Class : XII A

Unit : V
Topic : Network Security Concepts
Sub Topic Covered :
Threats and prevention from Viruses, Worms, Trojan horse, Spams,Use of Cookies, Protection
using Firewall, India IT Act, Cyber Law, Cyber Crimes, IPR issues, Hacking.

Network Security :

Network Security means the security measures taken to protect data during their transmission
and to guarantee that data transmissions are authentic. While ensuring network security, the
concerns are to make sure that only legal or authorized users and programs gain access to
information resources like databases.

Two fundamental approaches are in use : Conventional encryption and public key encryption.

Protection Methods :

1. Authorization : Authorizatio determines whether the service provider has granted

access to the webservice to the requestor. Authorization is performed by asking the user
a legal login-id. If the user is able to provide a legal login-id, he/she is considered an
authorized user.
2. Authentication : Authentication is also termed as password-protection as the
authorized user is asked to provide a valid password, and if he/she is able to do this,
he/she is considered to be an authentic user.
3. Encrypted Smart Cards : An encrypted smart cart is a hand held smart card that can
generate a token that a computer system can recognize. Everytime a new and different
token is generated, which even-though cracked or hacked, can not be used later.
Encryption is a process of translating a message, called the Plaintext into an encoded
message, called the Cipher text. Decryption is the reverse process of encryption.
4. The Biometric systems : The biometric systems form the most secure level of
authorization. /the biometric systems involve some unique aspect of a person’s body
such as finger-prints, retinal patterns etc.to establish his/her identity.
5. Firewall : A system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private
network is called firewall. Firewalls can be implemented in both hardware and
software, or a combination of both. Firewalls are frequently used to prevent
unauthorized Internet users from accessing private networks connected to the Internet,
especially intranet. All messages entering or leaving the intranet pass through the
firewall, which examines each message and blocks those that do not meet the specified
security criteria.

Firewall Techniques :
1. Packet Filter : Looks as each packet entering or leaving the network and accepts or
rejects it based on user-defined rules.
2. Application Gateway : Applies security mechanisms to specific application, such as
FTP and Telnet servers.
3. Circuit level gateway : Applies security mechanisms when a connection is
established. Once the connection has been made, packets can flow between the hosts
without further checking.
4. Proxy server : Intercepts all messages entering and leaving the network.

Cookies : Cookies are messages that a web server transmits to a web browser so that the Web
server can keep track of the user’s activity on a specific Web site. Cookies not act maliciously
on computer systems. They are merely text files that can be deleted at any time. They are not
plug ins nor are they programs. Cookies cannot be used to spread viruses and they cannot
access your hard drive.

Cookies can not read the hard drive to find out the information, however any personal
information that is given to te website, including credit card information, will most likely be
stored in cookie unless we have turned off the cookie feature in the browser. Only in this way
the cookies are threat to privacy.

Cookies have six parameters that can be passed to them.

a) Name
b) Value
c) Expiry date
d) Path the cookie is valid for
e) The domain the cookie is valid for
f) Need for a secure connection

Hackers and Crackers :

Cracker : These individuals are generally responsible for breaking into networks , cracking
passwords in websites and programs, and generally causing havoc throughout the Internet.
Intention is to destroy or alter data on a system.

Hackers are people who enjoys learning programming languages and computer systems and
can often be considered an expert on the subject(s). Intention is to gain knowledge about the
system using playful pranks.

CyberLaw : In internet, the communication technology uses the means of transferring textual
messages, pictures and many more. Each time there may ne number of threats on either from
the senders or reeivers side which creates a bridge between networking communication. To
short out these problems, the Internet security council made number of precautions or rules.
These predefined rules are called Cyber Law or Law of Internet.

Cyber Crime : Crimes committed with the use of computers or relating to computers,
especially through the Internet. “ An unlawful act where in the computer is either a tool or a
target or both.”

Cyber crimes are different from conventional crimes as in cyber crimes the crime is committed
through an electronic medium.

Classification of Cyber Crime :

1. Tampering with computer source documents
2. Hacking
3. Publishing of information, which is obscene in electronic form
4. Child Pornography
5. Accessing protected system.
6. Breach of confidentially and privacy

IPR Issue : The Intellectual property may be defined as a product of the intellect that has
commercial value, including copyrighted property such as literary or artistic works and
ideational property. These are legal rights, which result from intellectual activity in the
industrial, scientific, literary and artistic fields. These rights give statutory expression to the
moral and economic rights of creators in their creations.
India IT Act :An Indian IT act to provide legal recognition for transactions carried out by
means of electronic data interchange and other means of electronic communication, commonly
referred to as “electronic commerce”. This act covers digital signature, electronic governance,
acknowledgement and dispatch of electronic records, secure electronic records and secure
digital signature etc.

Computer Viruses :- Computer viruses are malicious codes/ programs that requires a host and
cause damage to data and files on a systems. Viruses can attack any part of a computer' s
software, can spread from one computer to another and they can also replicate themselves.

Categories of Viruses :
1. File infector : Attack themselves to a program file.
2. Boot Sector Viruses :- Install themselves on the beginning tracks of hard drive.
3. Macro Viruses :- Infect data files.
Damage that Viruses cause :-
1. Can destroy file allocation tables (FAT) and lead to the corruption of an entire file
system.
2. Can create bad sectors on the disk, destroying parts of programs and file
3. Can decrease the space on hard disks by duplicating files.
4. Can format the specific tracks or the entire disk.
5. Can destroy executable files and alter data in the data file.
6. Can cause the system to hang so that it does not respond to any keyboard or mouse
movements.
Virus Prevention :-
1. Never use CD or any removable media without scanning it for viruses
2. Always scan files downloaded from the internet or other resources
3. Use licenced software
4. Password protect your PC to prevent unattended modification and also make regular
backups
5. Install antivirus software and keep it up to date.

Worms : A worms is self- replicating program which eats up the entire disk space or memory.
A worm keeps on creating its copies until all the disk space or memory is filled.
The Characteristics of Worms :-
1. It is able to replicate
2. It is self-contained and does not require a host.
3. If it is a network worm, it can replicate across communication links.
Types of Computer Worms:
1. Email Worms
2. Instant Messaging Worms
3. File-sharing Networks Worms
4. Internet Worms etc.

Note : A computer worm differs from a computer virus in that a computer worm can run
itself. A virus needs a host program to run as part of the host program. A computer worm can
spread without a host program, although some modern computer worms also use files to hide
inside.

Spams : Spam refers to the sending of bulk-mail by an identified or unidentified source. In non
- malicious form bulk advertising mail is sent to many account. In malicious form (e.g.,e-mail
bombin), the attacker keeps on sending bulk mail until the mail-server runs out of disk space.

Trojan Horses : A trojan horse is a program that appears safe to run (such as a text editor,
spreadsheet, game or a utility program) but actually performs malicious functions such as
deleting, altering or damaging files. Trojan horse are generally spread through e-mail and
exchange of disks and information between computers.