Cyber Espionage: How Safe Are We?

Abstract

In today's world, information plays a vital role in determining the success of many endeavors. Hence, people try to gain access to information by employing many techniques that are not used under normal circumstances. Today Internet is an important resource in the lives of people and carries a vast amount of information. Hence gaining access to this information through some surreptitious means is known as cyber espionage. Cyber espionage has been a real threat to the users as it compromises the security of their precious information. Cyber espionage could be carried out by individuals, organizations or governments targeting individuals, organizations and states for obtaining information for personal, economic, political or military advantages over the other. In this chapter, the author takes an in depth look at the attacks carried out three main domains of the Internet, namely social networks, websites and email. The author not only discusses the attacks and the mechanisms used, but also proposes the precautionary methods that can be employed to protect these resources.