Network Security Principles
There are a number of network security principles that are used for internet security purposes. These principles include regularity, hardening, integrity, and redundancy. Basically, depending on how these principles have been put in place, they will be able to provide different securities levels for internet connections. Integrity will be preferred by many as one of the security principles that will be best accepted and generalized to be the best security principle that will be effectively applied for all kinds of security. Whenever it comes to issues of data and connection security, integrity is viewed by many experts as the right assurance through which information handled within the different connections will only be modified or accessed by only those individuals who have been mandated to do so (Mann 17). This ensures there are competent measures that are taken to ensure there is the greatest integrity in that data and information handling. Integrity is a principle for network security that will effectively control all the physical connections between terminals and the servers, hence being able to restrict any unnecessary access of data, and by so doing maintaining the highest degree of authentication. Some of the major practices that can be done in ensuring maximum data security and integrity are through making all the servers only accessible by the administrators of networks and ensuring all connection media including connectors and cables are never tampered with.
Network administrators will hence be required to put in place necessary measures in ensuring that data integrity is provided. This can be achieved by continued maintenance of all authorization communication levels for the users, documentation of information, and prevention of any possible virus intrusions (Jackson 44). Comparing integrity and the other security principles, it has an upper hand since the only threat to the system will only be caused by issues to do with electricity faults which can be easily managed. Looking at hardening, it will only be focused on the hardware nature of the connection hence not giving much address on the information and data security. Continuity in internet connection will ensure a smooth flow in data transmission from the servers to the users. However, the security aspect will be maintained as the data is being transmitted. Looking at these network security principles, we shall agree that integrity will be the most applicable principle for all kinds of securities. With redundancy, what happens is that there will be secondary peripherals or computer networks, or system devices that would take over should the main unit fail to respond, and this will not offer much security.
Cyber Terrorism and Cyber Crime
Today, there has been a massive upsurge of probes, attacks, intrusions, and probes on daily basis with internet connections. The major causes for the daily occurrences can be due to three major things. One, there is the issue of cyber terrorism, cybercrime, social engineering, and sometimes due to Phishing. For instance, Phishing is an example of social engineering. This is a method that is used in attempts to convince the internet users who use emails or chats to give them online information through the submission of website forms which are nothing but stratagems to lure the people so as to submit their most useful data and information. In many cases, phishers tend to create a number of fraudulent sites which are designed as if they were legitimate and in such a case, they are extremely able to encourage all new users to give out sensitive information such as bank account details and so on. There are a number of ways and methods through which a person may launch social engineering into the website or for a given individual. One way through which such a thing can happen is when we are sending files or messages through emails and chat rooms.
On average, we have been having around 2,500 of these probes and intrusions without security systems on daily basis. Most of these attacks have been due to cybercrime. With today’s increase in email use, chat rooms, and other leisure sites, the majority of people have been taking this as an advantage in compromising security systems. Of these attacks, over seventy percent have been due to cybercrime, and about twenty percent due to cyber terrorism. The remaining percent will be caused by the current novices who try the Phishing concept which is more or less similar to cybercrime and overall social engineering (Mann 37). The major differences between cyber terrorism and cybercrime will occur in the manner in which the two are conducted. With terrorism, the major aim is to harm the systems of a given organization for some other benefits or revenge or destabilization of their systems other than gaining from the terrorist activity. This gives us the meaning of cybercrime; here, the main aim is to benefit through the intensive application of social engineering technologies. Viruses have also been used as part of this strategy in the acquisition of useful information for crimes. Some of these viruses are very effective in providing mechanisms necessary for cybercrime in social engineering (Boyington 43).
Super-Highway Metaphor
The Superhighway metaphor will be comprised of traffic cops constituted of firewalls, interchanges which are provided by the routers, and switches that acoff-ramps There are a number of advantages which are posed by this metaphor. The first one is in its ability to increase the chances of technological developments and advancements. This will improve research activities which will now be carried out in a more applicable manner hence solving the problems faced with agriculture, science, health, and the environment. It will also improve the manner in which information is handled hence increasing organizational competency and realization of positive results in any given business. This will as well facilitate the network interconnectivities hence improving security and privacy of overall information. Experts can as well produce information and come up with new developmental services and applications hence enhancing economic growth. The disadvantages with superhighway metaphor are that it my result in great losses and damages once compromised either through malicious attack, damage or cyber terrorism. Also, a malfunction at a certain point might end up bringing the entire connection to a stop hence affecting organizational operations.
Another appropriate metaphor is the Cyberspace metaphor. This is quite different as compared to the Superhighway one since the human-centricity element is entirely missing, or it is involved at the least. Cyberspace metaphor will use satellites for all purposes which have been shown for the superhighway metaphor (Rohan 64). Cyberspace metaphor analogy believes that all the machines that man has come up with can operate on their own in routing and switching the appropriate information for the right user. The data operated here is purely digitalized and hence the issue of routers and loops will not be of great importance as with the superhighway metaphor. There is also the use of mainframe self manned computers that link with satellites in the provision of the use with the necessary information needed. This reduces chances of cyber crime once adopted.
Works Cited
Britz, Marjie. Computer forensics and cyber-crime, 2nd Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice, 2008. 63
Boyington, Gilbert. Computer Viruses: Human Threat. New York: Bantam Books, 2001. 43
Jackson, Jill. Nobody Is Safe: Internet Use and Business Operations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006. 44
Mann, Ian. Hacking the Human: Social Engineering Techniques and Security Countermeasures. New York: Gower Publishing Ltd, 2008. 17, 37
Rohan, Rebecca. Social engineering: employees’ loose lips can sink your company network. 2009. Web.