Why do some attackers seek to deprive customers of the availability of an online business?
Select one:
a. Availability is more important than the other goals of information security professionals
b. Availability is the least important component of security
c. To disrupt the organization’s ability to perform normal business activities
d. None of the above Suppose you are visiting your doctor’s office.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is c. To disrupt the organization’s ability to perform normal business activities.
Explanation:
Attackers often target the availability of online businesses to cause disruption and interfere with normal operations. This is because the availability of a service or system is critical for its functioning, especially for businesses that rely on online platforms to conduct transactions or communicate with customers. In cybersecurity, the three main pillars are confidentiality, integrity, and availability (the CIA triad). While all these components are essential, availability is particularly important because if an online business cannot function due to an attack, it directly impacts its ability to serve its customers and conduct normal business activities.
When attackers target the availability of a business, they may use various techniques such as Denial of Service (DoS) or Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. In these attacks, the goal is to overwhelm the system with excessive traffic, which renders it inaccessible to legitimate users. This can lead to significant downtime for the business, loss of customer trust, and financial losses due to disrupted services or transactions.
Unlike other forms of attacks that may focus on stealing information or altering data, disrupting availability can cause immediate and visible consequences for both the business and its customers. This type of attack is often seen as a form of economic sabotage, as it targets the organization’s ability to generate revenue and maintain its customer base. Moreover, such disruptions can also lead to a loss of reputation and credibility in the market, which can have long-term effects on the business.
Therefore, attackers may seek to deprive customers of availability as a way to harm the business, whether for financial gain, political reasons, or simply to cause chaos.