How Serious Are Cyber Security Attacks

HOW SERIOUS ARE CYBER SECURITY ATTACKS
SECURITY STUDIES
6/3/2018

Contents
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................2
Cyber Security....................................................................................................................................2
Cyber Threat......................................................................................................................................2
Attacks and Vulnerabilities................................................................................................................4
SEVERITY OF CYBER THREATS................................................................................................................4
Industrial Equipment and Utilities.....................................................................................................4
Financial System................................................................................................................................5
Consumer Devices.............................................................................................................................5
Aviation.............................................................................................................................................6
Large Corporations............................................................................................................................6
Transportation...................................................................................................................................7
Water.................................................................................................................................................7
Multi-Dimensional Cyber Threats......................................................................................................7
Prevention and Control.....................................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Cyber Security
The term cyber security refers to Information Technology security or computer
security and represents the protection of the entire computer system against
damage to the electronic data, software, hardware, from theft and from
misdirection or disruption of the provided services.
The protection of the IT and computer can be enabled by protecting it against
possible harm and by controlling physical access to the software and hardware,
against possible threats from malicious data, network access and code injection
(Singer & Friedman, 2014). The cyber security has major threat from the
malpractice by the operators, either accidental or intentional.
Cyber security has gained attention by almost all the fields in the world, because
of increasing reliance on the internet and computer system and recently on
wireless networks, like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and because of smart devices’ growth,
such as television, smartphones and the recent development of the Internet of
Things’ tiny devices (Collins & McCombie, 2012).
Cyber Threat
Cyber threat or cyber attack is an offensive maneuver targeting personal
computer devices, computer information systems, computer networks or
infrastructures. Cyber threat may be initiated from an organization, society,
groups, individuals or nation-states, as an anonymous source (Droogan &
Waldek, 2016). Technically, a cyber attack and threat is done intentionally, to
alter, steal or destroy any target specifically, by hacking to a susceptible system.
An asset, which can be logical or physical has vulnerabilities of one or more
that have the possibilities of exploiting by an agent of threat in an action of

threat. It is through the compromise of resource availability, integrity or
confidentiality (Guitton & Korzak, 2013). The damage can be potentially
extended in addition, as further organization’s resources and the other involved
parties’ resources, like suppliers, customers, etc.
The cyber threat can be severe from both the active or passive attack. An active
attack can alter the operation or resources of the system, eventually,
compromising the availability or integrity. The passive attack is possible that
attempts to make use of information or learn from the system, however,
system’s resources are not affected and here compromise is the confidentiality
(O-Connell, 2012). Active attack or threat is more dangerous and passive attack
can be danger of losing confidentiality.
Cyber threat is a clear security violation and exists with capability, event,
action, circumstance, breaching the security and result to harm. The severity can
be anticipated as it is not only accidental, but intentional(Waters & Ball, 2008).
Cyber attack and threat is used synonymously, based on the degree of its
severity and context, as cyberterrorism, cyberwarfare and cyber campaign. The
affect of the attack or threat can be simply an installation of personal computer
with spyware to destroying a nation’s infrastructure. In terms of degree, it is
more than hacking and data breaching activities. The threat has become more
severe and dangerous, because of the recently demonstrated Stuxnet worm,
which is used to attack, in 2010, the nuclear facilities in Iran, attacking the
products of sandbox and anti-bot. The severity of the fifth generation cyber
threats NotPetya ransomware and WannaCry in 2017, which impacted global
communities and businesses, all over the world by taking advantage of leakage
of tools, of National Security Agency, clearly indicate the severity and intensity
of the cyber threats in the future.