CIS2110
Personal Security and Ethical Issues
Computer Ergonomics
Ergonomics: Workplace safety
The science of designing the job, equipment, and workplace to fit the worker. Proper ergonomic design is necessary to prevent repetitive strain injuries, which can develop over time and can lead to long-term disability.(Wikipedia) Proper ergonomic practices are important in keeping yourself free from injury while using the computer. Read about them in the OSHA website in the Proper Practices block.
Proper Practices: How to use computer workstations
Following the advice on these web sites will help preserve your health and save medical costs as well as prevent medical issues.
Computers Ethics
Computer Ethics: Click to read more...
Ethics, in the classical sense, refers to the rules and standards governing the conduct of an individual with others. Computer ethics is concerned with standards of conduct as they pertain to computers. (Thinkquest)
Intellectual Property and Copyrights
Intellectual Property: What is it?
Intellectual property (IP) are legal property rights over creations of the mind, both artistic and commercial, and the corresponding fields of law. (Wikipedia)
Copyright: What is it?
Copyright protects written, theatrical, musical and artistic works as well as film, book layouts, sound recordings, and broadcasts. Copyright is an automatic right, which means you don't have to apply for it. (Intellectual Property Office)
Viruses, Worms, Horses, and Robots
Computer Viruses and Computer Safety
There are many types of computer viruses. Some are mere annoyances, others are extremely dangerous. They can damage computers in many ways. There are other threats however. Among them we note there are other invasive programs such as malware programs, takeover programs among others.
Types of Viruses:
MSEncarta
Types of Viruses There are many categories of viruses, including parasitic or file viruses, bootstrap-sector, multipartite, macro, and script viruses. Then there are so-called computer worms, which have become particularly prevalent.
Trojan Horses
A Trojan horse, or trojan for short, is a term used to describe malware that appears, to the user, to perform a desirable function but, in fact, facilitates unauthorized access to the user's computer system. The term comes from the Trojan Horse story in Greek mythology. Trojan horses are not self-replicating which distinguishes them from viruses and worms. Additionally, they require interaction with a hacker to fulfil their purpose.
Botnets
Botnet is a jargon term for a collection of software robots, or bots, that run autonomously and automatically. The term is often associated with malicious software but it can also refer to the network of computers using distributed computing software. A botnet's originator (aka "bot herder" or "bot master") can control the group remotely, usually through a means such as IRC, and usually for nefarious purposes.
Denial of Service (DOS) Attacks
A denial-of-service attack (DoS attack) or distributed denial-of-service attack (DDoS attack) is an attempt to make a computer resource unavailable to its intended users. It generally consists of the concerted efforts of a person or persons to prevent an Internet site or service from functioning efficiently or at all, temporarily or indefinitely.
Backdoors
A backdoor in a computer system (or cryptosystem or algorithm) is a method of bypassing normal authentication, securing remote access to a computer, obtaining access to plaintext, and so on, while attempting to remain undetected. The backdoor may take the form of an installed program (e.g., Back Orifice), or could be a modification to an existing program or hardware device.
Spoofing
In the context of network security, a spoofing attack is a situation in which one person or program successfully masquerades as another by falsifying data and thereby gaining an illegitimate advantage. Types include:
1. Man-in-the-middle attack
2. URL spoofing and phishing
3. Referer spoofing
4. Poisoning of file-sharing networks
5. E-mail address spoofing
Computer Crime and Security
Click to read about Anti-virus software here
Computer Security - Cisco
Computer Hardware Threats
1. Hardware Theft and Vandalism
2. Physical Threats
3. Theft of computer components
4. Fire
5. Liquids
6. Food Crumbs (Ants)
7. Dropping it
Solutions: To avoid the main danger of physical threats to your computer, secure important data. Replicate your data regularly at some remote location!
Employee’s Sabotage
Employee’s sabotage include
1. Entering data incorrectly
2. Destroying system hardware
3. Deleting data
4. Changing data
5. Changing the passwords
Solutions:
1. Regularly monitor the activities of the employees and restrict their access to the sensitive resources in the overall IT infrastructure. 2. Delete the employees’ account after they leave the company so that they can’t access company’s systems anymore.
Software Theft - Piracy
Information and Identity Theft
Cryptography
What is the Science of Cryptography? Read about it on Wikipedia
The practice and study of hiding information
How To Send Secret Messages
How Does Encryption Work? Click on this box to find out from How Stuff Works.
In cryptography, encryption is the process of transforming information (referred to as plaintext) using an algorithm (called cipher) to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. (Wikipedia)
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