Access Control - 1
Viruses, Scams, and the Security of Your PC
Michael Harper
Blue Ridge Community and Technical College
Apryl McDonough
30 November 2012
Viruses, Scams, and the Security of Your PC A virus is a computer program written for entering your computer without your permission. Some viruses just reproduce itself and spread through your system. However, some may cause damage or effect program or system performance. When this happens, it is referred to as your computer being infected. In today’s world of communication, with the internet, computers, cell phones, and having such easy access, viruses are a real threat to your computer system. Mark Ciampa, author of Security +, Guide to Network Security Fundamentals, wrote, “A biological virus is an agent hat reproduces itself”. (Page 43) He goes on to write, “A computer virus is a malicious computer code that, like its biological counterpart, reproduces itself on the same computer”. (Page 44) There are many different kinds of known computer viruses, and there are new ones being created every day. That is why computer and network security is so important. Some use these programs for scams or internet crime. This ranges from just breaking into computer system for fun, to stealing money, identity theft, company secrets, to child pornography. There is even a virus that is an email Trojan horse that could blow up your computer. Therefore, we need to be careful what emails we open and what we download to our computers. We need to be careful how we choose our also. There are people ready to get into your computer for any information they can retrieve. These bad people are called hackers, which Mark Ciampa describes in his Security + book on page20 of the first chapter. For example, South Carolina had a security breach that put 3.6 million taxpayers at risk for identity theft. The email entitled “CCIT advice on state security information breach” informed Clemson students on October 27th that personal
Michael Harper
Blue Ridge Community and Technical College
Apryl McDonough
30 November 2012
Viruses, Scams, and the Security of Your PC A virus is a computer program written for entering your computer without your permission. Some viruses just reproduce itself and spread through your system. However, some may cause damage or effect program or system performance. When this happens, it is referred to as your computer being infected. In today’s world of communication, with the internet, computers, cell phones, and having such easy access, viruses are a real threat to your computer system. Mark Ciampa, author of Security +, Guide to Network Security Fundamentals, wrote, “A biological virus is an agent hat reproduces itself”. (Page 43) He goes on to write, “A computer virus is a malicious computer code that, like its biological counterpart, reproduces itself on the same computer”. (Page 44) There are many different kinds of known computer viruses, and there are new ones being created every day. That is why computer and network security is so important. Some use these programs for scams or internet crime. This ranges from just breaking into computer system for fun, to stealing money, identity theft, company secrets, to child pornography. There is even a virus that is an email Trojan horse that could blow up your computer. Therefore, we need to be careful what emails we open and what we download to our computers. We need to be careful how we choose our also. There are people ready to get into your computer for any information they can retrieve. These bad people are called hackers, which Mark Ciampa describes in his Security + book on page20 of the first chapter. For example, South Carolina had a security breach that put 3.6 million taxpayers at risk for identity theft. The email entitled “CCIT advice on state security information breach” informed Clemson students on October 27th that personal
References: Man, S. (2012). ABB Stockpile - Mining Solution Library (Automation). The ABB Group - Automation and Power Technologies. Retrieved September 20, 2012, from http://www.abb.com/industries/db0003db002806/e29095140f8c008fc12573b1002d9a69.aspx?tabKey Note- the references must be double spaced , in alphabetical order, and formatted with a hanging indent.