Network Security

 The importance of information and system security is something that is often times overlooked by many individuals and organizations. It is safe to say this happens because a lot of people do not understand the why factor. Why is it so important? Information and system security serves a great purpose for protecting the user, securing data, and preventing attacks.

There is no doubt that in todays times, individuals and organizations rely heavily on their computer systems to store their information. It is more rare to use physical files and storage methods than it is to have everything paperless. Because of the demanding use of computer systems, the users leave behind footprints. “The amount of information on the Internet continues to grow with the availability of Internet-connected devices, services, and applications” (Vahid & Lysecky, 2017, Search is Improving section, para. 2). These footprints can lead to personal and confidential information that could be dangerous if it were to fall into the wrong hands and result in ping attacks. 

A ping attack is done by overwhelming the victims system. “Ping of Death (a.k.a. PoD) is a type of Denial of Service (DoS) attack in which an attacker attempts to crash, destabilize, or freeze the targeted computer or service by sending malformed or oversized packets using a simple ping command” (“Ping of Death (POD)”, n.d.).

Having your information fall into the wrong hands, could be followed by numerous things that potentially could be dangerous. What is even more dangerous, is being unaware of attacks such as phishing and email spam. These types of attacks can be targeted on people that use cell phones and computer. Often times, these attacks may look authentic and genuine. That is the point of them. “Phishing emails and text messages may look like they’re from a company you know or trust” (“Federal Trade Commission”, 2019).  They want to trick you into thinking what they are “selling” is legit. 

Protecting your systems from attacks like these is simple. The user can easily keep all privacy settings updated. This action can be performed on each system that is being use. Another way to protect your systems is by not falling for scams. These scams are the ones that are likely to come from phishing and email spam. Always be alert and aware of a scammer. 

In conclusion, it has been conveyed that it is important to understand how ones information may be shared and put into the hands of the public. It is very substantial to keep system settings up to date to help prevent ping attacks, phishing, email spam, and so much more.