Streaming media services store audio, video, or gaming content on dedicated media servers that typically reside in multiple locations around the world as part of a content delivery network (CDN). This allows providers to stream content from locations closest to users to minimize latency.

The server uses a process of “encoding” to compress the file, and a process of “transcoding” that creates multiple copies of each file in a variety of file sizes, video quality, and screen resolutions that will be ideal for different types of devices.

When a user requests to view a video or listen to an audio file, the streaming media server breaks the file into a series of small data packets that can be transmitted via the internet.

A media player on the user’s device receives the packets, reassembles them into a video or audio file, and plays them immediately. In a process called buffering, the media player preloads several seconds of the streaming file ahead of time to ensure a smooth and interrupted playback despite changes in internet speeds and quality of connection.

After each bit of the media file has been played, it is deleted from the user’s device.

Autonomous vehicles are designed to sense their surroundings with techniques such as RADAR, LIDAR, GPS and computer vision. This array of sensors working coherently to observe and record the surroundings constitute the perception module of the vehicle.

Radar sensors monitor the position of nearby vehicles. Video cameras detect traffic lights, read road signs, track other vehicles, and look for pedestrians. Lidar (light detection and ranging) sensors bounce pulses of light off the car’s surroundings to measure distances, detect road edges, and identify lane markings.

Cyber threats change at a rapid pace. Tactics and attack methods are changing and improving daily.

Cyber criminals access a computer or network server to cause harm using several paths. This is also called an attack vector.

Common ways to gain access to a computer or network include:

1) Removable media such as flash drives

2) Brute force attack using trial and error to decode encrypted data

3) Web or email attacks

4) Unauthorized use of your organization’s system privileges

5) Loss or theft of devices containing confidential information

Types of cyber threats include:

1) Malware

Malware is also known as malicious code or malicious software. Malware is a program inserted into a system to compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of data. It is done secretly and can affect your data, applications, or operating system. Malware has become one of the most significant external threat to systems. Malware can cause widespread damage and disruption, and requires huge efforts within most organizations.

Spyware, a malware intended to violate privacy, has also become a major concern to organizations. Although privacy-violating malware has been in use for many years, it has become much more common recently. Spyware invades many systems to track personal activities and conduct financial fraud.

Organizations also face similar threats from several forms of non-malware threats. These forms of cyber threats are often associated with malware. A more common form is phishing. Phishing involves tricking individuals into revealing sensitive or personal information.

2)Ransomware

Ransomware prevents or limits users from accessing their system via malware. Ransomware asks you to pay a ransom using online payment methods to regain access to your system or data. Online payment methods usually include virtual currencies such as bitcoins. Ransomware is one of the most widely used methods of attacks.

Ransomware enters computer networks and encrypts files using public-key encryption. Unlike other malware, this encryption key stays on the cyber criminal’s server. Cyber criminals will request ransom for this private key. Cyber criminals are using encryption as a weapon to hold the data hostage.

Ransomware is hard to detect before it’s too late, and ransomware techniques continue to evolve.

3) Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks

DDoS attacks make an online service unavailable by overwhelming it with excessive traffic from many locations and sources. Website response time slows down, preventing access during a DDoS attack. Cyber criminals develop large networks of infected computers called Botnets by planting malware. A DDoS attack may not be the primary cyber crime. The attacks often create a distraction while other types of fraud and cyber intrusion are attempted.

4) Spam & Phishing

Spam includes unwanted, unsolicited, or undesirable messages and emails. Phishing is a form of social engineering, including attempts to get sensitive information. Phishing attempts will appear to be from a trustworthy person or business.

Cyber criminals pretend to be an official representative sending you an email or message with a warning related to your account information. The message will often ask for a response by following a link to a fake website or email address where you will provide confidential information. The format of the message will typically appear legitimate using proper logos and names. Any information entered into the fake link goes to the cyber criminal.

5) Corporate Account Takeover (CATO)

CATO is a business entity theft where cyber thieves impersonate the business and send unauthorized wire and ACH transactions. The unauthorized funds are sent to accounts controlled by the cyber criminal.

Many businesses are vulnerable to a CATO attack. Institutions with weak computer safeguards and minimal controls over online banking systems are easy targets. This form of cyber crime can result in large losses. Cyber criminals use malware to infect a computer through e-mail, websites, or malware disguised as software.

6) Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Cash Out

ATM Cash Out is a type of large dollar value ATM fraud. Cash-outs involve simultaneous large cash withdrawals from several ATMs in many regions. It may also include large withdrawals at one ATM.

The Cash Out usually affects small-to medium-sized financial institutions. The attack involves changing the settings on ATM web-based control panels. Cyber criminals change the ATM’s dispense function control to “Unlimited Operations.” The “Unlimited Operations” setting allows withdrawal of funds over the customer’s account balance or beyond the ATM’s cash limit. Stolen ATM or debit card information is often used to withdraw the funds. As a result, your financial institution can suffer large dollar losses.

Encryption is used to protect data from being stolen, changed, or compromised and works by scrambling data into a secret code that can only be unlocked with a unique digital key.

Encryption works by encoding “plaintext” into “ciphertext,” typically through the use of cryptographic mathematical models known as algorithms.

To decode the data back to plaintext requires the use of a decryption key, a string of numbers or a password also created by an algorithm. Secure encryption methods have such a large number of cryptographic keys that an unauthorized person can neither guess which one is correct, nor use a computer to easily calculate the correct string of characters by trying every potential combination (known as a brute force attack).