1.  How can you tell if your computer is safe?

2. Describe three ways that computers have made the world safer and less safe.

Questions concerning the safety of users have become more difficult to answer as attack vectors change with the introduction of new technology. Embedded systems used to meter things such as water usage in a house may bring up privacy concerns. Email communications may be intercepted by malicious actors, highlighting the importance of proving authenticity and integrity, while also allowing for the confidential passage of communications. Defining the safety of your computer may be difficult if you are unfamiliar with systems built to ensure confidentiality, authenticity, and integrity specific to the system or computer in question. So we will focus on one, the desktop system. Indicators that the system is safe to use may include software being up-to-date and the performance of the machine. A lagging system could be an indicator of underlying concerns such as bloatware, unnecessary programs downloaded to the machine which carry a higher risk of compromise. Another indicator that a system may be unsafe is the existence of anti-virus pop-ups or other pop-ups on the machine. A machine that runs efficiently without an excess of software pop-ups may be a safe machine. We should also consider the location of the machine and the protocols in place to allow or disallow its connection to the Internet. A machine that may only connect to the internet via VPN and which receives the latest software updates will inherently be safer than a computer used in a contrary way.

Computers have made the world more safe by introducing technology to secure communications and the sharing of knowledge. With that, the advent of cryptography and encryption standards has also provided a safer online environment. Lastly, computers foster a chance for new users to become more informed and implement safe practices on a personal level.

Inherently, without training, more users provide for less safe online environments. Computers are also subject to the whims of bad actors, knowingly or unknowingly accessing PII or other proprietary data. Computers may also be victims of attacks like shoulder surfing and keylogging, to name a few of the attack vectors users may take. Whether it is workplace deviance or intentional hacking attempts, computers are like anything else, powerful tools in the right hands.