Post 6: Network Security

    Phishing and smishing attacks are at an all-time high, and these examples continue to show themselves. These tactics are deceptive and are used to trick users. At the same time, computer viruses can disrupt or destroy valuable data, compromising personal and organizational data and privacy, leading to financial and reputational damage. We can safeguard information and maintain system integrity by understanding the risks of computer viruses, phishing, and smishing.

     Computer systems are vulnerable to phishing and smishing because it is easy for users to make mistakes and click on a bad link sent through a fake email. Individuals are gatekeepers to personally identifiable information and potentially sensitive data that could impact an organization's assets (Suzuki, 2021). The ball is in our courts, and we must be aware of the consequences and repercussions that could involve life or company-changing actions. Not all cyber-attacks are broadcast or intended to spread beyond a specific computer, and not all infectious diseases are contagious. However, the potential for spread means that the threat to any individual or computer depends in part on the health of the overall population or network (Smith, 2016). Viruses come in many varieties, and they can have different goals, including simple vandalism to financial gain and disabling parts of an enemy nation's infrastructure (TestOut Corp, 2024).

    The symptoms of a computer virus include intrusive pop-ups, slow performance, frequent crashes, unknown log-in items, storage space shortage, missing files, increased network traffic, browser homepage change, hijacked email, and disabled antivirus (Atamaniuk, 2021). The damage depends on the hacker’s intentions, ranging from wanting to show off their skills to terrorism. Viruses can delete programs, manipulate keyboards, allow access to sensitive information, or flood a network with traffic, making it impossible to do anything online (Atamaniuk, 2021). The effects of a computer virus can lead to issues with programming and files, slower operating speed, or even people from your contacts receiving messages with attachments or links from you. Phishing and smishing can lead users to click on a bad link or respond to a bad email, which in turn lets the virus enter, leading to many of the things mentioned above.  

    A recommendation to prevent phishing and smishing is to remain cautious regarding any email or text message you receive. When you receive a suspicious email, pay attention to the email address, subject, and even the information in the body. You will usually see misspelled or misplaced words. Many scammers send emails from places a user may know, with one tiny change in the subject or email address. A VPN is a great way to safeguard a computer from being hacked. Antivirus software is set up for real-time scanning. Real-time scanning is a feature in antivirus software that constantly watches your computer for threats. It checks files, programs, and processes as you open or use them to ensure they are safe (TestOut Corp, 2024).

References

Atamaniuk, M. (2021, August 23). The symptoms and effects of computer viruses you need to know. https://clario.co/blog/computer-virus-symptoms-effects/

Suzuki, Y. E., & Monroy, S. a. S. (2021). Prevention and mitigation measures against phishing emails: a sequential schema model. Security Journal, 35(4), 1162–1182. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41284-021-00318-x

Smith, F. L. (2016). Malware and Disease: Lessons from Cyber Intelligence for Public Health Surveillance. Health Security, 14(5), 305–314. https://doi.org/10.1089/hs.2015.0077

TestOut Corp. (2024). CertMaster Learn Tech+. http://www.testout.com