SECURITY GUIDE FOR DUMMIES

BY ISOBELLE WILLIAMS

Isobelle Williams Campsmount Academy

 INTRODUCTION

THE MOST COMMON SECURITY ISSUES THAT THREATEN IT SYSTEMS AND DATA ARE:
VIRUSES
TROJANS
SPYWARE
SPAM

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 WHAT IS A VIRUS?

A VIRUS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN GET IN COMPUTERS AND OTHER DEVICES, IT CAUSES ISSUES
WITH FILES/ DATA AND CAN SLOW DOWN THE SYSTEM.
VIRUSES WHAT IS ITS PRIMARY PURPOSE?

THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE COMPUTER VIRUS IS THAT IT REPRODUCES ITSELF AS OFTEN AS
POSSIBLE. ANOTHER PURPOSE IS TO DISRUPT THE OPERATION OF THE COMPUTER OR THE PROGRAM.
mrcomputerservices.com THIS SELF-REPLICATING PROGRAM SPREADS BY INSERTING COPIES OF ITS SELF TO OTHER DOCUMENTS.

HOW CAN WE PROTECT OURSELVES?

INSTALLING A ANTIVIRUS PROGRAM AND KEEPING IT UP TO DATE WILL HELP PROTECT YOUR
COMPUTER. ANTIVIRUS PROGRAMS SCAN THE COMPUTER DATA LOOKING FOR VIRUSES TRYING TO
GET INTO YOUR EMAIL, OPERATING SYSTEMS AND FILES.

HOW DO VIRUS CHECKERS AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE OF YOUR COMPUTER?

SOME OFF THE ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE SLOW DOWN YOUR COMPUTER BUT YOU CAN DOWNLOAD,
SOME THAT DON’T JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON’T DOWNLOAD SO MANY SO THAT YOUR DEVICE
DON’T TAKE AGES TO LOAD.

WHY SHOULD WE REGULARLY UPDATE OUR VIRUS PROTECTION?

WE SHOULD REGULARLY UPDATE OUR VIRUS PROTECTION BECAUSE NEW VIRUSES ARE MADE AND
BEING SENT EVERYDAY AND YOU NEED TO HAVE THE LATEST SOFTWARE SO THAT YOU CAN PROTECT
YOUR COMPUTER, FROM THE VIRUS AFFECTING YOU EMAIL, OPERATING SYSTEMS AND FILES.

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 • WHAT IS A TROJAN?

• TROJANS ARE MALICIOUS PROGRAMS THAT PERFORM ACTIONS THAT THE

USERS HAS NOT AUTHORISED.

TROJANS • WHAT IS ITS PRIMARY PURPOSE?

• TROJANS ARE THE FIRST STAGE OF AN ATTACK THEIR PRIMARY PURPOSE IS TO

STAY HIDDEN WHILE DOWNLOADING AND INSTALLING A STRONGER THREAT
SUCH AS BOT. UNLIKE VIRUSES AND WORMS TROJANS CAN’T SPREAD
THEMSELVES. THEY ARE OFTEN DELIVERED BY AN EMAIL, WHICH INSTALLS THE
TROJAN THROUGH VULNERABILITIES IN THE WEB BROWSER.

• HOW DO THEY AFFECT COMPUTER PERFORMANCE?

• TROJANS CAUSE YOUR COMPUTER TO BE COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL,

THEY ACT LIKE A ZOMBIE, MEANING YOUR COMPUTER IS IN CONTROL OF THE
HACKER AND THEN ACCESS YOU DATA WITHOUT YOU KNOWING.

• HOW CAN WE PROTECT OURSELVES?

• YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR SOFTWARE UPDATED SO THAT WHEN NEW

labspace.open.ac.uk TROJANS APPEAR THEY DON’T AFFECT YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM.

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 • WHAT IS SPYWARE?

• SPYWARE ENABLES A HACKER TO ACCESS AND CONVERT INFORMATION ON

SOMEONE ELSE'S COMPUTER BY TRANSMITTING DATA THROUGH OUT THE
HARD DRIVE.
SPYWARE • WHAT IS ITS PRIMARY PURPOSE?

• ITS PURPOSE IS TO FIND OUT PASSWORD TO CONFIDENTIAL ACCOUNTS.

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• HOW DO THEY AFFECT COMPUTER PERFORMANCE?

• IT CAN SLOW THE COMPUTER DOWN AND CAN OFTEN CRASH.

• HOW CAN WE PROTECT OURSELVES?

• TO PROTECT OURSELVES WE SHOULD DOWNLOAD ANTI-SPYWARE AND KEEP

IT UPDATED.

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 • WHAT IS SPAM?

• SPAM IS OFTEN CONSIDERED ELECTRONIC JUNK MAIL. SOME PEOPLE DESCRIBE

SPAM EVEN MORE GENERALLY UNSOLICITED EMAIL.

SPAM • WHAT IS ITS PRIMARY PURPOSE?

• ITS PRIMARY PURPOSE IS TO SEND ADVERTISEMENTS, ITS ALSO CHEAP TO

SEND. BUT SOME OF THE SPAM CAN CONTAIN HARMFUL VIRUSES.

• HOW DO THEY AFFECT COMPUTER PERFORMANCE?

• SOME CAN OPEN VIRUSES AND DAMAGE YOUR COMPUTER, ITS BEST NOT TO
OPEN THE SPAM ORB JUST DELETE IT.

• HOW CAN WE PROTECT OURSELVES?

• TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM SPAM WE COULD HAVE A LONGER USERNAME

, OR SELECT WHAT MASSAGES YOU WANT TO RECEIVE.

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Isobelle Williams Campsmount Academy