Security
Security is concerned with protecting information, hardware, and software. They must be protected from unauthorized use as well as from damage from intrusions and sabotage. Considering the numerous ways in which computer systems and data can be compromized, it is obvious why security is a growing field.
As the Internet has become widely used by public, many security issues have arisen, including viruses, cookies, and firewalls.
Viruses
A virus is a self-replicating program, frequently with destructive side effects. Several years ago viruses were spread only in programs that were downloaded from FTP servers or passed around on floppy disks. Now viruses can be spread through e-mail attachments. These viruses are called worms. Viruses can’t travel in plain text, like e-mail messages. They contain programming, so they need to be binary (non-text) files. Therefore, a virus can be received as an e-mail attachment or in a downloaded file. Document and spreadsheet files can contain viruses as well. These are macro viruses. These viruses make use of a word processor’s or spreadsheet program’s ability to execute instructions (macros), as well as to display a file.
There are four types of viruses:
Boot sector
File
Trojan horse
Macro
It is recommended that a virus-checking program is always run on all computers that connect to the Internet. For the most complete virus check commercial virus-checking software such as McAfee VirusScan or Norton Anti-Virus is available. It is also important that after installing the program regular updates of that program are performed.
Firewalls
A firewall is a program that controls what information passes from one network to another. A firewall can be used between a computer and the Internet to stop outsiders from getting access to this computer through the Internet.
Some firewalls control only incoming information. These firewalls prevent some types of incoming Internet traffic based on the port number, so that hackers can’t detect that there is a computer online.
Good firewalls monitor both incoming and outgoing packets and make sure that outgoing packets come from a program that the user knows about. If it does not recognize a program, it alerts the user and asks what to do.
A firewall can be run on a computer or on a router or a hub that stands between a computer and the Internet. For example, if a computer connects to the Internet through a local area network, the LAN's hub or router can run a firewall program to provide protection to the entire LAN.
Popular firewall programs that can be run on a computer are ZoneLabs ZoneAlarm, BlackIce PC Protection, McAfee Firewall, and Norton Personal Firewall.
Passwords
Passwords are an important step in securing the network and other accounts. There are some precautions one can take to stay protected:
Vary the difficulty of the passwords depending on what is being protected.
If passwords are needed to be written down, write down hints.
Combine numbers and letters.
Use acronyms (first letter of each word of a memorable phrase).
Have a different password for each kind of account.
Message Encryption
Whenever information is sent over a network, the possibility of unauthorized access exists. The longer the distance the message has to travel, the higher the security risk is. For example, an e-mail message on a LAN meets a limited number of users operating in controlled environments such as offices. An e-mail message traveling across the country on the information superhighway has a greater chance of being intercepted.
Businesses have been encrypting, or coding, messages. It is encouraged that businesses that utilize the Internet use a special encryption program. This program is available on a processor chip called he Clipper chip. It is also known as the Key Escrow chip.
Individuals are also using encryption program to safeguard their private communications. One of the most widely used personal encryption programs is Pretty Good Privacy.