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A network attack can be defined as any method, process or means used to maliciously attempt to compromise the security of the network.
Types of Network Attacks
While there are many different types of network attacks, a few can be regarded as the more commonly performed network attacks.
* Data modification: It pertains to a network attack where confidential company data is interpreted, deleted, or modified.
* Eavesdropping: This type of network attack occurs when an attacker monitors or listens to network traffic in transit, and then interprets all
unprotected data.
* Sniffer attacks: In this type of network attack, the contents of packets on a network are analyzed and used for malicious purposes.
Worms
A worm is an autonomous code that propagates over a network, targeting hard drive space and processor cycles. Worms not only infects
files on one system but can propagate to other systems on the network.
Trojan Horses
A Trojan horse or simply Trojan, is a file or e-mail attachment which is disguised as being a friendly, legitimate file. When executed though,
the file corrupts data and can even install a backdoor which hackers can utilize to access the network.
Viruses
A virus can be defined as a malicious code which affects and infects files on a system. Numerous instances of the files are then recreated.
Viruses usually lead to some sort of data loss, and/or system failure. A virus can get into a system through infected floppy disks, an e-mail
attachment, or through downloading software infected with the virus.
Common types of viruses are Boot sector viruses, File viruses or program viruses or parasitic viruses, Multipartite viruses, Macro viruses,
Polymorphic viruses, etc.
The worst viruses of all time
Michelangelo, 1991
The worst MS-DOS virus ever, Michelangelo attacked the boot sector of your hard drive and any floppy drive inserted into the computer, which
caused the virus to spread rapidly.
Melissa, 1999
Technically a worm, Melissa collapsed entire email systems by causing computers to send mountains of messages to each other.
ILOVEYOU, 2000
This was notable for being one of the first viruses to trick users into opening a file, which in this case claimed to be a love letter sent to the
recipient. In reality, the file was a VBS script that sent mountains of junk mail and deleted thousands of files. It remains perhaps the worst
worm of all time.
Code Red, 2001
An early "blended threat" attack, Code Red targeted Web servers instead of user machines, defacing websites and later launching
denial-of-service attacks on a host of IP addresses, including those of the White House.
Nimda, 2001
Nimda infected both Web servers and user machines and found paths into computers so effectively that, 22 minutes after it was released, it
became the Internet's most widespread virus at the time.
Slammer, 2003
Another fast spreader, this worm infected about 75,000 systems in just 10 minutes, slowing the Internet to a crawl (much like Code Red)
and shutting down thousands of websites.
MyDoom, 2004
Notable as the fastest-spreading email virus of all time, MyDoom infected computers so they would, in turn, send even more junk mail.
Storm, 2007
The worst recent virus, Storm spread via email spam with a fake attachment and ultimately infected up to 10 million computers, causing
them to join its zombie botnet. The storm, a backdoor Trojan horse, swooped in and infected thousands of computers using an email with a
subject line about a weather disaster.
Recent Threats
Conficker, February, 2009
Conficker computer worm that has already hit defense computers in Britain and France infect German military systems, and has
exasperated computer users right around the globe in recent weeks, but security-conscious military users had been thought to be better
prepared to repel it.
April Fool’s virus, 2009
Conficker C or April Fool’s virus is a sophisticated piece of malicious computer software, or malware that installs itself on a PC hard drive
via specially written web pages and then conceals itself on a computer. And the problem is that no one still has any clue what exactly
Conficker C is programmed to do. It is lying dormant in your computer right now and it will strike you and the world on April 1.
ATM virus, 2009
According to the reports, security agencies have warned of a new software virus which infects Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) to steal
money from bank accounts of their users.
Predicting Network Threats
To protect your network infrastructure, you need to be able to predict the types of network threats to which it is vulnerable. This should include
an analysis of the risks that each identified network threat imposes on the network infrastructure.
A model known as STRIDE is used by security experts to classify network threats:
1. Spoofing identity
2. Tampering with data
3. Repudiation
4. Information disclosure
5. Denial of service
6. Elevation of privilege
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