Security Challenges Continue
UC Davis’ IT Security Coordinator Looks Ahead
By Robert Ono

Click here to read a 12 year History of Computer Security Issues

Who would have believed ten years ago that we would now take for granted the many conveniences of email, high-speed Internet connections, and the ability to reach deep into the Internet community? Yet these capabilities became prevalent in an amazingly short period of time, as have a number of new computer security issues.

If there is a common theme running through the history of these computer security issues, it is that computers and networks continue to be threatened on a regular basis. However, the nature of the threats has changed over time. Prior to the 1990s, file and boot sector viruses spread via diskettes were a major concern. Then, during the 1990s, viruses became more efficient, transmitting themselves via email and network connections, causing widespread computer infections. Next, in the late 1990s, Internet worms and broad denial-of-service attacks became a pressing threat. In the past few years, as more personal information is collected electronically, identity theft has become a significant security issue for both organizations and individuals who may wonder about the integrity of their social security number, credit card information, or other personal data. And most recently, international tensions reveal that the information technology we so heavily depend upon could be considered our greatest and most exploitable vulnerability.

Current Issues
  • Computer Security Issues from the past 10 years

    Previous Issues

  • Virus News
  • IT Times stories on Computer Security
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  • UCD Security Web site
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    What are we doing on campus to encourage the integrity and appropriate level of confidentiality for electronic information? The campus recognizes that no single security measure can be a panacea. Rather, information security requires a rainbow of preventive measures, including but not limited to routine assessments, detection and investigation of computer incidents when they occur, and measures supporting the recovery of compromised computing systems. Currently UC Davis is working towards a secure environment by:

    • Providing technical education opportunities that promote secure information practices and help to prevent security incidents. In June, the campus will host its first IT security technical and management education opportunity with the UC Davis IT Security Symposium (http://ietsymposia.ucdavis.edu/security/index.cfm).
    • Providing security assessment guidance, risk assessment guidance, and campus security alerts via the security Web site (http://security.ucdavis.edu/).
    • Developing greater analysis capability for hostile network traffic.
    • Developing an incident reporting function that can accept human reported incidents and automated reports to create campus advisories.
    • Developing authentication services and intrusion detection capabilities consistent with strategies recommended in previous technology projects.

    Looking Ahead

    How will the information security challenges on and off-campus change in the next ten years? Already we are seeing security technology stepping up to confront the latest problems. For example, new applications can remove malicious code from personal digital assistants and may soon expand to protect cellular phones as well. Microsoft has indicated their interest in developing special hardware that works with operating systems to provide greater security. Anti-virus vendors are moving to respond to blended threats - malicious code that can take advantage of multiple vectors and rapidly evolve to avoid detection. In addition to relying on security technology, information security will continue to be dependent on education and awareness programs.

    As a final thought, we are likely to see more federal and state laws impacting the use of information technology - as one example, many are looking to federal legislation to reduce the spam that floods many of our email inboxes. The complication of these laws is that so much spam crosses state or national borders. Hence, technology continues to pose new challenges in many spheres, and we will continue to evaluate and tackle them, one by one, including offering a new Spam-filtering service to campus email users this Spring. Keep checking the new Security Web site for more details: http://security.ucdavis.edu/.

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