There are a number of ways that a company's network can get attacked. One being if you have a single component to provide security, an attacker only has that one thing to get around in order to gaining full control of your system. Also not having secure modems can give access to unwanted attacks. However, these are evolving every single day. The first one being shortened URLs, a Shortened URL nickname can be handy, but pose risks. Since they give no hint of the destination, attackers can exploit them to send you to malicious sites. Then it discusses data harvesting of your profile. This is when an attacker collects enough information to access your sensitive accounts. They do this by the information you share on social networks, such as your high school, hometown, or birthday, which are often "secret" security questions or even passwords. Which also leads into social network imposters, attackers can take control of your friends online persona and exploit that trust. You also have to worry about web snooping. Now that we use our private PC for entertainment, shopping, and socializing, every Internet user leaves a digital trail of preferences; the books you read, movies you rent, different people you interact with, the items you buy and other details can be a gold mine of demographic data for search engines, advertisers, or anyone that might want to snoop around on your computer. There is an attack tool called Scareware. This program has a twist on the standard phishing attack, in that it tricks you into installing rogue antivirus software by "alerting" you that your PC has been infected. There is another type of attack where one might receive a text message to your mobile phone that looks as if it's from your network provider or financial institution. These attacks are called Trojan horse text messages and they can request permission to implement an update that allows an attacker to capture sensitive information such as usernames and passwords. They can also direct you to malicious sites or even unpatched software. Some very knowledgeable programmers can create Rogue Wi-Fi spots that appear to be regular free Wi-Fi but are being used by an attacker...
A really good hacker could get into a weak Wi-Fi network to do this as well. You could also be at risk if you happen to lose any of your personal devices. This includes data backups if you happen to use CDs, DVDs, flash card, things that can be portable.
One step that can be taken is to begin using Ciscos' Security Device Manager Version 1.0. This function handles the internetwork operating system-based security functions for access routers. Security Device Manager is a Web-based device-management tool for Cisco routers that can improve the productivity of network managers, simplify router deployments, and help troubleshoot complex network and VPN connectivity issues. Network and security administrators can use SDM for faster and easier deployment of routers for integrated services such as dynamic routing, WAN access, WLAN, firewall, VPN, SSL VPN, IPS, and QoS. Network Security is and will always be a large issue for administrators. As long as you have a connection to the outside world, an attacker has access to you. In order to be able to sufficiently protect yourself is to identify and evaluate all possible avenues, as well as having a good security policy implemented (Musich, 2003).
In conclusion, network security is a complicated subject, historically only tackled by well-trained and experienced experts. However, as more and more people become "wired," an increasing number of people need to understand the basics of security in a networked world. This document was written with the basic computer user and information systems manager in mind, explaining the concepts needed to read through the hype in the marketplace and understand risks and how to deal with them at any size company or organization.
References
Bradley, T. (January 24, 2010). How to Stop 11 Hidden Security Threats. Retrieved from http://www.pcworld.com/article/187199/how_to_stop_11_hidden_security_threats.html
Curtin, M. (March 1997). Introduction to Network Security. Retrieved from www.interhack.net/pubs/network-security/
Musich, P. (2003). Cisco Beefs up Security Tools. EWeek, 36.
