Term Paper on "Top Cyber Security Risks"

Term Paper 4 pages (1242 words) Sources: 4

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Risk Management in Top Cyber Security Risks

The Top Cyber Security Risks

The process of identifying, assessing, and prioritizing of risks is referred to as risk management. After identifying risks, the next step is to use the available resources to reduce, look into and control the risk from taking place again. Cyber security risks can be categorized into two namely website vulnerabilities and client-side application flaws. In risk management the high impact risk as it has a high probability of occurring should be handled first, risks that have low impact and low probability of occurring should be handled last.

Client-side application flaws

The applications installed on a person's computer may have certain vulnerabilities that can be exploited by the attackers. The attackers usually target popular applications like Microsoft word, Adobe Reader, Flash player and Apple QuickTime. These applications have serious security flaws, and they need to be patched regularly to ensure the security flaws are rectified. There are other software applications that have security flaws, and the software manufacturers do not release any patches to rectify this flaws leaving their users vulnerable to attacks Hansen & Nissenbaum, 2009.

Many people fall victim to this application attacks because even the major companies take too long to release patches to fix the problems. The attackers usually send someone an email that requires them to open file attachments and that way the person's computer get attacked by the viruses. Other ways that attackers use is placing malicious documents on popular websites. The documents have embedded code targeted for vulnerable applications.

To counter this risk computer users should ensure that their applications are well patched in case there has been a security flaw reported, or they should ensure they update their software applications on a regular basis. Users will need to ensure they do not click on links that they are not sure of, or downloading documents from emails and websites before they are scanned. Computers will need to have latest antivirus, antispyware, antimalware and intrusion detection programs installed to protect from any attack to the computer applications. It is also advisable to have programs that can detect, and remove any key logger applications that might be installed without the user's knowledge. Software applications makers should ensure that once security vulnerability has been discovered on their applications, they release a security patch that would update the application and fix the vulnerability. There are trends referred to as zero-day vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities occur when there is a flaw in an application, and it is discovered before a security patch is availed. Attackers release a code that exploits this vulnerability until a fix is released or users find ways to mitigate against this flaw.

For organizational computers, it is recommended that the organization conducts its own assessment on application vulnerability. This assessment will assist the organization to counter any threats and attacks that they might face. Together with this assessment organizations should have antivirus software, strong firewalls, antimalware, intrusion prevention systems and antispyware programs installed on all their organizations computers Anandarajan, 2002.

These programs will prevent any attack from occurring.

Website vulnerabilities

Website vulnerabilities are SQL injection, cross-site scripting and PHP remote file attacks. These attacks are mostly targeted to websites that are not secured properly and the codes used are not secure. Website developers should ensure that their websites are not susceptible to attacks, which would compromise the website content Doerr & Hecht, 1995.

Website attackers do not just target sensitive data like credit card information or passwords. They also target any information that might be stored in the websites database. Once a website data has been compromised visitors to the website may not get the correct information as the accuracy of the data… READ MORE

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