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A STUDY OF CYBER SECURITY CHALLENGES AND ITS
EMERGNING TRENDS ON LATEST TECHNOLOGIES
G.NIKHITA REDDY1 , G.J.UGANDER REDDY2
1 B.E, CSE second year at Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology, Osmania University, Hyderabad., India
2 B.E, M.B.A. and Founder Director - Peridot Technologies, Hyderabad, India
ABSTRACT
Cyber Security plays an important role in the field of information technology .Securing the information
have become one of the biggest challenges in the present day. When ever we think about the cyber
security the first thing that comes to our mind is ‘cyber crimes’ which are increasing immensely day by
day. Various Governments and companies are taking many measures in order to prevent these cyber
crimes. Besides various measures cyber security is still a very big concern to many. This paper mainly
focuses on challenges faced by cyber security on the latest technologies .It also focuses on latest about
the cyber security techniques, ethics and the trends changing the face of cyber security.
Keywords: cyber security, cyber crime, cyber ethics, social media, cloud computing, android apps.
1. INTRODUCTION
Today man is able to send and receive any form
of data may be an e-mail or an audio or video
just by the click of a button but did he ever
think how securely his data id being transmitted
or sent to the other person safely without any
leakage of information?? The answer lies in
cyber security. Today Internet is the fastest
growing infrastructure in every day life. In
today’s technical environment many latest
technologies are changing the face of the man
kind. But due to these emerging technologies
we are unable to safeguard our private
information in a very effective way and hence
these days cyber crimes are increasing day by
day. Today more than 60 percent of total
commercial transactions are done online, so this
field required a high quality of security for
transparent and best transactions. Hence cyber
security has become a latest issue. The scope of
cyber security is not just limited to securing the
information in IT industry but also to various
other fields like cyber space etc.
Even the latest technologies like cloud
computing, mobile computing, E-commerce, net
banking etc also needs high level of security.
Since these technologies hold some important
information regarding a person their security
has become a must thing. Enhancing cyber
security and protecting critical information
infrastructures are essential to each nation's
security and economic wellbeing. Making the
Internet safer (and protecting Internet users) has
become integral to the development of new
services as well as governmental policy. The
fight against cyber crime needs a
comprehensive and a safer approach. Given that
technical measures alone cannot prevent any
crime, it is critical that law enforcement
agencies are allowed to investigate and
prosecute cyber crime effectively. Today many
nations and governments are imposing strict
laws on cyber securities in order to prevent the
loss of some important information. Every
individual must also be trained on this cyber
security and save themselves from these
increasing cyber crimes
2. CYBER CRIME
Cyber crime is a term for any illegal activity that
uses a computer as its primary means of
commission and theft. The U.S. Department of
Justice expands the definition of cyber crime to
include any illegal activity that uses a computer
for the storage of evidence. The growing list of
cyber crimes includes crimes that have been
made possible by computers, such as network
intrusions and the dissemination of computer
viruses, as well as computer-based variations of
existing crimes, such as identity
theft, stalking, bullying and terrorism which
have become as major problem to people and
nations. Usually in common man’s language
cyber crime may be defined as crime committed
using a computer and the internet to steel a
person’s identity or sell contraband or stalk
victims or disrupt operations with malevolent
programs. As day by day technology is playing
in major role in a person’s life the cyber crimes
also will increase along with the technological
advances.
3. CYBER SECURITY
Privacy and security of the data will always be
top security measures that any organization
takes care. We are presently living in a world
where all the information is maintained in a
digital or a cyber form. Social networking sites
provide a space where users feel safe as they
interact with friends and family. In the case of
home users, cyber-criminals would continue to
target social media sites to steal personal data.
Not only social networking but also during bank
transactions a person must take all the required
security measures.
Incidents
Jan-
June
2012
Jan-
June
2013
%
Increase/
(decrease)
Fraud
2439
2490
2
Intrusion
2203
1726
(22)
Spam
291
614
111
Malicious
code
353
442
25
Cyber
Harassment
173
233
35
Content
related
10
42
320
Intrusion
Attempts
55
24
(56)
Denial of
services
12
10
(17)
Vulnerability
reports
45
11
(76)
Total
5581
5592
Table I
The above Comparison of Cyber Security
Incidents reported to Cyber999 in Malaysia
from January–June 2012 and 2013 clearly
exhibits the cyber security threats. As crime is
increasing even the security measures are also
increasing. According to the survey of U.S.
technology and healthcare executives
nationwide, Silicon Valley Bank found that
companies believe cyber attacks are a serious
threat to both their data and their business
continuity.
98% of companies are maintaining or
increasing their cyber security
resources and of those, half are
increasing resources devoted to online
attacks this year
The majority of companies are
preparing for when, not if, cyber
attacks occur
Only one-third are completely
confident in the security of their
information and even less confident
about the security measures of their
business partners.
There will be new attacks on Android operating
system based devices, but it will not be on
massive scale. The fact tablets share the same
operating system as smart phones means they
will be soon targeted by the same malware as
those platforms. The number of malware
specimens for Macs would continue to grow,
though much less than in the case of PCs.
Windows 8 will allow users to develop
applications for virtually any device (PCs,
tablets and smart phones) running Windows 8,
so it will be possible to develop malicious
applications like those for Android, hence these
are some of the predicted trends in cyber
security.
4. TRENDS CHANGING CYBER
SECURITY
Here mentioned below are some of the trends
that are having a huge impact on cyber security.
4.1 Web servers:
The threat of attacks on web applications to
extract data or to distribute malicious code
persists. Cyber criminals distribute their
malicious code via legitimate web servers
they’ve compromised. But data-stealing attacks,
many of which get the attention of media, are
also a big threat. Now, we need a greater
emphasis on protecting web servers and web
applications. Web servers are especially the best
platform for these cyber criminals to steal the
data. Hence one must always use a safer
browser especially during important transactions
in order not to fall as a prey for these crimes.
4.2 Cloud computing and its services
These days all small, medium and large
companies are slowly adopting cloud services.
In other words the world is slowly moving
towards the clouds. This latest trend presents a
big challenge for cyber security, as traffic can
go around traditional points of inspection.
Additionally, as the number of applications
available in the cloud grows, policy controls for
web applications and cloud services will also
need to evolve in order to prevent the loss of
valuable information. Though cloud services are
developing their own models still a lot of issues
are being brought up about their security. Cloud
may provide immense opportunities but it
should always be noted that as the cloud evolves
so as its security concerns increase.
4.3 APT’s and targeted attacks
APT (Advanced Persistent Threat) is a whole
new level of cyber crime ware. For years
network security capabilities such as web
filtering or IPS have played a key part in
identifying such targeted attacks (mostly after
the initial compromise). As attackers grow
bolder and employ more vague techniques,
network security must integrate with other
security services in order to detect attacks.
Hence one must improve our security techniques
in order to prevent more threats coming in the
future.
4.4 Mobile Networks
Today we are able to connect to anyone in any
part of the world. But for these mobile networks
security is a very big concern. These days
firewalls and other security measures are
becoming porous as people are using devices
such as tablets, phones, PC’s etc all of which
again require extra securities apart from those
present in the applications used. We must
always think about the security issues of these
mobile networks. Further mobile networks are
highly prone to these cyber crimes a lot of care
must be taken in case of their security issues.
4.5 IPv6: New internet protocol
IPv6 is the new Internet protocol which is
replacing IPv4 (the older version), which has
been a backbone of our networks in general and
the Internet at large. Protecting IPv6 is not just a
question of porting IPv4 capabilities. While
IPv6 is a wholesale replacement in making more
IP addresses available, there are some very
fundamental changes to the protocol which need
to be considered in security policy. Hence it is
always better to switch to IPv6 as soon as
possible in order to reduce the risks regarding
cyber crime.
4.6 Encryption of the code
Encryption is the process of encoding messages
(or information) in such a way that
eavesdroppers or hackers cannot read it.. In an
encryption scheme, the message or information
is encrypted using an encryption algorithm,
turning it into an unreadable cipher text. This is
usually done with the use of an encryption key,
which specifies how the message is to be
encoded. Encryption at a very beginning level
protects data privacy and its integrity. But more
use of encryption brings more challenges in
cyber security. Encryption is also used to protect
data in transit, for example data being
transferred via networks (e.g. the Internet, e-
commerce), mobile telephones, wireless
microphones, wireless intercoms etc. Hence by
encrypting the code one can know if there is any
leakage of information.
Hence the above are some of the trends
changing the face of cyber security in the world.
The top network threats are mentioned in below
Fig -1.
Fig -1
The above pie chart shows about the major
threats for networks and cyber security.
5. ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN
CYBER SECURITY
As we become more social in an increasingly
connected world, companies must find new
ways to protect personal information. Social
media plays a huge role in cyber security and
will contribute a lot to personal cyber threats.
Social media adoption among personnel is
skyrocketing and so is the threat of attack. Since
social media or social networking sites are
almost used by most of them every day it has
become a huge platform for the cyber criminals
for hacking private information and stealing
valuable data.
In a world where we’re quick to give up our
personal information, companies have to ensure
they’re just as quick in identifying threats,
responding in real time, and avoiding a breach
of any kind. Since people are easily attracted by
these social media the hackers use them as a bait
to get the information and the data they require.
Hence people must take appropriate measures
especially in dealing with social media in order
to prevent the loss of their information.
The ability of individuals to share information
with an audience of millions is at the heart of the
particular challenge that social media presents to
businesses. In addition to giving anyone the
power to disseminate commercially sensitive
information, social media also gives the same
power to spread false information, which can be
just being as damaging. The rapid spread of
false information through social media is among
the emerging risks identified in Global Risks
2013 report.
Though social media can be used for cyber
crimes these companies cannot afford to stop
using social media as it plays an important role
in publicity of a company. Instead, they must
have solutions that will notify them of the threat
in order to fix it before any real damage is done.
However companies should understand this and
recognise the importance of analysing the
information especially in social conversations
and provide appropriate security solutions in
order to stay away from risks. One must handle
social media by using certain policies and right
technologies.
6. CYBER SECURITY TECHNIQUES
6.1 Access control and password security
The concept of user name and password has
been fundamental way of protecting our
information. This may be one of the first
measures regarding cyber security.
6.2 Authentication of data
The documents that we receive must always be
authenticated be before downloading that is it
should be checked if it has originated from a
trusted and a reliable source and that they are
not altered. Authenticating of these documents
is usually done by the anti virus software present
in the devices. Thus a good anti virus software is
also essential to protect the devices from viruses.
6.3 Malware scanners
This is software that usually scans all the files
and documents present in the system for
malicious code or harmful viruses. Viruses,
worms, and Trojan horses are examples of
malicious software that are often grouped
together and referred to as malware.
6.4 Firewalls
A firewall is a software program or piece of
hardware that helps screen out hackers, viruses,
and worms that try to reach your computer over
the Internet. All messages entering or leaving
the internet pass through the firewall present,
which examines each message and blocks those
that do not meet the specified security criteria.
Hence firewalls play an important role in
detecting the malware.
6.5 Anti-virus software
Antivirus software is a computer program that
detects, prevents, and takes action to disarm or
remove malicious software programs, such as
viruses and worms. Most antivirus programs
include an auto-update feature that enables the
program to download profiles of new viruses so
that it can check for the new viruses as soon as
they are discovered. An anti virus software is a
must and basic necessity for every system.
Table II: Techniques on cyber security
7 CYBER ETHICS
Cyber ethics are nothing but the code of the
internet. When we practice these cyber ethics
there are good chances of us using the internet
in a proper and safer way. The below are a few
of them:
DO use the Internet to communicate
and interact with other people. Email
and instant messaging make it easy to
stay in touch with friends and family
members, communicate with work
colleagues, and share ideas and
information with people across town or
halfway around the world
Don’t be a bully on the Internet. Do not
call people names, lie about them, send
embarrassing pictures of them, or do
anything else to try to hurt them.
Internet is considered as world’s largest
library with information on any topic in
any subject area, so using this
information in a correct and legal way
is always essential.
Do not operate others accounts using
their passwords.
Never try to send any kind of malware
to other’s systems and make them
corrupt.
Never share your personal information
to anyone as there is a good chance of
others misusing it and finally you
would end up in a trouble.
When you’re online never pretend to
the other person, and never try to create
fake accounts on someone else as it
would land you as well as the other
person into trouble.
Always adhere to copyrighted
information and download games or
videos only if they are permissible.
The above are a few cyber ethics one must
follow while using the internet. We are always
thought proper rules from out very early stages
the same here we apply in cyber space.
8. CONCLUSION
Computer security is a vast topic that is
becoming more important because the world is
becoming highly interconnected, with networks
being used to carry out critical transactions.
Cyber crime continues to diverge down different
paths with each New Year that passes and so
does the security of the information. The latest
and disruptive technologies, along with the new
cyber tools and threats that come to light each
day, are challenging organizations with not only
how they secure their infrastructure, but how
they require new platforms and intelligence to
do so. There is no perfect solution for cyber
crimes but we should try our level best to
minimize them in order to have a safe and
secure future in cyber space.
REFERENCES
1. A Sophos Article 04.12v1.dNA, eight
trends changing network security by James
Lyne.
2. Cyber Security: Understanding Cyber
Crimes- Sunit Belapure Nina Godbole
3. Computer Security Practices in Non
Profit Organisations – A NetAction Report
by Audrie Krause.
4. A Look back on Cyber Security 2012 by
Luis corrons – Panda Labs.
5. International Journal of Scientific &
Engineering Research, Volume 4, Issue 9,
September-2013 Page nos.68 – 71 ISSN
2229-5518, “Study of Cloud Computing in
HealthCare Industry “ by G.Nikhita Reddy,
G.J.Ugander Reddy
6. IEEE Security and Privacy Magazine –
IEEECS “Safety Critical Systems – Next
Generation “July/ Aug 2013.
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Cyber security in malasia by Avanthi
Kumar.
