COMPUTER SECURITY

COMPUTER SECURITY

1. ACTIVE AND PASSIVE SECURITY

   • ACTIVE
     • Aimed at protecting the computer and its content
   • PASSIVE
     • Aims to reduce the impact of possible computer damage

2. SECURITY ON THE COMPUTER

   • MALICIOUS SOFTWARE
     • AKA Malware, its software developed with malicious purposes
     • VIRUS
       • a program that installs itself into the computer without consent that can self-replicate and cause harm to your system
     • KEYLOGGER
       • It records the keystrokes in order to obtain passwords from the user
     • WORM
       • it's purpose it's to flood the system memory by replicating itself
     • SPYWARE
       • Programs that collect data from your computer
       • TROJAN
         • it's disguised as a harmless program that has a virus inside it that can gather data or destroy it from your computer
       • HIJACKERS
         • these are programs that hijack other programs and change their behaviour
       • ADWARE
         • adware is advertisement included in programs and it can act as spyware
   • SOFTWARE TO PROTECT YOUR COMPUTER
     • Tries to avoid your computer to get attacked and also reduce the impact of the attacks
     • FIREWALL
       • Controls the network traffic in your computer in order to filter the malware that could enter
     • PROXY
       • it's a software that works as an entry port to the computer, it could be configured as a firewall or a website blocker
     • PASSWORDS
       • can help to protect the data of your computer on a local network or the internet
     • CRYPTOGRAPHY
       • it's the encrypting of information used to protect files, communications and passwords
     • ANTIVIRUS
       • A program that analyses your computer in order to find any kind of virus and identify it
   • MORE TERMINOLOGY
     • PHARMING
       • it consist of redirecting a domain name to a different computer so the user enters into the attacking website that collects the data
     • CRACKERS
       • people that use applications in orther to obtain programs withour a license
     • COOKIES
       • text files that are saved to the computer by the browser when you visit a website
     • HACKERS
       • computer experts that can find vulnerabilities in a system and either use it to attack it (black hats) or inform the companies and tell them how to solve the problem (white hats)
     • SPAM
       • e-mail messages that flood the network in order to advertise products
     • HOAXES
       • chains of messages used by companies to gather email addresses or make advertisements