Научная электронная библиотека

Монографии, изданные в издательстве Российской Академии Естествознания

АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ЯЗЫК В СФЕРЕ ИНФОРМАЦИОННЫХ И КОМПЬЮТЕРНЫХ ТЕХНОЛОГИЙ

Тюрина С. Ю.,

Unit 5. INFORMATION SECURITY

WARM UP

Work in groups. What stories do you think followed these headlines? Compare answers within your group.

1. Love bug creates worldwide chaos.

2. Hackers crack Microsoft software codes.

3. Web phone scam.

What other types of computer crime are there? Make a list within your group and report it to the class. Check your answers reading the text INTERNET CRIME.

SPEAKING ACTIVITIES

INTERNET CRIME

The Internet provides a wide variety of opportunities for communication and development, but unfortunately it also has its dark side.

Crackers, or black-hat hackers, are computer criminals who use technology to perform a variety of crimes: virus propagation, fraud, intellectual property theft, etc.

Internet-based crimes include scam, email fraud to obtain money or valuables, and phishing, bank fraud, to get banking information such as passwords of Internet bank accounts or credit card details. Both crimes use emails or websites that look like those of real organizations.

Due to its anonymity, the Internet also provides the right environment for cyberstalking, online harassment or abuse, mainly in chat rooms or newsgroups.

Piracy, the illegal copying and distribution of copyrighted software, information, music and video files, is widespread.

But by far the most common type of crime involves malware. Malware (malicious software) is software created to damage or alter the computer data or its operations. These are the main types.

Viruses are programs that spread by attaching themselves to executable files or documents. When the infected program is run, the virus propagates to other files or programs on the computer. Some viruses are designed to work at a particular time or on a specific date, e.g. on Friday 13. An email virus spreads by sending a copy of itself to everyone in an email address book.

Worms are self-copying programs that have the capacity to move from one computer to another without human help, by exploiting security flaws in computer networks. Worms are self-contained and don’t need to be attached to a document or program the way viruses do.

Trojan horses are malicious programs disguised as innocent-looking files or embedded within legitimate software. Once they are activated, they may affect the computer in a variety of ways: some are just annoying, others are more ominous, creating a backdoor to the computer which can be used to collect stored data. They don’t copy themselves or reproduce by infecting other files.

Spyware, software designed to collect information from computers for commercial or criminal purposes, is another example of malicious software. It usually comes hidden in fake freeware or shareware applications downloadable from the Internet.

1. Identify the Internet crimes sentences (1-6) refer to. Then match them with the advice below (A-F).

1. Crackers try to find a way to copy the latest game or computer program.

2. A study has revealed that half a million people will automatically open an email they believe to be from their bank and happily send off all their security details.

3. This software’s danger is hidden behind an attractive appearance. That’s why it is often wrapped in attractive packages promising photos of celebrities like Anna Kournikova or Jennifer Lopez.

4. There is a particular danger in Internet commerce and emails. Many people believe they have been offered a special gift only to find out later they have been deceived.

5. ‘Nimda’ spreads by sending infected emails and is also able to infect websites, so when a user visits a compromised website, the browser can infect the computer.

6. Every day, millions of children spend time in Internet chat rooms talking to strangers. But what many of them don’t realize is that some of the surfers chatting with them may be sexual predators.

A. People shouldn’t buy cracked software or download music illegally from the Internet.

B. Be suspicious of wonderful offers. Don’t buy if you aren’t sure.

C. It’s dangerous to give personal information to people you contact in chat rooms.

D. Don’t open attachments from people you don’t know even if the subject looks attractive.

E. Scan your email and be careful about which websites you visit.

F. Check with your bank before sending information.

2. Study the diagram «How a virus infects a program». Answer the following questions.

1. What is the function of the Jump instruction?

2. What are the main parts of the virus code?

3. What is the last act of the virus?

1.
How a virus infects a program

3. Scan the text to check your answers to Task 2. Ignore any parts which do not help you with
this task.

THE ANATOMY OF A VIRUS

A biological virus is a very small, simple organism that infects living cells, known as the host, by attaching itself to them and using them to reproduce itself. This often causes harm to the host cells.

Similarly, a computer virus is a very small program routine that infects a computer system and uses its resources to reproduce itself. It often does this by patching the operating system to enable it to detect program files, such as COM or FXH, files. It then copies itself into those files. This sometimes causes harm to the host computer system.

When the user runs an infected program, it is loaded into memory carrying the virus. The virus uses a common programming technique to stay resident in memory. It can then use a reproduction routine to infect other programs. This process continues until the computer is switched off.

The virus may also contain a payload that remains dormant until a trigger event activates it, such as the user pressing a particular key. The payload can have a variety of forms. It might do something relatively harmless such as displaying a message on the monitor screen or it might do something more destructive such as deleting files on the hard disk.

When it infects a file, the virus replaces the first instruction in the host program with a command that changes the normal execution sequence. This type of command is known as a JUMP command and causes the virus instructions to he executed before the host program. The virus then returns control to the host program which then continues with its normal sequence of instructions and is executed in the normal way.

To be a virus, a program only needs to have a reproduction routine that enables it to infect other programs. Viruses can, however, have four main parts. A misdirection routine that enables it to hide itself; a reproduction routine that allows it to copy itself to other programs; a trigger that causes the payload to be activated at a particular time or when a particular event takes place; and a payload that may be a fairly harmless joke or may be very destructive. A program that has a payload but does not have a reproduction routine is known as a Trojan.

4. Now read the whole text to find the answers to these questions.

1. How are computer viruses like biological viruses?

2. What is the effect of a virus patching the operating system?

3. Why are some viruses designed to be loaded into memory?

4. What examples of payload does the writer provide?

5. What kind of programs do viruses often attach to?

6. How does a Trojan differ from a virus?

5. Match each virus routine to its function.

6. Work in pairs. Decide what these kinds of computer crime are. Then match the crimes to the short descriptions which follow.

7. Describe the effects of the viruses and other destructive programs listed below.

These events form part of a cause and effect chain. We can describe the links between each event in a number of ways:

– Using cause + to V or make + V.

o A date or event occurs which causes the trigger routine to run.

o A date or event occurs which makes the trigger routine run.

– Putting the events in sequence and using a causative verb.

o The trigger routine runs, which activates the payload routine.

– Using a when clause.

o When the trigger routine runs, the payload routine activates.

8. Consider these examples of computer disasters. How could you prevent them or limit their effects? Compare answers within your group mate.

1. You open an email attachment which contains a very destructive virus.

2. Someone guesses your password (the type of car you drive plus the day and month of your birth) and copies sensitive data.

3. Your hard disk crashes and much of your data is lost permanently.

4. Someone walks into your computer lab and steals the memory chips from all the PCs.

5. Your backup tapes fail to restore properly.

9. Study this table of security measures to protect hardware and software. Which measures would prevent or limit the effects of the disasters in Task 8?

10. Find words or phrases in Task 9 which mean:

– copies of changes to files made to reduce the risk of loss of data;

– software available for a short time on a free trial basis; if adopted a fee is payable to the author cannot be disrupted or cut put at risk;

– deciphered, worked out;

– protect data by putting it in a form only authorized users can understand;

– a combination of hardware and software to protect networks from unauthorized users observe and record systematically;

– measuring physical characteristics such as distance between the eyes;

– at regular intervals.

Student A.

Incremental backup

An incremental backup includes only files with their archive bit on. The archive bit indicates whether a file has been backed up since it was last changed. Whenever you back up a file in Windows, the operating system automatically sets the archive bit to 0 (off). I (on) indicates a file has not been backed up since it was last worked on. This way, as you append a series of incremental to your full backup, each contains only those files that are new or have changed since your last backup. This keeps your backup set up to date using a minimum of time and tape. The disadvantage is that it may need many tapes to fully restore the hard disk.

Student В.

Differential backup

A differential backup doesn’t set the archive bit to the off position after backing up the file. In a full backup in Windows, the operating system automatically sets the archive bit to 0 (off). I (on) indicates a file has not been backed up since it was last worked on. Thus, if you do a series of differentials, each backs up all the files created or modified since the last full backup, not just those that have changed. Normally, you keep only the most recent differential backup on hand. This minimizes the size of your backup set, since it will never contain more than two copies of any file – one in the full set and one in the differential. This method is mostly used when you’re backing up to disks. The downside is that it won’t back up files that were created and deleted before the differential backup.

LISTENING ACTIVITIES

1. Watch video «Information Security» and answer the following questions.

Suggested online resource:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v = MfWMIK1ka1o&feature = related

1. Define Information Security.

2. What are the two lines of defense?

3. What is information security plan?

4. What are the five steps of information security plan?

2. Comment on the following statements. Agree or disagree with the statement. Give your reasons to support your opinion.

Antivirus software is the most common tool for detection. Antivirus software protects and responds to viruses, spywares and worms.

3. Watch video «12 Steps to IT Security» and name these steps. Which of them do you consider the most important ones?

Suggested online resource:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v = tS5_t_11eaU&feature = related