Internet and Technology

Employees use two types of social networking sites. They bring their Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and other identities to the office. At the same time, they use professional social networking – LinkedIn and others – for more “official” duties.

It has the potential to be a major problem. This Newsfactor piece based on Forrester research identifies social networking as a key element of the ongoing corporate Web 2.0 wave. By 2013, the firm says, social networks will constitute a $2 billion chunk of what will be a $4.6 billion sector.

Hopefully, organizations will catch up on the security front. The piece says that only half of Web filters deployed by Barracuda Networks are blocking MySpace or Facebook. Those who are doing so are trying to guard against virus and spyware and to maintain employee productivity. It would be interesting to understand how many of these organizations understand that social networking sites are great avenues for phishing and other social engineer exploits, and for dishonest or ignorant employees to send vital information beyond the firewall.

This is a nice CNN overview of the flow of social networking into the corporate space. What the author doesn’t say is that the evolution of social networking from consumer to business use is precisely what happened with cell phones, Wi-Fi and other tools: People used them in their private lives, liked them, and brought them to work. In this case, the writer says, more secure, corporate-aimed offerings are available. Yammer, for instance, is a business version of Twitter. Other corporate social networking newbies, according to Forrester, include Awareness, Communispace and Jive.

One of the advantages of the fact that new technology has moved from the consumer to business world so many times in the recent past is that experts consider the security issues more quickly. There seems to be a bit less denial. This Legal Technology piece offers a good description of social networks, and references a Black Hat presentation that looked at insecure features of social networks and identified the biggest vulnerabilities. They include cross-site request forgery (CSRF), cross-site scripting (XSS) and the lack of a mechanism to validate the security of customer applications. The writer offers seven tips for safely using and administering social networks.

This is not all theoretic: Business people are using social networks – and the bad guys are going after them. For instance, SPAMfighter cites reports from The Washington Post’s Brian Krebs about spear phishing attacks against about 10,000 LinkedIn members. The story says social networking sites often are the target of spear phishers because users are used to getting e-mail from other members. This e-mail purported to come from support@linkedin.com and carried the subject line “Re: business contacts.” Recipients following the instructions in the e-mail installed a malicious program aimed at stealing sensitive information from the computer.

There is a lot to worry about. Dark Reading offers a scary vignette on how dangerous a social networking site can be. The big problem is that there is no way to simultaneously optimize security and interactivity. To a great extent, emphasizing one comes at the expense of the other. Dark Reading runs through some of the problems, and links to pages that describe in more detail seven of the most dangerous activities: impersonation and targeted hacks; spam and bots; “weaponized” applications; XSS and CSRF; identity theft and corporate espionage.

Why use wireless home security systems when you can opt for the contemporary ones? This particular query might just be the question other would-be owners have in mind. While you still keep on looking for the reasons why, here’s a few good grounds coupled with everything you need to know about wireless home security systems. 1.    Wireless systems are way economical. Where else can you find a security system that will only cost you a hundred bucks or less these days? The wireless system does it! You might not know it, but there are great numbers of security systems online offering at a price you wouldn’t imagine possible. If you want a remote control wireless camera, you can have it for as low as $45. Still aiming for a lesser value? How about a wireless mini pinhole camera for $ 44 dollars? This can go on and on, but the gist here is, you need not shed more cash just to get your home fully protected. 2.    Wireless home security systems are simple. The installation for this type of security system only requires nominal technical skills. Anyone can mount it without the need for complex wiring and electronic installations. Therefore, you save time from digging holes on your wall, energy for doing so, and money that could be spent on other important necessities. The wireless system’s simplicity of installation and use makes up a more preferred security system. 3.    Wireless systems offer large coverage. Since this type of security system is operated through frequency waves, it magnifies and amplifies the scope doubly thereby creating a highly efficient security for a system. There are security cameras that have limited range of operation. Given this, the ability to see through possible traces of burglars are limited. But with wireless security systems, the benefit of monitoring larger scales and reach knock together its major advantage. 4.    Wireless systems act as silent scouts. If you’re not only after for your own home’s security against burglars and housebreakers, the wireless security camera also works to your advantage in terms of watching over your children under the care of a babysitter, the possibility of a cheating partner caught in the act and a lot of other personals that you would want to monitor especially when you’re not around. These wireless systems are regarded as discreet watchers minus the hassles of wirings and obvious visibility. You can choose from varieties of spy wireless cameras such as a wall clock hidden camera, spy finder, wireless smoke detector camera, wireless hidden camera inside clock radio, picture frame wireless camera and a lot more.5.    Wireless systems are battery operated. This will serve as both an advantage and a disadvantage. Picture this: Intruders have a way of sneaking their presence into the house specifically if the electricity is cut. This serves as their go-signal towards forcing the lock and breaking down the door. But, if you have a wireless security system with you, even in the absence of electricity, your security camera will still work to your advantage. Just don’t forget to check, charge and replace your batteries – this is a sure disadvantage, and most probably, the doom of your security.So, are you still wondering why wireless home security systems? The abovementioned grounds should’ve rested your case by now.

India is growing rapidly in IT infrastructure on its way to become an IT super power. According to I-Cube study, PC ownership grew 36% and Internet subscriptions grew 25% in 2008. However, a large number of computers in India have pirated OS and softwares instead of genuine copies. Moreover, a significant percent of the Internet connections are without antivirus protection. These issues pose a great threat to the security of the PCs and the cyber world making India a major threat source.Continuous Growth in PC Internet PenetrationIndia has recorded a healthy growth rate in PC and Internet penetration as people have started to use PCs and Internet for multiple activities. PC owners and Internet users grew 36% and 25% in 2008 respectively, according to I-Cube study. According to Manufacturers’ Association for Information Technology (MAIT), desktop sales were 52.7 lakh units in the fiscal year 2008-09. Of them, assembled and unbranded systems accounted for 31%, proving that a significant portion of PCs sold are assembled.It is well known that most of the assembled systems have pirated OS and other software. People deliberately buy them because they can save a few thousand rupees with the pirated versions, which are unreliable and easily succumb to malicious threats.68% of the Software Is PiratedPCs users are increasingly opting for pirated softwares. Sixth Annual BSA-IDC Global Software Piracy Study revealed that PC software piracy level in India is 68% in 2008. Major reason for this can be the preference of assembled/unbranded systems that use pirated softwares to save few thousand rupees. When people buy their fist computer or newly introduced to Internet, the area neglected is security of the system. Pirated operating systems or softwares don’t get updates or patches regularly, making them prone to attacks easily. This leaves an opportunity to the cyber criminals as PCs without proper security are extremely vulnerable to hacking.The risk of cyber crime and security problems arises with software piracy. Generally, websites and peer to peer sites offering pirated softwares infect PCs with trojans, spyware, keyloggers, and identity theft tools. According to Symantec, there is an explosion of malware in the recent past years worldwide and they have listed 1,800,000 unique signatures in 2008 that grew 239% YOY. India with a vast number of Internet users with pirated softwares is a soft target for serious cyber crimes such as hacking.Viruses Originating From India IncreasedAs there are a significant number of illegal copies of OS and other softwares in use are not secured, there is a high probability of PCs getting infected when connected to Internet directly or connected with a data storage device. They in turn become the source of virus. According to Network Box Analysis of Internet Threats in July 2009, India is the fourth largest source of Internet threats with 5.2% of the total threats, and is increasing rapidly.Laziness and Vested Interests of Some ISPs Make Users SufferMost ISPs encourage security compromised Internet connections to their subscribers by refusing to configure routers for home broadband connections. Accessing Internet without a router can be compared to walking outside without shoes. A PC that directly access Internet without a router is easily vulnerable to online threats such as hacking, as it lacks some basic protection that a router offers. Computer malware increases the bandwidth consumption. Since many broadband connections charge on usage basis unlike in countries like US, it is the ISP’s interest if malware exists in their client’s PCs. Educating consumers on malware providing awareness could cut their revenue per user.Due to these irresponsible ISPs, threats originating in India are increasing rapidly. India with the fifth highest broadband subscribers in Asia-Pacific-Japan region is top in malicious code activity in volume. Indian Internet users face serious threat from virus and worm attacks with 9 out of top 10 malicious codes found. Low adoption of security measures encouraged the sharp increase of bot-infected PCs making them compromise to online threats and crimes. There were 103,812 distinct bot-infected PCs with an average of 836 bots per day in 2008 in India.India with an increasing IT infrastructure is expected to continue its share of growing malicious activities. It is the responsibility of government, ISPs, Internet and computer users to understand the threats posed by unbranded systems, pirated softwares and unsafe Internet connections and counter them with improved security protocols and measures.

Today, many people rely on computers to do homework, work, and create or store useful information. Therefore, it is important for the information on the computer to be stored and kept properly. It is also extremely important for people on computers to protect their computer from data loss, misuse, and abuse. For example, it is crucial for businesses to keep information they have secure so that hackers can’t access the information. Home users also need to take means to make sure that their credit card numbers are secure when they are participating in online transactions. A computer security risk is any action that could cause lost of information, software, data, processing incompatibilities, or cause damage to computer hardware, a lot of these are planned to do damage. An intentional breach in computer security is known as a computer crime which is slightly different from a cypercrime. A cybercrime is known as illegal acts based on the internet and is one of the FBI’s top priorities. There are several distinct categories for people that cause cybercrimes, and they are refereed as hacker, cracker, cyberterrorist, cyberextortionist, unethical employee, script kiddie and corporate spy. The term hacker was actually known as a good word but now it has a very negative view. A hacker is defined as someone who accesses a computer or computer network unlawfully. They often claim that they do this to find leaks in the security of a network. The term cracker has never been associated with something positive this refers to someone how intentionally access a computer or computer network for evil reasons. It’s basically an evil hacker. They access it with the intent of destroying, or stealing information. Both crackers and hackers are very advanced with network skills. A cyberterrorist is someone who uses a computer network or the internet to destroy computers for political reasons. It’s just like a regular terrorist attack because it requires highly skilled individuals, millions of dollars to implement, and years of planning. The term cyperextortionist is someone who uses emails as an offensive force. They would usually send a company a very threatening email stating that they will release some confidential information, exploit a security leak, or launch an attack that will harm a company’s network. They will request a paid amount to not proceed sort of like black mailing in a since. An unethical employee is an employee that illegally accesses their company’s network for numerous reasons. One could be the money they can get from selling top secret information, or some may be bitter and want revenge. A script kiddie is someone who is like a cracker because they may have the intentions of doing harm, but they usually lack the technical skills. They are usually silly teenagers that use prewritten hacking and cracking programs. A corporate spy has extremely high computer and network skills and is hired to break into a specific computer or computer network to steal or delete data and information. Shady companies hire these type people in a practice known as corporate espionage. They do this to gain an advantage over their competition an illegal practice. Business and home users must do their best to protect or safeguard their computers from security risks. The next part of this article will give some pointers to help protect your computer. However, one must remember that there is no one hundred percent guarantee way to protect your computer so becoming more knowledgeable about them is a must during these days. When you transfer information over a network it has a high security risk compared to information transmitted in a business network because the administrators usually take some extreme measures to help protect against security risks. Over the internet there is no powerful administrator which makes the risk a lot higher. If your not sure if your computer is vulnerable to a computer risk than you can always use some-type of online security service which is a website that checks your computer for email and Internet vulnerabilities. The company will then give some pointers on how to correct these vulnerabilities. The Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center is a place that can do this. The typical network attacks that puts computers at risk includes viruses, worms, spoofing, Trojan horses, and denial of service attacks. Every unprotected computer is vulnerable to a computer virus which is a potentially harming computer program that infects a computer negatively and altering the way the computer operates without the user’s consent. Once the virus is in the computer it can spread throughout infecting other files and potentially damaging the operating system itself. It’s similar to a bacteria virus that infects humans because it gets into the body through small openings and can spread to other parts of the body and can cause some damage. The similarity is, the best way to avoid is preparation. A computer worm is a program that repeatedly copies itself and is very similar to a computer virus. However the difference is that a virus needs o attach itself to an executable file and become a part of it. A computer worm doesn’t need to do that I seems copies to itself and to other networks and eats up a lot of bandwidth. A Trojan Horse named after the famous Greek myth and is used to describe a program that secretly hides and actually looks like a legitimate program but is a fake. A certain action usually triggers the Trojan horse, and unlike viruses and worms they don’t replicate itself. Computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses are all classifies as malicious-logic programs which are just programs that deliberately harms a computer. Although these are the common three there are many more variations and it would be almost impossible to list them. You know when a computer is infected by a virus, worm, or Trojan horse if one or more of these acts happen:

Screen shots of weird messages or pictures appear.

You have less available memory then you expected

Music or sounds plays randomly.

Files get corrupted

Programs are files don’t work properly

Unknown files or programs randomly appear

System properties fluctuate

Computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses deliver their payload or instructions through four common ways. One, when an individual runs an infected program so if you download a lot of things you should always scan the files before executing, especially executable files. Second, is when an individual runs an infected program. Third, is when an individual bots a computer with an infected drive, so that’s why it’s important to not leave media files in your computer when you shut it down. Fourth is when it connects an unprotected computer to a network. Today, a very common way that people get a computer virus, worm, or Trojan horse is when they open up an infected file through an email attachment. There are literally thousands of computer malicious logic programs and new one comes out by the numbers so that’s why it’s important to keep up to date with new ones that come out each day. Many websites keep track of this. There is no known method for completely protecting a computer or computer network from computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses, but people can take several precautions to significantly reduce their chances of being infected by one of those malicious programs. Whenever you start a computer you should have no removable media in he drives. This goes for CD, DVD, and floppy disks. When the computer starts up it tries to execute a bot sector on the drives and even if it’s unsuccessful any given various on the bot sector can infect the computer’s hard disk. If you must start the computer for a particular reason, such as the hard disk fails and you are trying to reformat the drive make sure that the disk is not infected.

The rise of the Internet has resulted in many important issues being raised. One of these major issues relates to privacy and security concerns.

These issues become important ones for organizations to consider for several reasons. Firstly, because private employee information is recorded on computers, secondly because organizations have their own important information recorded on computers, and thirdly because many organizations conduct business over the Internet via an informational home page or by Internet retailing.

The question of security will become an important one for organizations and will likely become the responsibility of the human resource department in many organizations, with the questions of security and privacy an extension of information systems generally handled by the human resource department (Bernardin & Russell).

In this paper, the privacy and security issues that arise from the Internet will be investigated. Recognizing that the Internet is relatively new and rapidly changing, the investigation will be completed with an eye for looking forward to the future.

Firstly, I will discuss the modern history of the Internet and how it relates to privacy and security concerns. I will then discuss several key security and privacy issues relevant to organizations. I will then briefly discuss the protection options available to deal with these issues.

THE INTERNET AND PRIVACY & SECURITY

Privacy is not a new concept, but one that has been of importance to people for centuries.

The advent of the Internet however, is taking privacy issues to a new level. Privacy is described as “the ability of individuals to determine for themselves when, how and to what extent information about them is communicated to others” (IBM).

Security also becomes of wider concern. With the importance of the Internet and information technology to society, it becomes a tool that can be used against national security, against individuals or against organizations.

As well as this, the mass of information available on the Internet can be misused.

The Internet has become a profound part of our society, impacting on every aspect of it. With this wide impact, security issues reach out across various topics and take on various forms.

Also relevant is the fact that the Internet remains in its infancy, with the Internet revolution described as “one that experts estimate is less than 10 percent complete” (IBM).

As the Internet grows and changes, new security and privacy issues will appear. As the environment changes, the privacy and security issues will be reconsidered.

There is no doubt that the issues the Internet creates are likely to change, as the Internet and society continue to adapt to each other. Even recognizing this, by assessing the issues now we can begin to see their current impact and also their future direction.

SECURITY AND PRIVACY ISSUES

Hackers

Everyone is under threat from hackers, from the organization, to government information, and through to individuals. The reason for hacking varies as widely as those that become victims of hacking,

“crackers are not necessarily after secret files or valuable corporate data, many just want a machine – fast. Most victimized machines are merely launch pads for other attacks” (Tanase). Essentially, hackers hide themselves by operating through a chain of machines.

Reasons for hacking are extremely varied and can include accessing information, changing information records and launching viruses.

For the organization, information may be extracted to be used against the organization. This information could then be used in various way. Disgruntled employees may seek information to use against the organization.

The threat of misuse also depends on the nature of the organization. A university for example has a threat of students changing their results records, while an organization involved in controversial issues, such as a gun manufacturer may be threatened by anti-gun protesters. Hackers may also operate by damaging company web sites.

The reasons and form of Internet hacking crimes are just as varied as typical crimes.

As the Internet becomes more widespread, Internet crimes may come to mirror all crimes. For example, just as a disgruntled employee may vandalize their place of employment, a disgruntled employee may vandalize the organization’s web site.

Current Effect on Business

Hacker attacks are the largest threats for governments and businesses, with ninety percent of business and governments suffering hacker attacks each year (Krebs).

Of those businesses, only one third were willing to report the attacks to the FBI (Krebs).

Eighty percent reported financial losses as a result but the majority were not willing to quantify these financial losses (Krebs).

The majority of organizations and government departments do suffer from security breaches. Also noted is that this is not all from hackers, a major component is also from company staff. The fact that the majority are not willing to report or verify the problems, is an indication that this is a problem that is thought to be significant as well as damaging.

Organizations generally avoid reporting such problems to avoid alarming shareholders, while government departments avoid public concern. With shareholders and the public warranted in their right to know of these breaches, there is a future likely, where such breaches will be required to be reported.

The reality is that these threats cannot be ignored. A study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology recognized that “information and the systems that process it are among the most valuable assets of any organization. Adequate security of these assets is a fundamental management responsibility” (NIST).

The report by the National Institute of Standards and Technology provides a framework for determining a security system program. The needs of the programs are twofold:

“Agency programs must: 1) assure that systems and applications operate effectively and provide appropriate confidentiality, integrity, and availability; and 2) protect information commensurate with the level of risk and magnitude of harm resulting from loss, misuse, unauthorized access, or modification” (NIST).

This considered system and approach to determining may mirror how organizations will approach security considerations in the future.

It is also noted that “many organizations and consumers are only just beginning to realize the value of applied information technology and the increased efficiency and effectiveness of innovations in data collection and management” (IBM).

With increased realization will come increased use of information by organizations, and with this increased use will come a greater need for privacy and security considerations.

Information on the Internet

The Internet is also capable of infringing on a person’s privacy as a publisher of information.

We can see the Internet as a tool for communicating information, just as television, newspapers and other media are.

The difference with the Internet is that the information published is not as well controlled.

With television and newspapers, controls are in place to determine what will be communicated. It is generally not possible for a person to publish information without it being verified in some way.

However, with the Internet, a person can publish and communicate messages to people from all over the world with no requirement to have checks on the information.

Essentially, the Internet allows anyone to say anything, and to say that anything to a lot of people.

This leads to the Internet being capable of being used as a tool to defame others.

A recent court case shows that this does happen, where the case is described as follows:

“A state-court jury awarded $3-million Tuesday to a University of North Dakota physics professor who sued a former student for libel after she accused him in an online article of being a pedophile. The professor, John L. Wagner, 41, filed his lawsuit after an article titled “Kinky, Torrid Romance by Randy Physics Professor” was published on the Web site Undnews.com” (Bartlett).

This example shows how information on any subject can be widely published on the Internet. The guilty verdict indicates that the law does consider this to be a case of defamation.

The ease of publication on the Internet and the difficulty in controlling it is also evidenced by the fact that the article is now posted on another web site (Bartlett).

This situation is one that may find controls placed on it in the future, controls that act as a safeguard for what can and cannot be published on the Internet as fact.

The guilty verdict in this case also leads the way for other defamation claims to be made and defamation laws to be determined for the Internet.

While this is a case against a person, it is also possible that this same type of defamation could be carried out in regards to an organization, its products or its services. It is feasible that a disgruntled customer could publish damaging reports about the company.

More Possibilities

The possibilities of using the Internet for illegal advantages include scams as new and ingenious as the Internet itself.

One opportunity that is not currently illegal, though is concerning, is using one piece of software as a means for distributing another.

One example that is causing universities concern is KaZaA, software that is used to store and swap video clips and MP3 files. This software is specifically targeted at students and is downloaded by large numbers of students. It has been reported that this software has “software attached to it that could allow the company to use student computers and university bandwidth for commercial ventures, such as serving Internet advertisements or selling computer storage space” (Carlson).

While this is not an illegal process, it is a misleading one for the user. It also shows how technology can be used for purposes other than that which we purchase them for. This is important because this is one way information can be hidden within programs and there is potential for this to be used illegally in the future. It is also said that universities are specifically targeted because they have a considerable amount of unused hard drive space (Carlson). This could apply equally to many organizations, so organizations may also become a target of these programs in the future.

SECURITY AND PRIVACY PROTECTION

Security Programs

Security programs currently consist of two main types. The first are virus programs that prevent damaging computer viruses from being received. One of the most interesting things about these programs is that they require constant updating.

These constant updates illustrate how quickly virus concerns change. Essentially, one group of people are constantly creating new viruses, while a second group remain alert to these viruses and create antidotes for the viruses.

The second type of security program is firewall software. Firewall software prevents hackers from accessing a computer. Just like viruses, these programs are under constant upgrading to keep up with hacker technology changes.

Security and Privacy Consultants

Security and privacy concerns have also created a new industry of consultants, who offer advice, personnel and systems to governments, organizations and also individuals.

An example of one of these firms is Rent-A-Hacker, whose company profile reads as follows:

“Rent-A-Hacker was formed to afford anyone the means to protect their valuable information assets. Unlike most Cybersecurity firms whose goal is to sell you security products, our focus is on auditing, detection and proactive prevention” (Rent-A-Hacker).

To achieve these goals, the organizations makes use of experts in Internet security and in hacking. This organization is an example of where the future of Internet security may lead.

With experts developing new ways to breach Internet security, software programs may no longer be enough. A defence system of equally effective experts may be the only way to combat hackers and other breachers of both security and privacy.

Government Actions

The Government plays an important role in effecting privacy and security concerns and does this on two levels. The first is in their role in setting the rules for the private sector. The second is in establishing guidelines for the government’s own use of information (IBM).

With the broad implications of the Internet it is also recognized that government control becomes essential, “the growing interconnectedness of society underscores the need for government officials to understand the broad implications of the Internet and the information technology revolution (IBM).

The government meets this challenge by producing a set of internationally-accepted principles, with these principles developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and are known as the OECD guidelines (IBM).

These guidelines include ‘fair information practices’ for organizations that outline appropriate security of data and disclosure of data practices (IBM).

IBM describes the US security and privacy measures, saying:

“The US has legislatively-required protections in focus areas: government, credit reporting, banking and finance, health, and children’s information. In other commercial areas, such as retail and online marketing, the US relies on its common-law traditions coupled with industry responsibility and leadership to chart the way” (IBM).

Legal Protection

The legal component of the Internet is handled largely by the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Department of Justice. The actions of the section are described, saying:

“Section attorneys advise federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents; comment upon and propose legislation; coordinate international efforts to combat computer crime; litigate cases; and train all law enforcement groups. Other areas of expertise possessed by CCIPS attorneys include encryption, electronic privacy laws, search and seizure of computers, e-commerce, hacker investigations, and intellectual property crimes” (CCIPS).

Legal protection in the US is wide and varied, covering a variety of issues that the Internet relates to.

This includes the considerations of e-commerce, covering topics including Internet gambling, online sales of healthcare products and consumer protection (CCIPS).

Laws are also existent relating to computer crimes. These crimes include cyberstalking, Internet fraud, child pornography and identity theft (CCIPS).

Insurance Protection

Another industry that reflects the rising importance of Internet security is the insurance industry.

Policies purchased for 2001 were just under $100 million in 2001, with it expected to rise to at least $1 billion by the year 2007 (Salkever).

The policies available for organizations include protection from “virus attacks, denial-of-service assaults, cracking into company systems, and Web-site defacements. Some companies even write policies that cover cyber-extortion, where an online intruder or an insider steals crucial data such as customer credit-card files and demands a payoff. The rising tide of lawsuits against companies whose employees have used corporate e-mail inappropriately has also caught the attention of e-insurers” (Salkever).

It is also noted that with the insurance industry becoming a major part of Internet security, they will have the opportunity to shape the computer security business.

This will occur by insurance companies defining what types of security products and practices are acceptable. Following this, premiums will differ based on what software protection systems are used, effectively rating product systems and influencing the business consumers choice.

This is also expected to effect business, with e-insurance becoming a requirement, “as cyber-insurance goes from exotica to a business necessity, the computer-security industry will have to adapt to keep the insurers happy” (Salkever).

There is certainly potential for insurance companies to influence both the coverage required by organizations and the products and actions required to attain this coverage, “that’s the wave of the future, as insurers exert even more pressure on the technology practices of any company wishing to insure this increasingly important facet of business” (Salkever).

Also recognized is the possible relationship between insurance companies and security products with it being argued “that insurers will demand responsibility from software companies for flaws in their products — and that they’ll have the legal firepower to hold the software outfits accountable” (Salkever).

Recently a computer security expert stated that the only way to keep a computer 100% safe was to never turn it on. It turns out this inaccurate and a little misleading. A computer used solely to type up and print out documents, never connected to the Internet and that never received files transferred from some other computer, could in fact be a useful 100% secure computer system. This brings us to the two main ways viruses and other malware get on a computer: through a network like the Internet and file transfers from other computers.

Users want to attach computers to the Internet and receive emails, instant messages; browse web pages, download music and fun software etc. The problem is that this puts not just millions but billions of people at their doorstep! Imagine that if billions of people could reach a home instantly – how many ill intentioned people would come by to see if the doors and windows were secured? How many con artists would knock on the door? An Internet connected computer is in just that predicament.

When a computer is connected to a network by design it starts listening for communications from the outside world. Things known as ports get created which are special “doors” to the computer. These doors are special because they each have a designated program that will answer the door if it is knocked on. Examples of programs that listen for traffic from the network include:

1. instant messaging programs2. Internet phone software3. software for connecting to the computer from remote locations4. Internet games

Even the operating system itself opens ports to share files or a printer or anything else on the computer. Each of those programs creates a “door” to a computer that it will answer if someone “knocks” on it. If that program is poorly designed then when it answers the “knocking” program could take advantage of it and thus compromise the computer.

In addition to people being able to come across the Internet and knock on one of the “doors” mentioned above – by using a web browser and surfing the Internet users are inviting people to access their computers. Every time a web site is browsed the web browser is downloading files to the computer and processing them. If that web browser is not programmed properly it is a huge security risk. For example on December 12 of 2008 Microsoft reported a big security hole in all versions of its Internet Explorer browser. The hole permitted data stealing software to be installed on the victim’s computer just by browsing an infected web page! Other examples of programs that invite access to your computer:

• Email programs• File sharing and music sharing programs (by far one of the largest security risks)• Instant messaging software

So aside from isolating a computer from the outside world, how can one protect a computer system? Here are some tips:

1. Don’t use Internet Explorer as your main browser. I am not bashing Microsoft or Internet Explorer particularly and something should be made clear: It is not necessarily that other browsers are programmed so much better but that 80% of people surfing the Internet are using Internet Explorer. Thus thieves interested in gaining access to the maximum amount of victims are going to spend most of their efforts exploiting the security holes of the browser that 80% of the people are using.2. Put a firewall between your internal network and the Internet. A firewall’s job is to keep out those billions of people who can be at your doorstep instantaneously. It will only allow those you invite to knock on your computer’s door.3. Use a Firewall on each individual computer. The network firewall mentioned above is a big step toward protecting the internal network. The problem is that it generally won’t protect users from themselves. A user browsing a website is telling the network firewall that it has given an invitation to that website and to permit files from that site to come through. If the user browses an infected website with a browser that has a security hole a virus will get into the network. If it is a certain type of virus it could start replicating itself within the local network. A computer firewall defends against this sort of problem.4. Update your operating system and browsers. Security holes are constantly found in all operating systems and all browsers. Software updates patch these holes.5. Use a good and up-to-date antivirus and spyware program. These programs help prevent damage from viruses that do make it to your system.6. Backup your data. Short of isolating a computer it is impossible to 100% secure a system. If you backup your data then should the worst occur having good backups will prevent disaster.

The above represents the basics and go a long way to protecting computer systems.

A wireless home security system is the new and latest thing to have in your home. Quickly taking over the conventional home security system, a wireless home security system takes the whole concept of a safe and secure home to whole different level. The peripherals that can be used in a wireless home security system are advanced and more reliable than their older counterparts.

Wireless Visuals

The keyword in all of this “wireless”; a wireless home security system means that you can set up most of your peripherals without the hassle of cables or wires. A wireless home security system means that you can also set up your cameras in every possible area of the room and not just at the corner of a ceiling. This gives more opportunity for you to hide the camera wherever you want. Of course, the wireless home security system will require that the signal is not lost or blocked or else you will not be able to record anything that the camera “sees”. A wireless home security system will help you operate your monitoring activities in complete stealth. It’s definitely a plus if you know exactly where to place the cameras so that they are not revealed to intruders or burglars. Wired security systems will only give away the locations of cameras once the cables are discovered.

Wireless Audible

If you feel that installing cameras is too intrusive, you may want to have microphones installed in your wireless home security system. Although this is not something as effective as a camera, recordings from a microphone can help in a wireless home security system. For example, you can set up your microphones so that they can trip an alarm when a noise reaches a certain volume level. This is especially useful to use at night to trace unexpected noises around the house. Again, the wireless home security system will give you endless possibilities as to where you can place the microphones.

Invisible Triggers

A simple wireless home security system usually consists of an alarm and probably some motion detection equipment. This is the easiest, most cost-efficient wireless home security system that you can have set up. All you will need is to have the motion detectors set up so that they will trip an alarm in your house. It’s even more efficient if you have a silent alarm set up that the police will be able to detect; the intruders themselves will not hear the alarm. This is one of the better options from installing a wireless home security system.

A wireless home security system is definitely the best option you have to protect your home, your valuables, and your family. It takes a lot less time to install because of the fact that it is wireless and most of the peripherals will work on batteries so you don’t have to hook anything up to your local electricity. This means that it works regardless of whether there is electricity or not, provided that your mother terminal that controls everything also works on its own power source. Are you still thinking of how to secure your home? Consider a wireless home security system to protect you 24/7.

Today, many people rely on computers to do homework, work, and create or store useful information. Therefore, it is important for the information on the computer to be stored and kept properly. It is also extremely important for people on computers to protect their computer from data loss, misuse, and abuse.  For example, it is crucial for businesses to keep information they have secure so that hackers can’t access the information. Home users also need to take means to make sure that their credit card numbers are secure when they are participating in online transactions.  A computer security risk is any action that could cause lost of information, software, data, processing incompatibilities, or cause damage to computer hardware,   a lot of these are planned to do damage. An intentional breach in computer security is known as a computer crime which is slightly different from a cypercrime. A cybercrime is known as illegal acts based on the internet and is one of the FBI’s top priorities.  There are several distinct categories for people that cause cybercrimes, and they are refereed as hacker, cracker, cyberterrorist, cyberextortionist, unethical employee, script kiddie and corporate spy.  The term hacker was actually known as a good word but now it has a very negative view. A hacker is defined as someone who accesses a computer or computer network unlawfully.  They often claim that they do this to find leaks in the security of a network. The term cracker has never been associated with something positive this refers to someone how intentionally access a computer or computer network for evil reasons. It’s basically an evil hacker.  They access it with the intent of destroying, or stealing information. Both crackers and hackers are very advanced with network skills.  A cyberterrorist is someone who uses a computer network or the internet to destroy computers for political reasons.  It’s just like a regular terrorist attack because it requires highly skilled individuals, millions of dollars to implement, and years of planning. The term cyperextortionist is someone who uses emails as an offensive force. They would usually send a company a very threatening email stating that they will release some confidential information, exploit a security leak, or launch an attack that will harm a company’s network. They will request a paid amount to not proceed sort of like black mailing in a since. An unethical employee is an employee that illegally accesses their company’s network for numerous reasons. One could be the money they can get from selling top secret information, or some may be bitter and want revenge. A script kiddie is someone who is like a cracker because they may have the intentions of doing harm, but they usually lack the technical skills. They are usually silly teenagers that use prewritten hacking and cracking programs. A corporate spy has extremely high computer and network skills and is hired to break into a specific computer or computer network to steal or delete data and information. Shady companies hire these type people in a practice known as corporate espionage. They do this to gain an advantage over their competition an illegal practice. Business and home users must do their best to protect or safeguard their computers from security risks. The next part of this article will give some pointers to help protect your computer. However, one must remember that there is no one hundred percent guarantee way to protect your computer so becoming more knowledgeable about them is a must during these days. When you transfer information over a network it has a high security risk compared to information transmitted in a business network because the administrators usually take some extreme measures to help protect against security risks. Over the internet there is no powerful administrator which makes the risk a lot higher. If your not sure if your computer is vulnerable to a computer risk than you can always use some-type of online security service which is a website that checks your computer for email and Internet vulnerabilities. The company will then give some pointers on how to correct these vulnerabilities. The Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center is a place that can do this. The typical network attacks that puts computers at risk includes viruses, worms, spoofing, Trojan horses, and denial of service attacks.  Every unprotected computer is vulnerable to a computer virus which is a potentially harming computer program that infects a computer negatively and altering the way the computer operates without the user’s consent. Once the virus is in the computer it can spread throughout infecting other files and potentially damaging the operating system itself. It’s similar to a bacteria virus that infects humans because it gets into the body through small openings and can spread to other parts of the body and can cause some damage. The similarity is, the best way to avoid is preparation.  A computer worm is a program that repeatedly copies itself and is very similar to a computer virus. However the difference is that a virus needs o attach itself to an executable file and become a part of it. A computer worm doesn’t need to do that I seems copies to itself and to other networks and eats up a lot of bandwidth. A Trojan Horse named after the famous Greek myth and is used to describe a program that secretly hides and actually looks like a legitimate program but is a fake.  A certain action usually triggers the Trojan horse, and unlike viruses and worms they don’t replicate itself. Computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses are all classifies as malicious-logic programs which are just programs that deliberately harms a computer.  Although these are the common three there are many more variations and it would be almost impossible to list them. You know when a computer is infected by a virus, worm, or Trojan horse if one or more of these acts happen:- Screen shots of weird messages or pictures appear.- You have less available memory then you expected- Music or sounds plays randomly.- Files get corrupted- Programs are files don’t work properly- Unknown files or programs randomly appear- System properties fluctuateComputer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses deliver their payload or instructions through four common ways. One, when an individual runs an infected program so if you download a lot of things you should always scan the files before executing, especially executable files. Second, is when an individual runs an infected program. Third, is when an individual bots a computer with an infected drive, so that’s why it’s important to not leave media files in your computer when you shut it down.  Fourth is when it connects an unprotected computer to a network. Today, a very common way that people get a computer virus, worm, or Trojan horse is when they open up an infected file through an email attachment. There are literally thousands of computer malicious logic programs and new one comes out by the numbers so that’s why it’s important to keep up to date with new ones that come out each day. Many websites keep track of this. There is no known method for completely protecting a computer or computer network from computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses, but people can take several precautions to significantly reduce their chances of being infected by one of those malicious programs.  Whenever you start a computer you should have no removable media in he drives. This goes for CD, DVD, and floppy disks. When the computer starts up it tries to execute a bot sector on the drives and even if it’s unsuccessful any given various on the bot sector can infect the computer’s hard disk. If you must start the computer for a particular reason, such as the hard disk fails and you are trying to reformat the drive make sure that the disk is not infected.