Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8 th edition

1. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th edition Unit F: Data Security

2. Objectives • Know what can go wrong • Protect computer systems • Understand authentication • Explore security threats and malware • Avoid security threats and malware Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition 2

3. Objectives (continued) Examine network and Internet access security Explore Web and email security Understand backups Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition 3

4. Knowing What Can Go Wrong • Risk management in computer systems • Identify potential threats to equipment and data • Implement plans to avoid threats • Develop steps to recover from unavoidable disasters • Possible problems with electricity • Power failure • Power spikes (or voltage spikes) • Power surges Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

5. Knowing What Can Go Wrong (continued) • Hardware failures • Software failures • Human error • Computer viruses • Safe Mode:a limited version of Windows that is used to troubleshoot some problems • Cyberterrorism:terrorist acts committed via the Internet Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

6. Figure F-3: Troubleshooting guidelines Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

7. Protecting Computer Systems • To reduce likelihood of computer theft: • Use common sense • Use locking devices • Use security plates • Tracking and recovery software • Used to track a computer if stolen • Ways to protect data if computer is stolen • Software that deletes data if computer is stolen • Use of a password to access computer Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

8. Figure F-5: A security plate Figure F-4: A locking device Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

9. Protecting Computer Systems (continued) • Protection from power problems • UPS (uninterruptible power supply) • Offers the best protection against power problems • Provides a continuous supply of power • Surge strip • Protects against power surges and voltage spikes • Most computers have a fan • Allow for ventilation around the computer Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

10. Understanding Authentication • Authentication protocols • Used to confirm a person’s identity when he or she tries to use a computer system • Three common ways to authenticate a user: • Using something a person carries • Using something a person knows • Using a unique physical characteristic • Biometrics: identification on some physical trait, such as a fingerprint, handprint, etc. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

11. Figure F-9: Retinal scans are a form of biometric authentication Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

12. Understanding Authentication (continued) • Two-factor authentication: verifies identity using two independent elements of confirmation • User ID: a user’s unique identifier on a computer or Web page; typically public • Password:verifies a user ID and guarantees that the user is the person he or she claims to be • User rights:rules that limit the directories and files that each user can access Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

13. Exploring Security Threats and Malware • Malicious code or malware • Created by hackers, crackers, black hats, or cybercriminals • Computer virus (or virus) • Set of program instructions that attaches itself to a file, reproduces itself, and spreads to other files on the same computer • Computer worm (or worm) • Self-copying program that carries out some unauthorized activity on a victim’s computer Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

14. Figure F-13: A simulated worm attack Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

15. Exploring Security Threats and Malware (continued) • Trojan horse (or Trojan) • A program that seems to perform one function while actually doing something else • Intelligent agent (or bot) • Software that can automate a task or autonomously execute a task • Bad bots are used by hackers for unauthorized or destructive tasks • Spyware • A program that secretly gathers personal information, usually for commercial purposes Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

16. Exploring Security Threats and Malware (continued) • Malware can: • Create network traffic jam • Initiate a denial-of-Service (DoS) attack • Reconfigure a browser • Delete and modify files • Access confidential information • Disable antivirus and firewall software • Control your computer • Degrade performance Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

17. Avoiding Security Threats and Malware • Some guidelines to avoid threats: • Install and activate security software • Keep software and operating system updated • Do not open suspicious email attachments • Obtain software only from reliable sources • Use security software to scan for malware • Do not click pop-up ads • Avoid unsavory Web sites • Disable the option Hide extensions for known file types in Windows Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

18. Avoiding Security Threats and Malware (continued) • Security suite • Typically includes antivirus, firewall, and anti-spyware modules • Antivirus software • Utility software that looks for and removes viruses, Trojan horses, worms, and bots • Virus signature • A section of code that can be used to identify a known malicious program Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

19. Avoiding Security Threats and Malware (continued) • Virus definitions • Contains information that antivirus software uses to identify and remove malware • Needs to be updated regularly • Make regular backups of your data Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

20. Examining Network and Internet Access Security • Wireless networks • Susceptible to unauthorized access and use, especially if unsecured • LANjacking or war driving • Hackers can intercept signals with a Wi-Fi enabled notebook computer • Wireless encryption • WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) • WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) • WPA2 Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

21. Examining Network and Internet Access Security (continued) • Wireless network key • The basis for scrambling and unscrambling data transmitted between wireless devices • Encryption • Transforms a message so that its contents are hidden from unauthorized readers • Firewall • Software or hardware that filters out suspicious packets attempting to enter or leave a computer Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

22. Figure F-20: Windows Firewall settings Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

23. Exploring Web and Email Security • Cookie • Contains information about the user • Stored on the user’s hard drive • Ad-serving cookie • InPrivate feature of Internet Explorer • No user data is stored after a browsing session • Antispyware • Security software designed to identify and neutralize spyware Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

24. Figure F-23: Anti-Spyware software Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

25. Exploring Web and Email Security (continued) • Phishing • Email-based or IM scam that persuades users to reveal confidential information • Pharming • Redirects users to fake sites by poisoning a domain name server with a false IP address • Spam • Unwanted electronic junk mail • Techniques to combat spam: • Email authentication techniques • Spam filter Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

26. Understanding Backups • Backup:a copy made in case the original files become damaged • Full backup (or full-system backup) • Differential backup • Incremental backup • Backup storage media include: • Writable CDs, DVDs, BDs, solid-state storage cards, tapes, and USB flash drives • Can back up data to a network server • Some Web sites offer Web-based storage Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

27. Understanding Backups (continued) • Backup software is designed to back up and restore files • Boot disk • A removable storage medium containing the operating system files needed to boot a computer • Recovery CD (or recovery disk) • A bootable CD, DVD, or other media that contains a complete copy of a computer’s hard drive, as it existed when shipped from the manufacturer Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

28. Talking Points: Prosecuting Computer Crime • Traditional laws do not cover the range of possibilities for computer crimes • Computer crime laws • Many countries have laws that specifically define computer data and software as personal property Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

29. Talking Points: Prosecuting Computer Crime (continued) • Computer crimes include: • Data diddling • Identity theft • Salami shaving • Denial of service • Information theft • Virus distribution • Vandalism • Are hackers dangerous cyberterrorists or harmless pranksters? Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition

30. Summary • This chapter introduced: • Potential threats to computer equipment and data • Ways to protect computer system hardware • Authentication • How to use software to protect or recover computer data • How to back up data • Network and Internet access security • Different positions on prosecuting computer crime Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition 30