Computer Security

Computer Security

1. Anti-Virus

   • Quarantines any programs or files which are harmful.
   • Scans the computer peroidically.
   • Needs updating regularly to make sure that it knows the latest threats.
   • Should be used on email attachments and downloads.
   • Protects against malicious software.
   • Anti-virus needs to keep on being updated so that it is fresher and keeps everything more secure and better looked after.

2. Firewall

   • Prevents harmful data entering your computer.
   • Used to help protect a computer network from intruders.
   • Controls which programs can send and receive data packets.
   • Used when program is trying to connect to another network.
   • You need to use a friewall to stop any untrusted data packets from coming in.You also need it to control your personal information from going loose.
   • The consequences of not using firewall is that your information could go away out into the open.This could be dangerous as somebody could stalk you online or in real life.

3. Encyption

   • To encrypt a message you need to cipher it which is when you use a key to figure out a code or somebody's security password.
   • People used encryption during the world war 2.
   • To tell if a website is encrypted or not you need to make sure that it is secure.To do this you will need to check the URL of the website, if it says https then it is secure.If not then get off that website!
   • To decrypt something you will need to have a key so that you can understand the 'secret messgage'.
   • Encryption scrambles data packets so that it's written in a secret way so that it can't be read.
   • We use encryption during letters and websites so it is more secure and that people don't find out what you are talking about.
   • Cipher:The way in which you write the code.Example, caesar cipher is when you move the letters along a certain amount of numbers to change it to another letter.
   • The key shows you the way that the code can be decrypted so that it can be read.

4. Computer Security

   • Online you can get lured into clicking or downloading dodgy files that could cost you a lot of money even though that's not what you would have wanted.
   • When buying products you might want to check some of the reviews to see what people think of the product.You will want to do this so that if it is a bad product from an un-trusted website then you can avoid it.
   • When opening emails you will need to check who it's from so its not a scam.
   • If an item says 'free' or 'really low price' for that certain product that would usually be a lot of money,then most likely it is a scam.Just IGNORE it!
   • If a website doesn't have 'https' at the start then that website IS NOT SAFE so stay off of it!
   • Phishing obtains personal information like bank details,phone numbers,name,address,passwords from malicious software.
     • This leads to identifying theft and Fraud as the people that give their details believe that the Phishing attempt is from a genuine company.
     • Phishing starts from somebody sending an ungenuine email but making it look genuine.You need to look further into the email to check it's secure.

5. Malware

   • Worm
     • A worm is extremely useful as it duplicates - makes more of itself- so that the user can access other computers.
     • It is a computer program that can completely stand alone.