Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Bruce Schneier has written, “A secure Internet voting system is theoretically pos-
sible, but it would be the first secure networked application ever created in computing
history” [94].
Any election system that relies upon the security of personal computers managed
by ordinary citizens will be vulnerable to electoral fraud. For this reason alone, there
is a strong case to be made that a government should not allow online voting to be
conducted in this way.
Computer and network security are important not just to those who manage the main-
frame computer systems of corporations and government agencies, but to anyone who
has a personal computer connected to the Internet. The more that people use computers
to mediate their activities, the more opportunities they provide criminal enterprises.
One strategy adopted by criminals is to try to get information directly from com-
puter users. Phishing attacks are an example of this kind of exploit. Some people “fall”
for phishing attacks because they are accustomed to providing sensitive financial infor-
mation over an Internet connection.
Another strategy is to spy on the activities of computer users. Some spyware pro-
grams contain keystroke loggers that collect and report credit card numbers and other
sensitive information users type on the keyboard as they visit ecommerce sites.
Criminals can also make money by co-opting personal computers, turning them
into bots. Bot herders rent huge botnets to those who wish to use them as launching
pads for spamming, phishing attacks, or distributed denial-of-service attacks.
Personal computers can become infected with malware in many different ways.
Even if users remember never to open a suspect email attachment, their systems may
still become infected. A worm may enter a computer by taking advantage of a security
weakness in the operating system. By simply visiting a Web site, a computer user may
become the victim of a cross-site injection or a drive-by download. That is why it is
important that all personal computer users set up personal firewalls and keep their
systems up-to-date with antimalware tools.
The recent rise in politically motivated cyber attacks raises some interesting ques-
tions. How vulnerable would the United States economy be to a cyber attack by a de-
termined foe? At what point does a cyber attack on another nation become an act of
war? Should a nation holding an Internet-based election be concerned about interfer-
ence from outside agencies?
1.
How has the term “hacker” evolved since the 1950s?
2.
Describe three “low-tech” methods that hackers have used to obtain login names and
passwords.
