Computer Security: Preventing People from Accessing a Computer
The book Computer Security written by Time Life Books, explains what computer security
is, how it works, and how it affects peoples lives. Without computer security peoples
private information can be stolen right off their computer.
Computer security is exactly what it sounds like. It is security on a computer to
prevent people from accessing a computer. It is very difficult to secure a computer for
a computer is like a mechanical human brain and if one has a real human brain they can
operate it. In other words if one knows how a computer works they can make it work. If
they do not then they cannot do anything at all. This is what computer security is meant
to do. It is done by making it only possible for someone to access a computer by using a
password or by locking it up.
Computer security works by many ways of password use or by locking it up. The password
method is enforced by prompting a computer user to enter a password before they can
access any programs or information already contained within the computer. Another
password security method would be to have the computer user carry a digital screen that
fits in your pocket. This digital screen receives an encrypted message and displays
numbers that change every few minutes. These numbers make the password one needs for the
next few minutes in order to access the computer. This password method is somewhat new.
It is also better, for the previous password method is not totally fool proof. This is
because the passwords are stored in the computer and if a computer literate person was to
access this information, they could get into a computer and enter it looking as if they
were someone else for they have obtained someone else's password. In the future when
technology increasingly gets better there are possibilities that a computer could use you
hand, inner eye, or voice print. Currently these methods are not used but they are right
around the corner. The only other way to absolutely secure a computer would be to lock
it up but with computer networks these days that cannot be easily done unless dealing
with a single personal computer.
Computer security has become such a big issue due to the huge amount of loss in profits
by businesses. This happens because the computers were not totally secure from unwanted
visitors. An example of how this could happen is a big business was to spend millions of
dollars on research and development that would only stolen by another to profit
themselves. Businesses lose three hundred million to about five billion dollars yearly
due to these computer criminals called hackers or computer information thieves.
Computer security has come a long way since the creation of computers. But still we
cannot fully believe our computers are fully secure and safe from unwanted snoopers.
Computer security is very hard to create presently for anyone can get in if they know
what to do. Right now what to do is easy but if you need someone's hand to get in a
computer that may be a little more difficult.
|