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Arab Academy for Science &Technology & Maritime Transport

College of Computing and Information Technology

Computer Science Department

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• There  are  a  number  of  security  concerns  related  to  computers  that  users  should  be  aware  of,  including:  

• Having  a  PC  stolen  

• Losing  important  data  

• Losing  contact  lists  

• Pirated  or  counterfeited  products  

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• Hardware  damage:  Can  be  accidental  or  inten>onal  

• System  failure:  The  complete  malfunc>on  of  a  computer  system  

• Can  be  due  to  a  hardware  problem,  so?ware  problem,  or  computer  virus  

• Can  be  due  to  a  natural                                                                                                      disaster  or  planned  a@ack  

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• Use  door  and  computer  equipment  locks  

• Cable  locks  • Security  slots  

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• Use  encryp7on  to  protect  data  • Increasingly  used  with  USB  flash  drives,  notebook  PCs,  hard  drives,  etc.  

• Full  disk  encryp>on  (FDE):  Everything  on  storage  medium  is  encrypted  

• Self-­‐encryp>ng  hard  drive:  A  hard  drive  using  FDE  

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• Computer  tracking  so;ware:  Used  to  find  a  PC  a?er  it  is  lost  or  stolen  • Sends  out  iden>fying  data  via  the  Internet  • Law  enforcement  can  use  this  data  to  recover  the  PC  • Most  o?en  used  with  PCs  but  also  available  for  other  devices  

• Kill  switch:  So?ware  used  to  destroy  sensi>ve  data  on  a  stolen  or  lost  PC  

• Other  precau>ons:  • Alarm  so;ware,  tamper  evident  labels,  etc.  • Common  sense  

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• Proper  hardware  care:  Needed  to  prevent  damage  

• Ruggedized  PCs:  Designed    for  more  abuse  than    conven>onal  hardware    

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• Surge  suppressor:  Protects  hardware  from  damage  due  to  electrical  fluctua>ons  

• Uninterrup7ble  power  supply  (UPS):  Provides  con>nuous  power  to  a  computer  system  for  a  period  of  >me  a?er  the  power  goes  off  

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• Also:  • Watch  dust,  moisture,  sta7c,  heat,  etc.  

• Avoid  head  crash  • Stop  USB  devices  before  removing  

• Use  screen  protectors,  jewel  cases,  etc.  

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• Backup  and  disaster  recovery  plans:    • Both  businesses  and  individuals  should  use  appropriate  backup  procedures  

• Con>nuous  data  protec>on  (CDP):  Enables  data  backups  to  be  made  on  a  con>nual  basis  

• Backup  media  needs  to  be  secured  • Data  storage  companies  store  backup  media  at  secure  remote  loca>ons  

• Online  backup  is  another  possibility  • Disaster-­‐recovery  plan:  Spells  out  what  an  organiza>on  will  do  to  prepare  for  and  recover  from  a  disrup>ve  event  • Hot  sites  

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• So;ware  piracy:  Unauthorized  copying  of  a  computer  program  • Widespread,  global  problem  

• Occurs  when:  • Individuals  make  illegal  copies  of  so?ware  to  give  to  friends  

• Businesses  or  individuals  install  so?ware  on  more  than  the  number  of  computers  allowed  according  to  the  end-­‐user  license  agreement  (EULA)  

• Sellers  install  unlicensed  copies  on  PCs  sold  to  consumers  

• Large-­‐scale  opera>ons  in  which  programs  and  packaging  are  illegally  duplicated  and  sold  as  supposedly  legi>mate  products  

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• Digital  counterfei7ng:  The  use  of  computers  to  make  illegal  copies  of  currency,  checks,  collec>bles,  and  other  items  • O?en  scanned  and  printed  or  color-­‐copied  

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• Protec7ng  against  digital  counterfei7ng  • New  currency  designs  

• Microprin>ng,  watermarks,  security  thread,  etc.  • Special  paper  is  used  with  U.S.  currency  

• Iden>fying  technology  included  in  digital  imaging  hardware  

• Digital  watermarks:  Subtle  altera>on  to  a  digital  item  that  is  not  no>ceable  but  that  can  be  retrieved  to  iden>fy  the  owner  of  the  item  

• Also  can  use:  • Holograms,  RFID  tags,  and  other  hard-­‐to-­‐reproduce  content  

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• Privacy:  State  of  being  concealed  or  free  from  unauthorized  intrusion  

• Informa7on  privacy:  Rights  of  individuals  and  companies  to  control  how  informa>on  about  them  is  collected  and  used  

• Computers  add  addi7onal  privacy  challenges  • Many  data  breaches  recently  due  to  lost  or  stolen  hardware,  carelessness  with  documents  containing  sensi>ve  data,  database  breaches,  etc.  • Businesses  need  to  be  concerned  with  the  expense,  damage  to  reputa>on,  and  possible  lawsuits