An important aspect to all computers is security. This is especially true for computers used for businesses. We keep a lot of highly important information on our business computers, so it is imperative that they remain as secure as possible. Computer security consists of all of the processes and mechanisms by which computer-based equipment, information, and services are protected from unintended or unauthorized access, change or destruction. Not only does computer security protect you from hackers and malicious software, it also defends your computer system from unplanned events and natural disasters.
Common Terms for Computer Hazards
There are several different terms used to describe the software that can infiltrate your computer system, destroying and losing all of your important information. One of those terms is malware. Malware is short for malicious software. It is software that is used or programmed by attackers to disrupt your computer's operation, gather your sensitive information, and/or simply gain access to your private computer system.
The other term commonly used to describe hazardous software is the term computer virus. Computer viruses are a type of malware that, when executed, replicates by inserting copies of itself into other computer programs, data, files, or the boot sector of the hard drive. Computer viruses often perform some type of harmful activity on the hosts they infect, including stealing hard drive space or CPU time, accessing your private information, corrupting data on your computer, spamming your email contacts, and more.
Prevention
Computer software hazards are a pain, but they can be prevented in a few different ways. One of the most common is the use of anti-virus software. This is a computer program that attempts to identify, thwart, and eliminate computer viruses and other malicious software.
Firewalls are another way in which businesses protect their computers from disastrous viruses. A firewall is a system that helps to protect your computer and its network from attack and intrusion by restricting the network traffic that can pass through them based on a set of system administrator-defined rules. An example of a good firewall is Cisco's line of PIX (Private Internet eXchange) firewalls. Cisco PIX firewalls work by allowing intentional connections out, while only allowing inbound traffic that is a response to a valid request or is allowed by an Access Control List (ACL) or conduit in. A Cisco PIX firewallwill provide your office with excellent security and reliability.
Similar to a firewall, an intrusion-detection system is another form of preventing viruses from taking over your computer system. These systems scan a network for people that are on the network but who should not be and who are doing things that they should not be doing, like trying a lot of passwords to gain access to the network.
One of the absolute best ways to secure your important information is to regularly backup your data onto an external device, like an external hard drive, or a CD Rom. A backup is another copy of all of your important computer files and programs that is kept in another location. It's an excellent way to make sure that even if your computer becomes compromised, you won't lose any of your important data.
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