Potential Security Threats to Computer Systems

Potential Security Threats to Your Computer Systems A computer system threat is anything that leads to loss or corruption of data or physical damage to the hardware and/or infrastructure. Knowing how to identify computer security threats is the first step in protecting computer systems. The threats could be intentional, accidental or caused by natural disasters. In this article, we will introduce you to the common computer system threats and how you can protect systems against them. What is a Security Threat? Security Threat is defined as a risk that which can potentially harm computer systems and organization. The cause could be physical such as someone stealing a computer that contains vital data. The cause could also be non-physical such as a virus attack. In these tutorial series, we will define a threat as a potential attack from a hacker that can allow them to gain unauthorized access to a computer system. What are Physical Threats? A physical threat is a potential cause of an incident that may result in loss or physical damage to the computer systems. The following list classifies the physical threats into three (3) main categories; Internal: The threats include fire, unstable power supply, humidity in the rooms housing the hardware, etc. External: These threats include Lightning, floods, earthquakes, etc. Human: These threats include theft, vandalism of the infrastructure and/or hardware, disruption, accidental or intentional errors. To protect computer systems from the above mentioned physical threats, an organization must have physical security control measures. The following list shows some of the possible measures that can be taken: Internal: Fire threats could be prevented by the use of automatic fire detectors and extinguishers that do not use water to put out a fire. The unstable power supply can be prevented by the use of voltage controllers. An air conditioner can be used to control the humidity in the computer room. External: Lightning protection systems can be used to protect computer systems against such attacks. Lightning protection systems are not 100% perfect, but to a certain extent, they reduce the chances of Lightning causing damage. Housing computer systems in high lands are one of the possible ways of protecting systems against floods. Humans: Threats such as theft can be prevented by use of locked doors and restricted access to computer rooms. What are Non-physical threats? A non-physical threat is a potential cause of an incident that may result in; Loss or corruption of system data Disrupt business operations that rely on computer systems Loss of sensitive information Illegal monitoring of activities on computer systems Cyber Security Breaches Others The non-physical threats are also known as logical threats. The following list is the common types of non-physical threats; Virus Trojans Worms Spyware Key loggers Adware Denial of Service Attacks Distributed Denial of Service Attacks Unauthorized access to computer systems resources such as data Phishing Other Computer Security Risks To protect computer systems from the above-mentioned threats, an organization must have logical security measures in place. The following list shows some of the possible measures that can be taken to protect cyber security threats To protect against viruses, Trojans, worms, etc. an organization can use anti-virus software. In additional to the anti-virus software, an organization can also have control measures on the usage of external storage devices and visiting the website that is most likely to download unauthorized programs onto the user’s computer. Unauthorized access to computer system resources can be prevented by the use of authentication methods. The authentication methods can be, in the form of user ids and strong passwords, smart cards or biometric, etc. Intrusion-detection/prevention systems can be used to protect against denial of service attacks.There are other measures too that can be put in place to avoid denial of service attacks. Summary A threat is any activity that can lead to data loss/corruption through to disruption of normal business operations. There are physical and non-physical threats Physical threats cause damage to computer systems hardware and infrastructure. Examples include theft, vandalism through to natural disasters. Non-physical threats target the software and data on the computer systems. Logical Security Data centers are regularly entrusted with the security of sensitive data and IT assets. Companies depend upon these facilities to provide thorough protections from data breaches or other forms of unauthorized access. In addition to providing robust physical security and implementing thorough cybersecurity protocols, data centers must also work with their customers to put strong logical security in place. Logical security refers to the specific controls put in place to govern or restrict access to computer systems and data storage. While physical security forms an exterior defensive shell around a data center’s infrastructure, logical security is more deeply incorporated into the system to prevent intrusion and unauthorized access. Any security measure that grants access to specific people with approved credentials while restricting others can be categorized as logical security. Some forms of logical security incorporate physical security measures. Biometric identification such as retina scans or fingerprint analysis use unique physiological identifiers to regulate access to critical IT and data assets for colocation customers. While these systems are incorporated into physical barriers (doors, lockers, etc), they are considered forms of logical security because they can’t be circumvented by simply obtaining a key or getting a name added to a list. Someone must authorize a person and then take the steps to add their biometric information. Biometric locks are a particularly valuable form of security for server cabinets, ensuring that only a handful of people have access to the hardware behind a company’s IT infrastructure. Logical security can take many forms in the system’s software as well. Some examples of software-based logical security could include: Passwords: A simple, but effective, method for restricting access to critical data and systems, passwords are particularly important for any system that can’t be physically cordoned off from potential users. Anyone trying to access a system needs to enter a unique (and hopefully frequently changed and randomly generated) password first. Passwords help protect against both innocuous unauthorized use and malicious hackers seeking to steal data or disrupt services. User Profiles/Permissions: Different types of user accounts can be set up to provide different levels of access to a system. This is especially vital for systems that permit many people to have access, such as a company’s private cloud or multi-cloud server. User profiles can be tracked, creating a record of who accessed specific files/programs and when. By maintaining permission control over user profiles, IT departments can restrict access, disable features, and otherwise exert control over the network environment to enhance data center security. Segmentation: Oversight is a critical aspect of logical security. All changes to a network environment or system should be reviewed and approved by at least one additional person. This prevents a single user from making changes that could, knowingly or inadvertently, compromise security. Controls and Measures Today, organizations across a range of industries contend with a number of cybersecurity dilemmas, and logical security controls may be the answer to a number of these issues. For example, how can small and mid-sized businesses keep pace with industry giants when it comes to cybersecurity? How do you protect your enterprise’s online assets with an increasingly remote workforce? How do you invest in and expand your digital environment while maintaining careful control over who in your organization can access given information? On the one hand, businesses have often prioritized physical security. This entails controlling who enters an office, who has access to data centers, and what to do in the event of a physical breach. However, while this is an important part of protecting an enterprise’s infrastructure, it’s just one piece of what should be a comprehensive security apparatus—especially as businesses need nextgeneration cybersecurity strategies to protect proprietary information and secure their networks. This is where logical security controls come in. Logical security refers to practices that give system administrators control over who within an organization has access to which resources and for what purpose. As businesses generate more information at an increasing pace—incredibly, 90% of the data in the world has been created within the past two years—it’s incumbent upon IT teams, key decision-makers, and other stakeholders to protect proprietary information with the most advanced technology possible. However, maintaining logical security over the modern enterprise is easier said than done. With 77% of businesses maintaining at least one component of their computing infrastructure in the cloud, it can be challenging to maintain control and guarantee security over access to assets that may not even be managed within your facilities. Despite these obstacles, it’s vital that enterprises make these investments—as the cost of cybercrime around the world has soared to more than $600 billion. What is logical access control? Logical access control is the means by which organizations implement security over constraints proprietary data and broader digital environments. logical Various control access measures at the individual and team levels make up a broader logical security policy at the organizational level. By regulating access in this way, a business can prevent any single user from having too much control over an entire enterprise’s digital assets. Some logical security practices will already be familiar even to those without an extensive IT background. For example, the passwords and passcodes you use to access your computer, your phone, and your favorite websites and online services are all instances of logical access control. In this process, the right username and password combination verify your permission to access certain functions within an organization as a user, employee, or client. This type of authentication—password authentication—is just one of a growing number of logical access controls. Authentication is one of the most popular logical security measures in the cybersecurity space. However, authentication strategies are getting more advanced every year as it becomes clear that traditional password authentication is no longer enough against the range of threats businesses face. These more advanced strategies add additional steps to the authentication process, helping enterprise networks verify with greater certainty the identity of users attempting to access system resources. Token authentication is one of these measures. In this model, security tokens provide users with a number that changes on a given timeline—typically every minute. As part of a log-on process, enterprise systems will prompt users for the token and match it against internal mechanisms to ensure the token is correct. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is another emerging area of logical security. In addition to a username and password, users might have to provide answers to security questions or confirm a PIN sent to a separate device or app. In addition to types of authentication—which can even include biometric measures—there are other logical security measures available. For example, user segmentation allows system administrators to control the areas of the organization's network that individual users can access. This ensures that in the event of a user’s account being compromised in some way, the attacker won’t be able to wreak havoc across the organization’s entire network. What is the difference between logical and physical access? Traditionally, logical and physical security access have been different animals. While logical security control involves everything discussed above, physical access refers to the measures that organizations take to protect their actual facilities. This may involve ID cards for employees, physical or electronic locks on hardware or on certain areas of an office, and CCTV systems to monitor entrances, exits, and access points to data centers or other critical locations. However, physical access can also entail forced entry onto a computer by direct means, such as using system install discs. Boiled down, this means that physical access controls who can enter offices and engage with assets in-person while logical access controls who can enter networks and engage with assets while mediated by a computer or other device. However, as you and your clients might predict, this separation isn’t as clear-cut as it once was. Indeed, as technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) bring our physical environment and infrastructure online, the distinction between what’s connected to the internet and what’s not will become more difficult to articulate. This means that cybersecurity and physical security professionals will need to collaborate going forward in order to coordinate efforts and streamline nextgeneration solutions. What is a logical threat? While physical threats may include theft, vandalism, and environmental damage, logical threats are those that may damage your software systems, data, or network without actually damaging your hardware. Viruses, DoS attacks, phishing, and Trojans are all examples of logical threats that can be inadvertently downloaded or spread through the use of flash drives. In a worst-case scenario, an attack doesn’t just affect a single device, but spreads across a network, scraping sensitive data or shutting down operating systems. As mentioned above, logical threats are evolving and their relation to physical threats are becoming more complex. If IoT tech is just as vulnerable as traditional computing resources—and it is—then our responses to threats and the precautions we take will need to become more complex in turn. Although there are a number of logical security measures you can take to protect against these threats, user actions are not enough to ensure against the loss of business data. Strong authentication and other best practices are just another security layer on top of what should be a robust security platform. With the right protection, you can better prevent outside attacks that pose significant threats to your business information. 3 Reasons Why Your Data Center Needs Logical Security 1: Protection Against Human Error For all the concern about cyberattacks and natural disasters, the truth of the matter is that the majority of server downtime is caused by human error. Logical security not only reduces the possibility of human error by limiting access, but it also makes it easier to track errors and diagnose problems when they do occur. By tracking what kind of errors occurred and documenting who made them, organizations can shore up vulnerabilities and educate users to help them avoid making similar mistakes in the future. 2: Threat of Cyberattacks Cybercriminals can penetrate a network in a variety of ways, from brute force hacking attempts to elaborate phishing strategies. Logical security provides an additional layer of defense against these intrusions. While cybersecurity software and firewalls offer extensive protections, they won’t account for much if weak passwords or generous access protocols leave the proverbial door unlocked for even moderately skilled hackers. While logical security may not offer protections against all forms of cyberattack (such as DDoS attacks), it can greatly reduce the risk of unauthorized access and allow cybersecurity experts to track down intrusions more effectively when they do occur. 3: Better Device Management Cloud computing has made it possible for people to access their workplace’s public cloud or private cloud remotely with almost any device capable of getting online. This has created problems for many organizations, as any one of these devices, from laptops to smartphones, could represent a security threat. Malicious code embedded in a laptop’s operating system, for instance, could easily infect an otherwise secure network the moment that device is connected. Logical security access protocols can be put in place to manage employee devices, allowing companies to lock out lost devices and restrict the use of personal devices that may not be up to the same security standards of devices issued by the internal IT department. Logical security measures form an important component of any data center’s operations. For the best facilities, it represents another critical link in the security chain that offers end-to-end protection for their customers. While no security measures are completely invulnerable, data centers can combine logical security with their physical and cybersecurity strategies to deliver the best possible protection for a company’s IT assets, data, and network infrastructure. What You Need to Know About Logical Security vs Physical Security Data centers take their security measures very seriously. With so much valuable data and IT infrastructure stored within the walls of these facilities, customers want to know their assets are well-protected. While cybersecurity draws plenty of headlines as companies try to protect themselves against many types of security breaches, good old-fashioned physical security is just as important when it comes to safeguarding sensitive data. In fact, a 2015 study of healthcare data breaches found that physical theft was the most common type of security compromise in the healthcare industry, making data center physical security standards incredibly important to consider. Today’s data centers take two distinct approaches to secure their premises: logical security vs physical security. While the two might sound different, they’re actually closely connected and complement one another quite well. Here is a brief overview of how data centers utilize logical security vs physical security as part of their comprehensive security strategies: Physical Security Broadly speaking, data center physical security best practices are all about barriers and detection. Whatever form they take, these measures are all designed to either prevent someone from reaching something they’re not authorized to access or catch them in the act and alert security personnel. The most effective forms of physical security work in concert as part of a layered strategy. Rather than trusting in one form of deterrence, layered security ensures that a breach of one, or even several, outer layers of security won’t compromise critical operations and assets within. Data center physical security standards incorporate multiple layers, with sometimes up to six or seven layers of protection surrounding the data floor itself. These layers vary in complexity, ranging from the fence surrounding the facility to the sophisticated biometric scanner locks on individual server cabinets. Whatever form it takes, however, the underlying principle of layered security is that anyone attempting to gain access to valuable assets must pass through multiple authentication checkpoints in order to do so, many of which will require different credentials. Surveillance is another important aspect of data center physical security best practices. Closed Circuit Television Cameras (CCTVs) might sound like an oldfashioned solution in the 21st century, but they’re still very effective. Digital footage should be backed up and archived offsite to protect cameras from tampering. Exterior units should cover the grounds and be able to pan, tilt, and zoom. Interior units should monitor all of the facility’s entrances and exits in addition to the data floor. Access points are another important example of data center physical security best practices. They typically incorporate some form of turnstiles or “mantraps” that prohibits more than one person from entering an area at one time. This prevents anyone from sneaking in behind someone who is authorized to enter and also makes it impossible for authorized visitors to pass their credential back to someone. Every entry and transit point should funnel visitors from one checkpoint to the next, making it difficult, if not impossible, for anyone to wander off. This allows a facility to concentrate available security personnel in key locations. Emergency doors should lock from the inside, permitting only one-way access. Door hinges should also be located on the inside to prevent anyone from removing the door itself to order to bypass the lock (although, hopefully, such activity wouldn’t escape the CCTV’s notice). Logical Security While having superior data center physical security standards in place is always a good idea, logical security protocols can make it even more effective. Evaluating logical security vs physical security, then, is really about looking at how the two interact. Logical security refers to the specific controls put in place to manage access to computer systems and physical spaces within the data center. Using a locked door to safeguard the data center’s server room entrance may be a physical security best practice, but having to engage in two-factor authentication (in other words, requiring two different forms of identification) to actually open the door is a form of logical security. This approach to data center security extends to computer systems as well. Passwords and user profiles are a common approach to restricting access, ensuring that only authorized personnel are able to access key systems such as servers. Of course, authorized access lists are only as good as their most recent update. For the most effective protection, the list of who can access what in the data center is absolutely essential. If access lists aren’t kept up-to-date, it’s entirely possible that people who should be not be authorized to access data and assets (former employees, for example) could stroll through the front door and steal valuable and sensitive information. Logical security helps to protect against known threats like cyberattacks, but it also protects data centers from themselves. Human error is one of the most frequent causes of downtime and other IT misfortunes, whether through negligence or malicious intent. By implementing logical security protocols and continually updating user access lists, companies can ensure that no one can access their valuable data without their authorization. By combining multiple forms of physical security with the protocols of logical security, data centers can implement powerful defenses that make it incredibly difficult for anyone to gain access to sensitive data without authorizations. For organizations that want to provide the best protection possible for their data while still putting it to use growing their business, a colocation data center is an ideal solution. Although cybersecurity will surely continue to demand much of their resources, implementing strong physical and logical security measures provides an extra layer of assurance and stability.