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Computer Networking Dissertation Topics

Published by Carmen Troy at January 5th, 2023 , Revised On May 16, 2024

A dissertation is an essential aspect of completing your degree program. Whether you are pursuing your master’s or are enrolled in a PhD program, you will not be awarded a degree without successfully submitting a thesis. To ensure that your thesis is submitted successfully without any hindrances, you should first get your topic and dissertation outline approved by your professor. When approving, supervisors focus on a lot of aspects.

However, relevance, recency, and conciseness play a huge role in accepting or rejecting your topic.

As a computer networking student, you have a variety of networking topics to choose from. With the field evolving with each passing day, you must ensure that your thesis covers recent computer networking topics and explores a relevant problem or issue. To help you choose the right topic for your dissertation, here is a list of recent and relevant computer networking dissertation topics.

List Of Trending Ideas For Your Computer Networking Dissertation

• Machine learning for proactive network anomaly detection 
• The role of software-defined-networking (SDN) for network performance and security 
• Applications and challenges of 6G technologies 
• How to ensure fairness and efficiency in Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC)
• Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attacks in the Age of Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attacks
• Applications and rise of Low-Power Wide Area Networks (LPWANs)
• Efficient Resource Allocation and Quality-of-Service (QoS) Management
• Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Network Management
• The best ways to use Blockchain for Tamper-Proof Evidence Collection and Storage
• Role of Network Operators in Cloud Gaming

Computer Networking Dissertation Topics For Your Research

Topic 1: an evaluation of the network security during machine to machine communication in iot.

Research Aim: The research aims to evaluate the network security issues associated with M2M communication in IoT.

 Objectives:

• To evaluate the factors affecting the network security of IoT devices.
• To determine the methods for increasing data integrity in M2M communication against physical tampering and unauthorised monitoring.
• To evaluate the network security issues associated with M2M communication in IoT and offer suitable recommendations for improvement.

Topic 2: An analysis of the cybersecurity challenges in public clouds and appropriate intrusion detection mechanisms.

Research Aim: The aim of the research is to analyse the cybersecurity challenges in public clouds and the appropriate intrusion detection mechanisms.

Objectives:

• To analyse the types of cybersecurity threats impacting public clouds.
• To determine some of the competent intrusion detection techniques that can be used in cloud computing.
• To investigate the cybersecurity challenges in public clouds and offer mitigating with appropriate intrusion detection techniques.

Topic 3: Investigating the impact of SaaS cloud ERP on the scalability and cost-effectiveness of business.

Research Aim: The research aims to investigate the impact of SaaS cloud ERP on the scalability and cost-effectiveness of business.

• To analyse the benefits of SaaS ERP over traditional ERP.
• To evaluate the characteristics of SaaS architecture in cloud computing and determine its varieties.
• To investigate how SaaS cloud ERP impacts business scalability and cost-effectiveness.

Topic 4: An evaluation of the requirements of cloud repatriation and the challenges associated with it.

Research Aim: The research aims to evaluate the requirements of cloud repatriation in organisations and the associated challenges

• To analyse the key factors of cloud repatriation.
• To determine the challenges associated with cloud repatriation from public clouds.
• To evaluate the need for cloud repatriation in organisations and the associated complexities

Topic 5: An examination of the security mechanisms in decentralised networks and the ways of enhancing system robustness

Research Aim: The research aims to investigate the security mechanisms in decentralised networks and the ways of enhancing system robustness.

• To analyse the concept of decentralised networks and understand their difference from centralised networks.
• To analyse the security mechanisms in decentralised networks to determine how it offers visibility and traceability.
• To investigate the security mechanisms in decentralised networks and how system robustness can be increased for better privacy and security.

Latest Computer Networking Dissertation Topics

Exploring the importance of computer networking in today’s era.

Research Aim: Even though computer networking has been practised for a few years now, its importance has increased immensely over the past two years. A few main reasons include the use of technology by almost every business and the aim to offer customers an easy and convenient shopping experience. The main aim of this research will be to explain the concepts of computer networking, its benefits, and its importance in the current era. The research will also discuss how computer networking has helped businesses and individuals perform their work and benefit from it. The research will then specifically state examples where computer networking has brought positive changes and helped people achieve what they want.

Wireless Networks in Business Settings – An Analysis

Research Aim: Wireless networks are crucial in computer networking. They help build networks seamlessly, and once the networks are set up on a wireless network, it becomes extremely easy for the business to perform its daily activities. This research will investigate all about wireless networks in a business setting. It will first introduce the various wireless networks that can be utilised by a business and will then talk about how these networks help companies build their workflow around them. The study will analyse different wireless networks used by businesses and will conclude how beneficial they are and how they are helping the business.

Understanding Virtual Private Networks – A Deep Analysis of Their Challenges

Research Aim: Private virtual networks (VPN) are extremely common today. These are used by businesses and individuals alike. This research aims to understand how these networks operate and how they help businesses build strong and successful systems and address the challenges of VPNs. A lot of businesses do not adopt virtual private networks due to the challenges that they bring. This research will address these challenges in a way that will help businesses implement VPNs successfully.

A Survey of the Application of Wireless Sensor Networks

Research Aim: Wireless sensor networks are self-configured, infrastructure-less wireless networks to pass data. These networks are now extremely popular amongst businesses because they can solve problems in various application domains and possess the capacity to change the way work is done. This research will investigate where wireless sensor networks are implemented, how they are being used, and how they are performing. The research will also investigate how businesses implement these systems and consider factors when utilising these wireless sensor networks.

Computer Network Security Attacks – Systems and Methods to Respond

Research Aim: With the advent of technology today, computer networks are extremely prone to security attacks. A lot of networks have security systems in place. However, people with nefarious intent find one way to intrude and steal data/information. This research will address major security attacks that have impacted businesses and will aim to address this challenge. Various methods and systems will be highlighted to protect the computer networks. In addition to this, the research will also discuss various methods to respond to attacks and to keep the business network protected.

Preventing a Cyberattack – How Can You Build a Powerful Computer Network?

Research Aim: Cyberattacks are extremely common these days. No matter how powerful your network is, you might be a victim of phishing or hacking. The main aim of this research will be to outline how a powerful computer network can be built. Various methods to build a safe computer network that can keep data and information will be outlined, and the study will also highlight ways to prevent a cyberattack. In addition to this, the research will talk about the steps that should be taken to keep the computer network safe. The research will conclude with the best way and system to build a powerful and safe computer network.

Types of Computer Networks: A Comparison and Analysis

Research Aim: There are different types of computer networks, including LAN, WAN, PAN, MAN, CAN, SAN, etc. This research will discuss all the various types of computer networks to help readers understand how all these networks work. The study will then compare the different types of networks and analyse how each of them is implemented in different settings. The dissertation will also discuss the type of computer networks that businesses should use and how they can use them for their success. The study will then conclude which computer network is the best and how it can benefit when implemented.

Detecting Computer Network Attacks by Signatures and Fast Content Analysis

Research Aim: With technological advancement, today, many computer network attacks can be detected beforehand. While many techniques are utilised for detecting these attacks, the use of signatures and fast content analysis are the most popular ones. This research will explore these techniques in detail and help understand how they can detect a computer network attack and prevent it. The research will present different ways these techniques are utilised to detect an attack and help build powerful and safe computer networks. The research will then conclude how helpful these two techniques are and whether businesses should implement them.

Overview of Wireless Network Technologies and their Role in Healthcare

Research Aim: Wireless network technologies are utilised by several industries. Their uses and benefits have helped businesses resolve many business problems and assisted them in conducting their daily activities without any hindrance. This networking topic will help explore how wireless network technologies work and will talk about their benefits. This research aims to find out how wireless technologies help businesses carry out their daily routine tasks effortlessly. For this research, the focus will be on the healthcare industry. The study will investigate how wireless network technology has helped the healthcare sector and how it has benefited them to perform their daily tasks without much effort.

Setting up a Business Communication System over a Computer Network

Research Aim: Communication is an essential aspect of every business. Employees need to communicate effectively to keep the business going. In the absence of effective communication, businesses suffer a lot as the departments are not synchronised, and the operations are haphazard. This research will explore the different ways through which network technologies help conduct smooth and effective communication within organisations. This research will conclude how wireless networks have helped businesses build effective communication systems within their organisation and how they have benefited from it. It will then conclude how businesses have improved and solved major business problems with the help of these systems.

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How to find computer networking dissertation topics.

To find computer networking dissertation topics:

• Follow industry news and emerging technologies.
• Investigate unresolved networking challenges.
• Review recent research papers.
• Explore IoT, cybersecurity , and cloud computing.
• Consider real-world applications.
• Select a topic aligned with your expertise and career aspirations.

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A Formal Approach to Practical Network Security Management (thesis)

When a system administrator configures a network so it is secure, he understands very well the users, data, and most importantly the intent—what he is trying to do. However,he has a limited understanding of the mechanisms by which components interact and the details of each component. He could easily miscongure the network so a hacker could steal confidential data. In addition to this complexity, about one hundred new security vulnerabilities are found each week, which makes it even more difficult to manage the security of a network installation---because of the large number of program vulnerabilities and challenging time constraints. Even professional administrators find this a difficult (impossible) task. How does one enable the system administrator to securely congure the network with a limited understanding of its components, program bugs and their interactions? The solution is a security analysis framework that modularizes information flow between the system administrator, security expert and the bug expert. The administrator specifies what he is trying to do, the security expert specifies component behavior, the bug expert specifies known bugs. We developed a rule based framework—---Multihost, Multistage, Vulnerability Analysis (MulVAL)---to perform end-to-end, automatic analysis of multi-host, multi-stage attacks on a large network where hosts run on different operating systems. The MulVAL framework has been demonstrated to be modular, flexible, scalable and efficient. We used the framework to find serious configuration vulnerabilities in software from several major vendors for the Windows XP platform.

The research of computer network security and protection strategy

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Jian He; The research of computer network security and protection strategy. AIP Conf. Proc. 8 May 2017; 1839 (1): 020173. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4982538

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With the widespread popularity of computer network applications, its security is also received a high degree of attention. Factors affecting the safety of network is complex, for to do a good job of network security is a systematic work, has the high challenge. For safety and reliability problems of computer network system, this paper combined with practical work experience, from the threat of network security, security technology, network some Suggestions and measures for the system design principle, in order to make the masses of users in computer networks to enhance safety awareness and master certain network security technology.

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Top 10 Network Security Thesis Topics

The term network security refers to securing the network from malicious attacks executed by the hackers to gain illegal access to the network, presume the password to exploit the sensitive packets by using the methods of spoofing, eavesdropping, etc.

“Network Security builds a soundproof wall against Eavesdropping.”

It prevents the network from hacker’s intention to harm the network, and securing the messages and message infrastructure that we are using is to share information or sensitive data. The network security tools intend to secure user privacy, network integration and authenticity, controlling access , etc.

“This article focuses on the generalized network attack categories and the role of network solutions to face the issues. It also provides an overview of the network security thesis topics and our approaches towards the effective thesis writing.”

GOALS OF NETWORK SECURITY

• Controlling access
• Reliability and Verification
• Securing the infrastructure of communication

Overall, cryptography and network security main objectives are based on the functions of preventing unauthorized use of the network, DoS attacks, Spoofing or Man-in-the-Middle attacks, Network Traffic Attacks, etc. We provide you with the overall functions of proper network security based on its primary action; the functions will differ.

Here is the overview of the security network as follows:

Overview of Network Security

• Solutions of Side Channel Attacks
• Solutions for Anti-Blocking
• Network Monitoring Mechanisms
• Energy supplied devices offloading
• Pre-computation methods
• Optimizations securing energy-aware
• Adaptations serving dynamic security
• Unauthenticated Relays
• External and internal attacks
• Side channel
• Spoofing / Eavesdropping
• Denial of Service
• Infection of malware
• Deadlock deauthentication

What are the Network Security Threats?

            Risks in network security are very general and prevalent. Packet losses, network damage, reducing the confidence of the network packets are its main intentions. The rising level of the networks that are handling the network threats is accelerating. So the demand for the network security thesis topics deserves to be on the trend-setting level. As the generalization of threats in the network security , threats are also common. Let’s have a look at the types of Network Security Threats.

Types of Network Security Threats

• Attacks of Service Denial: It is a common and continual attack performed by an adversary to get access to the legal network. By this attack, Overloading unauthorized requests to crash the network normal functions.
• Phishing: Its intention is to take valuable information of user login or packets related information 
• Attacks on Transport Security Layer / SSL: These attacks are the general form of threats, which makes the attackers the availability of sensitive data entry and to unencrypted information. This attack is accounted approximately 10% of every examined attack on networks.
• Spoofing Identity attack: In this attack, the regular host appears as the source, when the hackers made required changes to the packet headers. It is known as forging the IP address. The hackers use the intranet to create similar IP addresses of the user with the help of their specially designed program.
• Brute Force Attacks: In the hacker’s domain, this type of attack is a powerful one, where the hackers use the error and trial technique to attack the network security to presume the password of the system. This technique pays the hackers usual way in guessing the password.

The above security threats are the widespread patterns of adversaries. Network security risks and attacks can extremely influence a company’s economic sources, as discussed previously. Many reputed networks (SDN, 5G, and 6G networks) are struggling to secure their privacy over sensitive data. Having theoretical knowledge won’t help you to overcome such a crisis. Thus our developers suggest you some of the practical solutions for network security threats.

Solutions for Network Security Threats

• Proper network security update and maintenance
• Manage / monitor the networks security
• Designing security policies and rules  

By that time, hackers are getting clever. Their malware implantation will dynamically change the source code of the threat, which delays the counteraction to respond to the attack without knowing the source code. A good network solution is needed to protect networks from different types of attacks to tackle this issue. How do you identify the ideal security solution? Here our research team has provided you some characteristic features of a good network solution.

What are the features of good network security model?

• Integration of different solutions : This provides you a strong protection from influential attacks and invasions on networks by integrating all your usage of network solutions and tools.
• Attacks Prevention : This type of network solution prevents the system against vigorous malware attacks and makes the attacker to find difficult to find the system’s source code.
• Continuous Observation and Response : This type of solution continuously monitors the user activity and alerts the user on the spot of its threat detection. This helps the user to prevent the system from attack.
• Detecting and Identifying threats: It helps to address the individual attack components by developing clear understanding of the threats entered into the network and helps in identifying and blocking them.

Though we categorized the various types of solutions, we suggest you that one solution to network security threat is not enough. You can get the different types of solutions from us with various features according to the network type and impact of the threat. But choosing a solution that integrally supports other security tools you bought from other vendors will be the best to implement information security thesis topics . When you are doing thesis in the relevant field, you can master in choosing and implanting the best to your device. Here we provide you some of the top Network Security Thesis Topics.

Network Security Thesis Topics

• Data Security and Privacy
• Protocols and Security Application functional assessments
• NLP for Protection and Ensure Security
• Security based on Artificial Intelligence and ML
• Managing and Recovering Key
• Securing Intellectual Property
• Integrity and Insider Threat Security
• Securing universal computing
• Watermarking and data hiding
• Confidential computing
• Solutions for security threats
• Protocols and Models of security
• Managing security and network
• Hiding of Data and security in Data Mining

Data Collection for Security Attacks Detection

Network security threats are patented to cause monetary loss. The data gathered in a network are used to identify the security threats like vulnerabilities and intrusions . Such data are called the data related to network security. Research Scholars can reach us in developing network security thesis topics based on data collection and detection. We were examining such data aids in identifying the security threats and is often useful in measuring the whole network’s security level. So, according to our technical team, gathering security-related data should be the primary step in detecting attacks . To gather such data in real-time detection, the following are the top datasets suggested by our research team.

Top 10 Datasets for Network Attacks Detection

• Aposemat IoT-23
• CTU-13 Dataset
• Network Data Set and Host Unification
• Datasets Detecting ADFA Intrusion
• Harmful URLs
• Malware Training Sets

Apart from the above-mentioned datasets, we have particularized a few data collecting tools and mechanisms for your reference in network security thesis topics . These are used to capture the network data in massive size with a wide range of collections.

• Online/offline Collecting tools
• Hardware/Software Collecting Tools
• Protocol Collecting Tools
• Collecting Direct/Indirect Tools
• Collecting Active/Passive Tools
• Flow/Packet focused Collection
• Inadequate/adequate collection
• Collection Of External/Internal Nodes
• Collection Of Integrated/Distributed Nodes

Which Method is Useful in Detection of an Attack?

Various Machine Learning algorithms like KNN and SVM are used as Intrusion Detection systems (IDS). The surface for the network attacks is on the rise as the network is multifaceted with successful technologies like cloud computing , IoT, etc. So, the need for predictive and reactive defense is increasing using different types of network simulator . The intrusion detection system is used as the base attack detecting mechanism in all research aspects to bond the gap . Below, we provide you the network security methodologies.

Network Security Methodologies

• Isolating Slices:  Tostop misusing the packets and network vulnerabilities, the procedure of isolating the virtualization and mature cloud (Slices) are used.
• Managing Security: For the fast awareness on the network weak points, integrated management is used for network security
• Security Control: For automated counteraction on blocking threats, event attacks and fast recover assurance, it is important to organize the security strategies properly 
• Analyzing Security: It is used to analyze the security on the basis of big data collection by circulating the several entities as MEC, Fog and RAN for detecting the DDoS attacks.
• Preventing data vulnerability: For securing privacy, network encryption and firewalls, this technology using the access of Network Slice-Specific Authentication and Authorization (NSSAA).  In order to stop data abuse and key negotiation NSSAA have secondary verification to access the original network.
• Securing Slice Control: To assure the confidentiality and integrity, the slice management security functions on the basis of authorization technique and directional verification

Network security threats are targeted attacks to evade the defense mechanisms and the keys that are in place to avoid them. The two main types of network analysis are security and functional metrics . The objectives of each metrics vary according to its function and security as follows,

Network Simulation Performance Evaluation Tools

• Metrics of self- security and protecting privacy
• Metrics of Non-Denial and Verification
• Metrics of integrity and confidentiality
• Metrics of Cost and Non-Destructivity
• Metrics of Productivity and Generalization
• Metrics of flexibility and applicability
• Metrics of Adaptableness and Scalability
• Metrics of Constancy

The above-mentioned metrics have the basic functions to secure the models used in network security. Apart from the mentioned metrics, our teams of developers are experts in framing innovative metrics used to conduct an in-depth analysis of the time taken by the network security models and applications to identify and recover from the attacks performed. Let’s take a look at our objectives of thesis writing.

Our Objectives in thesis writing

• Contemplate Outlining and Structure
• Discovering initiating and maintaining writing approaches
• Concentrate on the writing method
• Constructing set of references to render final thesis
• Recognizing self-management methods to help progression

Along with the ideas that should be discuss inside the thesis chapters, a thesis generally have the power to decide your academic future and the effectiveness of every thesis is a debatable subject when you follow any profession related to your academic field. The practical explanation provided by our technical team will help you to understand the concept better to explain with others and it is notable that we provide you confidential service. Let’s have a look on the best network security thesis topics. For your convenience and clarification on our service, we also provide you the methodologies on how we structuring a dissertation.

WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT SECTIONS IN THESIS WRITING?

• Abstract covers the significant descriptions about the research topic
• Introduction that describes the remaining chapters, literature review, terms definition, statement of the problem
• Techniques used includes the data structures, algorithms, requirements and specifications
• Chapters in the middle may vary on the chosen project (that discusses the major ideas of the proposed work)
• Conclusions stating the unsolved problems and obtained results by the proposed method

As earlier, we notify you to make use of this opportunity to work with our expert team, providing confidential service, customized research with benchmark references, and on-time service . We have 5000+ happy customers in the relevant research field. As a matter of fact, we provide you practical explanations over the simulators and testbeds used in network security thesis topics . We are glad to extend our support and guidance to introduce you to the various aspects of network security if you are interested.

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Good cybersecurity thesis topics for a master's degree

Writing a master's thesis a strong topic positions you for academic and professional success, while a weak one promises to make an already intensive process arduous at best..

• Alissa Irei, Senior Site Editor

A graduate-level information security project should make a timely, original contribution to an ongoing problem or debate in the field. The best cybersecurity thesis topics will therefore explore issues of current importance to the broader infosec community, ideally with some degree of both academic and practical utility. Topics should be timely -- grounded in current research, challenges and discourse -- and have relevance that promises to extend beyond immediate publication. A security analysis of an electronic voting application , for example, would likely generate both current and long-term interest within the IT community.

Rather than trying to find the ideal subject immediately, however, avoid analysis paralysis by drafting a working list of possible cybersecurity thesis topics, which you can then explore, research and refine as you continue to gather information. To start brainstorming, review recent course materials, academic papers and media articles to see what themes and patterns catch your attention. Certain topics, like security awareness training and testing, are of both perennial and growing interest. Others, such as biometrics and AI, are still emerging.

"If I were working on a thesis right now, I'd focus on the use of AI in security tools ," said Andrew Froehlich, president of analyst firm West Gate Networks. In particular, he suggested exploring AI's ability to review multiple security information streams and form analytical opinions on difficult-to-solve data security issues.

"Another great topic is the concept of fully autonomous security tools that use AI to not only find a root cause, but also have the intelligence to automate the remediation of a security event," Froehlich added.

Håkon Olsen, security engineer and founder of cybersecurity firm Cybehave, weighed in on cybersecurity thesis topics in a recent forum on Quora, where he suggested tackling the subject of identity management .

"Investigate how to maximize security within each user's threshold for usability impact," Olsen wrote, adding that most users don't use two-factor authentication when it's available. "How much security can we inspire them to 'turn on' for a service?"

The evolving position of the CISO provides yet another rich and timely subject area: What is the scope of the CISO's role, relative to both IT and lines of business, and how has it changed? What are predictors of CISO success? How do turnover rates in CISO positions compare with those in other C-level positions? What are the CISO's responsibilities following a security breach? The list continues.

Still another resource for ideas, leads and inspiration is Cybersecurity Canon , a Palo Alto Networks project started in 2013 by then-CSO Rick Howard. Modeled after the baseball and rock-and-roll halls of fame, the Cybersecurity Canon committee recognizes a variety of must-read books for their timely and significant contributions to the infosec field. The group itself consists of security executives, analysts, consultants and practitioners.

Finally, students should think about their professional goals and consider how the right cybersecurity thesis topics could eventually help them land their dream jobs. Some projects might provide the opportunity to acquire deeper expertise in a given subject area, for example, or the chance to gain meaningful, proven experience using a particular toolset or coding language. Ask yourself how you might use this project to not just complete your degree, but also to advance your career. This line of thinking can also help identify potential cybersecurity thesis topics you find particularly interesting -- a prerequisite for a project of this magnitude.

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Master's Theses

Topics for master's thesis seminar and projects in network and security.

• Comparison of Firewall Rulesets in OpnSense, OpenWRT, and RouterOS

The aim of this project is to take an exemplary firewall rule set defined for the OpnSense firewall (using FreeBSD PF as the basis) and duplicate as many details as possible in a current OpenWRT (using the Linux netfilter based fw4 system) and RouterOS (with Mikrotik RouterOS CLI translating to Linux iptables rules). Based on this example, the main differences should be documented as findings for advantages/disadvantages of the respective systems. The example rule set should include multiple (VLAN) interfaces, a mix of IPv4 and IPv6 hosts and rules, different layer 4 protocols, and some special cases like multicast packet handling. A complete example with these aspects will be made available as part of the task. It is possible to extend this project towards a Master's thesis by including additional aspects such as comparative performance analysis, integration with VPN tunnels and dynamic routing, software mitigations for security relevant bugs in the respective kernels and network stacks, etc.

Kontakt: Rene Mayrhofer Michael Roland Michael Sonntag

• Ingest probable location data using a Large Language Model

In the CDL Digidow (digidow.eu) ecosystem, users have complete control over their Personal Identity Agent (PIA), which can perform tasks, such as unlocking doors based on data gathered from sensors in the surrounding environment. One aspect of securing this system is that the PIA should be aware of their user's current activities, so it can judge if the person in front of the door might actually be an impostor. Two potential digital sources of such information, to take into account are the user's email account and calendar. The goal of this project is live-scanning this data, extracting relevant information like booked trains, flights, hotels, or other appointments, and outputting any identified events to the PIA's location model. You should use techniques like prompt engineering and agent-based approaches (no training or long-running fine-tuning) with existing local LLMs. You should expect to write some regular code in a reasonable language of your choice to continuously ingest input and forward the LLMs outputs. Your solution should maintain a list of detected future events, in an agreed-upon format, which the LLM can update and the location model can consume.

Contact: Rene Mayrhofer Martin Schwaighofer

• DEPS Project - Problem A

Problem description: Industrial-scale reverse engineering is a big problem, with estimated losses for the industry at 6,4 billion dollars in 2022 in Germany alone. A closer look at the problem shows that typically the main effort needed to steal the intellectual property of companies producing machines controlled by software, resides on replicating hardware, since software can often be copied verbatim with no reverse engineering effort required.

Approach: In DEPS we aim to change this status quo by means of a novel copy protection mechanism that “glues” a program P to a specific machine M. More concretely, we propose to subtly change P into a (reflective) program P ′ which will turn itself into P at run time, only if it is run in the target machine M. If P ′ is executed in a machine M′ other than M (even if M′ is a clone of M), it will then behave incorrectly, i.e., differently than P. Clearly, for this approach to work, the changes that P ′ needs to make to its code to become P at run time need to be well protected. This can be achieved by making these changes dependent on physically unclonable properties of the target machine M, via a physically unclonable function (PUF).

Task: We would like you to work with us in a proof of concept of this novel protection mechanism, developing a prototype application of the protection applied to an example program P that controls a critical functions of a track tamping machine produced by our company partner Plasser & Theurer. The task is to implement the described protection mechanisms using reflection (i.e., self-modifying code) and a provided PUF. We will provide you with a detailed high-level specification of the mechanism and support you to refine it to the required level of abstraction, i.e., to its prototype implementation.

Prerequisites: If you apply for this project, we expect you to have good programming and problem solving skills, preferably in C and C++.

Contacts at SCCH: Dr. Flavio Ferrarotti Univ.-Prof. Dr. Juliana Bowles Rene Mayrhofer (Organization issues)

DEPS Project - Problem B:

Problem description: In man-at-the-end (MATE) software attacks, attackers target assets embedded in software. By means of reverse engineering they try to steal confidential information, such as intellectual property in the form of algorithms. MATE attackers can mount sophisticated attacks, as they can tamper with software and data in their labs, where they have all kinds of software aids, such as debuggers, tracers, emulators, and customized operating systems; and hardware aids such as developer boards with (JTAG-based) hardware debuggers. Software protection techniques developed in our project DEPS transforms code to prevent situations where MATE attackers can steals the intellectual property of companies producing machines controlled by software. In the current industrial landscape, attackers concentrate their effort on replicating hardware, since the software components can usually be copied verbatim with no or very little reverse engineering effort required. Industrial-scale reverse engineering is a big problem, with estimated losses for the industry at 6,4 billion dollars in 2022 in Germany alone.

Task: We want to evaluate thoroughly the protection mechanism developed in DEPS by modelling the most relevant relations between:

• (i) assets, 
• (ii) the software those assets are embedded in, 
• (iii) deployed protections, 
• (iv) individual attack steps and tools and methods to perform attacks on those protections and on the assets,
• (v) possible paths of attack that start from scratch and through which attackers can reach their ultimate reverse-engineering end goal, i.e., stealing the original asset.

For that, we propose to adapt and instantiate the meta-model for software protections and reverse engineering attacks proposed in  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0164121218302838 , opens an external URL in a new window  with the specific DEPS protection approaches, protection goals and reverse engineering attacks applicable to our case studies, building a Knowledge Base to perform risk analysis.  

Prerequisites:  Solid knowledge of software security fundamentals. Knowledge of risk analysis techniques and/or reverse engineering techniques would be ideal.

• Evaluating Attack Scenarios against Large Language Models

Abstract: Large Language Models (LLMs) like (Chat)GPT, LLaMA, Alpaca, etc. are currently being evaluated or already being put into use in many new scenarios, including decision-making processes. The aim of this thesis is to experiment with, evaluate, and potentially develop counter-measures to text-based attack scenarios for such LLMs. A starting point are the various (local or cloud hosted) chat based interfaces to interact with such models: by engineering text prompts to explicitly make models misbehave, that is, emit answers that seem counter to the intention of the respective scenario, the thesis should document a first starting set of attacking prompt types. Based on such attack prompts, the next question is how these prompts can be fed into LLM-using systems in specific scenarios, e.g. for filtering resumes of job applicants, preparing reviews of scholarly documents, or summarizing news sources. Potential approaches include hiding the attack prompts in various file formats such as HTML or PDF in a way that human reviewers will not notice the hidden prompts but LLMs acting on those files will receive them as input. Ideally, the thesis will end with a classification of attack prompt classes and injection methods for a starting set of LLM based services. Students interested in this topic should have a basic understanding of how machine learning in general and LLMs in particular as well as a strong interest in working around the usual constraints of a system to "think outside the box".

Contact: Rene Mayrhofer

• Privacy-Preserving Biometric Matching via Secure Two-Party Computation

Abstract: Strong user authentication based on biometrics is gaining more and more importance. As a basis for further research in the domain of privacy-friendly usage of biometrics, the goal of this thesis project is to analyze the practical efficiency and performance of existing cryptographic approaches and frameworks based on secure two-party computation for matching biometric features in a privacy-preserving manner. This project will be done in collaboration with AIT.

Kontakt: Omid Mir, Rene Mayrhofer

• Rust implementation of face detection and -recognition networks (Master project - Project in Networks and Security)

This master project helps to generalize research on face biometrics by increasing the pool of possible face detection and -recognition systems in our Rust implementation. Your task would be to research state-of-the-art systems and implement a subset of those in Rust.

Contact: Philipp Hofer

• Evaluation of FIDO2 security key attestation

[FIDO2]( https://fidoalliance.org/fido2/ , opens an external URL in a new window ) is a standard for secure privacy-preserving cryptographic login to websites. FIDO2 tokens (or security keys) can be used as second-factor in addition to password-based login or as a standalone authentication token for [passwordless login]( https://www.yubico.com/authentication-standards/fido2/ , opens an external URL in a new window ). In order for a website to determine if a user's FIDO token is sufficiently trustworthy, tokens implement an [attestation mechanism]( https://fidoalliance.org/fido-technotes-the-truth-about-attestation/ , opens an external URL in a new window ). The goal of this thesis project is to analyze the capabilities (e.g. supported cryptographic algorithms) of current FIDO2 hardware (and software) tokens and to analyze their attestation mechanisms (particularly in terms of certificate chains).

Contact: Michael Roland

• Evaluation of Tor relay performance

Can the Tor client experience be improved by limiting a Tor client to a subset of the available Tor relays? What criteria would be best suited to select a high-performance subset? The goal of this thesis is to answer these questions by analyzing the performance differences between Tor relays based on grouping them by publicly available attributes. Possible criteria could include (but are not limited to) the flags they have obtained (e.g. only using stable or fast relays for all connections), the port number they accept connections on, their age, their advertised bandwidth, etc.  

• Vein recognition

In the CDL Digidow (digidow.eu) sensors can identify participating individuals based on different biometric factors. This master thesis will compare different state-of-the-art vein recognition models and extend our real-life prototype with vein recognition.

• Privacy on Smartphones

Protecting privacy on smartphones has been recognized as a vital factor because portable devices operate nowadays with more and more sensitive personal data (location/geotags, contacts, call history, text messages, photos, physical health, etc.). The goal of this work is to extend the Android Device Security Database (which is more focused on security, see https://www.android-device-security.org/ , opens an external URL in a new window ) to privacy attributes and indicators (e.g. privacy policies, user profiling, network traffic analysis, company resolution) for various OEMs/models.

Contact: Jan Horacek

•   Anomaly Detection in Cybersecurity

Abstract: Anomaly detection systems (such as ones implemented in EDR or IDS) are very useful tools that help blue teams, e.g., to identify exploitation of zero-day vulnerabilities. They are designed to detect (unusual) malicious activity based on events. The techniques used to find anomalies are very broad - ranging from predefined rules to deep learning methods. Furthermore, the scenarios that are relevant to this topic are quite extensive (LAN security, DDoS, UEBA, DLP, etc.). The thesis should address at least the first three points: 1. Scope: pick a scenario, explain the use cases and create appropriate test data/benchmarks (if they do not exist) 2. Methods: describe detection techniques including the underlying theory that suit the scope defined in 1. 3. Implementation: implement the techniques mentioned in 2. (preferably in python) and compare the performance, discuss the usability 4. Visualization: how to visualize events and anomalies in a system? 5. Research: improve some published results

• Reading machine readable ID documents on Android

Abstract: The goal of this project is to create an open source implementation of an Android app to read and verify data from machine readable ID documents via NFC (such as eMRTD/electronic passport).

• Mobile driving license reference implementation

Abstract: The goal of this project is to implement the current standard for mobile driving licenses (ISO/IEC 18013-5) on Android.

• Physical user location model using machine learning

Abstract: Smart environments are increasing in popularity. In the CDL Digidow (digidow.eu) users can interact with various sensors in the physical world. In order to enhance the sensors ability to rapidly fulfill the users request(s), it could predict the users location and thus infer the most probable action in the future. The goal of this project is to create a prediction about the user location in the immediate future, based on various inputs, such as videos and smartphone sensors (IMU), by e.g. calculating movement vectors.

• Security analysis of the Linux kernel in Mikrotik RouterOS

Abstract : Mikrotik RouterOS is a Linux kernel based embedded operating system for network routers, switches, access points, etc. While the userspace components are closed source, patches and configuration options for the used Linux kernel are available. The goal of this project is to analyze which security vulnerabilities - especially remotely exploitable ones - are publicly known for the user kernel version and if/how they have been patched. Necessary skills for this project include reading/writing C, reading and applying patches to source code, and compiling and testing native C code.

• Security of e-scooters

TIER, Arolla, Wind, Lime, voi. ... after only two month e-scooters are all over Linz. The idea has been picked up pretty well and even the StVO (traffic rules) is going to be updated to bring (legal) clarity for the use of them. Besides all the positive voices, there is also quite some criticism, mainly about cityscape and safety. Above that, pushing to the market in such a short time frame also has the potential that security considerations have been left behind. Therefore, we are interested in various aspects of e-scooter security and have a few topics for master theses/projects to work on. Contact: Michael Roland

• Tracking of persons through Wi-Fi sniffing

The goal of this project is to passively collect and analyze Wi-Fi (802.11) packets with regard to information that could be used to track or even identify an individual person. In particular, 802.11 management frames , opens an external URL in a new window such as probe requests seem to broadcast usable information. As a first step, you need to build an environment to passively collect (sniff) Wi-Fi communication and to extract the relevant data (possibly based on existing open source projects). Using that environment, you will collect and analyze data emitted from various mobile devices (particularly different smartphones, typically carried around in everyones pockets). Finally, you should be able to evaluate if that data could be used to track someone's movements around a building. Contact: Michael Roland

• Injecting URLs and other data to Smart TVs via DVB-T

The Institute of Networks and Security has software defined radio hardware that should be suitable to create and inject DVB-T signals into receivers such as Smart TVs. The aim of this thesis is to reproduce and potentially extend the work shown in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOJ_8QHX6OA , opens an external URL in a new window on how injected HbbTV URLs are automatically opened/executed on some Smart TVs to allow a remote code execution.

• Security analysis of the communication protocol of a MAVIC PRO drone

This project aims to investigate the two communication channels (Wi-Fi and a custom RF) of a commercial drone ( http://www.dji.com/mavic?from=v3_landing_page , opens an external URL in a new window ) and analyze the used communication protocol. Using a software defined network and state-of-the-art reverse engineering tools, your goal is to find potential security weaknesses and make suggestions on how to improve the existing protocols. Contact: Rene Mayrhofer

• Smart home security: preventing privacy leaks with home routers
• E-Learning System für Websites am Beispiel RIS

Beispiels-Suchaufgaben mit Beobachtung des Benutzers (Eingabe, Mausbewegungen etc.) und adaptiven Reaktionen darauf (Verbesserungsvorschläge, Vorzeigen mit Maus&Eingabe + Audio-Kommentar); Zwei Varianten (ca. 10 Min. für Laien, ca. 90 Minuten für Profis) Contact: Michael Sonntag

• Translate security protocols specified in Alice&Bob notation to Scyther language

Alice&Bob notation has been widely used to describe security protocols. However, protocol verification tools such as ProVerif, Scyther, and Tamarin have their own specification language. We are therefore interested in developing a tool that allows translating an Alice&Bob specification to other languages that can then be used as input to different verification tools. The goal of this particular task is to build a tool that translates an Alice&Bob specification to Scyther specification. As Scyther does not support equational theories that are often used to model for instance Diffie-Hellman exponentiation, not all Alice&Bob specifications are convertible to Scyther's language. Nevertheless, many protocols such as Kerberos and Needham-Schroeder variants are translatable. Contact: Jan Horacek

Johannes Kepler University Linz

Altenberger Straße 69

4040 Linz, Austria

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Tsinghua graduate dissertation on network security honored

In a recent announcement made in Copenhagen, Denmark, the ACM Special Interest Group on Security, Audit, and Control (ACM SIGSAC) declared the winners of the 2023 ACM SIGSAC Doctoral Dissertation Award. Among the laureates was Feng Xuewei, a 2022 doctoral graduate from the Institute of Computer Networks of the Department of Computer Science and Technology at Tsinghua University. Feng's dissertation, titled "Exploring the Security Implications of Cross-Layer Interactions in Network Protocols," secured the runner-up position for the ACM SIGSAC Doctoral Dissertation Award. His work was supervised by Professor Xu Ke from the Department of Computer Science and Technology. This marks the first time since the award's inception in 2014 that finalists have emerged from the Asia-Pacific region.

Feng's doctoral dissertation delves into the security implications arising from the dynamic cross-layer interactions within the TCP/IP protocol stack during packet transmission. Despite the criticality of these interactions, the security concerns stemming from ambiguity and information leakage have been largely overlooked. Feng's research thoroughly investigates this issue, identifying four typical security vulnerabilities that persist within the TCP/IP protocol stack during cross-layer interactions. Furthermore, he proposes a comprehensive defense solution to systematically address these vulnerabilities. His results have been published at top security conferences including IEEE S&P, USENIX Security, NDSS, and CCS. The research has earned accolades such as the CCS'2020 Best Paper Nomination Award and the Frontiers of Science Award of the first International Congress of Basic Science. Feng's work has received high praise from renowned international network security scholars like Adrian Perrig and Ravi Sandhu. It has also been acknowledged by numerous well-known organizations and enterprises including Qualcomm, Wi-Fi Alliance, Linux community, FreeBSD community, OpenWrt community, China Telecom, China Unicom, China Mobile, Huawei, Alibaba, H3C, and more. His findings have been featured multiple times by prominent international media outlets such as The Register.

ACM SIGSAC, the sole professional organization in the security field of the International Computer Society, established the ACM SIGSAC Doctoral Dissertation Award to honor doctoral dissertations worldwide that have made significant contributions to the fields of computer security, auditing, and control. This year, the award drew participation from many top international universities including MIT, Harvard University, Yale University, University of California at Berkeley, Stanford University, ETH Zürich, and Technical University of Munich. The review committee, chaired by Professor Yan Chen of Northwestern University, a distinguished scholar in international network security, comprises renowned security experts and scholars from three continents.

Editor: Li Han

M.Tech/Ph.D Thesis Help in Chandigarh | Thesis Guidance in Chandigarh

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Network Security

The network security is the issue which rose due to self-configuring and decentralized nature of the network. The ad-hoc networks are of three type’s mobile ad-hoc networks, wireless sensor networks, and vehicular ad-hoc networks. The malicious nodes may join the network due to which various type of active and passive attacks are possible in the network. The passive type of attack is the type of attack in which malicious nodes do not affect the network performance. The active type of attacks is the attacks in which malicious nodes reduce networks performance in terms of various parameters. There are various topics in network security for thesis and research.

The black hole, wormhole, sinkhole, Sybil etc are the various type of active attacks which reduce network. In recent times, various techniques have been proposed which detect malicious nodes from the network. To improve  the security of the network , techniques of the data encryption, intrusion detection systems are proposed in recent times. The area of research in the network security is secure channel establishment algorithms which are Diffie-Helman, RSA etc which increase the security of the network.

Network Security in a  computer network  is a good topic to choose for the M.Tech thesis. You can get thesis help from a good thesis guidance agencies like Techsparks. Network Security is the means by which any unauthorized access to a computer network is prevented by following certain policies and procedures. Network Security tend to provide certain ways by which only authorized user can get access to the data in the network. Users are provided unique ID and password for access to the network. Network Security is employed in large organizations and institutions for securing the network from any third party access.

A firewall is a system that applies certain protocols for managing and regulating traffic on the network. It acts as the barricade between the internet and the verified internal network. A firewall can be a software or a hardware. Firewalls are commonly used to prevent any threat to the data from an outside source. Hardware firewalls are found on routers while software firewalls are installed on the computers. While working on your M.Tech thesis, you will learn more about how the firewall works. There are three types of firewall:

• Application Gateways
• Packet Filtering
• Hybrid Systems

Types of network attack

Following are the types of attack on the network:

Active Attack

In an active attack, a miscreant tries to attack data while it is being sent to some other location. He can make changes to it or can hack confidential information while data is being transferred.

Passive Attack

In a passive attack, the hacker constantly monitors the system to gain valuable information through open ports. The attacker does not attempt to make changes to data.

CIA Triad in Network Security

It is based on the following principles:

Confidentiality

Protecting the important data from unauthorized access.

Keeping the uniqueness of the data.

Availability

Authorized access to the available data.

Auditing in Network Security

Auditing in network security means checking whether the security policies and procedures are followed by the organization. This helps the organization to find any loophole in the security measures of the organization’s network and hence implement network security.

This was just basics of network security. If you are involved in networking, then this could be a good choice for your M.Tech thesis. There are various  thesis topics  in network security which you can opt for M.Tech, M.Phil and for Ph.D. degree.

Latest Thesis and research topics in Network Security

There are various hot topics in network security. Following is the list of latest research and thesis topics in network security for masters and other postgraduate students:

• Access Management

Wireless Security

Endpoint security, hole punching, malware detection, information security, access management:.

It is a method of securing the network by granting access to authorized users the right to access the network. This will prevent any authorized attack on the network thereby securing the network. This process makes use of certain policies which are defined under Information Security Management. This process was added to secure the confidential information that is transferred through the network. This is a very good and simple topic for the thesis in the field of network security. There are various sub-processes under it which you can explore while working on your thesis and research paper.

Wireless Security makes use of the wireless network to prevent any unauthorized access and attack to the computers. WEP(Wired Equivalent Privacy) and WPA(Wi-Fi Protected Access) are the common types of wireless security. WEP is comparatively weaker than WPA as its password can be broken easily using some software tools. There are certain security issues in wireless communication. A malicious individual can attack the network through ad hoc networks, non-traditional networks, network injection, caffe latte attack. There are various security measures that can be applied to SSID hiding, static IP addressing, 802.11 security, encryption etc. There are many topics to explore in this and is a very good choice for the master’s thesis.

Firewall has been discussed above. It regulates the traffic on the network and is a security measure for communication on the network. It is an interesting research paper topic in network security.

Endpoint Security is another approach for network security in which remote networks are secured. In this devices follow certain security standards. It manages the user’s access to the corporate network. The main components of this type of security are VPN(Virtual Private Network), operating system and an antivirus software. This security management process operates on the client-server model. Software as a Service is another model used in this case.

Honeypot is another security mechanism for network security. It detects, deflects and counteracts the unauthorized use of information systems. It consists of data which is isolated and monitored but appears as if it is a part of the site. Honeypots are classified into two categories production honeypot and research honeypot. Production honeypots capture only limited information and are easy to use whereas research honeypots collect information about the black hat communities who are trying to attack the network. Based on their design, honeypots can be classified as pure honeypots, low-interaction honeypots, and high-interaction honeypots. Go for this topic for your thesis as it is an innovative topic.

It is a computer networking technique that uses network address translation(NAT) for establishing the direct connection between the two parties. In this one or both the parties may be behind firewalls. For punching a hole, each of the clients connects to a third-party server which is unrestricted for temporarily storing external and internal address and port information. Each client’s information is passed on to the other through a server and using that direct connection is established. As a result, packets are transferred to each side.

A malware is a software code which is designed to intentionally cause damage to the computer network. The malware code can be in the form of viruses, worms, Trojan horses, or spyware. The aim of malware detection is to find and remove any type of malware code from the network. Antivirus software, firewalls, and other such strategies help in detecting malware in the network. It is one of the good topics in network security for project and thesis.

Information security refers to a set of strategies applied to prevent any type of threat to digital and non-digital information. It is also an interesting topic in network security. The strategies applied revolves around the CIA objectives which is expanded as confidentiality, integrity, and availability. These objectives ensure that only authorized users can access the information.

These are some of the latest interesting topics in network security for thesis as well as for research. If you face any difficulty in this area you can get  thesis guidance  and thesis help in network security from networking experts.

Techsparks offer thesis and research help in network security topics. You can call us at  +91-9465330425  or email us at  [email protected]  for thesis and research help in network security. You can also fill the contact form the website. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

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Published: 27 October 2023

Cybersecurity refers to any technology, measure or practice for preventing cyberattacks or mitigating their impact. 

Cybersecurity aims to protect individuals’ and organizations’ systems, applications, computing devices, sensitive data and financial assets against computer viruses, sophisticated and costly ransomware attacks, and more.

Cyberattacks have the power to disrupt, damage or destroy businesses, and the cost to victims keeps rising. For example, according to IBM's Cost of a Data Breach 2023 report, 

• The average cost of a data breach in 2023 was USD 4.45 million, up 15% over the last three years;
• The average cost of a ransomware-related data breach in 2023 was even higher, at USD 5.13 million. This number does not include the cost of the ransom payment, which averaged an extra USD 1,542,333, up 89% from the previous year. 

By one estimate, cybercrime might cost the world economy  USD 10.5 trillion per year by 2025  (link resides outside ibm.com). 1

The expanding information technology (IT) trends of the past few years include:

• a rise in cloud computing adoption,
• network complexity,
• remote work and work from home,
• bring your own device (BYOD) programs,
• and connected devices and sensors in everything from doorbells to cars to assembly lines.

All these trends create tremendous business advantages and human progress, but also provide exponentially more opportunities for cybercriminals to attack.

Not surprisingly, a recent study found that the global cybersecurity worker gap—the gap between existing cybersecurity workers and cybersecurity jobs that need to be filled—was 3.4 million workers worldwide. 2 Resource-strained security teams are focusing on developing comprehensive cybersecurity strategies that use advanced analytics, artificial intelligence and automation to fight cyberthreats more effectively and minimize the impact of cyberattacks.

The X-Force Threat Intelligence Index offers new insights into top threats to help you prepare and respond faster to cyberattacks, extortion and more.

Register for the Cost of a Data Breach report

A strong cybersecurity strategy protects all relevant IT infrastructure layers or domains against cyberthreats and cybercrime.

Critical infrastructure security protects the computer systems, applications, networks, data and digital assets that a society depends on for national security, economic health and public safety. In the United States, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed a cybersecurity framework to help IT providers in this area. The US Department of Homeland Security’ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) provides extra guidance.

Network security prevents unauthorized access to network resources, and detects and stops cyberattacks and network security breaches in progress. At the same time, network security helps ensure that authorized users have secure and timely access to the network resources they need.

Endpoints—servers, desktops, laptops, mobile devices—remain the primary entry point for cyberattacks. Endpoint security protects these devices and their users against attacks, and also protects the network against adversaries who use endpoints to launch attacks.

Application security protects applications running on-premises and in the cloud, preventing unauthorized access to and use of applications and related data. It also prevents flaws or vulnerabilities in application design that hackers can use to infiltrate the network. Modern application development methods—such as  DevOps and DevSecOps —build security and security testing into the development process.

Cloud security secures an organization’s cloud-based services and assets—applications, data, storage, development tools, virtual servers and cloud infrastructure. Generally speaking, cloud security operates on the shared responsibility model where the cloud provider is responsible for securing the services that they deliver and the infrastructure that is used to deliver them. The customer is responsible for protecting their data, code and other assets they store or run in the cloud. The details vary depending on the cloud services used.

Information security (InfoSec) pertains to protection of all an organization's important information—digital files and data, paper documents, physical media, even human speech—against unauthorized access, disclosure, use or alteration. Data security, the protection of digital information, is a subset of information security and the focus of most cybersecurity-related InfoSec measures.

Mobile security encompasses various disciplines and technologies specific to smartphones and mobile devices, including mobile application management (MAM) and enterprise mobility management (EMM). More recently, mobile security is available as part of unified endpoint management (UEM) solutions that enable configuration and security management for multiple endpoints—mobile devices, desktops, laptops, and more—from a single console.

Malware—short for "malicious software"—is any software code or computer program that is written intentionally to harm a computer system or its users. Almost every modern  cyberattack  involves some type of malware.

Hackers and cybercriminals create and use malware to gain unauthorized access to computer systems and sensitive data, hijack computer systems and operate them remotely, disrupt or damage computer systems, or hold data or systems hostage for large sums of money (see Ransomware).

Ransomware is a type of  malware  that encrypts a victim’s data or device and threatens to keep it encrypted—or worse—unless the victim pays a ransom to the attacker. According to the  IBM Security X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2023 , ransomware attacks represented 17 percent of all  cyberattacks  in 2022.

“Or worse” is what distinguishes today's ransomware from its predecessors. The earliest ransomware attacks demanded a single ransom in exchange for the encryption key. Today, most ransomware attacks are double extortion attacks, demanding a second ransom to prevent sharing or publication of the victims data. Some are triple extortion attacks that threaten to launch a distributed denial of service attack if ransoms aren’t paid.

Phishing attacks are email, text or voice messages that trick users into downloading malware, sharing sensitive information or sending funds to the wrong people. Most users are familiar with bulk phishing scams—mass-mailed fraudulent messages that appear to be from a large and trusted brand, asking recipients to reset their passwords or reenter credit card information. But more sophisticated phishing scams, such as spear phishing and business email compromise (BEC) , target specific individuals or groups to steal especially valuable data or large sums of money.

Phishing is just one type of social engineering —a class of ‘human hacking’ tactics and attacks that use psychological manipulation to tempt or pressure people into taking unwise actions.

Insider threats are threats that originate with authorized users—employees, contractors, business partners—who intentionally or accidentally misuse their legitimate access, or have their accounts hijacked by cybercriminals. Insider threats can be harder to detect than external threats because they have the earmarks of authorized activity, and are invisible to antivirus software, firewalls and other security solutions that block external attacks.

One of the more persistent cybersecurity myths is that all cybercrime comes from external threats. In fact, according to a recent study, 44% of insider threats are caused by malicious actors, and the average cost per incident for malicious insider incidents in 2022 was USD 648,062. 3 Another study found that while the average external threat compromises about 200 million records, incidents involving an inside threat actor resulted in exposure of one billion records or more. 4

A DDoS attack attempts to crash a server, website or network by overloading it with traffic, usually from a botnet—a network of multiple distributed systems that a cybercriminal hijacks by using malware and remote-controlled operations.

The global volume of DDoS attacks spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasingly, attackers are combining DDoS attacks with ransomware attacks, or simply threatening to launch DDoS attacks unless the target pays a ransom.

Despite an ever-increasing volume of cybersecurity incidents worldwide and ever-increasing volumes of learnings that are gleaned from them, some dangerous misconceptions persist.

Strong passwords alone are adequate protection . Strong passwords make a difference. For example, a 12-character password takes 62 trillion times longer to crack than a 6-character password. But because cybercriminals can steal passwords (or pay disgruntled employees or other insiders to steal them), they can’t be an organization’s or individual’s only security measure.  

The major cybersecurity risks are well known . In fact, the risk surface is constantly expanding. Thousands of new vulnerabilities are reported in old and new applications and devices every year. Opportunities for human error—specifically by negligent employees or contractors who unintentionally cause a data breach—keep increasing.  

All cyberattack vectors are contained . Cybercriminals are finding new attack vectors all the time—including Linux systems, operational technology (OT), Internet of Things (IoT) devices and cloud environments.  

‘My industry is safe.’ Every industry has its share of cybersecurity risks, with cyber adversaries exploiting the necessities of communication networks within almost every government and private-sector organization. For example, ransomware attacks are targeting more sectors than ever, including local governments, non-profits and healthcare providers. Threats on supply chains, ".gov" websites, and critical infrastructure have also increased.  

Cybercriminals don’t attack small businesses . Yes, they do. For example, in 2021, 82 percent of ransomware attacks targeted companies with fewer than 1,000 employees; 37 percent of companies attacked with ransomware had fewer than 100 employees. 5

The following best practices and technologies can help your organization implement strong cybersecurity that reduces your vulnerability to cyberattacks and protects your critical information systems without intruding on the user or customer experience.

Security awareness training helps users understand how seemingly harmless actions—from using the same simple password for multiple log-ins, to oversharing on social media—increases their own or their organization’s risk of attack. Security awareness training combined with thought-out data security  policies can help employees protect sensitive personal and organizational data. It can also help them recognize and avoid phishing and malware attacks.

Identity and access management (IAM) defines the roles and access privileges for each user, and the conditions under which they are granted or denied their privileges. IAM technologies include  multi-factor authentication , which requires at least one credential in addition to a username and password, and adaptive authentication, which requires more credentials depending on context. 

Attack surface management (ASM) is the continuous discovery, analysis, remediation and monitoring of the cybersecurity vulnerabilities and potential attack vectors that make up an organization’s attack surface . Unlike other cyberdefense disciplines, ASM is conducted entirely from a hacker’s perspective, rather than the perspective of the defender. It identifies targets and assesses risks based on the opportunities they present to a malicious attacker.

Organizations rely on analytics- and AI-driven technologies to identify and respond to potential or actual attacks in progress because it's impossible to stop all cyberattacks. These technologies can include (but are not limited to) security information and event management (SIEM) , security orchestration, automation and response (SOAR) , and endpoint detection and response (EDR) . Typically, these technologies are used as part of a formal incident response plan.

Disaster recovery capabilities often play a key role in maintaining business continuity in the event of a cyberattack. For example, the ability to fail over to a backup that is hosted in a remote location can enable a business to resume operations quickly following a ransomware attack (and sometimes without paying a ransom).

Outsmart attacks with a connected, modernized security suite. The QRadar portfolio is embedded with enterprise-grade AI and offers integrated products for endpoint security, log management, SIEM and SOAR—all with a common user interface, shared insights and connected workflows.

Proactive threat hunting, continuous monitoring and a deep investigation of threats are just a few of the priorities facing an already busy IT department. Having a trusted incident response team on standby can reduce your response time, minimize the impact of a cyberattack, and help you recover faster.

AI-driven unified endpoint management (UEM) protects your devices, apps, content and data. This protection means you can rapidly scale your remote workforce and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) initiatives while building a zero trust security strategy. 

Implemented on premises or in a hybrid cloud, IBM data security solutions help you investigate and remediate cyberthreats, enforce real-time controls and manage regulatory compliance.

Proactively protect your organization’s primary and secondary storage systems against ransomware, human error, natural disasters, sabotage, hardware failures and other data loss risks.

Be better prepared for breaches by understanding their causes and the factors that increase or reduce costs. Learn from the experiences of more than 550 organizations that were hit by a data breach.

SIEM (security information and event management) is software that helps organizations recognize and address potential security threats and vulnerabilities before they can disrupt business operations.

Know the threat to beat the threat—get actionable insights that help you understand how threat actors are waging attacks, and how to proactively protect your organization.

Understand your cybersecurity landscape and prioritize initiatives together with senior IBM security architects and consultants in a no-cost, virtual or in-person, 3-hour design thinking session.

Threat management is a process used by cybersecurity professionals to prevent cyberattacks, detect cyber threats and respond to security incidents.

Find insights for rethinking your ransomware defenses and building your ability to remediate an evolving ransomware situation more rapidly.

Cybersecurity threats are becoming more advanced, more persistent and are demanding more effort by security analysts to sift through countless alerts and incidents. IBM Security QRadar SIEM helps you remediate threats faster while maintaining your bottom line. QRadar SIEM prioritizes high-fidelity alerts to help you catch threats that others miss.

1  Cybercrime threatens business growth. Take these steps to mitigate your risk.  (link resides outside ibm.com)

2  Bridging the 3.4 million workforce gap in cybersecurity (link resides outside ibm.com)

3  2022 Ponemon Cost of Insider Threats Global Report  (link resides outside ibm.com)

4  Verizon 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report  (link resides outside ibm.com)

5   82% of Ransomware Attacks Target Small Businesses, Report Reveals  (link resides outside ibm.com)

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What is malware?

Malware, short for malicious software, refers to any intrusive software developed by cybercriminals (often called hackers) to steal data and damage or destroy computers and computer systems. Examples of common malware include viruses, worms, Trojan viruses, spyware, adware, and ransomware. Recent malware attacks have exfiltrated data in mass amounts.

What is the intent of malware?

Malware is developed as harmful software that invades or corrupts your computer network. The goal of malware is to cause havoc and steal information or resources for monetary gain or sheer sabotage intent. 

Intelligence and intrusion

Exfiltrates data such as emails, plans, and especially sensitive information like passwords.

Disruption and extortion

Locks up networks and PCs, making them unusable. If it holds your computer hostage for financial gain, it's called ransomware.

Destruction or vandalism

Destroys computer systems to damage your network infrastructure.

Steal computer resources

Uses your computing power to run botnets, cryptomining programs (cryptojacking), or send spam emails.

Monetary gain

Sells your organization's intellectual property on the dark web.

How do I protect my network against malware?

Typically, businesses focus on preventative tools to stop breaches. By securing the perimeter, businesses assume they are safe. However, some advanced malware will eventually make their way into your network. As a result, it is crucial to deploy technologies that continually monitor and detect malware that has evaded perimeter defenses. Sufficient advanced malware protection requires multiple layers of safeguards along with high-level network visibility and intelligence.

Cisco Umbrella

Effectively protect your users against malware in minutes with fast, flexible, cloud-delivered security.

Secure Email

Rapidly detect, quarantine, investigate, and remediate cyberattacks that target your email.

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Improve security with intelligent control points, unified, dynamic policies, and threat visibility.

How do I detect and respond to malware?

Malware will inevitably penetrate your network. You must have defenses that provide significant visibility and breach detection. To remove malware, you must be able to identify malicious actors quickly. This requires constant network scanning. Once the threat is identified, you must remove the malware from your network. Today's antivirus products are not enough to protect against advanced cyberthreats. 

Learn how to update your antivirus strategy

Inside Cisco Talos Threat Hunters

Discover how Cisco Talos threat hunters identify new and evolving threats in the wild, and how their research and intelligence helps organizations build strong defenses.

7 types of malware

Viruses are a subgroup of malware. A virus is malicious software attached to a document or file that supports macros to execute its code and spread from host to host. Once downloaded, the virus will lie dormant until the file is opened and in use. Viruses are designed to disrupt a system's ability to operate. As a result, viruses can cause significant operational issues and data loss.

A worm is a type of malicious software that rapidly replicates and spreads to any device within the network. Unlike viruses, worms do not need host programs to disseminate. A worm infects a device through a downloaded file or a network connection before it multiplies and disperses at an exponential rate. Like viruses, worms can severely disrupt the operations of a device and cause data loss.

Trojan virus

Trojan viruses are disguised as helpful software programs. But once the user downloads it, the Trojan virus can gain access to sensitive data and then modify, block, or delete the data. This can be extremely harmful to the performance of the device. Unlike normal viruses and worms, Trojan viruses are not designed to self-replicate.

Spyware is malicious software that runs secretly on a computer and reports back to a remote user. Rather than simply disrupting a device's operations, spyware targets sensitive information and can grant remote access to predators. Spyware is often used to steal financial or personal information. A specific type of spyware is a keylogger, which records your keystrokes to reveal passwords and personal information.

Adware is malicious software used to collect data on your computer usage and provide appropriate advertisements to you. While adware is not always dangerous, in some cases adware can cause issues for your system. Adware can redirect your browser to unsafe sites, and it can even contain Trojan horses and spyware. Additionally, significant levels of adware can slow down your system noticeably. Because not all adware is malicious, it is important to have protection that constantly and intelligently scans these programs.

Ransomware is malicious software that gains access to sensitive information within a system, encrypts that information so that the user cannot access it, and then demands a financial payout for the data to be released. Ransomware is commonly part of a phishing scam. By clicking a disguised link, the user downloads the ransomware. The attacker proceeds to encrypt specific information that can only be opened by a mathematical key they know. When the attacker receives payment, the data is unlocked.

Fileless malware

Fileless malware is a type of memory-resident malware. As the term suggests, it is malware that operates from a victim's computer's memory, not from files on the hard drive. Because there are no files to scan, it is harder to detect than traditional malware. It also makes forensics more difficult because the malware disappears when the victim computer is rebooted. In late 2017, the Cisco Talos threat intelligence team posted an example of fileless malware that they called DNSMessenger.

What are the benefits of advanced malware protection?

Advanced malware can take the form of common malware that has been modified to increase its capability to infect. It can also test for conditions of a sandbox meant to block malicious files and attempt to fool security software into signaling that it is not malware. Advanced malware protection software is designed to prevent, detect, and help remove threats in an efficient manner from computer system.

Types of advanced malware protection

Related security topics

Malware protection best practices.

Explore how these 10 best practices can protect your business against malware attacks.

What is a firewall?

A firewall decides whether to allow or block specific traffic based on security rules.

What is phishing?

Phishing attacks are the practice of sending fraudulent communications that appear to come from a reputable source.

What is cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks. 

What is network security?

Network security is the protection of the underlying networking infrastructure from unauthorized access, misuse, or theft.

What is ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malicious software or malware. It encrypts a victim's data, after which the attacker demands a ransom. 

Security Outcomes Report, Volume 3: Achieving Security Resilience

We asked 4700 security professionals from 26 countries to share success factors to boost security resilience.

• Security, Safety and Privacy Overview​
• Get Help with Windows Security​
• Stay protected with Windows Security​
• Before you sell or gift your Windows 10 device or Xbox One
• Remove malware from your Windows PC

Firewall & network protection in Windows Security

• Get Help with Windows Safety​
• View and delete browser history in Microsoft Edge​
• Delete and manage cookies
• Safely remove your valuable content when reinstalling Windows​
• Find and lock a lost Windows device
• Get Help with Windows Privacy​
• Windows privacy settings that apps use​
• View your data on the privacy dashboard​

Firewall & network protection in Windows Security lets you view the status of Microsoft Defender Firewall and see what networks your device is connected to. You can turn Microsoft Defender Firewall on or off and access advanced Microsoft Defender Firewall options for the following network types:

Domain (workplace) networks

Private (trusted) networks

Public (untrusted) networks

If you want to change a setting, select the network type you want to change it on.

What's the difference between a "private" network and a "public" network?

You can specify that a particular network your device connects to is "private" or "public". The key difference is whether other devices on the same network are allowed to see, and maybe connect to, your device.

Your home network might be an example of a private network - in theory the only devices on that network are your devices, and devices owned by your family. You're fine with those other devices being able to see yours, because you trust those devices.

The Wi-Fi at your local coffee shop, however, is a public network. Most of the other devices connected to it belong to strangers and you'd probably prefer they not be able to see or connect to your device.

As a general rule you'll have stricter security controls on a public network than on a private network, simply because of the level of trust you may have for the other people and devices on that network. 

Network settings

When you select one of the three network types, you'll get the settings page for it. Here Windows Security will tell you which, if any, networks of that type you're currently connected to. Usually, your computer will only be connected to one network at a time.

You'll also find a simple slider for turning the firewall on, or off, for that type of network.

Important:  Turning the firewall off may increase the risk to your device or data. We recommend leaving it on unless you absolutely need to turn it off.

Under the Incoming connections section, you'll find a single checkbox for Blocks all incoming connections, including those in the list of allowed apps . Checking this box tells the Microsoft Defender Firewall to ignore the allowed apps list and block everything. Turning this on increases your security but may cause some apps to stop working.

Also on the Firewall & network protection page:

Allow an app through firewall - If the firewall is blocking an app you really need, you can add an exception for that app, or open a specific port. Learn more about that process (and why you might not want to) at  Risks of allowing apps through Microsoft Defender Firewall.

Network and Internet troubleshooter - If you're having general network connectivity issues you can use this troubleshooter to try and automatically diagnose and fix them.

Firewall notification settings - Want more notifications when your firewall blocks something? Fewer? Here's where you can configure that .

Advanced settings - This will open the classic Windows Defender Firewall tool which lets you create inbound or outbound rules, connection security rules, and see monitoring logs for the firewall. Most people won't want to dig into it that deeply; adding, changing, or deleting rules incorrectly can cause your system to be more vulnerable or can cause some apps not to work.

Restore firewalls to default - If someone, or something, has made changes to your Windows Firewall settings that is causing things not to work properly you're just two clicks away from resetting the settings back to the way they were when you first got the computer. If your organization has applied any policies to configure the firewall those will be reapplied.

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