Threat of Online Security: How Safe is Our Data?

Threat of Online Security

Every unprotected computer is susceptible to have a high level of computer online security risk. The computer online security are virus, worm, and/or Trojan horse.

1) Virus
--A computer virus is a potentially damaging computer program that affects, or infects, a
computer negatively by altering the way the computer works without the user's knowledge or
permission. Once the virus infects the computer, it can spread throughout and may damage
files and system software, including the operating system.

2) Worm
--A worm is a program that copies itself repeatedly, for example in the memory or on a
network, using up resources and possibly shutting down the computer or network.

3) Trojan horse
--A Trojan horse (named after the Greek myth) is a program that hides within or looks like a
legitimate program. A certain condition or action usually triggers the Trojan horse. Unlike a
virus or worm, a Trojan horse does not replicate itself to other computers.





Safeguards against Computer Viruses, Worm and Trojan Horses

Methods that guarantee a computer or network is safe from computer viruses, worm, and Trojan horses simply do not exist. User can take several precautions, however, to protect their home and work computer from these malicious infections.

1) Never start a computer with with removable media in the drives, unless the media in uninfected.

2) Never open an e-mail attachment unless you are expecting it and it is from a trusted source. Turn off
message preview.

3) Set the macro security in programs so you can enable or disable macros. Enable macros only if the
document is from trusted source and you are expecting it.

4) Install an antivirus program on all of your computers. Obtain updates to the virus signature files on a
regular basis.

5) Check all downloaded programs for viruses, worms, or Trojan horses. These malicious- logic programs
often are placed in seemingly innocent programs, so they will affect a large number of users.

6) If the antivirus program flags an e-mail attachment as infected, deleted the attachment immediately.

7) Before using any removable media, use the antivirus scan program to check the media for infection.
incorporate this procedure even for shrink- wrapped software from major developers. Some commercial
software has been infected and distributed to unsuspecting users this way.

8) Install a personal fire program.





Safeguard against Data and Information Theft

Many companies and individuals use a variety of encryption techniques to keep data secure and private.

Encryption
Encryption is a process of converting readable data into unreadable characters to prevent unauthorized access. You treat encrypted data just like any other data. That is, you can store it or send it in an e-mail message. To read the data, the recipient must decrypt, or decipher, it into readable form.

In the encryption process, the unencrypted, readable data is called plaintext. The encrypted (scrambled) data is called ciphertext. To encrypt the data, the originator of the data coverts the plaintext into ciphertext using an encryption key. In its simplest form, an encryption key is programmed formula that the recipient of the data uses to decrypt ciphertext.

When user send an e-mail message over the Internet, they never know might intercept it, who might read it, or to whom it might be forwarded. if a message contain personal or confidential information, users can protect the message by encrypting it or signing it digitally. One of the more popular e-mail encryption programs is called Pretty Good Privacy (PGP). PGP is freeware for personal, noncommercial users. Home users can download PGP from web at no cost.

A digital signature is an encrypted code that a person, website, or company attaches to an electronic message to verify the identity of the message sender. The code usually consists of the user's name and a hash of all part of the message. A hash is a mathematical formula that generates a code from the contents of the message. Thus, the hash differs for each message. Receivers of the message and compares it with oner in the digital signature to ensure they match.

Digital signature often are used to ensure that an impostor in not participating in an internet transaction. that is, digital signature help to prevent e-mail forgery. A digital signature also can verify that the content of a message has not change.