Cyber Attacks

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Ohio State University *

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MISC

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Information Systems

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Nov 24, 2024

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1 Cyber Attacks Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Instructor’s Name Course Date

2 The modern world is characterized by numerous technological advancements as people incorporate computers and computer software into their typical activities. As a result, many individuals and organizations harmonize their activities and information in their computer systems or networks, protected using passwords to deter unauthorized access. However, cyber- attacks have become everyday endeavors perpetrated by individuals with malicious intentions. A cyber-attack is an assault conducted by cybercriminals through a computer on single or multiple networks or computers. This essay will answer several cyber-attack questions to gain deep insights into these horrible occurrences. Question 1: What is Malware, and how does it spread? Malware is a collective term referring to all kinds of malicious software created to exploit or harm any service, computer, or network ( Singh & Singh, 2021) . Cyber-criminals primarily use Malware to obtain protected data and consequently use it to blackmail their victims for monetary gains. Malicious hackers can use Malware to obtain personal information, financial data, passwords, or healthcare records ( Singh & Singh, 2021) . Since its initial days, Malware has constantly attacked computer systems and networks ( Singh & Singh, 2021) . It spreads through malvertising, email attachments, infected USB drives, fake software installations, text messages, phishing emails, and even infected apps. Malicious hackers use these means to spread Malware into unsuspecting victims’ computer systems or networks ( Singh & Singh, 2021) . Viruses are the common forms of Malware that are mainly attachments in emails that carry the virus payload responsible for the malicious endeavor. A device becomes infected once a victim opens such an infected attachment. Question 2: What is a Buffer-Overflow attack?

3 Buffers are memory storage units in computers that temporarily store data when transferred to another location ( Rauf et al., 2020) . A buffer overrun or transfer happens when the amount of data supersedes the existing carrying capacity of the memory unit or buffer. For instance, if a buffer is created to anticipate data equivalent to 10 bytes, if this buffer receives 12 bytes of data, the extra 2 bytes will be overwritten in adjacent memory regions. Cybercriminals attack buffer overruns by overwriting an application’s memory ( Rauf et al., 2020) . Such attacks alter a program’s execution path resulting in responses that expose personal information and harm files. Ideally, an attacker aware of a program’s layout can deliberately introduce excessive information that exceeds a buffer’s memory capacity to overwrite specific storage regions ( Rauf et al., 2020) . Question 3: What are some tools that a hacker can use to crack passwords? Since ancient times, passwords have been in play in safeguarding crucial information from unauthorized access. However, malicious individuals have always devised techniques of breaking passwords to gain access to protected computer networks or systems by restoring lost passwords. Hackers mainly use CrackStation in cracking passwords ( Thite & Nighot, 2021) . This tool relies on lookup tables for cracking numerous hashes faster. However, this tool is limited to non-salted hashes free from random strings. Hackers also use the Brutus password cracker, which obtains usernames and passwords from applications, websites, and operating systems ( Thite & Nighot, 2021) . Hackers who use this tool rely on the Dictionary attack for recollecting usernames and passwords. The other password cracking tool is the WFuzz which enables hackers to notice and identify weaknesses in a website application ( Thite & Nighot, 2021) . This software is compatible with Linux, macOS, and Windows computer systems.

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4 In conclusion, cyber security is a fundamental aspect in safeguarding the intrusion of computer systems and networks from unauthorized access by malicious individuals. As a result, individuals and organizations should test their systems for weaknesses to reinforce them before malicious people can exploit them. Cyber attacks are highly detrimental because they expose personal information that can be leveraged against victims for financial gains.

5 References Singh, A. P., & Singh, M. (2021). A comparative review of malware analysis and detection in HTTPs traffic. International Journal of Computing and Digital Systems , 10 (1), 111-123. Thite, M. V., & Nighot, M. (2021). Honeyword for security: A review. International Journal , 6 (5). Rauf, R. M., Rivaldo, T. E., & Amiruddin, A. (2020, July). A review of attacks, objects, and mitigations on web services. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (Vol. 852, No. 1, p. 012139). IOP Publishing.

Cyber Attacks

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