Info.Sec. LECTURE NOTES - VELAMMAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY...

VELAMMAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
INFORMATION SECURITY - IT2042
UNIT-I INTRODUCTION
History
 Computer security began immediately after the first mainframes were developed
 Groups developing code-breaking computations during World War II created the first modern
computers
 Physical controls were needed to limit access to authorized personnel to sensitive military
locations
 Only rudimentary controls were available to defend against physical theft, espionage, and
sabotage
Information Security is an old concept, but a new field of specialization. It involves protecting
information, especially personal or sensitive information, from deliberate or accidental loss or
misuse. The field is increasingly important in the University because, as our dependence on
computers to store and transmit information accurately and securely grows, the vulnerabilities in
our systems and our habits become increasingly obvious and open to exploitation.
The 1960s
 Department of Defense‟s Advanced R esearch Project Agency (ARPA) began examining
the feasibility of a redundant networked communications
 Larry Roberts developed the project from its inception
The 1970s and 80s
 ARPANET grew in popularity as did its potential for misuse
 Fundamental problems with ARPANET security were identified
– No safety procedures for dial-up connections to the ARPANET
– User identification and authorization to the system were non-existent
 In the late 1970s the microprocessor expanded computing capabilities and security threats
R-609 – The Start of the Study of Computer Security
 Information Security began with Rand Report R-609
 The scope of computer security grew from physical security to include:
– Safety of the data
– Limiting unauthorized access to that data
– Involvement of personnel from multiple levels of the organization

The 1990s
 Networks of computers became more common, so too did the need to interconnect the
networks
 Resulted in the Internet, the first manifestation of a global network of networks
 In early Internet deployments, security was treated as a low priority
The Present
 The Internet has brought millions of computer networks into communication with each
other – many of them unsecured
 Ability to secure each now influenced by the security on every computer to which it is
connected
What Is Security?

 “The quality or state of being secure -- to be free from danger”
 To be protected from adversaries
 A successful organization should have multiple layers of security in place:
– Physical security
– Personal security
– Operations security
– Communications security
– Network security
What Is Information Security?
 The protection of information and its critical elements, including the systems and
hardware that use, store, and transmit that information
 Tools, such as policy, awareness, training, education, and technology are necessary
 The C.I.A. triangle was the standard based on confidentiality, integrity, and availability
 The C.I.A. triangle has expanded into a list of critical characteristics of information