Logic Bombs Research Articles

Cyber-threat evolution: the year ahead

Last year, 2011, was the year that virtually all global players signalled their readiness to develop and deploy cyber-weapons. The mass hysteria sparked by the discovery of the Stuxnet worm in 2010 led a number of states to start treating the use of cyber-weapons against them as an act of war. However, by doing so, they are losing sight of some very important aspects of this type of threat. Take, for instance, Stuxnet. It was a unique phenomenon, designed exclusively for use at a specific time and at a specific place. And there was no readily available military solution to combat it. 2011 witnessed the development of many new types of threat. For example, cyber-weapons such as Stuxnet generated an almost hysterical response, but were highly specialised. However, other cyber-weapons, such as logic bombs, may become more common. Targeted attacks are on the increase, but so is the industry that has sprung up to counteract them. The focus will move to the browser and mobile devices. Over the next year, attacks on online banking systems will be one of the most widespread methods of stealing money. And the problems of hacktivism and leaks of personal data will increase. Aleks Gostev of Kaspersky examines what all this means.

Halting Computer Crime And Abuse: Managements Newest Challenge

As computers enter the business environment with increasing regularity, their introduction is also coupled with paramount abuse. This paper explores the profile of the typical computer criminal and describes some of the most commonly used methods for violating a computer system. Included in the discussion are: data diddling, Trojan horse, salami technique, superzapping, trapdoors, logic bombs, synch attacks, scavenging, data leakage, piggybacking or impersonation, wiretapping, manipulation, and viruses.

On the defence notion

'Trojan horses', 'logic bombs', 'armoured viruses' and 'cryptovirology' are terms recalling war gears. In fact, concepts of attack and defence drive the world of computer virology, which looks like a war universe in an information society. This war has several shapes, from invasions of a network by worms, to military and industrial espionage ...

Abstracts of Recent Articles and Literature

Abstracts of Recent Articles and Literature

From car bombs to logic bombs: The growing threat from information terrorism

The vulnerability of the critical infrastructure has led to increasing concern that it will be the target of terrorist attacks. This article explores definitional aspects of information terrorism and identifies two groups likely to find information terrorism attractive: conventional terrorist groups and information culture groups. As computer sophisticated youth move into the ranks of conventional terrorist groups, the groups will increase their reliance on computer technology, and information terrorism will be incorporated into a hybrid tactical repertoire. Information culture groups, however, confine their attacks to cyberspace. In contrast to the powerful group dynamics of the traditional underground terrorist group, networked groups, particularly information culture terrorists, may only be in contact electronically, and are subject to a radically different group psychology, virtual group dynamics, that significantly affects their decision making and risk taking, and has dangerous security implications.

Intrusion Detection Systems: Threats, Taxonomy, Tuning

An intrusion is defined as any set of actions that attempts to compromise the integrity, the confidentiality, or the availability of a resource. Following the pioneering work of Anderson in 1980 it has been recognised that while computer systems and networks need to be protected from unauthorised external access, using firewalls for example, it is not possible to provide an unconditional guarantee of invulnerability to intrusion. There are a number of reasons for this. One is the extreme diversity of intrusions observed, for example password stealing and cracking, masquerade and sniffer attacks, subversion of security controls (via trapdoors, Trojans etc), denial of service attacks, and malicious codes (viruses, worms, Trojans, logic bombs etc). Another reason is that over 70 per cent of attacks on networks are believed to be internal in origin.

Securing your System against Virus Attack: the experience of a medical library in Nigeria

Identifies three types of computer viruses: worms, logic bombs and Trojan horses; and outlines their effects on computer systems. Describes the effects of a virus outbreak at the E. Latunde Odeku Medical Library, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and the measures taken to recover from it. Explains measures to prevent and detect virus attacks, and makes recommendations for ensuring the security of computer systems.

Computer infectors: Prevention, detection, and recovery

Computer infectors (such as logic bombs, worms, and viruses) represent a growing concern among information system (IS) professionals. Infectors may be introduced to systems intentionally by employees or by an unknown assailant under the guise of a Trojan horse or through more direct infection means. This paper identifies the organizational and technical aspects of a total infector control program. Since eradication and recovery controls cannot guarantee total damage removal, the primary objective of an infector control program is generally identified as preventing an infection. However, whether an organization should properly emphasize prevention/ detection or recovery depends on the organization's appraisal of infector threats and risks.

Counteracting Viruses in an MS-DOS Environment

Today's personal computers still bear striking similarities to the first units created during the 1970s. All of the trapdoors and loopholes developed by systems experts to permit BIOS-level programming in the early stages are still present today, providing easy access for viruses, worms, logic bombs, and Trojan horses. It is alarming that such low-level programs are no longer being documented fully by manufacturers; they are currently treating as proprietary the techniques that were widely disseminated just a few years ago. Administrators and systems managers who are responsible for the millions of dollars of corporate investment in trusted computing systems typically lack an in-depth understanding of these systems. Unfortunately, penetration techniques, though not readily available, are known to an underground of hackers. Although numerous antivirus products have become available, these products are as available to hackers as to legitimate users.

Countering Computer Virus Threat

Internal auditors have an important role in communicating the threat posed by the spread of computer viruses and advising on appropriate control strategies. Computer virus is defined, distinguishing between “true” viruses and other rogue software like logic bombs, Trojan horses and worms. Some reported incidents are discussed; the application of risk management as an effective approach is considered. Control techniques are listed under the categories: organisational, software and hardware. How epidemiological analogy can be applied in high risk situations is explored through a system infection control programme under the direction of a system infection control committee.

Computer Security: Who’s Minding the Store?

Trojan Horse, Logic Bomb, Salami Technique, Superzapping, and Asynchronous Attack are: A. Names of this year's top five rock groups B. Impressive vernacular of Yuppies at their afternoon happy hour C. Informal Pentagon designations to categorize foreign military installations D. Labels coined by Wall Streeters in identifying causes of Black Monday E. Jargon evolving from the numerous automated computer crimes committed since the onset of the Age of Information If A, B, C, or D is your choice, this article may provide substantial insight into the management and security of computerized information systems. Recent studies by the American Bar Association,1 the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants,2 the American Bankers Association,3 the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,4 and Britain's Local Government Inspectorate5 acknowledge the rapid growth and profitability of computer crimes. Theft by computer is more lucrative, is much safer, and carries less punishment than armed bank robbery. The American Bar Association reported an estimated average annual loss from $2 million to $10 million by each computer abuse.6 Sixteen percent of the 199 fraud cases identified by the AICPA exceeded $100,000.7 Of the 67 computer fraud cases involving financial loss examined in the Local Government Inspectorate study, 22% exceeded $100,000.8 Twelve percent of the 65 cases reported in the Inspector General's report exceeded this amount.9The ABA survey of credit card fraud reported an increase from $5.5 to $29.2 million (430% increase) in the total dollar value of bank card fraud losses in a 12-month period.10 To compound the seriousness of the situation, one source predicts that computer crime will increase more rapidly than controls that detect and thwart the crimes.1 With the increase of computer literacy, this alarming trend has the potential for creating serious management issues for all organizations.

Macintosh Workstations

Viruses and the Role of Responsibility. Computer viruses are members of a family of destructive programs that have existed in one form or another since the 1960s with such descriptive names as Trojan horses, time and logic bombs, and worms. All of these electronic creations present a real threat to librarians interconnected with potential sources of infection in the form of academic networks, commercial database services, and local bulletin boards.