TCP/IP network protocols — Security threats, flaws and defense methods

Nowadays with the very mention of usage of internet, it is but understood that it is implemented, connected and run using TCP/IP reference architecture. The internet, since its invention has evolved boundlessly. There are no units to measure the growth of the internet over the last two decades. From being a small area of interests for a few researchers Internet has evolved to become a mammoth resource of information and data connecting the entire world. The internet was allowed to grow so much because of the innumerable benefits it reaped for us. However, what one cannot ignore is the fact the internet can, has and will be used for malicious purposes also. The TCP/IP protocols which were established in the initial days of the small internet, now seriously lack the necessary security features needed in an insecure network connection. In this paper we talk about a few popular attacks which can be harmful for a TCP/IP protocol based internet connection. Also we discussed some of the flaws which aid these attacks to be successfully implemented. With each of these attacks and flaws, we provide a possible defense method that can be used to prevent or avoid such attacks.