The threat of online security: How safe is our data?

In this century, Internet is becoming more and more famous. It is becoming part of our life as a lot of things can be done with Internet such as online banking, online shopping, communicating with our overseas friends and so on. However, it is important to safeguard our data when online. It is an important issue on online security for all Internet users. It is sad to say that there are various threats to online security such as viruses, Malware, Adware, hackers’ attacks and Trojans. These are the common online threat and this can lead web users to financial loss, information theft and so on.

Examples of threat of online security:

Virus – it is a piece of Malicious software code that inserts itself into a host, including the operating systems to propagate and infect a computer without permission or knowledge of the user. It requires the host program be run to activate it. The virus can easily spread by a user sending it over a network on the internet or by carrying it on a removable medium such as USB drive, floppy disk. The possible destruction of virus will be deleting important files and turning our computer into a worthless wreck.

Worms – is a software programs that runs independently and consuming the resources of its hosts in orders to maintain itself and capable of propagating a complete working version of itself onto another machine. When the compute infect of worms, the computer will slow starting and slow running. It’ll also face unexpected or frequent system failures. Therefore, the macro worm is a worm that is executed when the application object that contains the macro is opened or a particular procedure is executed.

Trojan horse – is programs that appear to have useful function but contains a hidden function that presents a security risk. Trojan horse unlike worms, which self propagate and require user cooperation. It’ll destructive program that can cause serious damage by deleting files and destroying information on our system. Trojan horse are also known to create a back door on our computer that gives malicious users access to the system, possibly allowing confidential or personal information to be compromised.

Securing Computer Networks

There have several effective security computer systems to help users to secure own data privacies.

1. Firewall

Firewall is a software application that acts as a filter between a company's private network and the Internet. As a result, there can reduce the possibilities to receive virus, worms and so forth into users' computer systems.

2. Anti-Virus

SoftwaresAnti-virus softwares are designed to ensure that computer system has maximum power against all kinds of malicious codes. Normally, they are effectively fast to handle the virus that have been detected in few seconds. Besides that, their security systems are helpful because they can be updated automatically to ensure that the security systems can be upgraded to against new malicious codes.

3. Hard Drive or External Hard Drive

You can either get another one hard drive to keep certain important or necessary data inside. Another way is that get an external hard drive that available you to take it to anywhere by keeping your own data inside. Normally the hard drive life is about 5 years long. Besides keeping data inside the hard drive manually, basically you can use another application such as Norton Ghost to make a full system backups or folder backups.

The ways to prevention the internet threat:Even though we are having the best Firewall or AntiVirus software are still not a surefire way of filtering what’s coming in on our internet connection, it still helps to have one installed. There are few ways we should remember to protect our personal information:

(1) Do not instantly open e-mail attachments from unknown sender. It is because the e-mails may contains the viruses.
(2) Do not provide any confidential information through e-mail, Instant Messages or Chat Messages because they are not safe.
(3) Always make sure that you know your website’s security. Check if the screen’s address bar changes from “http” into “https”