IT securityBy Tilly Gerlack

THREATS

DATA THEFT Data theft is a problem where people are stealing information. Office workers have a better chance of committing a theft of data because they have access to the computers and usernames and passwords.

Data theft is a term used to describe when information is illegally copied or taken from a business or an other individual.

Unintentional threats

An example of unintentional threats is deleting data by accident. People do this all the time in offices and at work and make changes by accident.

Phishing Phishing is where you receive an email that looks like it is safe and from a company you know which asks you to click on a link and enter your username and password. This information is then collected by hackers who will then be able to get into your account.

VirusesEmail viruses: Email viruses are able to spread more quickly than traditional viruses. They are send via email and get sent without the user even knowing.

Worms: these are pieces of code that use computer networks and security holes to copy the original virus and make their way through networks.

Trojan horse: A Trojan Horse pretends to be a regular downloadable program, such as a game. It will then damage your computer and can make it unusable.

Malware: malicious software is what Malware means and this is a form of virus

Spyware: spyware is a software that lets a user spy on someone else’s computer and can watch everything they do or type.

Hacking What is hacking? Someone who hacks is a clever programmer as it is not easy to hack. It is someone who logs into another hardrive illegally. They identify data from the computer and can copy, change or delete it.

Spam • Spam is an email which is sent without the receivers

permission. It can be linked with a virus. This is usually sent to a number of users. This could also be a phishing email.

Public WIFI

• Public Wi-Fi is a danger to your mobile or computer. It is unsafe because people can hack into your mobile or computer with the use of your Wi-Fi, they can track you and view your history and what you are viewing at the time. You have access to their usernames and passwords. To prevent fraud of your mobile or computer make sure you are using the hotspot of where you are. People make a WI-FI account in the same name so people connect to it thinking you are using the original one; not the copied.

Precautions

An action to be aware of the danger of hacking, phishing and viruses.

Hacking • To prevent and be aware of hacking keep all your bank

details and data private, never give out private information to anyone unless it is a safe website such as Lloyds bank. Always check on the web address and check if it is the original one; if you are not sure contact the web address by phone number or email.

Viruses

To prevent getting viruses never click on a link or web page sent to you or a ‘pop up’.

They are designed for specific operating systems for example:

One that is designed for windows wont work on IOS.

You should always install anti-virus software and keep it up-to-date.

Phishing • To prevent phishing scams be cautious of received

emails from unknown and unrecognised addresses. • Look for a sign that the site is secure such as a lock

icon on the browser’s status bar or a “https” or “URL”

Secure passwords

Here are examples of weak passwords and strong passwords:

PILCHER X

Pilcher123 X

P! 1cH3r876

- You need a variety of characters (8 or more)

- More than one number

- Add symbols such as: (!-_)

- Having a long password is more secure than having a short password.

Firewalls

• All networks have firewall, some are hard ware and some are software. The firewall is built into a Wi-Fi box for example.

Back- up data• You need back- up data to prevent your computer from

getting viruses, malwares and threats. Using back- up

re-ensures your computer to keep files and documents safe. You can set up automatically or manually back up for your data. At school the IT staff back up everyday at 7am and 1pm.

Anti- virus software

Anti-virus software protects you from:• Viruses• Hacking• Spyware• Phishing

You have to renew your software and update it, this is because there are is an increase in viruses every year, by updating you have less of a chance of getting threats.

Public WIFI• To prevent Wi-Fi network fraud make sure you are

updated with an anti-virus software and firewall, this will block the identity of fraud. If you are on a public network be aware that it’s not someone who has used a ‘copycat’ network, when doing online banking and using your email make sure it is a safe network such as your home hotspot; not a public network.

Education • It is important to educate people about security threats

because it makes people aware of the problems and helps them watch out for any scams.