Malware: A Comprehensive Overview and Mitigation Strategies, Essays (university) of Computer Security

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Malware CYB/110/Week 2 15 May 2018 Professor Jasper Lee Green

Malware There is an old saying about not being caught unprepared in adverse situations, the adage was said best by author H. Jackson Brown Jr. who claimed, "The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today" (Ginsberg, 2018). When it comes to cybersecurity organizations can never house enough protection to remain entirely attack free. There will still always be a need to stay vigilant against new threats. The most well planned and executed security plan can fail, however. One of the most significant historical and ongoing threats to networks and software is a type of malicious software called Malware. Malware is defined as "is created with the intention to damage or take control of a computer or steal information from it" (Smith, 2016, p. 75). Malware has been around for over thirty decades. Types of malware include viruses, trojans, worms, spyware, and several others. All are coding created to infiltrate a system through software, email, internet, hardware (servers, thumb drives), and Wi-Fi to cause an adverse operation or to obtain intellectual property illegally. Malware can be tricky to get rid of as it can replicate itself through coding, and challenging to extricate by virus protection software. A web development company utilizes a web tool called eFind technology in its web services. The new technology allows a URL to be sent to a web page hosted on mainframe One which displays information from mainframe Two allowing for increased processing power. The end user working with mainframe One is not aware of the digital transactions taking place between the two servers. The eFind software in itself does not enable malware. Hackers find vulnerabilities in the coding during transaction transfers between mainframes, which allows the

isolate the virus and remove it. The eFind web software tool can initiate system sensors throughout the entire network to monitor the system for any new attacks or anomalies. Establish better company policy about cybersecurity and data access. Department heads must enforce standing policies. Consider creating two-factor authentication in the email system to ward off hacker intrusion attempts. Updating anti-virus software and continually run system tests for vulnerabilities. Conclusion The need to be prepared against cyber-attacks cannot be overemphasized. Maintaining several layers of protection is the best method to deal with unwanted interruptions in daily operations. Understanding the threats and taking steps to defend data, should be a daily concern to everyone.

References BITS. (2011, June). Malware Risks and Mitigation Report. NIST.gov. Retrieved from https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/itl/BITS-Malware-Report-Jun2011.pdf BITS. (2011, June). [IMAGE]. Malware Risks and Mitigation Report. NIST.gov. Retrieved from https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/itl/BITS-Malware-Report-Jun2011.pdf Ginsberg, B.W. (2018). Famous quotes. The Seeds4Life.com. Retrieved from https://www.theseeds4life.com/the-best-preparation-for-tomorrow-is-doing-your-best-today- h-jackson-brown-jr Smith, R. (2016). Elementary information security. (2nd ed.). 14-71. Jones & Barlett. EC- Council. Retrieved from https://phoenix.vitalsource.com/#/books/ 9781635671070/cfi/80!/4/4@0.00:0.