Security

Threats

1. Computer crimes, including viruses.
2. Electronic break-ins.
3. Natural and other hazards.

Security Measures

1. Encryption
2. Restricting Access
3. Anticipating Disasters
4. Backing-up data.

Computer Criminals

1. A computer crime is an illegal action in which the perpetrator uses special knowledge of computer technology.
     
2. There are four typed of computer criminals:
   1. Employees -  can steal equipment, software, electronic funds, proprietary information, computer time.
        
   2. Outside users -  suppliers or clients may have access to company's computer system.
        
   3. Hackers and Crackers -  hackers gain unauthorized access to a computer system for fun, crackers do it for malicious purposes.  May steal technical information or introduce a destructive computer program into the system (virus).
        
   4. Organized crime -  keep track of stolen goods or illegal debts.  Counterfeiters and forgers can produce sophisticated-looking documents such as checks and driver's licenses.

Form of Threats

1. Damage
   1. Disgruntled employees sometimes attempt to destroy computers, programs, or files with various types of software programs
        
   2. Hackers and crackers create and distribute malicious programs known as viruses.
      1. Viruses are programs that migrate through network networks and operating systems.
      2. Viruses attach themselves to different programs and databases.
      3. There are four basic types of viruses:
         • Boot sector
         • File
         • Trojan horse
         • Macro
      4. Creating and knowingly spreading a virus is a crime and is punishable under the Computer Amendments Act of 1994.
            
   3. A variant on the virus is the Worm.
      1. Program fills a computer system with self-replicating information, clogging the system so its operations are slowed or stopped.
      2. The most infamous worm is known as the Internet Worm.
      3. In 1988, the Internet Worm traveled across North America, stopping thousands of computers.
            
   4. Viruses and worms find their way into computers  through copied floppy disks or programs downloaded from the Internet.
         
   5. "Disk-killer" viruses can destroy all information on a computer system.
         
   6. Users can protect their computer with a detection program called a virus checker which will alert them when certain kinds of viruses enter the system.
      1. Dr. Solomon's Anti-Virus
      2. McAfee VirusScan
      3. Norton AntiVirus
             
           
2. Computer Theft -  Can be in the form of
   1. Hardware -  equipment
   2. Software
      1. Unauthorized copying of software programs for personal gain (software piracy)
      2. Borrowing software from a friend.
           
           
3. Manipulation
   1. Unauthorized entry into a computer network is against the law.
   2. The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 makes it a crime for unauthorized persons to view, copy, or damage data when using a computer across state lines.
      1. It also prohibits unauthorized use of any government computer or computer used by any federally insured financial institution.
      2. Offenders can be sentenced up to 20 years in prison and fined up to $100,000.
   3. Using a computer to sell fraudulent products is also illegal.
          
4. Hazards 
   1. Natural hazards -  Fires, floods, wind, hurricanes, tornados, and earthquakes.
         
   2. Civil strife and terrorism -  Acts of sabotage can be threats to computer security.
         
   3. Technological failures -  Lightning storms or other electrical disturbance may affect the power supply to the computer system and cause a voltage surge or spike.
      1. This excess of electricity may destroy chips or other electronic components of a computer.
      2. One way to guard against this mishap would be to purchase a surge protector.
      3. Hard disk failures, also known as a disk crash.
           
   4. Human errors -  Human errors during data-entry or programming, is a major concern in maintaining data integrity or computer security.

Measures of Protection

1. Security is concerned with protecting information, hardware, and software from unauthorized use as well as from damage, intrusion, sabotage, and natural disasters.
      
2. Some principal measure to protect computers are:
   1. Encrypting messages
      1. There is the possibility of unauthorized access when information is sent over a network.
      2. Encrypting is the process of coding a message.
      3. Businesses have been encrypting messages for years.
      4. Federal agencies want a standard encryption procedure to monitor criminal communications.
      5. Government is encouraging businesses to use a special encryption hardware called Clipper chip.
      6. A widely used personal encryption program is Pretty Good Privacy (PGP)
           
   2. Restricting access
      1. Computer systems must be protected from access by unauthorized persons.
      2. Physically checking identification badges or assigning passwords are ways of restriction.
      3. Some computers use dial-back after a user keys in the password.
      4. Special hardware and software called firewalls can be used to control access to internal computer networks.
            
   3. Anticipating disasters
      1. Companies need to secure against disasters.
         • Physical security -  protecting hardware from human and natural disasters.
         • Data security -  protecting software and data from unauthorized tampering.
              
      2. A disaster recovery plan should be in place to describe ways to continue operating if a disaster occurs.  Special emergency facilities should be set up.
         • Hot sites -  fully equipped centers
         • Cold sites - empty shells in which hardware must be installed
               
   4. Backing up data
      1. A company's data may be irreplaceable.
      2. The safest procedure for protecting data is to make frequent backups and store them in remote locations.

Security for microcomputers

1. Avoid extreme conditions
   1. Don't expose computer to direct sun, rain from an open window, extreme temperatures, cigarette smoke, and spilled drinks or food.
   2. Clean your equipment regularly.
   3. Use surge protector to protect against voltage surges.
        
2. Guard the computer
   1. Put a cable lock on the computer
   2. Etch an identification number into the equipment
        
3. Guard the programs and data
   1. Store disks properly, preferably in a licked container.
   2. Make backup copies of all important files and programs.
   3. Store copies of files in a different location from the computer site.

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