Overview of Computer Security
Overview on Computer Security
In this course, you have discovered how important computers and their contents are to everyone. Safeguarding your computer and its valuable information is important. You should be aware of the threats facing by your computer and data, and take necessary measures to protect them as well. By taking some precautionary steps, you can safeguard not only your hardware, software and data, but yourself. This lesson introduces you with some of the most common threats to your privacy, data, and hardware; and how to protect yourself and your system.
Basic Security Concepts
The goal of computer security is to eliminate or protect against threats. * Threats. A threat is anything that can cause harm. In the context of computer security, a threat can be a burglar, a virus, a disaster, or a simple user error. Threat is not harmful unless it exploits an existing vulnerability. * Countermeasures. A countermeasure is any step you take to ward off a threat – to protect yourself, your data, or your computer from harm. These are meant to protect data and systems from damage. For example, regularly backing up your data is a countermeasure against the treat of data loss. A firewall is a countermeasure against hackers.
In the context of computer security the user, hardware and data may face threats at any time and we must take proper countermeasures to deal with such threats.
Threats to Users
Networks and internet have created limitless possibilities for people to work, communicate, learn, buy and sell, play games, and interact with others around the world that made it conduit for many type of threats.
1. Identity Theft. In identity theft, an ID thief impersonates someone else by using the victim’s name and personal information. A successful ID thief can obtain documents (driving license, bank account information) and conduct business transactions in the victim’s name.
2. Loss of privacy. Many companies monitor the activities of
In this course, you have discovered how important computers and their contents are to everyone. Safeguarding your computer and its valuable information is important. You should be aware of the threats facing by your computer and data, and take necessary measures to protect them as well. By taking some precautionary steps, you can safeguard not only your hardware, software and data, but yourself. This lesson introduces you with some of the most common threats to your privacy, data, and hardware; and how to protect yourself and your system.
Basic Security Concepts
The goal of computer security is to eliminate or protect against threats. * Threats. A threat is anything that can cause harm. In the context of computer security, a threat can be a burglar, a virus, a disaster, or a simple user error. Threat is not harmful unless it exploits an existing vulnerability. * Countermeasures. A countermeasure is any step you take to ward off a threat – to protect yourself, your data, or your computer from harm. These are meant to protect data and systems from damage. For example, regularly backing up your data is a countermeasure against the treat of data loss. A firewall is a countermeasure against hackers.
In the context of computer security the user, hardware and data may face threats at any time and we must take proper countermeasures to deal with such threats.
Threats to Users
Networks and internet have created limitless possibilities for people to work, communicate, learn, buy and sell, play games, and interact with others around the world that made it conduit for many type of threats.
1. Identity Theft. In identity theft, an ID thief impersonates someone else by using the victim’s name and personal information. A successful ID thief can obtain documents (driving license, bank account information) and conduct business transactions in the victim’s name.
2. Loss of privacy. Many companies monitor the activities of