Computer security?

Computer security basically is the protection of computer systems and information from harm,
theft, and unauthorized use. It is the process of preventing and detecting unauthorized use of
your computer system.
There are various types of computer security which is widely used to protect the valuable
information of an organization.
What is Computer Security and its types?
One way to ascertain the similarities and differences among Computer Security is by asking what
is being secured. For example,
 Information security is securing information from unauthorized access, modification &
deletion
 Application Security is securing an application by building security features to prevent
from Cyber Threats such as SQL injection, DoS attacks, data breaches and etc.
 Computer Security means securing a standalone machine by keeping it updated and
patched
 Network Security is by securing both the software and hardware technologies
 Cybersecurity is defined as protecting computer systems, which communicate over the
computer networks
Components of computer system
The components of a computer system that needs to be protected are:
 Hardware, the physical part of the computer, like the system memory and disk drive
 Firmware, permanent software that is etched into a hardware device’s nonvolatile
memory and is mostly invisible to the user
 Software, the programming that offers services, like operating system, word processor,
internet browser to the user
The CIA Triad
Computer security is mainly concerned with three main areas:
 Confidentiality is ensuring that information is available only to the intended audience
 Integrity is protecting information from being modified by unauthorized parties
 Availability is protecting information from being modified by unauthorized parties
Computer security threats
Computer security threats are possible dangers that can possibly hamper the normal functioning
of your computer. In the present age, cyber threats are constantly increasing as the world is going
digital. The most harmful types of computer security are:
Viruses

A computer virus is a malicious program which is loaded into the user’s

computer without user’s knowledge. It replicates itself and infects the files and programs on the
user’s PC. The ultimate goal of a virus is to ensure that the victim’s computer will never be able
to operate properly or even at all.
Computer Worm

A computer worm is a software program that can copy itself from one
computer to another, without human interaction. The potential risk here is that it will use up your
computer hard disk space because a worm can replicate in greate volume and with great speed.
Phishing

Disguising as a trustworthy person or business, phishers attempt to steal sensitive financial or

personal information through fraudulent email or instant messages. Phishing in unfortunately
very easy to execute. You are deluded into thinking it’s the legitimate mail and you may enter
your personal information.
Botnet
 A botnet is a group of computers connected to the internet, that have been
compromised by a hacker using a computer virus. An individual computer is called ‘zombie
computer’. The result of this threat is the victim’s computer, which is the bot will be used for
malicious activities and for a larger scale attack like DDoS.
Rootkit

A rootkit is a computer program designed to provide continued privileged

access to a computer while actively hiding its presence. Once a rootkit has been installed, the
controller of the rootkit will be able to remotely execute files and change system configurations
on the host machine.
Keylogger

Also known as a keystroke logger, keyloggers can track the real-time activity
of a user on his computer. It keeps a record of all the keystrokes made by user keyboard.
Keylogger is also a very powerful threat to steal people’s login credential such as username and
password.
These are perhaps the most common security threats that you’ll come across. Apart from these,
there are others like spyware, wabbits, scareware, bluesnarfing and many more. Fortunately,
there are ways to protect yourself against these attacks.
Spyware
Spyware is loosely defined as malicious software designed to enter your computer device, gather
data about you, and forward it to a third-party without your consent. Spyware can also refer to
legitimate software that monitors your data for commercial purposes like advertising. However,
malicious spyware is explicitly used to profit from stolen data.

Hacking

Hacking is the act of identifying and then exploiting weaknesses in a computer system or
network, usually to gain unauthorized access to personal or organizational data. Hacking is
not always a malicious activity, but the term has mostly negative connotations due to its
association with cybercrime. An example of computer hacking can be: using a password
cracking algorithm to gain access to a computer system.
The term also may refer to anyone who uses their abilities to gain unauthorized access to systems
or networks in order to commit crimes.
Malware Definition
Malware (short for “malicious software”) is a file or code, typically delivered over a network,
that infects, explores, steals or conducts virtually any behavior an attacker wants. And because
malware comes in so many variants, there are numerous methods to infect computer systems.
Though varied in type and capabilities, malware usually has one of the following objectives:
 Provide remote control for an attacker to use an infected machine.
 Send spam from the infected machine to unsuspecting targets.
 Investigate the infected user’s local network.
 Steal sensitive data.
Computer Security Practices
Computer security threats are becoming relentlessly inventive these days. There is much need for
one to arm oneself with information and resources to safeguard against these complex and
growing computer security threats and stay safe online. Some preventive steps you can take
include:
 Secure your computer physically by:
o Installing reliable, reputable security and anti-virus software
o Activating your firewall, because a firewall acts as a security guard between the
internet and your local area network
  Stay up-to-date on the latest software and news surrounding your devices and perform
software updates as soon as they become available
 Avoid clicking on email attachments unless you know the source
 Change passwords regularly, using a unique combination of numbers, letters and case
types
 Use the internet with caution and ignore pop-ups, drive-by downloads while surfing
 Taking the time to research the basic aspects of computer security and educate yourself
on evolving cyber-threats
 Perform daily full system scans and create a periodic system backup schedule to ensure
your data is retrievable should something happen to your computer.
Why is Computer Security Important?
In this digital era, we all want to keep our computers and our personal information secure and
hence computer security is important to keep our personal information protected.
It is also important to maintain our computer security and its overall health by preventing viruses
and malware which would impact on the system performance.
Helps Maintain Trust and Credibility
The wrong action can cause an audience base to dwindle drastically. This may lead businesses to
lose loyal customers.
Prevents Websites Crashes
This can cause a prolonged website loading time which may annoy visitors leading to revenue
loss, missed transactions and communication, and degraded trust. A crashed website may even
cause long-term damage to the system. Cyber security ensures protection against unexpected
damage and safeguards long-term accessibility.
Safer Operation of Medical Devices
The medical industry is seeing an uptick in the adoption of connected technology. This
interconnectivity can enable fast and efficient operations, but more endpoints translate to more
risk. If hospitals are to use these new medical devices safely, they need to ensure their security.
Faster Patient Care
Better healthcare security would ensure safer, more private treatment, but it would also make it
faster. When working correctly, EHRs allow doctors to start treatment sooner, but disruptions
can produce the opposite effect. Hospitals need reliable and fast-working cybersecurity tools to
ensure their EHR systems work as they should.
Improved Patient Privacy Protection
Medical professionals have to adhere to strict privacy regulations when dealing with patient
records. If a cybercriminal hacked into a hospital and accessed these, it could have disastrous
results. It could expose valuable data like insurance information and addresses, and hospitals
could face legal trouble. With more robust cybersecurity, hospitals can assure patients that their
information will remain private.
Reduced Risk of Medical Errors
Without fast and reliable access to EHRs, the likelihood of medical errors would rise. Doctors
and nurses could accidentally administer an ineffective or even harmful treatment since they
don’t have a complete picture of patient data. Better cybersecurity would secure EHRs and
prevent these errors.
The negative impact of a computer infection
A virus or malware will negatively impact your system, leaving you vulnerable to fraud, but the
degree of impact depends on the infection’s type and scope. Here are some of the possible
consequences of a computer infection:
 Loss of performance: Malware can make your computer process things more slowly,
hogging system resources and taking far longer than usual to get work done.
 Loss of bandwidth: Botnets are networks of computers serving a central remote system,
often distributing large volumes of data and consuming all broadband bandwidth.
 Loss of function: In extreme cases, the virus can degrade your computer performance or
programming so severely that you can no longer use your machine.
 Exposure to other dangerous software: The purpose of some malware is to entice you
to download even more dangerous software.
 Loss of information: Viruses might delete stored files or data, while ransomware may
destroy your entire hard drive if specific demands aren’t met.
 Breach of privacy: Viruses sometimes seek to gather information for identity theft or
fraud. This could result in financial losses if your accounts are breached and even
punitive fines if your firm didn’t follow local and state business regulations surrounding
data privacy.
10 signs your computer is infected
Here are 10 signs your computer is infected, according to Tim Armstrong, senior sales engineer
at SecurityScorecard.
1. Unexpected pop-up windows
Unexpected or unusual dialog boxes and windows can be a bad sign. Fake virus warnings claim
you have security threats on your computer and usually prompt you to click a link or call a
number.
“One of the things we always tell people is that, as of right now, there’s no way a website can tell
you if your computer is infected,” Armstrong said. “Sometimes, Skype will pop up a message
saying, ‘Urgent security vulnerability.’ But Skype can’t tell if your computer is infected.”
Legitimate protection software, such as Windows Defender and virus-scanning programs, will
never prompt you to call a customer service number.
2. Random sounds
Infected computers are often programmed to respond with an audio signal to things you can’t
control.
“They’ll be things like warning beeps,” Armstrong said. “When an error message pops up, a lot
of times, it comes along with a warning message. Certain pieces of malware stifle that window
so you can’t see it. But you might still hear the warning message – a sound in the background
that you didn’t initiate.”
If you regularly hear chimes and bells from your computer that seem phantom, your computer
may have a virus or malware infection.
3. Unexplained file or folder changes
Your files might be missing, or the icons and content of your files may be different. Your
computer won’t make these types of changes to your files unless you have a virus or technical
problem, though corrupted browser bookmarks shouldn’t be regarded as a warning sign. It’s
common for bookmark icons to become jumbled by a browser such as Chrome.
4. Slow operation
Pay attention to whether your computer is running more slowly than usual, especially if its hard
drive light (if it has one) is constantly on or its fan is operating at full speed. This suggests the
computer’s resources are being redirected away from legitimate programs.
“One of the popular scams right now is something called ‘pay per install,'” Armstrong said.
“There are third-party companies out there in places like Russia and China that allow [someone]
to go to their forums and sign up to receive a piece of software. They then pay [that person] for
every thousand users they can fool into installing the software.”
Money is a massive incentive for cybercriminals. “So, these people who try to trick you into
installing rogue software will put as many things on your computer as possible at the same time
to make the most money,” Armstrong added. “And with all this spyware and applications
running at the same time, you’ll see a slowdown in performance.”
5. Random connections to unknown websites
Another sign of an infection is when your legitimate antivirus software alerts you that an
application is trying to connect to a website you’ve never heard of.
In general, your computer doesn’t make its own connections; someone has to initiate them. If
you didn’t initiate these connections, problematic software could be doing it for you.
6. Unexpected images
You might see pornographic images pop up or replace benign images, such as photos on news
sites. A related sign that your computer is infected is the constant appearance of pop-up ads for
sites you don’t usually visit.
7. Inability to download antivirus programs or updates
Computer viruses aren’t living things, but some are programmed with a self-preservation
instinct. For the average computer user, the best way to kill a virus is via an antivirus scan. If
you’re having trouble downloading and installing the antivirus software, or you’re unable to
update your existing program, the virus may be defending itself. Some antivirus software
solutions provide rescue disks to scan and clean an infected PC.
Did you know?: Even with antivirus software protection, your business could be
vulnerable to cyberattacks, because the antivirus can’t protect you from insider
threats, compromised devices or unknown malware. Still, it’s necessary software to
protect you from known threats.
8. Spam sent from your email address or social media
Malware can work in many different ways. One variant sends random messages to your contacts
list. This infection spreads across the internet by tricking people into clicking on an infected link.
The link then spreads the malware to that person, who unwittingly spreads it throughout their
friend list. By logging out of your accounts, creating strong passwords and implementing
security measures like two-factor authentication, you can thwart any further intrusion.
9. Sudden lack of hard drive space
Have you suddenly run out of space on your hard drive? Self-replicating viruses or worms (often
called “disk bombs”) can wreak havoc on a computer system by rapidly filling hard drives with
copies of itself. In many cases, the files it injects into a hard drive are invisible under default file-
browsing settings.
10. Strange running processes
If your computer is acting strangely or not running as smoothly as you’d expect, type “Task
Manager” into the search bar of Windows. This will list all processes consuming system
resources, including rogue processes running in the background.
If an unfamiliar piece of software is consuming a disproportionate share of system resources
(specifically CPU, memory and disk space), there may be a problem.