.

Once this consideration is made, the further questions are:

• What resources should be protected?
• Who is going to disrupt the systems & How?

Consider an example of household security. You clearly know what resources to protect (e.g. cash / jewellery, other valuable items etc.) & so also you know the ways in which these things can be stolen. Hence you protect these items by keeping them in safe & secure places.

The job of a Network Administrator is similar in the organization that is to protect the resources & information from curious eyes, hackers or attackers whether from inside or even outside. Another important difference in house security & Computer security is that in later case, many times the attacker is too far away & even unidentified. The attack in such case is in logical form.