Design and implementation of network activity monitoring sysytem

DESIGN_AND_IMPLEMENTATION_OF_NETWORK_ACTIVITY_MONITORING_SYSYTEM

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Attacks on computer by outside intruder are more publicized but the ones perpetrated by insiders are very common and often more damaging. Insiders represent the greatest threat to computer security because they understand their organization’s business and how their computer systems work. They have both the confidentiality and access to perform these attacks. An inside attack will have a higher probability of successfully breaking into the system and extracting critical information. The insiders also represent the greatest challenge to securing the company network because they have authorized level of access to the file system.
In a quest for maximum profitability in a network, there is need to monitor the activities performed such that the network activity in a real time would be tracked, confidential information safeguarded and control over the daily activities of every staff established. The question is: which and how would one develop the so much needed system that would exhibit all these potentialities?
Network activity monitoring system is used to detect inside threats by monitoring file access and process activity (Behr et al, 2009). It is a powerful tool that allows one to track any local area network, giving you the most detailed information on when, how and what your network users do on daily basis. If it is a library public network, university or commercial organization network, Activity Monitor offers efficient control. This work targets the monitoring of every activity of a user in a computer network and maximizes the security for the organization or corporate body.
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1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
The Federal Inland Revenue service (FIRS) is one of the federal ministries charged with the responsibility of accessing, collecting, and accounting for the various taxes to the federal government since 1943.
Tax revenue has been reliable from time, from where government rely for decision making, and aids for development and administrative planning, hence the need for optimum human resource of the organisation or ministry; for it’s considered to be their most valuable asset if properly harnessed and are well motivated to perform their assigned tasks so as to enhance the organisations goals and objectives.
Computer network activity monitoring system has become one of the vital tools in providing evidence in cases such as computer misuse and fraud. Computers and other devices are being used increasingly to commit, enable or support unwanted activity perpetrated against individuals, organizations or assets. Although it is most often associated with the investigation of a wide variety of computer crime, network activity monitoring system may also be used in civil proceedings. The discipline involves similar techniques and principles to data recoveryand a lot of information is retained on the computer than most people realize. It’s also more difficult to completely remove information than it is generally thought. For these reasons (and many more), network activity monitoring system can often find evidence or even completely recover lost or deleted information, even if the information was intentionally deleted.
This system consist of two tier application – server and client whereby the activity monitoring server can be installed in any computer in the entire local area network and the client which is the remote spy software is installed on all the computers on the network to be monitored.
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1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The existing system used by FIRS has been a challenge to them. Amongst the problems affecting the FIRS from maintaining a steady reliable accounting figures and estimates are:- With the current system, staffs easily erase or add data in order to cover up their fraud since there is no back up of the activity log. Frauds like computer fraud: - loss or damage to money, securities resulting directly from the use of any computer to fraudulently cause a transfer of money or other property from inside the premises to a personat a place outside the premise. Their method of operation is not so efficient for both units in the department (Operations and Reconciliation units).Both units cannot work at the same time, and this is because the staffs in one of the unit (reconciliation unit) has to wait for the staffs in the other unit (operation unit) to get their work to some extent before they can process their own work, and while they are processing their own work, the staffs in the operation unit has to pause their work a little,and with this manual of operation in the department, rooms for corporate fraud is being created.
These are the more reasons, why the researcher embarked on this research.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF STUDY