There are several security risks that could damage the computer or even
leave you at risk. These are thing such as:
·
Viruses: Viruses are programs that are specifically designed to steal
data from another computer or even corrupt it completely. Viruses are commonly
hidden as downloaded files from the internet, or in attachments you are sent
via email etc. If these files are downloaded the security of the computer is
breached due to doing things such as shutting down anti-virus software and even
stopping a computer from doing basic actions. If a virus makes its way on to a
website it can spread to the computer of everyone that uses the site. So it is
not only the computer hosting the website that is affected by this.
·
Hacking: this means to illegally gain access to someone else’s computer
for any reason. The most common reason this is done is to steal or delete a
specific piece of data but another reason this would be done is for the purpose
of downloading viruses onto the computer. When hacking you have to re programming
the system so it will perform functions that were not previously authorised by
the actual owner of the computer.
·
Identity Theft: This means to steal another person's personal
information over the internet. This is usually done by hacking or creating
false website examples of this can be bank details, your address or phone
number really anything you do not wish to be shared. Identity theft over the
internet is very common. This is because many people enter their details into a
form on the internet before checking if this is a secure and safe website.
Security Protection Mechanisms:
There are some ways you can prevent this from happening and protect your
computer these are things such as firewalls, passwords etc.
·
Passwords: The point of password
strength defines how easy this password be to work out. Passwords that contain a
combination of randomised numbers and both lower and upper case letters are the
hardest ones to work out and will keep you the most secure this is due to their
being a mixture of all 3.
·
Firewalls - A firewall is part of a network that is designed to stop
anyone who does not have authorisation but is still trying to gain access. It
will grant or deny network transmissions based on certain rules that are in
place. There are two types of firewall these are software and hardware. The hardware
firewalls can be included as part of a router. Whereas software firewalls are
programs that are on the computer, an example of this is Windows Firewall. The
use of a firewall is also to help prevent the spread of viruses, so if your
computer is infected, there is less chance that the virus can be transferred to
other computers.
·
SSL – This stands for the secure
socket layer. This provides security for communications over the internet. SSL
encrypts the data of network connections above the transport layer and at
a lower sub-layer of its application layer using a keyed message
authentication code for message integrity. Websites with SSL will have a
certificate to show that they are secure websites; this will make people far
more likely to use the website.
