Security

Aspects of Computer Security

January 15, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Computer security is a type of computer technology that is concerned with protecting the information contained in computers and related networks. It involves the protection of information and related equipment from natural disasters, theft and fraud, but still enabling the information and equipment to be easily accessed and useful to its users.

Computer Security Methods

Computer security approaches are intended to protect the information of a program while not imposing restrictions on the uses of the program. Computer security may involve more than one method:

Believe all the software will adhere to a specific security policy and the software in analyzed to determine that it is trustworthy.
Believe all the software will abide to a specific security policy, but the software has been deemed untrustworthy, also called computer insecurity.
Do not trust any software, but implement a security policy that contained trustworthy hardware devices
Do not trust any software, but impose a security policy with devices that are untrustworthy, also called computer insecurity.

Many systems have involuntarily resulted in computer insecurity that have lead to breaches of security. Method number three is the most practical because it has a variety of degrees of freedom and avoids security breaches. A combination of method one and four is used frequently.

Security Systems Design

Many methods and strategies are used to design security systems and only a small number of effective approaches to improve security systems after they are designed.

One method uses the principle of least privilege method, which results in the system only having the privileges required for function. This protects the system even if an intruder is able to access one component of the system, it is very difficult to access other areas.
Some security systems separate the system into smaller parts to open the possibility of using various methods including automated theorem proving.

Computer system security is necessary to protect valuable and sensitive information from corruption, disintegration, and publication from unauthorized individuals.

Filed Under: Computers, Security Tagged With: Computer security, Security

Business Issues of Email Security

January 12, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

In today’s competitive marketplace, email is an essential aspect of daily business operations and helps a variety of organizations remain competitive. As the use of email continues to increase in the business world, the significance of email security becomes vital. The most essential security measures are those related to email storage management, mail flow, and recovery of data.

Email Storage Management

Effective strategies are needed to manage large and active collections of information to minimize the occurrence of failures that can affect users and the business as a whole.
Businesses have to employ practical methods and utilize thorough solutions. A secure email storage management method uses a layered technique that combines business applications and processes.
Email storage management can often be separated into various parts such as user access and storage. All components should be tackled individually.

Mail Flow

Mail flow includes various features of email systems and mail flow security often concentrates on tracking emails into and out of the organization.
Supervising the content of emails and checking that all messages abide by the policies of the business is necessary to make sure all users are employing appropriate business practices.
Mail flow security also involves protecting business systems from harmful incidences such as hacking.

Recovery of Data

Email recovery methods must be able to quickly retrieve a variety of individual items including messages, contacts, attachments, and appointments from backup systems and stores of information.
Illegal access to extremely sensitive mailbox information is a big risk to email data within an organization.
An effective technique to secure and audit sensitive information is necessary. The method must constantly monitor the security of mailboxes and authentication to make sure sensitive information of the email system is only accessed by authorized individuals.

The constant increase in technology and advanced computer systems brings more secure and manageable email systems. The development of a secure email environment that is effectively managed will promote the success of all types of businesses.

Filed Under: Emails, Security Tagged With: email, Security

Learning About Internet Security

December 23, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

We always hear about how important it is to protect your computer and your internet and email accounts, but little does anyone tell us where to get the information. Knowing there is a problem is just not enough especially if we personally can not do anything about it. There are people who will ignore the importance of internet security, and when something happens, they are left stranded. In order for anyone to do anything, first they must learn the basics and how internet security functions. Only then will they find it in their interest to learn about internet security.

The most common way of learning about the internet and how to use it safely, is by asking someone knowledgeable. Those who work with the internet know a lot more about how to protect yourself and your personal data. This information can easily obtained from tech supports who work on fixing your computer and those who install your antivirus and other safety programs on your PC. All you need to do is show your interest and they will be more than happy to help you understand how your internet security works. With proper knowledge and your internet security in place, you will have a safe feeling when you are surfing the internet.

If for any reason you are too shy to ask anyone for help, then you can use your internet too to help you understand better. Learning about internet security is much easier with the volumes of information you can find online. A simple search will provide you with hundreds of pages, and all you need to do is click on the right ones and learn as much or as little information as you need. It does not take too long to learn about how to protect your computer and personal information. With the knowledge you obtain, you will be able to monitor internet security, instead of having to pay extra for tech support.

Filed Under: Computers, Internet, Security Tagged With: Internet security, Personal computer, Personally identifiable information, Security

How to Prevent Identity Theft

December 21, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Identity theft has become a major issue with the internet and how it’s used. Due to the lack of laws and regulations set, just about anyone can access the internet. Those with enough knowledge will use it to their benefit in many ways. While some use the internet for work and communication, others use it to scam people and obtain personal information that they can use to bring about legal problems for you. Thieves will monitor website usage and the type of information you type into your email and internet browser, in order to get your financial information. Here are a few ways you can work on preventing your own identity theft.

* Identity theft takes only a matter of minutes and once those on the other end get a hold of your financial information, they work immediately to bring you financial harm. Most credit card companies are aware of the problem and once you do notice strange activities on your account, be sure to report them right away. Your best option is to cancel your current credit card and get a new number. Banks and other credit card companies constantly work to fight identity theft and with the proper reports from their clients, they can battle this problem much easier.
* Never store too much of your personal information on your computer. Especially credit card numbers and important username and passwords, as those are the first information hackers will go towards.
* Be sure to only visit sites you are aware of and sites which are rated as secure. If for any reason your have doubts about a site, be sure to read up on it before you review the site.

Your internet service providers and your credit card companies can only do so much. They all need your help too when it comes to your identity protection. Be sure to report fraudulent activities so that the problem can be followed up on immediately.

Filed Under: Internet, Protection, Security Tagged With: Credit card, Identity Theft, Personally identifiable information, Theft

How Safe Are Websites?

December 17, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Not every website you visit is safe and as a result, more often than we want to believe, several programs and viruses get downloaded and installed on your computer. There are several types of websites and the best option for you is to adjust your security settings on your browser so that you can block those unwanted websites. With your setting set to medium or high, you can control the types of sites that show up on your searches and as a result you can eliminate the sites you do not want to click on. Website safety is extremely important when you are surfing the internet and if you are not sure about a site, just don’t click on it.

As a general rule of thumb, majority of the safe sites will be listed as the first ones when you are searching for something. If your browser has the proper security setting, you will be warned about sites before you click on them. A small message appears under the site link, in red, which will inform you if the site you are about to click on has been reported as problematic. Unsafe sites not only install viruses but they often bring up pop up windows that will install programs regardless of what you click on. For these sites, once the pop up window opens, close your browser window and you will prevent any unwanted activity.

The sites you visit are usually tracked by your ISP as well as hackers and once they see what you are viewing, hackers will try to point you towards those same sites. It’s a means of increasing their business and getting personal information from your terminal. Most sites you visit, such as retail sites and your financial bill payment sites are generally safe. They are monitored by outside agencies for fraudulent activities so you have a better chance with internet safety when visiting those particular pages.

Filed Under: Internet, Security Tagged With: Internet safety, Pop-up ad, Web browser, Website

Benefits Of Antivirus Programs

December 15, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Not everyone is an expert when it comes to knowing how to protect your computer from outside threats. Neither do most of us know what to do when our computer begins to experience problems, we have not seen or heard of before. Only a percentage of the workforce is a master at computers and they are the only ones who can keep up with any types of PC problems. Often we end up clicking on a website, or downloading an attachment that we do not think much about. In reality those are the attachments that will harm our terminal in more ways than we can imagine.

Antivirus programs are almost like a god sent, for people who are not too familiar with how their computer works. For most of us, as long as the computer turns on and we can perform our everyday activities, we donâ€™t ask for anything more. If your computer gets infected with a virus, not only will you lose valuable information, but you will also notice how slow your PC runs. In your case, it is important to install and maintain some sort of an antivirus program. Antivirus programs usually work in the background and block any unwanted programs from being installed. Even when you need to install a program for your use, it will review and ask for your permission before installation. This way if you are not aware of what to install, you can choose to cancel. Antivirus programs also work in your favor and delete viruses that are already installed on your computer. A simple virus scan, once in a while will help you review and delete anything that will harm your computer.

While there are several other benefits, these are just a few to keep in mind, when it comes to determining whether you should install antivirus programs on your computer. Consult with a professional if you are unsure of what to purchase.

Filed Under: Anti-Virus, Computers, Security Tagged With: antivirus, Personal computer, Security, Spyware

Paying Bills the Safe Way

December 13, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Who has time to write checks and mail them out at the end of each month? In today’s internet age, it is a lot faster to pay your bills over the internet, but there are certain safety measures you should keep in mind. While you can also pay your bills using your mobile devise, there are several advantages to using your internet and your home computer. Even though you may feel that using your home computer may not be safe due to hacking, there are ways to keep things secure. Here are a few advantages to using your computer for your bills, the safe way. You only need to keep a few things in mind, in order to protect your identity.

* Identity theft is often caused due to unwanted programs being installed on your computer, so try to avoid going on sites you are not sure about. This way the content of your PC will be kept safe and for added assurance, always have a proper anti virus program running at all times.
* Do not store usernames and passwords on your computer. If you are not sure of how your information will get out, it is safer to write them down and keep them in a safe place. Often hackers look for files with personal account information and your credit card numbers, which they can use to their benefit.
* Schedule all your bills through your bank account, so that at the end of each month, you can simply go into your financial institute’s website and conduct everything from there. It is much easier to remember just one login information, and this way, you can reduce the time you spend on your various accounts.

Always remember to delete financial information from your computer and instead store them on a disk. These are just a few ways to pay your bills online and keep things safe. For more information, consult with your financial institution.

Filed Under: Anti-Virus, Computers, Security Tagged With: Anti-Virus, Identity Theft, Personal computer

Prevention Is Better Than Cure

December 10, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Preventing any types of viruses is more important for your computer now than it used to be. It is a lot safer and smarter to prevent your PC and your email from any types of problems, rather than spending an arm and a leg to fix it. Junk mail makes our email accounts a field for viruses to pile up and without knowing what is legitimate, we often end up clicking on the wrong emails. If an email comes with an attachment and you are not aware of whom the sender is, it is better for you to delete the email. Attachments often consist of viruses and once you click on them, the virus is automatically installed on your computers hard drive.

Viruses can cause a lot of problems and without proper junk mail filter you can cause a lot of harm. They can delete contents of your PC and corrupt important programs. There are certain viruses that will collect important personal information from your computer and send them to other parties. Especially if you store financial information and passwords for certain accounts, they can be stolen and as a result you will spend days just trying to fix the problems. The damage is beyond imaginable, at times, and there is little you can do to prevent it once these viruses are installed.

In such cases, it is important to protect your email. There are several free and low cost programs available online that can be installed on your computer to recognize and delete viruses. Be sure your firewall is up at all times so that your computer is somewhat protected. If you are unsure of what products to use, either consult with someone knowledgeable, or do some research online. You will find many easy to install and use programs that will help protect your email account and your computer. Why spend the money on fixing things when you can prevent these problems?

Filed Under: Anti-Virus, Computers, Security Tagged With: Personal computer, Spyware, Virus

How often do you really win The Lottery

December 6, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

If you are fan of any types of Nigerian scam, you will notice that you win some sort of a lottery almost everyday. Either it’s from a financial institution or a major corporation or even from a family who wants to give away their fortune. If this was truly the case, we would all be millionaires by now, but most of these emails are scams that we all need to be aware of. If and when you win the lottery, you will know by your number matches or a simple phone call from the company. There is little to no chance of your email address being drawn in random, when it comes to winning a large some of money.

There is less than one in a million chances for anyone to win the lottery and while many of us are aware of the fact, there are those who are not too clear about it. Uncertainty makes people feel that they have truly hit the jackpot and they begin to contact the sender almost immediately. There are several cases where individuals have lost their whole life’s savings due to these false emails and there is little the government can do to help you recover the money. Most of these emails come from overseas and since there is no regulation of emails on the internet, you end up being a victim.

Even if you set your email spam filter to detect and delete these emails automatically, there are many ways they still end up in your account. Either you will be notified of someone’s passing or they request your help in collecting their finances for a percentage to you. These are generally known as Nigerian scam and even though not all of them originate from the country, they were the original senders of these types of emails. Know your chances of winning and you too will be able to protect your self from scammers.

Filed Under: Security Tagged With: Advance-fee fraud, Confidence trick, Lottery

Email Attachments and Virus Scans

December 4, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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Email attachments come in many forms and unless you are sure of what the attachments consist of, there are several risks to opening them. Some attachments you are aware of come from friends, family and work, and often these are the ones you will open first. Just because you know the person sending the email and know the attachment may have been created with a safe program like open office, does not mean that the attachment is safe. Often hackers will disguise the emails so that it seems like its coming from a known person. Do not be fooled by what you receive and, if for any reason, you are in doubt be sure to call the person sending to clarify. Opening an attachment can bring about a lot of problems for your computer and your personal information.

Hackers will do just about anything to gain your trust so that you will open an email and then try to view the attachment. It only takes a matter of seconds for certain viruses to install and it takes hours to clear them off your system. The damage done can be hard to handle and especially if you have confidential or financial information stored on your computer, which is the first thing that will be transmitted. In any case, it can not be stressed enough, how important it is to know where the attachment is coming from. Sometimes it can be in the form of a document and other times it will be in the form of a video or audio file.

Luckily most email service providers, as well as computers, have virus scans installed that will scan the attachment before downloading. In most cases, the virus scan will warn you if there is any danger in downloading, but there are times too when these attachments can bypass the virus scan. Installing a virus scan is your first priority and if you are unsure, make it a point to consult with a tech support first.

Filed Under: Anti-Virus, Internet, Security Tagged With: antivirus, Google Chrome, Security, Virus