Contours of Security in Cyberspace

Abstract

The cyberspace is an intangible medium operating and controlling many aspects of the tangible world. It is a world without barriers therefore artificial barriers have to be erected to prevent free ingress or egress. This is a world still in the nascent stages of its evolution; therefore to stay ahead of the pack we need to be imaginative and innovative. The increasing interconnection of the world's computers, standardization of communications protocols and computing hardware enable a single worm developed attack many systems. This provides attractive avenues for cyber attackers to exploit. Complementing these features, are today's cyber criminals who are increasingly adept at gaining undetected access and maintaining a persistent, low-profile, long-term presence in IT environments. Moreover difficulties in identifying attackers, coupled with an uncertain legal and policy framework, make it difficult to punish the offenders. Therefore, one has to take proactive steps, be vigilant and increase the cost of intrusions to keep unwanted visitors at bay. Today cyber attackers, armed with constantly evolving malicious code are likely to have more paths into a network and extract the secrets it contains making the task of the system administrators a herculean one. The elegance of computer hacking lies in the fact that it may be attempted for a fraction of the cost; all one requires is a laptop connected to the internet and a lot of patience. With this in mind the paper attempts to give an insight into the various contours of cyber security which should be a valuable tool in appreciating the vulnerabilities of the cyberspace.