Transcript The Presentation

Alex Heinricher
Kun H. Lee
Adrian Trejo
Angela DiTaranto
What Are Malicious Attacks

Any attempt to gain information through
social or software engineering
 Phishing
 Malware
○ Viruses
○ Trojan Horses
○ Worms
Background: Then

First Virus: Creeper, 1971
 Infected specific computers with specific
operating systems connected to the
ARPANET

First Record of “Phishing”: 1987
 First Detected on AOL
 Infiltrated groups already involved in pirated
software/other illicit information transfers
Background: Now

Advanced Viruses
 Polymorphic
 Metamorphic
 Self-encrypting, self-concealing

Advanced Phishing
 Copy reputable agencies
 Use advanced social engineering
Criticism



Malicious attacks over a computer network or
through removable media aim at destroying
data or damaging infrastructure or worse,
stealing data that can be used in any number
of ways that are also harmful
Those who carry out these acts are not
prosecuted as much as those criminals who
commit less harmful crimes
Laws against attacks of these types should be
implemented much more often and carry
harsher punishments in order to discourage
people trying to attack other computers
Criticism
Every year, the United States and many
other countries spend millions of dollars a
year trying to combat these electronic
attacks but there seems to be no solution
on the horizon
 Malicious attacks also take advantage of
the inexperienced because they have not
yet learned how to discern a threat from
something benign and this leads to
thousands of people falling victim and
having their identities or money stolen
