Reducing Computer Security Vulnerabilities
August 17, 2008 by Antivirus Ware.com - Download Norton Antivirus software instantly!Computer code is relegated as being a form of mathematics. Theoretically, you can prove the correctness of a computer application or program although there isn’t much likelihood of this happening in large-scale practical systems according to those experts with practical expertise in the field.
Messages that are in transit between PC’s can also be protected by virtue of cryptography. The “one-time pad” is a method of encryption that protects messages in that the code is unbreakable when it is used properly. Even though cryptanalysis did break some of the code, the Soviets did use a similar method during the Cold War.
A securely distributed matching pair of key-codes that is used on a once-and-only-once basis to decode and encode a single message is how the method functions. However, the method is difficult to use and highly inconvenient especially when it comes to transmitted computer encryption.
Despite the fact that other methods of encryption can be broken in theory, the contention is that they can be impossible to break by any means that is in use today. A form of non-cryptographic input, such as a stolen key or stolen “plaintext”, is usually required to crack the code, so to speak.
Physical attacks, i.e. direct computer access or social engineering, are preventable using non-computer means. But it can still be difficult to enforce due to the information’s sensitivity. The bottom line is that social engineering attacks can be difficult to predict and prevent, even when they target a highly disciplined and protected environment such as within a military organization.
