How can you tell if your computer is safe?

There is no way to guarantee that a computer is safe. With the number of possible threats and vulnerabilities, there is no way to guarantee that a computer is safe. Software could be installed onto the computer and hidden within other files, the network could be open and somebody could be in it, a zero-day vulnerability could have been discovered, or a hidden USB drive could be plugged in. Hackers have become very skilled at hiding their tracks and actions. The only way to be confident that a computer is safe is if you know that anything it is connected to is secured and that the computer has only been touched my you. Even if the computer is brand new and the network has been secured still does not guarantee that the computer is safe. In addition, as an individual uses the computer, they could stumble upon software or a website that makes the computer unsafe. There are still ways to check if certain parts of a computer have been compromised like virus detection software. These pieces of software could scan all files of a computer, if given permission, and check that there is no known virus software and no suspicious commands in files.

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

Safer-
1. One way that computers have made the world safer is that computers encrypt information. An example of this is when computers hash passwords so that it is much more difficult to obtain someone else’s password.
2. Another way is that computers allow secure connections. Protocols like https and ssh allow secure connections between a website and a computer and between two computers, respectively.
3. As computers get smaller, things like phones can be created. Phones make people much more secure as they can contact people, like the police, if they are in a dangerous situation.

Less safe-
1. One way that computers have made the world less safe is that companies collect and have access to far more information about you. Companies store large amounts of information about many people on computers. Examples of this information include social security numbers and addresses. If there is a data breach on a computer with this information, somebody could have their valuable information stolen along with their identity.
2. Another way that computers have made the world less safe is that some software requires many permissions to operate. Some permissions include microphone, location, and camera. There have been occasions where people have discovered computers, like Alexa, listening into their conversations and storing it without anyone saying the word that is supposed to trigger that.
3. As computers get smaller, they can be fit into unexpected things. Some people have used these to make mini cameras that can be hidden inside of things like fire alarms in hotel rooms. This is unsafe as there could always be someone watching you. The same thing could be said for hidden microphones.