How can you tell if your computer is safe?
There aren’t telltale signs to tell if your computer is safe, and there aren’t security controls that will absolutely guarantee the safety of your computer. While security controls will make it exponentially more difficult for an unauthorized user to access the data or information contained within, there is never a guarantee that it can’t happen. There are many ways that you can increase the security of your computer. Strong passwords and utilizing multifactor authentication methods are the easiest ways to get started with adding an extra layer of security. Since most peoples’ computers are probably by or on a desk in an office, sitting on a counter somewhere (mainly speaking about a home setting), etc., it’s important that it’s at least a little bit difficult to gain access though the login screen. This screen can be accessed remotely as well, which makes it even more important for security. The next easiest is probably some type of antivirus software that regularly scans your computer for any malicious activity (may cost money, may not cost money). Antiviruses can detect any malicious code that may have ended up in the files on your computer, can detect any potential threats or unsafe downloads from the internet that contain malware, can scan incoming and outgoing emails for malware, etc., that will all aid in the security and safety of your computer. Next in line are firewalls to prevent certain types of network traffic. Many of the ways that unauthorized users attempt to access your network can be blocked by a firewall. Unauthorized network connections, DoS attacks, malicious data packets, network traffic that doesn’t adhere to what you want to let in or out, can all be blocked with the security policies and protocols integrated by and within a firewall. These three methods are some of the simplest ways in which you can add layers of security to your computer which in turn will make your computer safer, but there is no guarantee that a hacker won’t find a way into the network.
Describe three ways that computers have made the world safer and less safe.
The first way that computers have made the world both safer and less safe simultaneously involves the abilities and opportunities that arose from their actual invention; computers have allowed us to create the internet, the world wide web, and gave us a method of mass communication. The internet allows us to gain immense amounts of knowledge that otherwise would be unattainable without the internet, a way to connect with others all around the globe to socialize or share information, while also rendering us vulnerable to cyberattacks and cybercrime. Another way that the invention of computers has made the world both safer and less safe involves general passion and ethics that can go both ways (“good” or “bad”). With the constant advancement of technology, security controls and measures will advance; as these security controls and measures advance, our way of living that relies heavily on the internet and computers will get safer. On the other hand, though, this constant advancement of security will bring on more determined groups of hackers; and these hackers will constantly work to stay ahead of the game and find vulnerabilities within these security controls/measure/strategies that may have been left unchecked. Lastly, involving creations that have arisen from the invention of computers, is the creation of applications and software that are utilized for the unauthorized access and monitoring of networks. From the programs I have used in labs so far, there seems to be a parallel where the same programs that can be used for unauthorized access and monitoring of a network, could also be used to detect the unauthorized access. All of the above are ways in which the world has become both safer and less safe from the invention and use of computers.