Information and system security on the internet affect individual users and corporations in different ways. In recent years, users have been sharing more information about themselves on the internet, in posts, which are viewed by others on the internet. Users should be careful about what posts are shared about themselves because that information can be used negatively against them. User information is valuable for several reasons. Once user information is shared online, it is susceptible to being judged by others. The posts users share online aren’t the only valuable information associated with users. Users can leave electronic footprints which consists of, “all of the information that user posts, or other posts about the user, hidden data attached to those posts by the services used, the record of the user’s online activities, and inferences that can be put together based off of the information collected,” (Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. 2019). User information can be valuable to companies, governments and organizations as well. Organizations may use information to benefit themselves, but not align with the interests of the user. Many businesses and services can profit from selling user information. The government can subpoena data from cell phones, emails, computers and other sources, which can be used in court. Employers can review user posts on social media, to get an idea of what type of individual they could hire. Schools can also view social media content from students.
Computer security is important to corporations and individuals. Computer security is, “the prevention of unauthorized computer access including viewing, changing, or destroying a computer or data,” (Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. 2019). Sometimes a security breach may happen and personal information can be compromised. Security breaches may target emails, financial information and photos. One way a security breach may happen is through security holes and other vulnerabilities. Security holes usually exist in operating systems. A way to combat security holes is for OS makers to put out system updates that close up those security holes. A system vulnerability is, “a flaw in a computer system that weakens the overall security of the system/device,” (Wikipedia). Vulnerabilities can be the software or the hardware. Attackers exploit these vulnerabilities and perform unauthorized actions on a device or system. A way to combat security holes and vulnerabilities are for OS makers to put out system/software updates that close up these vulnerabilities.
Another way a computer can be compromised is through a computer virus. A computer virus, “is a program that runs on a user’s computer without permission, and spreads itself to other computers, often via email,” (Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. 2019). A virus can occur when a user downloads something from their email, or installs something that contains a virus in it. When a computer is infected with a virus, its purpose is to delete data, steal information from the computer, or using the computer for illicit tasks. Viruses doing illicit tasks like sending spam emails and attacking an organization’s website is called a DoS (Denial of Service) attack. This happens by sending huge numbers of access requests simultaneously to one website, overloading the site’s server. This prevents legitimate requests from being handled. A way to tell if a computer is infected is if it "is running significantly slower that usual, or active when it is not being used,” (Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. 2019). One way to fight against a computer being infected is to install antivirus software that looks for known viruses and disables them. Another way is to install a firewall. A firewall is “software or hardware that blocks unauthorized communication with a computer while allowing authorization over the network,” (Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. 2019). Firewalls can not block all threats, but combined with an antivirus software, makes it a great computer security strategy.
Computer security is important to corporations and individuals. Computer security is, “the prevention of unauthorized computer access including viewing, changing, or destroying a computer or data,” (Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. 2019). Sometimes a security breach may happen and personal information can be compromised. Security breaches may target emails, financial information and photos. One way a security breach may happen is through security holes and other vulnerabilities. Security holes usually exist in operating systems. A way to combat security holes is for OS makers to put out system updates that close up those security holes. A system vulnerability is, “a flaw in a computer system that weakens the overall security of the system/device,” (Wikipedia). Vulnerabilities can be the software or the hardware. Attackers exploit these vulnerabilities and perform unauthorized actions on a device or system. A way to combat security holes and vulnerabilities are for OS makers to put out system/software updates that close up these vulnerabilities.
Another way a computer can be compromised is through a computer virus. A computer virus, “is a program that runs on a user’s computer without permission, and spreads itself to other computers, often via email,” (Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. 2019). A virus can occur when a user downloads something from their email, or installs something that contains a virus in it. When a computer is infected with a virus, its purpose is to delete data, steal information from the computer, or using the computer for illicit tasks. Viruses doing illicit tasks like sending spam emails and attacking an organization’s website is called a DoS (Denial of Service) attack. This happens by sending huge numbers of access requests simultaneously to one website, overloading the site’s server. This prevents legitimate requests from being handled. A way to tell if a computer is infected is if it "is running significantly slower that usual, or active when it is not being used,” (Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. 2019). One way to fight against a computer being infected is to install antivirus software that looks for known viruses and disables them. Another way is to install a firewall. A firewall is “software or hardware that blocks unauthorized communication with a computer while allowing authorization over the network,” (Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. 2019). Firewalls can not block all threats, but combined with an antivirus software, makes it a great computer security strategy.
References:
- Vulnerabilities
- Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. (2019). Computing technology for all
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