Assignment 1: Cybersecurity in Information Technology

Introduction

Information technology is described as a device which stores, retrieves, transmits and manipulate data. The protection of data is important, as everything revolves around the internet, privacy and confidential documents are usually stored with great security. Maintaining Cybersecurity has been a major issue over the past decade, where problems like Cryptojacking, Ransomware and IoT attacks are becoming increasingly difficult for IT experts, as hackers are finding more ways to exploit the system. As cryptocurrency becomes a known currency within internet, cybercriminals are often finding ways to profit by taking resources off others.

Body

Cryptocurrency popularity is ever-growing in in the 21 st century as an alternative economy based within the world wide web. With this the internet is also vulnerable to cyber-crime. CryptoJacking is one of the many. its method is where an unauthorise user will use someones computer to mine cryptocurrency without them knowing. The most common cryptojacking is called browser based this is when the hacker tricks the user to click unto a links where JavaScript code then auto-executes unto the browser thus infecting it.(Nadeau, 2018). An example recently of Coinhive cryptojacking is seen to implemented into googles ad system as (Claburn, 2018) explains ‘ piggybacks on Googles doubleclick ad that appear on youtube among other sites’ the shows that even on reputable sites youtube where it should be cybersecured can be exploited easily by a code. There is also a statisitic by TrendMicro researchers which shows that almost 285 per cent increase of coinhive miners. Because of the rise of cryptocurrency, internet security of big companies like Google have become vulnerable. As a result Google had tried enforced a multilayer detection system to counter, however further explained by (Murphy, 2018) ‘up against hackers who continuously change tactics to try and get around those systems’ Systems are not always 100 percent security proof, and hackers will always devise way for a profit.

Cryptoransomware is data based where a software will search for valuable information and encrypts it so the victim cannot access it. Locker ransomware is when hardware is locked from the victim, effectively locking them out for good. Usually ransomware often asks for fee to restore access, this is method described by (Symantec 2019) to get pressuring targets to great lengths in order to pay the fee. How the Gcoder worked in the beginning was by using asymmetric RSA encryption which was stored onto the computer. RSA encryption is an algorigthm which is used to encrypt and decrypt messages. Locker ransomware came in a different form, instead of antivirus or performance enhancing software. It took shape of message either by fake windows security center or law enforcement notice, which usually claims that the victim has broken the law or needing to reactivate licence.

As technology is moving to smaller and more portable by the year. The integration of internet to these devices has become the norm, designed life to be easier and simpler. However as it constantly evolves there is the issue of security. Commonly devices connected to the internet and usually unsecured, easily to be hacked. Today cars have ECUs’ it is like the brains, it is electronically controlled which handles steering and braking which effects the safety of the car.Munir also explains that manufacturers generate a single key for vehicles and storing unto the car where is easily obtained and vulnerable. An article by (Trendmicro, 2019) conveys a real time incident where tesla model s on autopilot has hit a pedestrian travelling 40-45 mph, furthermore Tempe police chief explains ‘its very clear it would be difficult to avoid this collison in any kind of mode’ however if it was the autopilots fault and not the humans, then this points out that flaws within the technology which can also theorize the potential of malicious hackers.