Various Ways of Gathering Information by Anudeep Nayakoti
Insect Surveillance Drone:
United States has invested money in making micro aircraft which exactly looks like a bug and can be used for spying. This device is known as Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV) and can perform the tasks of espionage (Press TV). This can be controlled from a long distance. Inside the device there is a Camera and Microphone. This device can land on any human skin unknowingly and can take the samples of DNA via small needle. People unaware of this drone, may think that the pain is caused due to some bug or an insect. This is how it looks:
Trojan Horses and Keyloggers:
Trojan horse is a computer program that can be hidden in another program. Trojan horse spreads itself by sending its files from the host to the other computer. This Trojan horse alone, one spyware comprised of many spying functions. Trojan horse can be used as a remote for accessing computers and then execute keylogger program (HOLZ, 2007). This keyloggers running on computers, record all the keys of the keyboard, being processed. Keylogger can pull the information of passwords, Credit card numbers and the functions carried out by the employees using keyboard.
Social Media:
People all across the world communicate and stay in touch using social media. Social media allows like –minded people to share their ideas and experiences. It gives the users to link with other users who are near (or) in abroad, depending upon their interests and business or for academic-connections. In the business community, social networking also makes companies more susceptible to corporate espionage i.e., “Clandestine techniques used to steal valuable information from business” (Fernando, Bradford, and Norris & Marcus). Software named “Scrapping” allows the spies to know the personal details of the users on social Media. When this software starts targeting the profiles of few employees of particular Company, information is gathered. Using such personal information, one can easily blackmail the other. Due to such Negative situations combined with Social Media, the present survey revealed that an average of $4million loss as a result (Fernando, Bradford, Norris & Marcus). Now a day’s though marketing is essential but still organizations are very careful about it.
Sting Ray: Cellphone Spying Device
This is used by the police officers to track the cellphones using GPS. It’s a movable device which can track the movements of a person. This device uses GPS to track the entire data in the mobile: Text messages, Emails and the personal information. If Sting Ray targets one mobile, it tracks the data of the entire users living in that area. Most of the crime activities involved with drugs can be known by the police officers using this device. Thus, crime rate gradually decreases.
SCI-EAR 2000:
This is a small micro device, used to hear the conversations of a person who is in next room.
Information Brokers:
In every organization, there would be employees who leak the information for money. The man who is in the middle between the both organizations will leak the information and make money illegally (Jones, 2008).
Voice Recorders and Spy Cameras:
Even the voice recorders and Cameras are used for spying by any one. Generally, government organizations use them to retrieve the evidence.
Different kinds of Viruses for gathering information
In the digital era, where many users are using devices to connect and communicate with one another. It’s a big revolution now, but, before in the past, it used to take several months for a postal-letter to reach at our doorstep. However, there are many disadvantages too. Communication between many countries became so easy via Internet through Emails and other mediums. Expansion of Cyber Virus can be via Email or text messages while sharing various kinds of file types.
Additionally, due to the programs one downloads, suspicious links shared via social media platforms and by downloading music files from unofficial resources etc. Unexpected attachments in an email can be another easiest way of getting in touch with Cyber virus (Us.norton.com, 2019).
Types of Cyber Viruses:
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‘Boot sector virus’
This type of Cyber virus enters and permeates while a user begins to start the computer. Security experts state that Boot Sector Virus can be caused due to the use of USB drive with Cyber virus (which has been Pre-existed) (Us.norton.com, 2019).
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‘Browser Hijacker’:
This type of virus invades based on the functionality of the Web browser. This kind of virus often redirects the user to a malicious website. Once the user is directed to the malicious website, an executable file in .exe format or binary file gets installed without the permission of a user. Many users are unaware about such malware being installed.
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‘Resident Virus’:
This kind of virus remains inside the device for a very longer period. It can execute at any point of time while loading of Operating System.
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‘Web scripting virus’:
This type of virus takes advantage of the code inside the Web Browsers and Webpages. Visiting such malicious websites, ‘Web scripting virus’ can easily spread into Personal Computer or any kind of device, that uses web browser to visit such websites.
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‘Direct action virus’:
This type of cyber virus spreads instantly in any kind of device that installs a program, which contains Virus.
SECURITY MEASURES EVERY ORGANIZATION MUST TAKE:
Room where all the servers are where all the networking devices exist. Attacker having access to these rooms can do magnanimous damage. Locking up the doors for the room of servers is very significant. Surveillance cameras are required to monitor who is entering and exiting the organization.
Physical items that must be restricted:
Cellphones:
Inside any organization, cellphones must be prohibited because sensitive information can be captured using camera and stored.
Personal Notebooks:
Personal notebooks must be left within the organization only.
Wrapped-up Presents:
Attackers can wrap guns or any destructive items inside the gift-wrapping box and take inside the premises.
References
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/8064757/
HOLZ, T. (2007). Bot Spyware. Spying with tools, 30(6), 18-23.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/20/world/20drones.html?pagewanted=all
Jones, A. (2008). Industrial Espionage in a Hi-tech World. Computer Fraud & Security, 2008(1), 7-13.
Uhd.edu. (2019). [online] Available at: https://www.uhd.edu/computing/help/Documents/virusfacts.pdf [Accessed 5 Oct. 2019].
Us.norton.com. (2019). What Is A Computer Virus? [online] Available at: https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-malware-what-is-a-computer-virus.html [Accessed 5 Oct. 2019].
Shinder, D. (2018, July 9). 10 physical security measures every organization should take. Retrieved from https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/10-physical-security-measures-every-organization-should-take/
About the Author
Anudeep Nayakoti is originally from the southern part of India. I have graduated from Ferris State University in 2015, with Masters in Information Security and Intelligence. Later, I worked as a web developer. I enjoy learning about different cultures. I speak English, Hindi and Telugu fluently. On my spare time, I either hike or read or watch movies.
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