Targeted Cyber Attacks

Cyber-crime increasingly impacts both the online and offline world, and targeted attacks play a significant role in disrupting services in both. Targeted attacks are those that are aimed at a particular individual, group, or type of site or service. Unlike worms and viruses that usually attack indiscriminately, targeted attacks involve intelligence-gathering and planning to a degree that drastically changes its profile. Individuals, corporations, and even governments are facing new threats from targeted attacks. Targeted Cyber Attacks examines real-world examples of directed attacks and provides insight into what techniques and resources are used to stage these attacks so that you can counter them more effectively. A well-structured introduction into the world of targeted cyber-attacks Includes analysis of real-world attacks Written by cyber-security researchers and experts

Emerging Cyber Threats and Cognitive Vulnerabilities identifies the critical role human behavior plays in cybersecurity and provides insights into how human decision-making can help address rising volumes of cyberthreats. The book examines the role of psychology in cybersecurity by addressing each actor involved in the process: hackers, targets, cybersecurity practitioners and the wider social context in which these groups operate. It applies psychological factors such as motivations, group processes and decision-making heuristics that may lead individuals to underestimate risk. The goal of this understanding is to more quickly identify threat and create early education and prevention strategies. This book covers a variety of topics and addresses different challenges in response to changes in the ways in to study various areas of decision-making, behavior, artificial intelligence, and human interaction in relation to cybersecurity. Explains psychological factors inherent in machine learning and artificial intelligence Discusses the social psychology of online radicalism and terrorist recruitment Examines the motivation and decision-making of hackers and "hacktivists" Investigates the use of personality psychology to extract secure information from individuals

We depend on information and information technology (IT) to make many of our day-to-day tasks easier and more convenient. Computers play key roles in transportation, health care, banking, and energy. Businesses use IT for payroll and accounting, inventory and sales, and research and development. Modern military forces use weapons that are increasingly coordinated through computer-based networks. Cybersecurity is vital to protecting all of these functions. Cyberspace is vulnerable to a broad spectrum of hackers, criminals, terrorists, and state actors. Working in cyberspace, these malevolent actors can steal money, intellectual property, or classified information; impersonate law-abiding parties for their own purposes; damage important data; or deny the availability of normally accessible services. Cybersecurity issues arise because of three factors taken together - the presence of malevolent actors in cyberspace, societal reliance on IT for many important functions, and the presence of vulnerabilities in IT systems. What steps can policy makers take to protect our government, businesses, and the public from those would take advantage of system vulnerabilities? At the Nexus of Cybersecurity and Public Policy offers a wealth of information on practical measures, technical and nontechnical challenges, and potential policy responses. According to this report, cybersecurity is a never-ending battle; threats will evolve as adversaries adopt new tools and techniques to compromise security. Cybersecurity is therefore an ongoing process that needs to evolve as new threats are identified. At the Nexus of Cybersecurity and Public Policy is a call for action to make cybersecurity a public safety priority. For a number of years, the cybersecurity issue has received increasing public attention; however, most policy focus has been on the short-term costs of improving systems. In its explanation of the fundamentals of cybersecurity and the discussion of potential policy responses, this book will be a resource for policy makers, cybersecurity and IT professionals, and anyone who wants to understand threats to cyberspace.

Conquering cyber attacks requires a multi-sector, multi-modal approach Cyber Threat! How to Manage the Growing Risk of Cyber Attacks is an in-depth examination of the very real cyber security risks facing all facets of government and industry, and the various factors that must align to maintain information integrity. Written by one of the nation's most highly respected cyber risk analysts, the book describes how businesses and government agencies must protect their most valuable assets to avoid potentially catastrophic consequences. Much more than just cyber security, the necessary solutions require government and industry to work cooperatively and intelligently. This resource reveals the extent of the problem, and provides a plan to change course and better manage and protect critical information. Recent news surrounding cyber hacking operations show how intellectual property theft is now a matter of national security, as well as economic and commercial security. Consequences are far-reaching, and can have enormous effects on national economies and international relations. Aggressive cyber forces in China, Russia, Eastern Europe and elsewhere, the rise of global organized criminal networks, and inattention to vulnerabilities throughout critical infrastructures converge to represent an abundantly clear threat. Managing the threat and keeping information safe is now a top priority for global businesses and government agencies. Cyber Threat! breaks the issue down into real terms, and proposes an approach to effective defense. Topics include: The information at risk The true extent of the threat The potential consequences across sectors The multifaceted approach to defense The growing cyber threat is fundamentally changing the nation's economic, diplomatic, military, and intelligence operations, and will extend into future technological, scientific, and geopolitical influence. The only effective solution will be expansive and complex, encompassing every facet of government and industry. Cyber Threat! details the situation at hand, and provides the information that can help keep the nation safe.

As the sophistication of cyber-attacks increases, understanding how to defend critical infrastructure systems—energy production, water, gas, and other vital systems—becomes more important, and heavily mandated. Industrial Network Security, Second Edition arms you with the knowledge you need to understand the vulnerabilities of these distributed supervisory and control systems. The book examines the unique protocols and applications that are the foundation of industrial control systems, and provides clear guidelines for their protection. This how-to guide gives you thorough understanding of the unique challenges facing critical infrastructures, new guidelines and security measures for critical infrastructure protection, knowledge of new and evolving security tools, and pointers on SCADA protocols and security implementation. All-new real-world examples of attacks against control systems, and more diagrams of systems Expanded coverage of protocols such as 61850, Ethernet/IP, CIP, ISA-99, and the evolution to IEC62443 Expanded coverage of Smart Grid security New coverage of signature-based detection, exploit-based vs. vulnerability-based detection, and signature reverse engineering

A practical guide to understanding and analyzing cyber attacks by advanced attackers, such as nation states. Cyber attacks are no longer the domain of petty criminals. Today, companies find themselves targeted by sophisticated nation state attackers armed with the resources to craft scarily effective campaigns. This book is a detailed guide to understanding the major players in these cyber wars, the techniques they use, and the process of analyzing their advanced attacks. Whether you’re an individual researcher or part of a team within a Security Operations Center (SoC), you’ll learn to approach, track, and attribute attacks to these advanced actors. The first part of the book is an overview of actual cyber attacks conducted by nation-state actors and other advanced organizations. It explores the geopolitical context in which the attacks took place, the patterns found in the attackers’ techniques, and the supporting evidence analysts used to attribute such attacks. Dive into the mechanisms of: North Korea’s series of cyber attacks against financial institutions, which resulted in billions of dollars stolen The world of targeted ransomware attacks, which have leveraged nation state tactics to cripple entire corporate enterprises with ransomware Recent cyber attacks aimed at disrupting or influencing national elections globally The book’s second part walks through how defenders can track and attribute future attacks. You’ll be provided with the tools, methods, and analytical guidance required to dissect and research each stage of an attack campaign. Here, Jon DiMaggio demonstrates some of the real techniques he has employed to uncover crucial information about the 2021 Colonial Pipeline attacks, among many other advanced threats. He now offers his experience to train the next generation of expert analysts.

This book offers a comprehensive overview of the international law applicable to cyber operations. It is grounded in international law, but is also of interest for non-legal researchers, notably in political science and computer science. Outside academia, it will appeal to legal advisors, policymakers, and military organisations.