Network and Telecommunication

Network Component

Risk

Security and Internal Control

Legacy computer systems

Connected computers

Mainframe computers kept in a secure computer room

Easy to protect

form networks

risks increase exponentially as with multiple access points

Network

two or more linked computers and computing equipment

Telecommunication

transfer of text, audio, video, image or other data formats

Local area network(LAN)

A group of connected computers within a short distance of one another

Wide area network(WAN)

connects computers some geographic distance away from one another

Intranet

internal network

Extranet

External networks that connect

Internet - International network of public and private computers

Virtual private network

uses the public Internet as its network system to privately conect

Target for intruders

Threats to network security

social enginering

physical infrastructure threats

programmed threats

denial of service attacks(DOS)

form of manipulation and trickery

Relies on human behaviors

points of vulnerability

Natural element

Natural disaster

power surge

Human attack

Viruses, worms, Trojan horses

Malicious program codes developed by hackers

DOS attack occurs when a system is tied up in such a way that it is unable to perform its functions

Software Vulnerability

Programmed threats and DOS are enabled by "holes”

Weak spots in application and operating system software

Security tools are available for preventing or detecting threats to
networked systems

Network manager - responsible for day-to-day operation of the network

Network security administration- a separate function, create network security plan, develop and communicate security policy for network resources.

Authentication

What they have- exhangeable

What they know- Combinable

Who they are - biometrics of biology characteristics such as fingerprint

Encryption

Scrambling or coding data so that anyone who views it will not be able to make sense of it without a decoder and decryption key

Firewall

Combine software and hardware to control access to an network components

Intrusion Detection Systems

May be included in a firewall package or a stand-alone system

Penetration Testing

Ethical hacking - IT audiors to test their ability to break in an information system - remote and internal access