Lecture Notes: Computer and Bio Viruses, Information Security, and Case Studies

Introduction

• Apology for delay due to personal medical test.
• Lecture begins discussing computer viruses, comparing them to bio-viruses.

Computer Viruses

• Propagation: Often via media like USB drives.
  • Example of virus transfer using USB between infected and non-infected PCs.
• Malware Types:
  • Worms: Do not require media; spread through networks, infect devices without physical transfer.

Biological Viruses

• Comparison with computer viruses.
• COVID-19 and others spread easily without media.
• Mosquito-borne viruses require a vector for transfer.

Lecture Structure

• Current and next session planned for covering question papers, SolarWinds case study.
• Discuss past exam papers for preparation.

Information Security

• Incident Response: Documentation, policy, procedure, confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
  • C.I.A Triad: Key objectives of information security.
• Incident Management: Reporting, weakness documentation, responsibilities.

Case Studies

Bangladesh Central Bank Cyber Attack

• Overview: Hackers infiltrated using malware targeting SWIFT system; resulted in $81 million loss.
• Sequence: Social engineering to capture user credentials, unauthorized transfers to charity accounts.
• Key Points:
  • Internal support suspected.
  • Incident reporting is critical to prevent similar attacks.
  • Importance of two-factor authentication and regular security audits.

SolarWinds Supply Chain Attack

• Overview: Attackers embedded malware in Orion software, impacting 18,000 customers including federal agencies.
• Impact: $90 million recovery cost; reputational damage.
• Lessons:
  • Importance of vendor security, regular audits, and multi-factor authentication.
  • Compliance with supply chain management procedures.

Security Concepts and Terminology

• Incident: Suspicious event potentially compromising data.
• Data Breach: Confirmed unauthorized access or compromise of data.
• Advanced Persistent Threat (APT): Long-term covert cyberattack.

Cybersecurity Attacks

• Types of Attacks: Malware, phishing, zero-day, DDoS, man-in-the-middle.
• Attack Vectors: USBs, network vulnerabilities, weak passwords.

Exam Preparation

• Importance of understanding and differentiating types of attacks.
• Review of past paper questions and potential answers.

Conclusion

• Next session to cover legal aspects and more exam-focused content.
• Encourage attendance for exam preparation discussions.