PCs ENVIRONMENT and
PERIPHERALS
Lecture 10
Computer Threats:
- Computer threats:
- It means anything that has the potential to cause serious
harm to a computer system.
Computer Threats:
Types of Computer threats:
1- Loss of Physical and infrastructure Support .
2- Vulnerabilities.
3- Hackers.
4- Malicious Software.
5- Spam.
1- Loss of Physical and infrastructure
Support:
- The loss of supporting infrastructure includes power
failures (outages and brownouts), loss of
communications,
fire and flood.
2- Vulnerabilities:
- Vulnerabilities are flaws in computer software that create
weaknesses in your computer or computer network.
- Threats exploit the weaknesses of vulnerabilities, resulting
in potential damage to the computer or its data.
3- Hackers/attackers:
- A Hacker is somebody who finds weaknesses in a
computer or computer network and exploits them
through a process called penetration.
4- Malicious Software(Malware).
- Malware refers to a programs designed to damage a
computer system.
Common types of malware include :
1- Viruses.
2- Trojan Horse.
3- Worms.
4- Spyware.
4- Malicious Software(Malware).
1- Viruses:
- Computer viruses are small programs that can negatively affect
your computer.
- These malicious programs can create files, move files, erase files,
consume your computer's memory, and cause your computer
not to function correctly.
- Some viruses can duplicate themselves, attach themselves to
programs, and travel across networks.
- In fact opening an infected e-mail attachment is the most
common way to get a virus.
4- Malicious Software(Malware).
2- Trojan Horse :
- Trojan horses are programs that masquerade as regular
programs, such as games and antivirus programs.
- But if they are run, these programs can do malicious things
to your computer.
- For example: a Trojan horse might appear to be a
computer game, but once you double-click it, the program
starts writing over certain parts of your hard drive,
corrupting your data.
4- Malicious Software(Malware).
3- Worms:
- A computer worm is a type of virus that replicates itself,
but does not alter any files on your computer.
- If a worm consumes your memory, your computer will
run very slowly and possibly even crash.
- If the worm affects your hard disk space, your computer
will take a long time to access files and you will not be
able to save or create new files until the worm has been
eradicated.
4- Malicious Software(Malware).
4- Spyware:
- This software "spies" on your computer.
- Spyware can capture information like Web browsing,
e-mail messages, usernames and passwords, and credit card
information.
- This software can transmit this data to another person's
computer over the Internet.
5- Spam :
- Email spam is the electronic version of junk mail.
- It involves sending unwanted messages, often unsolicited
advertising, to a large number of recipients.
- Spam is a serious security concern, as it can be used to
deliver email that could contain Trojan horses, viruses,
worms, spyware and targeted attacks aimed at obtaining
sensitive, personal identification information.
How to protect your computer from any
threat?
By do the following :
1- Use antivirus programs.
2- Run a firewall program on your computer.
3- Get antispyware software.
4- Make sure that the software on your computer is
regularly updated.
How to protect your computer from any
threat?
5- Update your operating system regularly.
6- Increase your browser security settings.
7- Avoid questionable Web sites.
8- Only download software from sites you trust.
9- Don't open messages from unknown senders.
10- Immediately delete messages you suspect to be spam.