Secure the Network or Risk Losing It All

There are many forms of computer threats that can target an individual’s or an organization’s computer. These threats are usually called cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks have started to happen more frequently than in previous years. There is nearly 1 cyberattack every 39 seconds (over 2200 attacks each day) which means that companies and even regular people are always at risk (Fox, 2023). Cyber-attacks can come in the form of malware, computer viruses, social engineering, and phishing, just to name a few. These threats can cause major problems for individuals and organizations, especially when computers hold sensitive information. The sensitive information a computer may store includes financial information, personal identifier information, and passwords. A type of attack that can be executed using ping commands is a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS). It is called a ping flood, which occurs when an attacker sends hundreds, even millions, of packets to overload the targeted network (Unknown Author, 2023).

Two security incidents that also occur are social engineering and password cracking. Password cracking is a process in which an attacker uses programmatic tools to crack or determine a password. A computer system is vulnerable to this type of attack depending on the complexity of a user’s password (Wade, 2004). If a hacker guesses a password, this can give access to several systems in the company. This is why workers in IT suggest that users create complex passwords with length and the use of several characters, and they also suggest changing passwords every 90 days or so (Wade, 2004). 

Social engineering is an attack in which hackers use deceptive techniques to target individuals or organizations to gain access to vital information (Salama et al., 2023). Social engineering depends on appealing to the person behind the computer for the hacker to access the information. Once a hacker gets access, the computer is unable to determine if the person accessing it is an authorized user. Phishing is a form of social engineering attack that uses fake emails to gain access. A couple of ways to avoid social engineering attacks is to make sure to not open any emails or click on any links that you are not familiar with and to use antivirus programs to fight against this type of attack (Salama et al., 2023).

It is crucial for individuals and companies to have information and system security in place to prevent cyber-attacks and protect sensitive data. Computer users need to make sure that they use complex passwords and avoid any suspicious emails, in addition to companies having adequate security measures, such as antivirus software, to prevent any cyberattacks.

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