Online Security
One of the biggest dangers of online security failure, is a lack of application of an age old (yes, even before the computer came along!) faculty, that is, common sense.
Common sense obviously will not protect against all online interference and cyber- attacks, but it is a good standard to start from.
It’s unlikely that you would let a complete stranger into your house, just because they knocked, but would you open that unknown origin email?
The term “cyber- attack” is an overall description of any number of computer interferences by code which may result in altering data, disrupting programs and compromising security and confidence.
The full list of threats possible online is probably as long as the number of villains, fraudsters, crooks and general ne’er-do-wells, who access the internet.
The term malware is the overall description of the software that gets installed on your computer and performs uninstructed tasks, usually for a third part’s benefit.
Malware can vary from just a pest, like pop-ups, to causing drastic system intrusion and damage such as stealing sensitive data and passwords, or influencing other machines on the network.
Some malware programs are constructed to send information about your web browsing habits to advertisers or other third party interests.
A virus in a computer is malware that usually engages in harmful ways and is said to “infect” the machine.
This can be prevented, or, at least have the risk of infection greatly reduced, by antivirus tools which in their turn have created a huge range of down-loadable antivirus software, varying from free to a large scale of prices, which offer varying types and quality of protection.
Many company servers get attacked with DDOS attacks by malicious hackers. This is where servers are overwhelmed but high volumes of server requests until they can’t cope and crash. Some of the leading IBM business server providers such as www.IBM.com themselves as well as independent IBM maintenance companies offer advanced levels of protection with high availability and stable provision of data.
Online security is continually evolving as antivirus solutions have to be tailored to identify new viruses before they can establish themselves and colonise associated systems.
Norton antivirus, McAfee, Kaspersky, and Avira are probably the most recognisable household names of antivirus software supplier, but the range of availability is huge, helping keep the computer safe, children safe, and businesses safe.