Banks worldwide are increasingly providing online and mobile financial services, offering their customers a more convenient way to conduct their banking affairs while at the same time improving efficiency and saving on operating costs. However, online banking has its drawbacks. Online banking accounts are frequently targeted by cybercriminals. Security issues remain a major concern for customers and corporations alike. As a result, banks need to implement adequate security measures to protect themselves and their customer base.
A computer security risk is anything that may cause damage to the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of your data. Misconfigured software, unpatched operating systems, and unsafe computer habits all contribute to creating computer security risks .It also is really anything on your computer that may damage or steal your data or allow someone else to access your computer, without your knowledge or consent. There are a lot of different things that can create a computer risk, including malware, a general term used to describe many types of bad software. We commonly think of computer viruses, but, there are several types of bad software that can create a computer security risk, including viruses, worms, ransomware, spyware, and Trojan horses. Misconfiguration of computer products as well as unsafe computing habits also pose risks.
Malicious code is the term used to describe any code in any part of a software system or script that is intended to cause undesired effects, security breaches or damage to a system. Malicious code is an application security threat that cannot be efficiently controlled by conventional antivirus software alone. Malicious code describes a broad category of system security terms that includes attack scripts, viruses, worms, Trojan horses, backdoors and malicious active content.
A computer virus is a type of malware that propagates by inserting a copy of itself into and becoming part of another program. It spreads from one computer to another, leaving infections as it travels. Viruses can range in severity from causing mildly annoying effects to damaging data or software and causing denial-of-service (DoS) conditions. Almost all viruses are attached to an executable file, which means the virus may exist on a system but will not be active or able to spread until a user runs or opens the malicious host file or program.
When the host code is executed, the viral code is executed as well. Normally, the host program keeps functioning after it is infected by the virus. However, some viruses overwrite other programs with copies of themselves, which destroys the host program altogether. Viruses spread when the software or document they are attached to is transferred from one computer to another using the network, a disk, file sharing, or infected email attachments.
Computer worms are similar to viruses in that they replicate functional copies of themselves and can cause the same type of damage. In contrast to viruses, which require the spreading of an infected host file, worms are standalone software and do not require a host program or human help to propagate. To spread, worms either exploit a vulnerability on the target system or use some kind of social engineering to trick users into executing them. A worm enters a computer through a vulnerability in the system and takes advantage of file-transport or information-transport features on the system, allowing it to travel unaided. More advanced worms leverage encryption, wipers, and ransomware technologies to harm their targets.
A trojans is another type of malware named after the wooden horse that the Greeks used to infiltrate Troy. It is a harmful piece of software that looks legitimate. Users are typically tricked into loading and executing it on their systems. After it is activated, it can achieve any number of attacks on the host, from irritating the user (popping up windows or changing desktops) to damaging the host (deleting files, stealing data, or activating and spreading other malware, such as viruses). Trojans are also known to create backdoors to give malicious users access to the system. Unlike viruses and worms, Trojans do not reproduce by infecting other files nor do they self-replicate. Trojans must spread through user interaction such as opening an email attachment or downloading and running a file from the Internet.
Unauthorized access is when someone gains access to a website, program, server, service, or other system using someone else’s account or other methods. For example, if someone kept guessing a password or username for an account that was not theirs until they gained access, it is considered unauthorized access. Unauthorized access could also occur if a user attempts to access an area of a system they should not be accessing. When attempting to access that area, they would be denied access and possibly see an unauthorized access message. Some system administrators set up alerts to let them know when there is an unauthorized access attempt, so that they may investigate the reason. These alerts can help stop hackers from gaining access to a secure or confidential system. Many secure systems may also lock an account that has had too many failed login attempts.
Hardware theft is the act of stealing computer equipment. Hardware vandalism is the act of defacing or destroying computer equipment. Hardware vandalism takes many forms, from someone cutting a computer cable to individuals breaking into a business or school computer lab and aimlessly shaming computer.
Software theft means the unauthorized or illegal copying, sharing or usage of copyright-protected software programs. Software theft may be carried out by individuals, groups or, in some cases, organizations who then distribute the unauthorized software copies to users. Identity theft is the act of a person obtaining information illegally about someone else. Theft try to find such information as full name, maiden name, address, date of birth, social security number, passwords, phone number, e-mail, and credit card numbers.
Physical security describes security measures that are designed to deny unauthorized access to facilities, equipment and resources and to protect personnel and property from damage or harm (such as espionage, theft, or terrorist attacks). It also a measures taken as a precaution against theft or espionage or sabotage.
A program that protects a computer against viruses by identifying and removing any computer viruses found. It will identify, prevent and eliminate computer viruses and other malicious software. Anti – spyware software is a program that detects, quarantines and removes spyware to prevent them from getting into a computer. Examples of anti – spyware software are Lavasoft Ad – Aware SE Personal, PC Health Plan and Malware Scanner. Among of the popular anti – spyware programs are Spybot Search and Destroy, Ad – Aware and Spyware Blaster.