Abstract
The interior motive of this piece of work is to investigate the security concerns of the company as a result of the introduction of nefarious computer activities called ping sweeps and port scans.
Introduction
Network security is vital especially for companies dealing with a large amount of data. Protection of such data is mandatory as possible access to the information by the malicious group can cause serious harm to the system (Conklin, W. A. 2010). Companies need to protect their data from malicious hackers. Intrusion may result in potential harm to the company network system. To prevent future access to confidential data, probing is used to detect such intrusions. The ping sweeps and port scans have become the recent nefarious computer activities. This has prompted my boss to call for a study of the impact of such activities on the safety of the company’s computer system. This includes thorough research into what these activities are, their impact on the company which is not limited only to security concerns. Should we be worried about these activities? In fact, the ping sweeps and port scanning are considered nefarious computer activities and may not necessarily reflect negative effects on the company administration.
Main text
Most of the administration dealing with a large system network has been probed before. Computer activities, such as ping sweeps and port scans, alarm the company’s computer networking system regarding security concerns. To understand better what these activities are, let briefly describe the concept behind these two common probes of computer networks, what they are, and their impact on the company (Dumas, M. B., & Schwartz, M. 2009).
Port scans are the most common category of computer network probing. Hackers use them to monitor operating machines. They take advantage of vulnerable systems and plot an attack. Possible default of security holes enables intruders to exploit programs.
An expert programmer can use Java or Perl language to perform a straightforward port scanning written in 15 minutes. Port scans, however, are not a potential threat to the company since they can easily be detected by the operating machine, and as such, they do not pose adverse impacts on the company. However, it is advised to take appropriate security measures. The company should install software that can trace the port scan into a log file on the Linux box, usually in the form of log, var, or messages. Its detect ability scares away the intruders (Conklin, W. A. 2010).
Another network probing is the ping sweeps. Hackers send a packet set of ICMP ECHO to the targeted machines. They use IP addresses to see the one that responds. The hackers determine which of the targeted machines are alive. Therefore, concentrate on attacking the machine. Although it is legitimate to perform a ping sweep on a systematic network to detect live machines or any network diagnosis, companies should be on the lookout for being on the safe side (Dumas, & Schwartz, 2009). The fping is a common tool used to conduct ping sweeps by taking a list of IP addresses and sending the ping sets to them. Like the port scans, ping sweeps do not have a severe negative impact on the company’s computer system as they are easily detected. Examples of ping sweeps detectors are ippl and scan log. They are IP protocol loggers that can easily log packets, such as ICMP, UDP, and TCP. They can trap the packet root. Therefore, these activities are nothing to worry about as they are detectable.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the security of computer network systems should be given utmost priority as it protects the information of the company. The company should conduct close follow-ups for updates on emerging computer security problems and possible computer crimes. This is a necessary aspect that helps the firm to protect itself from malicious network intruders.
References
Conklin, W. A. (2010). Principles of computer security: CompTIA security+ and beyond (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Dumas, M. B., & Schwartz, M. (2009). Principles of computer networks and communications. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.