Internet security

Internet security is a branch of computer security specifically related to the Internet, often involving browser security but also network security on a more general level as it applies to other applications or operating systems on a whole. Its objective is to establish rules and measures to use against attacks over the Internet.[1] The Internet represents an insecure channel for exchanging information leading to a high risk of intrusion or fraud, such as phishing.[2] Different methods have been used to protect the transfer of data, including encryption and from-the-ground-up engineering.[3]

Threats

Malicious software

A computer user can be tricked or forced into downloading software onto a computer that is of malicious intent. Such software comes in many forms, such as viruses, Trojan horses, spyware, and worms.

Denial-of-service attacks

A denial-of-service attack (DoS attack) or distributed denial-of-service attack (DDoS attack) is an attempt to make a computer resource unavailable to its intended users. Although the means to carry out, motives for, and targets of a DoS attack may vary, it generally consists of the concerted efforts to prevent an Internet site or service from functioning efficiently or at all, temporarily or indefinitely. According to businesses who participated in an international business security survey, 25% of respondents experienced a DoS attack in 2007 and 16.8% experienced one in 2010.[4]

Phishing

Main article: Phishing

Phishing occurs when the attacker pretends to be a trustworthy entity, either via email or web page. Victims are directed to fake web pages, which are dressed to look legitimate, via spoof emails, instant messenger/social media or other avenues. Often tactics such as email spoofing are used to make emails appear to be from legitimate senders, or long complex subdomains hide the real website host.[5][6] Insurance group RSA said that phishing accounted for worldwide losses of $1.5 Billion in 2012.[7]

Application vulnerabilities

Main article: Application security

Applications used to access Internet resources may contain security vulnerabilities such as memory safety bugs or flawed authentication checks. The most severe of these bugs can give network attackers full control over the computer. Most security applications and suites are incapable of adequate defense against these kinds of attacks.[8]

Remedies

Network layer security

TCP/IP protocols may be secured with cryptographic methods and security protocols. These protocols include Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), succeeded by Transport Layer Security (TLS) for web traffic, Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) for email, and IPsec for the network layer security.

Internet Protocol Security (IPsec)

IPsec is designed to protect TCP/IP communication in a secure manner. It is a set of security extensions developed by the Internet Task Force (IETF). It provides security and authentication at the IP layer by transforming data using encryption. Two main types of transformation that form the basis of IPsec: the Authentication Header (AH) and ESP. These two protocols provide data integrity, data origin authentication, and anti-replay service. These protocols can be used alone or in combination to provide the desired set of security services for the Internet Protocol (IP) layer.

The basic components of the IPsec security architecture are described in terms of the following functionalities:

The set of security services provided at the IP layer includes access control, data origin integrity, protection against replays, and confidentiality. The algorithm allows these sets to work independently without affecting other parts of the implementation. The IPsec implementation is operated in a host or security gateway environment giving protection to IP traffic.

Security token

Some online sites offer customers the ability to use a six-digit code which randomly changes every 30–60 seconds on a security token. The keys on the security token have built in mathematical computations and manipulate numbers based on the current time built into the device. This means that every thirty seconds there is only a certain array of numbers possible which would be correct to validate access to the online account. The website that the user is logging into would be made aware of that devices' serial number and would know the computation and correct time built into the device to verify that the number given is indeed one of the handful of six-digit numbers that works in that given 30-60 second cycle. After 30–60 seconds the device will present a new random six-digit number which can log into the website.[9]

Electronic mail security

Background

Email messages are composed, delivered, and stored in a multiple step process, which starts with the message's composition. When the user finishes composing the message and sends it, the message is transformed into a standard format: an RFC 2822 formatted message. Afterwards, the message can be transmitted. Using a network connection, the mail client, referred to as a mail user agent (MUA), connects to a mail transfer agent (MTA) operating on the mail server. The mail client then provides the sender’s identity to the server. Next, using the mail server commands, the client sends the recipient list to the mail server. The client then supplies the message. Once the mail server receives and processes the message, several events occur: recipient server identification, connection establishment, and message transmission. Using Domain Name System (DNS) services, the sender’s mail server determines the mail server(s) for the recipient(s). Then, the server opens up a connection(s) to the recipient mail server(s) and sends the message employing a process similar to that used by the originating client, delivering the message to the recipient(s).

Pretty Good Privacy (PGP)

Pretty Good Privacy provides confidentiality by encrypting messages to be transmitted or data files to be stored using an encryption algorithm such as Triple DES or CAST-128. Email messages can be protected by using cryptography in various ways, such as the following:

  • Signing an email message to ensure its integrity and confirm the identity of its sender.
  • Encrypting the body of an email message to ensure its confidentiality.
  • Encrypting the communications between mail servers to protect the confidentiality of both message body and message header.

The first two methods, message signing and message body encryption, are often used together; however, encrypting the transmissions between mail servers is typically used only when two organizations want to protect emails regularly sent between each other. For example, the organizations could establish a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt the communications between their mail servers over the Internet.[10] Unlike methods that can only encrypt a message body, a VPN can encrypt entire messages, including email header information such as senders, recipients, and subjects. In some cases, organizations may need to protect header information. However, a VPN solution alone cannot provide a message signing mechanism, nor can it provide protection for email messages along the entire route from sender to recipient.

Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME)

MIME transforms non-ASCII data at the sender's site to Network Virtual Terminal (NVT) ASCII data and delivers it to client's Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) to be sent through the Internet.[11] The server SMTP at the receiver's side receives the NVT ASCII data and delivers it to MIME to be transformed back to the original non-ASCII data.

Message Authentication Code

A Message authentication code (MAC) is a cryptography method that uses a secret key to encrypt a message. This method outputs a MAC value that can be decrypted by the receiver, using the same secret key used by the sender. The Message Authentication Code protects both a message's data integrity as well as its authenticity.[12]

Firewalls

A computer firewall controls access between networks. It generally consists of gateways and filters which vary from one firewall to another. Firewalls also screen network traffic and are able to block traffic that is dangerous. Firewalls act as the intermediate server between SMTP and Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) connections.

Role of firewalls in web security

Firewalls impose restrictions on incoming and outgoing Network packets to and from private networks. Incoming or outgoing traffic must pass through the firewall; only authorized traffic is allowed to pass through it. Firewalls create checkpoints between an internal private network and the public Internet, also known as choke points(borrowed from the identical military term of a combat limiting geographical feature). Firewalls can create choke points based on IP source and TCP port number. They can also serve as the platform for IPsec. Using tunnel mode capability, firewall can be used to implement VPNs. Firewalls can also limit network exposure by hiding the internal network system and information from the public Internet.

Types of firewall

Packet filter

A packet filter is a first generation firewall that processes network traffic on a packet-by-packet basis. Its main job is to filter traffic from a remote IP host, so a router is needed to connect the internal network to the Internet. The router is known as a screening router, which screens packets leaving and entering the network.

Stateful packet inspection

In a stateful firewall the circuit-level gateway is a proxy server that operates at the network level of an Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model and statically defines what traffic will be allowed. Circuit proxies will forward Network packets (formatted unit of data ) containing a given port number, if the port is permitted by the algorithm. The main advantage of a proxy server is its ability to provide Network Address Translation (NAT), which can hide the user's IP address from the Internet, effectively protecting all internal information from the Internet.

Application-level gateway

An application-level firewall is a third generation firewall where a proxy server operates at the very top of the OSI model, the IP suite application level. A network packet is forwarded only if a connection is established using a known protocol. Application-level gateways are notable for analyzing entire messages rather than individual packets of data when the data are being sent or received.

Browser choice

Main article: Browser security

Web browser statistics tend to affect the amount a Web browser is exploited. For example, Internet Explorer 6, which used to own a majority of the Web browser market share,[13] is considered extremely insecure[14] because vulnerabilities were exploited due to its former popularity. Since browser choice is more evenly distributed (Internet Explorer at 28.5%, Firefox at 18.4%, Google Chrome at 40.8%, and so on)[13] and vulnerabilities are exploited in many different browsers.[15][16][17]

Internet security products

Antivirus

Antivirus software and Internet security programs can protect a programmable device from attack by detecting and eliminating viruses; Antivirus software was mainly shareware in the early years of the Internet, but there are now several free security applications on the Internet to choose from for all platforms.[18]

Password managers

A password manager is a software application that helps a user store and organize passwords. Password managers usually store passwords encrypted, requiring the user to create a master password; a single, ideally very strong password which grants the user access to their entire password database.

Security suites

So called security suites were first offered for sale in 2003 (McAfee) and contain a suite of firewalls, anti-virus, anti-spyware and more.[19] They may now offer theft protection, portable storage device safety check, private Internet browsing, cloud anti-spam, a file shredder or make security-related decisions (answering popup windows) and several were free of charge[20] as of at least 2012.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Gralla, Preston (2007). How the Internet Works. Indianapolis: Que Pub. ISBN 0-7897-2132-5.
  2. ↑ Rhee, M. Y. (2003). Internet Security: Cryptographic Principles,Algorithms and Protocols. Chichester: Wiley. ISBN 0-470-85285-2.
  3. ↑ An example of a completely re-engineered computer is the Librem laptop which uses components certified by web-security experts. It was launched after a crowd funding campaign in 2015.
  4. ↑ "Information Security: A Growing Need of Businesses and Industries Worldwide". University of Alabama at Birmingham Business Program. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  5. ↑ Ramzan, Zulfikar (2010). "Phishing attacks and countermeasures". In Stamp, Mark & Stavroulakis, Peter. Handbook of Information and Communication Security. Springer. ISBN 9783642041174.
  6. ↑ Van der Merwe, A J, Loock, M, Dabrowski, M. (2005), Characteristics and Responsibilities involved in a Phishing Attack, Winter International Symposium on Information and Communication Technologies, Cape Town, January 2005.
  7. ↑ "2012 Global Losses From Phishing Estimated At $1.5 Bn". FirstPost. February 20, 2013. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Improving Web Application Security: Threats and Countermeasures". msdn.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
  9. ↑ Margaret Rouse (September 2005). "What is a security token?". SearchSecurity.com. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  10. ↑ "Virtual Private Network". NASA. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  11. ↑ Asgaut Eng (1996-04-10). "Network Virtual Terminal". The Norwegian Institute of Technology ppv.org. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  12. ↑ "What Is a Message Authentication Code?". Wisegeek.com. Retrieved 2013-04-20.
  13. 1 2 "Browser Statistics". W3Schools.com. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  14. ↑ Bradly, Tony. "It's Time to Finally Drop Internet Explorer 6". PCWorld.com. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  15. ↑ Messmer, Ellen and NetworkWorld (2010-11-16). "Google Chrome Tops 'Dirty Dozen' Vulnerable Apps List". PCWorld.com. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  16. ↑ Keizer, Greg (2009-07-15). "Firefox 35 vulnerability confirmed". PCWorld.com. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  17. ↑ Skinner, Carrie-Ann. "Opera Plugs "Severe" Browser Hole". PC World.com. Archived from the original on May 20, 2009. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  18. ↑ Larkin, Eric (2008-08-26). "Build Your Own Free Security Suite". Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  19. ↑ Rebbapragada, Narasu. "All-in-one Security". PC World.com. Archived from the original on October 27, 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  20. ↑ "Free products for PC security". 2015-10-08.

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