Identifying and Combating Emerging Threats in Information Systems

This report focuses on the identification and combating of emerging threats in Information Systems. It discusses potential damages, challenges/issues, and mitigation strategies. The report covers Ransomware, IoT Botnets, Phishing attacks, and Machine Learning aided attacks.

Running head: IDENTIFYING AND COMBATING EMERGING THREATS IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Identifying and combating emerging threats in Information Systems
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1IDENTIFYING AND COMBATING EMERGING THREATS IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Executive Summary
Information technology or cyber security could be defined as the techniques in order to protect the
networks, computer, data and programs from unauthorized access of various attacks, which are meant
for exploitation. The cyber security comprises of processes, controls and various kind of technologies,
which are mainly designed in order to secure different systems, data and network from cyber related
attacks. In the recent times, there is a high need for the security of the devices, which are connected
with the internet and are able to share vital information. This report focusses on the different kinds of
attacks and threats that might be posed on the internet networks.

2IDENTIFYING AND COMBATING EMERGING THREATS IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Table of Contents
1. Identification of Threats and Attacks.......................................................................................................3
2. Potential Damages...................................................................................................................................3
3. Challenges/Issues....................................................................................................................................4
4. Mitigation and Countermeasure Strategies.............................................................................................5
5. Conclusion...............................................................................................................................................6
6. References...............................................................................................................................................7

3IDENTIFYING AND COMBATING EMERGING THREATS IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS
1. Identification of Threats and Attacks
Standard controls are not adequate in order to stay protected from the aggressive and advanced
threats. A multi-layered approach towards cyber security that make use of machine based learning and
advanced system of analytics would be essential in order to defend themselves against multiple stage
attacks [1]. These attacks includes: Ransomware, IoT Botnets, Phishing attacks, Machine Learning aided
attacks.
Ransomware: In the recent times, the holding of the data of the organizations has increased
rapidly. The amount that was paid to the developers of malware shows the increasing penetration of
this technology within the internet network.
IoT Botnets: An enormous DDoS attack in the year 2016 had proved that the current systems
were inefficient regarding the scope of the recently designed cyber-attacks [2].
Phishing attacks: The ‘phishing’ is defined as a concept in which the hackers would send
deceitful emails from verified accounts for the purpose of targeting businesses with the help of
individual members of the staff [12].
Machine Learning aided attacks: According to a latest report by Intel Security firm, it has been
reported that the technology of machine learning is majorly been used in order to launch attacks on
social engineering.
2. Potential Damages
The attacks based on cyber security can have a major impact on the internet based network. The
threats and attacks that are being posed on the cyber security could cause a major harm to the
computer systems.

4IDENTIFYING AND COMBATING EMERGING THREATS IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Ransomware: This kind of attack if posed on a system could lead to loss of information if the
affected user does not pay the required amount within the proper time [9].
IoT botnet: The IoT botnet could manipulate the other devices. These could be easily enabled by
penetrating into a single connected device and thus transferring the virus from that device to other
devices and thus gain vital information [11].
Phishing attacks: These kind of cyber-attacks is deceitful as the attacks would firstly pose itself
as a trustful email and then it would make the systems vulnerable whenever the user would click on the
email. Clicking on the email would enable the tagged attachment and it would start its functioning. It
would release a malware that is capable of stealing valuable data.
Machine Learning aided attacks: In these kind of attacks, when the hackers would be able to
gain direct access to the public data, they could make use of tools for the complex analysis in order to
pick targets in a precise manner [8].
3. Challenges/Issues
Based on the attacks and threats that are being faced by cyber security, it can be said that there
are various challenges and issues to the security of internet technology [6]. The main challenges or the
issues faced by security firms are:
Design: Security experts suggest that an effective measure for security is an important aspect of
the cyberspace. The developers of the security of the cyberspace have mainly focused on the various
features of cyberspace. Many of the future needs for security cannot be predicted, which could pose an
extreme challenge for the designers [7].

5IDENTIFYING AND COMBATING EMERGING THREATS IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Environment: Cyberspace has been regarded as the major evolving technology in the history of
computers. Social media, big data, IoT, cloud computing, mobile computing are some of the
technologies that have complicated the evolving environment of threats to the cyber security.
Incentives: The structure for the incentives of the economy for cybersecurity could be regarded
as distorted. Cyber related crimes are often considered as profitable, cheap and safe for the criminals. In
contrast to that, the security of the networks could be expensive. The returns of economic investment
are also unsure.
4. Mitigation and Countermeasure Strategies
The information based infrastructures that are shared across private and public domains have
the capability of sharing various common attributes that are in relation with IT based deployments and
the communication of data. The integration strategies for multi-networking often leads to different
kinds of vulnerabilities [4]. This could be helpful in reducing the security features of an organization. The
different kinds of mitigation and strategies of countermeasure are described as follows:
Regular Backup: The regular backup of software and the configuration settings should be
retained for a minimum period of three months. This process is extremely vital in order to diminish the
data, which is encrypted or which could be deleted with the help of some ransomware [5].
Continuity of Business and Plans for Disaster Recovery: The plans are being tested,
documented and then they are printed on a softcopy that could be stored in the online platform.
Capabilities of System-Recovery: The capabilities for the recovery of the system can assist with
the mitigation of the destructive malware, malicious files that are meant to penetrate into the systems
and other threats that can affect the cyberspace [10].

6IDENTIFYING AND COMBATING EMERGING THREATS IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Personnel Management: It could be defined as the ongoing examination for different users who
have privileged access. It would disable every account of departing users and would thus be able to
remind users of their obligations of penalties and security [3].
5. Conclusion
Based on the above report, it could be concluded that cyber security is a major aspect in the
field of computing. The threats to the cyberspace environment could yield vital results for the future
prospect of business and other organizations. Though there are many threats related to the cyberspace
environment, yet stringent measures could help in mitigating the associated risks.

7IDENTIFYING AND COMBATING EMERGING THREATS IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS
6. References
[1]. Von Solms, Rossouw, and Johan Van Niekerk. "From information security to cyber
security." computers & security38 (2013): 97-102.
[2]. Bertino, Elisa, and Nayeem Islam. "Botnets and internet of things security." Computer 50, no. 2
(2017): 76-79.
[3]. Wang, W., & Lu, Z. (2013). Cyber security in the smart grid: Survey and challenges. Computer
Networks, 57(5), 1344-1371.
[4]. Cavelty, Myriam Dunn. "Breaking the cyber-security dilemma: Aligning security needs and removing
vulnerabilities." Science and Engineering Ethics 20, no. 3 (2014): 701-715.
[5]. Lu, P., Zhang, L., Liu, X., Yao, J., & Zhu, Z. (2015). Highly efficient data migration and backup for big
data applications in elastic optical inter-data-center networks. IEEE Network, 29(5), 36-42.
[6]. Wang, Wenye, and Zhuo Lu. "Cyber security in the smart grid: Survey and challenges." Computer
Networks 57, no. 5 (2013): 1344-1371.
[7]. Gunes, Volkan, Steffen Peter, Tony Givargis, and Frank Vahid. "A survey on concepts, applications,
and challenges in cyber-physical systems." KSII Transactions on Internet & Information Systems 8, no. 12
(2014).
[8]. Joseph, Anthony D., Pavel Laskov, Fabio Roli, J. Doug Tygar, and Blaine Nelson. "Machine learning
methods for computer security (Dagstuhl Perspectives Workshop 12371)." In Dagstuhl Manifestos, vol.
3, no. 1. Schloss Dagstuhl-Leibniz-Zentrum fuer Informatik, 2013.
[9]. Hampton, Nikolai, and Zubair A. Baig. "Ransomware: Emergence of the cyber-extortion menace."
(2015).

8IDENTIFYING AND COMBATING EMERGING THREATS IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS
[10]. White, Gregory B., Eric A. Fisch, and Udo W. Pooch. Computer system and network security. CRC
press, 2017.
[11]. Bertino, Elisa, and Nayeem Islam. "Botnets and internet of things security." Computer 50, no. 2
(2017): 76-79.
[12]. Halevi, Tzipora, James Lewis, and Nasir Memon. "A pilot study of cyber security and privacy related
behavior and personality traits." In Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on World Wide
Web, pp. 737-744. ACM, 2013.