Problems in Computer Security & How to Protect Yourself

Grade Level at Time of Presentation

Secondary School

Major

-

Minor

-

Institution

Project Lead The Way - Kentucky

KY House District #

63

KY Senate District #

23

Abstract

Using the internet can be a dangerous place when browsing multiple websites per day. About 80% of the general public said they would store their password on their computer via their browser if prompted, and, with this being the case, it is no surprise that many attacks have been created around these people in order to obtain their personal information. This project reviewed the problems with storing passwords, existing fixes, and strategies to protect yourself. How can the majority of the population stores their password without having the problem of accidentally handing it over to an unwanted entity? In order to demonstrate how many passwords are stolen, 2 demonstrations were created, each consisting of a program to show how this attack might work on a smaller scale. The first demonstration to showed how passwords could be stolen through Chrome and the second showed how passwords could be stolen through fake websites and phony emails (phishing). Both programs were made with Notepad++, CMD Prompt, and Google Chrome. Both demonstrations were successful in showing how the attackers take information. The first demonstration successfully showed the passwords stored on a test computer, and the second demonstration was successful in creating a carbon copy of a website, to create the phishing website. The demonstrations showed that it can be easier to steal information than first thought because the code written and time to create each demonstration was minimal.

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Problems in Computer Security & How to Protect Yourself

Using the internet can be a dangerous place when browsing multiple websites per day. About 80% of the general public said they would store their password on their computer via their browser if prompted, and, with this being the case, it is no surprise that many attacks have been created around these people in order to obtain their personal information. This project reviewed the problems with storing passwords, existing fixes, and strategies to protect yourself. How can the majority of the population stores their password without having the problem of accidentally handing it over to an unwanted entity? In order to demonstrate how many passwords are stolen, 2 demonstrations were created, each consisting of a program to show how this attack might work on a smaller scale. The first demonstration to showed how passwords could be stolen through Chrome and the second showed how passwords could be stolen through fake websites and phony emails (phishing). Both programs were made with Notepad++, CMD Prompt, and Google Chrome. Both demonstrations were successful in showing how the attackers take information. The first demonstration successfully showed the passwords stored on a test computer, and the second demonstration was successful in creating a carbon copy of a website, to create the phishing website. The demonstrations showed that it can be easier to steal information than first thought because the code written and time to create each demonstration was minimal.