Computer Security Risk
A computer security risk is really anything on your computer that may damage or steal your data or allow someone else to access your computer, without your knowledge or consent. There are a lot of different things that can create a computer risk, including malware, a general term used to describe many types of bad software. We commonly think of computer viruses, but, there are several types of bad software that can create a computer security risk, including viruses, worms, ransomware, spyware, and Trojan horses. Misconfiguration of computer products as well as unsafe computing habits also pose risks. Let's look at these in more detail.
Malicious code
Viruses, Worms, & Ransomware
Viruses are malware that are attached to other files in your system and may be used to destroy your data. Viruses have many capabilities, but, unlike worms, they usually require human interaction to spread from system to system, even if the user is unaware they are spreading it.
Worms are like viruses, but, they have the ability to spread themselves from computer to computer, all on their own. They know how to attach themselves to portable storage devices, like USB drives or removable hard drives, or to move through the network by automatically moving to connected machines.
Ransomware is a relatively new term for malware that, when installed on your system, makes all of your files unreadable, holding your data hostage until you pay the hacker the ransom. Ransomware may be delivered by a virus or by a worm and there is no guarantee that, even if you pay the ransom, you'll get your data restored.
Spyware & Trojan Horses Spyware is malware that steals your data and may be used to spy on you by using your webcam or microphone without your knowledge. Once spyware is installed, it may steal your sensitive data by recording the login information you use or looking for sensitive files on your computer, then sending that data back to an attacker. In recent months, hackers have been able to access the webcam and microphone of computers and use pictures, video, or audio recordings to blackmail their victims.
An unauthorized access and uses
Unauthorized access is when someone gains access to a website, program, server, service, or other system using someone else's account or other methods. For example, if someone kept guessing a password or username for an account that was not theirs until they gained access it is considered unauthorized access.
Unauthorized access could also occur if a user attempts to access an area of a system they should not be accessing. When attempting to access that area, they would be denied access and possibly see an unauthorized access message.
Some system administrators set up alerts to let them know when there is an unauthorized access attempt, so that they may investigate the reason. These alerts can help stop hackers from gaining access to a secure or confidential system. Many secure systems may also lock an account that has had too many failed login attempts.
" If you have gained unauthorized access to any account or service it is considered illegal in all parts of the world."
Hardware and Software Theft and Prevention
When you buy parts to a computer, you must know that it might be at risk to be stolen.
You have to pt it on yourself to prevent this from happening and acting on the criminals trying
to take your valuable information and your life.
The first way of theft that could occur is hardware theft. This is when something or someone
defaces or destroys the computer equipment. There are many ways to guard yourself from these thefts.
Here are some ways to protect your computer and computer parts:
~Lock doors/windows that your computer is located in.
~Cables that lock your equipment to a desk or table that a key is needed to move.
~You could use a RTLS (real time location system) to track and indentify the location of your computer
or any high-risk items.
~In case the item is stolen, make sure to use plenty of long-charactered passwords so that they can't get into your information.
The next type of theft would be software theft. Software theft happens when someone steals software media, intentionally erases
programs, illegally copies a program, or illegally registers and/or activates a program. This type of theft could potentially be more
dangerous than hardware theft. If all of your personal and financial information are in documents on your computer, someone could take
it in an instant. This leads to identity theft, financial problems, and more. You can protect your identity and information, though. Here are some ways to protect yourslef from software theft:
|
Definition - What does Software Theft mean?
Software theft means the unauthorized or illegal copying, sharing or usage of copyright-protected software programs. Software theft may be carried out by individuals, groups or, in some cases, organizations who then distribute the unauthorized software copies to users.
Software theft is committed when someone performs any of the following:
- Steals software media
- Deliberately erases programs
- Illegally copies or distributes a program
- Registers or activates a software program illegally
Techopedia explains Software Theft
Several types of protection have been introduced to safeguard software from being copied or cracked; however, with advanced hacking skills and sufficient efforts, it is actually possible to crack or bypass protection.
The different types of software theft are as follows:
- Type 1: This involves the physical stealing of a media that includes the software or the hardware.
- Type 2: This takes place when the service of a programmer is unexpectedly terminated by a company. The programs written by company programmers are exclusive to the companies they work for, but a few dishonest programmers deliberately wipe out or disable the programs written by them using the company infrastructure.
- Type 3: This happens if the software is compromised by the software vendors. This is the most prevalent type of software theft. It is also referred to as software piracy. It triggers unauthorized replication of copyrighted software.
- Type 4: This takes place when users make use of unauthorized activation codes or registration numbers. Many are using key generators (commonly known as keygens) to create and input serial keys at the time of registration. Keygens are sometimes helpful for generating activation codes as well. This helps users install the compromised software without legally acquiring it.
As outlined by the Federation Against Software Theft (FAST), it is not legal to do any of the following:
- Copy, duplicate or distribute software or its related documentation without the copyright owner's license or permission
- Install and use a purchased software on more than one computer concurrently except in cases where the license explicitly allows it
- Intentionally or unintentionally permit, persuade or pressure staff members to create or utilize illegally copied programs inside the organization
- Violate the copyright laws even if a friend, colleague or superior requests or compels someone to do it
- Lend software so that an illegal copy is made from it
System Failure
A system failure can occur because of a hardwarefailure or a severe software issue, causing the system to freeze, reboot, or stop functioning altogether. A system failure may or may not result in an error being displayed on the screen. The computer may shut off without warning and without any error message. If an error message is displayed, it often is displayed as a Blue Screen of Death error.
Tip: If your computer is failing without any errors, we suggest you start with our basic troubleshooting overview. If you are getting an error, try searching for it.
System failures may result from a hard drive with bad sectors, causing the operating system to not be able to read data from the hard drive. A failing motherboard can cause a system failure because the computer is not able to process requests or operate in general. A bad processor can and usually causes a system failure because the computer cannot operate if the processor is not working properly or at all. A bad RAM chip can also cause system failures because the operating system is not able to access data stored on the RAM chip.
System failures due to software issues can occur if the issue in the software, such as a bad line of code, is severe enough. The system failure and subsequent computer shut down occurs as an attempt to prevent damage to other software or the operating system.
Comments
Post a Comment