Terms Associated with Cyber Crime & Cyber Security
Cyber crime refers to criminal activities carried out using computers or the internet, while cyber security is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks.
Hacking
Hacking is the process of identifying vulnerabilities in a computer system or network to gain unauthorized access. While ethical hackers do this to improve security, malicious hackers exploit weaknesses for personal gain.
Cracking
Cracking involves breaking into software, bypass security protections, or cracking passwords with malicious intent. A cracker typically alters software code illicitly.
Phishing
Phishing is a social engineering attack where attackers impersonate legitimate organizations via email or messaging to steal sensitive data such as login credentials and credit card numbers.
Spoofing
Spoofing is an attack in which a person or program successfully masquerades as another by falsifying data, commonly seen in email spoofing, IP spoofing, or caller ID spoofing.
Data Masking
Data masking is the process of hiding original data with modified content (like characters or numbers) to protect sensitive information in non-production environments.
Cryptanalysis
Cryptanalysis is the study of analyzing information systems in order to study the hidden aspects of cryptosystems. It is used to breach cryptographic security systems and decrypt ciphertext without knowing the key.
Cyber Warfare
Cyber warfare involves nation-state or politically motivated attacks on information systems, disrupting critical national infrastructure and stealing state secrets.
Scanning
Scanning is a reconnaissance phase where attackers use technical tools (like port scanners) to identify active hosts, open ports, and operating systems on a target network.
Session Hijacking
Session hijacking, also known as cookie hijacking, is the exploitation of a valid computer session to gain unauthorized access to information or services in a computer system.
Malicious Software
Malicious software, or malware, is any software intentionally designed to cause damage to a computer, server, client, or computer network (e.g., viruses, trojans, ransomware).
Strong Password
A strong password is a combination of letters (upper and lower case), numbers, and special symbols that is difficult for humans to guess or for automated tools to crack.
Weak Password
A weak password is easily guessable (such as '123456' or 'password') and highly susceptible to brute-force and dictionary attacks.
Information Gathering Techniques
Attackers gather information about a target system before launching an attack. This is the reconnaissance phase.
Tools or Techniques of the Attacker to Gather Information
- OSINT (Open Source Intelligence): Gathering data from publicly available sources like social media, public records, and search engines.
- Network Scanning: Using utilities like ping or port scanners to find live systems and vulnerable services.
- Social Engineering: Interacting with human targets to glean passwords, organizational charts, or internal network layouts.
- Banner Grabbing: Determining the type and version of services running on a remote host.
IT Act 2008
The Information Technology Act 2008 (an amendment to the IT Act 2000) provides the legal framework for electronic governance and cyber law in India.
Importance of IT Act 2008
It provides legal recognition for electronic transactions, prevents cyber crimes, outlines penalties for data theft, and establishes a legal framework for digital signatures and e-commerce.
Different Sections of IT Act 2008
| Section | Topic / Offense | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Section 43 | Damage to computer systems | Penalizes unauthorized access, downloading of data, introduction of malware, and causing disruption without permission. |
| Section 66 | Computer related offenses | Deals with dishonest or fraudulent acts covered under Section 43, carrying imprisonment and fines. |
| Section 66C | Identity Theft | Punishes the fraudulent use of electronic signatures, passwords, or other unique identification features of any other person. |
| Section 66D | Cheating by personation | Punishes cheating by using computer resources or communication devices by impersonating someone. |
| Section 67 | Obscenity | Punishes publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form. |