Computer Security: Crime and Fraud Protection

COMPUTER SECURITY: CRIME AND FRAUD PROTECTION Delta Publishing Company 1 Copyright 2005 by DELTA PUBLISHING COMPANY P.O. Box 5332, Los Alamitos, CA 90721-5332 All rights reserved. No part of this course may be reproduced in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher. 2 WHAT THIS COURSE WILL DO FOR YOU COMPUTER SECURITY: PREVENTING COMPUTER CRIMES is written primarily to help business executives and information systems/computer professionals protect the computer and the data from a wide variety of threats. Computers are an integral part of everyday operations. Organizations are dependent upon their computer systems. A failure of the computer system is likely to have a critical impact on the organization. Potential vulnerabilities in a computer system could undermine operations and therefore, must be minimized or eliminated. This course addresses a wide range of computer security issues. It is intended to provide practical and thorough guidance. The emphasis is on practical guidance rather than on theory. It helps managers improve computer security in their organizations. Security concerns have heightened in the recent years. News events about computer related data errors, thefts, burglaries, fires, and sabotage dominate. The nature of the computing environment has changed significantly. The increased use of networked computers, including the Internet, Intranet, and Extranet, has had a profound effect on computer security. The greatest advantage of remote access via networks is convenience. This convenience makes the system more vulnerable to loss. As the number of points from which the computer can be accessed increases, so does the threat of attack. More caution is clearly needed to counter such threats. Weak computer security and lack of internal controls increases an organization's vulnerability. The major steps in managing computer security are discussed in this course. We help business executives identify resources in their organizations that need to be protected. Sometime, the organization may not even consider the information to be "valuable" to anyone else and may not be willing to take security precautions. This is a serious mistake. Frequently, hackers are interested in obtaining access to private or confidential information. Hackers often steal or destroy data or information simply because it is there! Other hackers may delete or destroy files in an attempt to cover their illegal activity. The course highlights the need for a comprehensive security plan in an organization and explains why a casual attitude towards computer security is never justified. The costs and benefits of various security safeguards are also discussed. The cost of a security safeguards includes not only the direct cost of the safeguards, such as equipment and installation costs, but also indirect costs such as employee morale and productivity. It is important to recognize that increasing security typically results in reduced convenience. For example, employees may resent the inconvenience that results from implementing security safeguards. Too much security can be just as detrimental as too little security; a balance must be maintained. Special emphasis is given to contingency planning. Assuming that security is violated, how do you recover? What are the data backup policies? What are the legal consequences? What will be the financial impact? A risk analysis should be performed in planning computer security policies and financial support. 3 Computer security risks fall into one of three major categories: destruction, modification, and disclosure. Each of these may be further classified into intentional, unintentional and environmental attacks. The threat comes from computer criminals and disgruntled employees who intend to defraud, sabotage, and "hack". It also comes from computer users who are careless or negligent. Lastly, the threat comes from the environment; an organization must protect itself from disasters such as fire, flood, and earthquakes. An effective security plan must consider all three types of threats: intentional attacks, unintentional attacks, and environmental attacks. Insurance is also discussed in the course. What is the company's degree of risk exposure? Insurance policies should be taken out to cover such risks as theft, fraud, intentional destruction, and forgery. Business interruption insurance covers lost profits during downtime. This course addresses the security concerns of business managers. This course is designed as a practical, “how to” guide. We provide extensive examples to illustrate practical applications. The tools and techniques in this course can be adopted outright or modified to suit individual needs. Checklists, charts, graphs, diagrams, report forms, schedules, tables, exhibits, illustrations, and step-by-step instructions enhance the course’s practical use. Answers to commonly used questions are also given. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS What This Course Will Do For You Chapter 1—Organizational Policy Chapter 2—Physical Security and Data Preservation Chapter 3—Hardware Security Chapter 4—Software Security Chapter 5—Personnel Security Chapter 6—Network Security Chapter 7—Security Policy Chapter 8—Contingency Planning Chapter 9—Auditing and Legal Issues Chapter 10--- Computer Crime, Cyberfraud, and Recent Trends GLOSSARY 5 CHAPTER 1 ORGANIZATIONAL POLICY Learning Objectives: After studying this chapter you will be able to: 1. Develop organizational policies. 2. Devise and implement security administration concepts. 3. Utilize a physical security system. 4. Prepare and install procedural security safeguards. 5. Implement a logical security or access control system. 6. Establish a security policy. 7. Appoint a security administrator to set security policy. Today the cost to businesses of stolen, misused, or altered information can be high, especially if real or purported damages to customers can be traced back to mismanagement. That’s why you must value your information resources within the context of your business goals and constraints. The objective of security management is to eliminate or minimize computer vulnerability to destruction, modification, or disclosure. Before we can discuss information security, we must see how that security works. A key consideration is the physical location of the organization. Naturally, more security is needed in areas of high crime, although this may take the form of less expensive generic physical measures. Who uses the information will also affect the security measures chosen. Some users need to alter data; others simply need to access it. If a security plan is to be effective, top management must be fully convinced of the need to take counteractive steps. To assess the seriousness of a computer breakdown or loss of data, each business has to evaluate threats to the company, the potential losses if the threats are realized, and the time and cost that will be necessary to recover from any breach in security. The proliferation of networks scatters security issues across the globe and increases the need for inexpensive but effective levels of security. Physical security measures reflect the location of each component, but procedural measures, especially in a large organization, though they may seem obtrusive, are of equal importance. Personal computers are another potential security threat. More and more people operate their PCs with telecommunications services to connect to central computers and network services. To limit the damage that can be done each user must be identified and that identity authenticated. The user is then allowed to perform only authorized actions. 6 Audits can be very valuable for detecting security violations and deterring future violations. A security violation may be indicated from customer or vendor complaints that show discrepancies or errors; on the other hand, variance allowances can cover up fraudulent activity. Audit trails used to produce exception reports are especially valuable to managers. Standard questions include who accessed what data, whether the data were altered, or whether access-only employees attempted alteration. Exception reports are best used daily because they are after-the-fact reports. You may also choose to look only at reports from areas of high vulnerability or where there is a history of corruption or attempted corruption. A good manager will know the types and forms of information generated and how the information is used by the business before planning how to manage it. Security measures in an information resource management program must be practical, flexible, and in tune with the needs of the business. A risk-management approach recognizes alternatives and decision choices at each step in information resources management in order to develop a program that meshes with ongoing business practices. It is your responsibility as a manager to (1) assist with the design and implementation of security procedures and controls, and (2) ensure that these remain effective by continuous internal audits. To do this you must: • Identify the risks. • Evaluate the risks. • Install appropriate controls. • Prepare a contingency plan. • Continually monitor those controls against the plan. Misuse of information is costly. Ask yourself, “Where in the business scheme does this information work?” identifying not only the department but also the type of usage (strategic, tactical, operational, or historical). This will help you determine how secure that information must be. Its value must justify the expense

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