Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Attacks

Intro

Now that we have reviewed some of the TCP/IP basics, we can proceed in our discussion of threats, vulnerabilities, and attacks. It is important to understand the difference between a threat, a vulnerability, or an attack in the context of network security.

Threats

A threat is anything that can disrupt the operation, functioning, integrity, or availability of a network or system. This can take any form and can be malevolent, accidental, or simply an act of nature.

Vulnerabilities

A vulnerability is an inherent weakness in the design, configuration, implementation, or management of a network or system that renders it susceptible to a threat. Vulnerabilities are what make networks susceptible to information loss and downtime. Every network and system has some kind of vulnerability.