Computer Security

Computer security is a way to prevent and detect unauthorized use of computers. Computer security process involves protection against intruders from utilizing the computer resources for the malicious intents. As a branch of information security, it revolves many security measures such as anti-virus suites, firewall software programs and being observant in utilizing the computers and the network resources or the web.

Computer security includes four prime areas:

• Confidentiality – under this feature, only authorized individuals can access the data and information
• Integrity - The users, who are authorized, can only revise the data when required.
• Availability – All the information and data should be made available to its authorized users.
• Authenticity – are the individuals communicating with those people, to whom they are thinking?

Common Threats for computers security

There are many threats that make vulnerable the computer systems and cause numerous sorts of damages ensuing in significant losses .These are as follows: 

Loss of Physical and Infrastructure Support

Sometimes, computer systems are exposed at risk due to power failure, spikes, water outages, fire, flood strikes, civil unrest, brownouts and lack of communication facilities etc.

Error and omissions

For data and system integrity, errors and omission are a vital threat. Data entry clerk who processes hundreds of transactions per day and different users who create and edit the data are responsible for this.

Fraud and theft

The computer system is always at risk due to fraud and theft. These may be automating traditional techniques or by utilizing new methods. For instance, skimming a small amount of money from financial accounts by using the computers. Not only finance systems, but also time and attendance systems and school grading systems may also be at risk. Insiders and outsiders both can commit these frauds and thefts.

Employee sabotage

Sometimes, the employees of the organization damage or sabotage the employer’s computers and application by taking the advantage being the most familiar with these systems. They know that what actions may cause the highest damage to them. Some examples are : Vanishing hardware and other facilities, destroying the data by planting the logic bombs, filing the data inaccurate, crashing the system, erasing or changing the data.

Malicious Hackers

Nowadays, these malicious hackers (crackers) are the biggest threat to computer security, who break the security without authorization.

Industrial Espionage

Collecting the proprietary data from private organizations or the government agencies to help the other companies is called Industrial Espionage. For taking the competitive advantage and secret information, this technique is used.

Malicious Code

These are uninvited software such as viruses, worms, Trojan horses, logic bombs that can attack computers and other platforms.

Preventing the computer data and information like bank account passwords, numbers, job related documents are very important in today’s communication because several routine actions relied on the security of data paths. Sometimes, improper computer security may create illegal activities. Some images or email accounts may be used to create offensive content like pornographic pictures and false misleading etc. Malicious intents may also be a component in computer security. Some Intruders use the computer systems to attack other computers and websites to create havoc. Some Vengeful hackers crash other’s computers for creating data loss.

These persons crash the servers by DDOS attacks for preventing access to websites. So, these factors imply the consequences of breaking the computer security and the necessity of keeping the data safe and confidential (computer security, n.d.) Thus, it is very essential to protect the computer systems and hence the need of computers systems security arises.