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Why is Cyber Security a Problem?
You've heard the news stories about credit card numbers being stolen
and email viruses spreading. Maybe you've even been a victim yourself.
One of the best defenses is understanding the risks, what some of the
basic terms mean, and what you can do to protect yourself against
them.
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What is cyber security?
It seems that everything relies on computers and the Internet now
communication (email, cellphones), entertainment (digital
cable, mp3s), transportation (car engine systems, airplane
navigation), shopping (online stores, credit cards), medicine
(equipment, medical records), and the list goes on. How much of your
daily life relies on computers? How much of your personal information
is stored either on your own computer or on someone else's system?
Cyber security involves protecting that information by preventing,
detecting, and responding to attacks.
What are the risks?
There are many risks, some more serious than others. Among these
dangers are viruses erasing your entire system, someone breaking into
your system and altering files, someone using your computer to attack
others, or someone stealing your credit card information and making
unauthorized purchases. Unfortunately, there's no 100% guarantee that
even with the best precautions some of these things won't happen to
you, but there are steps you can take to minimize the chances.
What can you do?
The first step in protecting yourself is to recognize the risks and
become familiar with some of the terminology associated with them.
Hacker, attacker, or intruder - These terms are applied to the
people who seek to exploit weaknesses in software and computer systems
for their own gain. Although their intentions are sometimes fairly
benign and motivated solely by curiosity, their actions are typically
in violation of the intended use of the systems they are exploiting.
The results can range from mere mischief (creating a virus with no
intentionally negative impact) to malicious activity (stealing or
altering information).
Malicious code - This category includes code such as
viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Although some people use these
terms interchangeably, they have unique characteristics.
- Viruses - This type of malicious code requires you to
actually do something before it infects your computer. This action
could be opening an email attachment or going to a particular web
page.
- Worms - Worms propagate without user intervention. They
typically start by exploiting a software vulnerability (a flaw that
allows the software's intended security policy to be violated), then
once the victim computer has been infected the worm will attempt to
find and infect other computers. Similar to viruses, worms can
propagate via email, web sites, or network-based software. The
automated self-propagation of worms distinguishes them from
viruses.
- Trojan horses - A Trojan horse program is software that
claims to be one thing while in fact doing something different behind
the scenes. For example, a program that claims it will speed up your
computer may actually be sending confidential information to a remote
intruder.
This series of information security tips will give you more
information about how to recognize and protect yourself from attacks.
Authors: Mindi McDowell, Allen Householder
Copyright 2004 Carnegie Mellon University. Terms of use
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Last
updated January 17, 2007
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