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CHAPTER SIX: THE COMPUTER HAZARD AND SECURITY
 Is your Computer Secured?
 The 3A’s Frame work security computing
 Key Aspects of Security
 Security Measures
 What is Computer Virus?
 Classification of Viruses
 Common Security Attack
 Virus protection and Prevention

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Is your Computer Secured?
 The computer industry is exposed to both natural
disasters and disasters of human origin.
 Computer systems can be disabled by a number of
occurrences.
 It may be harmed by people, by software errors, "dirty
data", and natural hazards, terrorist etc.
 Some of the natural-hazards that cause disasters are
fires, floods, earthquake, hurricanes etc.
 Hence, we have to secure our computer from
o destruction of computer hardware and software
o Physical lose of data
o deliberate attack of database by unauthorized
individual etc.
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The 3A’s Frame work security computing
 Authentication
o A general access to a given system and commonly
implemented by setting Username and Password
this means Login.
 Authorization
o A specific access to a given system and commonly
implemented by setting Read and Write Privilege.
 Accounting
o Which measures resource a user consumes during
access, includes
 Amount of system time,
 Amount of data a user sent/receives during a
session.
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Key Aspects of Security
 Confidentiality
o Assures that the information is shared only among
authorized users or organizations.
 Integrity:
o Assures that the information is both authentic and
complete. It can be trusted.
 Availability:
o A system is responsible for delivering, starting and
processing information are accessible when needed
by authorized users.

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Security Measures
1. Physical Security
o Means use of conventional physical protection
measures.
o There are different well-developed methods of
physical security.
o It includes: doors and windows locks, keyboard
locks, controlling power fluctuation, dust humidity,
varying temperature etc.
o Data of your system is also physically secured by
means of Back-up.

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2. Hardware Security
o Stealing of Hardware can range from shoplifting an
accessory in a computer store to removing laptop
computers.
o Portable computers are usually easily stolen.
o Hence, it is important to secure your hardware
from thieves.
3. Software Security
o It is program used in information system
applications to prevent, identify, or recover from
errors, unauthorized access, and other threats.
o usually implemented through a mechanism of
identification and authentication.

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4. Data Security
o Computer Hardware and commercial software's are
nearly always replaceable, although with some
expense and difficulty.
o Data, however, may be two difficult to replace or
even be irreplaceable.
o Some of the defences to be taken to protect your
data are:
 Always Back-up your data
 Handle your diskette with care
 Guide against viruses

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 What is Computer Virus?
o It is self-replicating computer program that
interferes with computer's hardware or OS.
o It is a computer program that attaches itself to
computer systems and destroys or corrupts data.

 Virus Characteristics
o It duplicates itself without the user's knowledge.
o It also attaches itself to any executable code.
o It causes users to lose data or files or even shut
down entire systems.

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Classification of Viruses
 There are different types of computer viruses.
o Viruses, Worms, Logical Bombs and Trojan horses.
 The major ones are:
o Boot Sector Viruses and File Viruses.

1. Boot Sector Viruses

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2. File Viruses
o Infect programs that contain powerful macro
languages which can open, manipulate and close
data files.
o Macro languages are programming languages that
let users create new features and utilities.
o They are also called data-file viruses and
sometimes macro viruses.

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Common Security Attack
 A Security attack refers to intentional and for
unintentional threat that affects the organizations
data.
1. Virus
o Virus is unnecessary program that damage files.
o A computer program that replicates on computer
systems by incorporating itself into shared
programs.
o E.g. "I Love You" virus, code red, and NIMDA."
o There are thousands of different kinds of viruses
but they form distinct groups.
o They all operate differently and affect our
computers and the information contained on them
in different ways.
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2. Worm
o Worm is unnecessary program also a man-made
program it replicates itself automatically over the
network computers.
o Cleverly, it does this by sending a copy of itself
through email, over a network and via Internet
Relay Chat (IRC) to other computers.
o Viruses and worms can infect desktop computers,
laptops and network servers and pose one of the
most serious internet security risks.
o They reach our PCs from email, web sites,
downloaded files and loadable media, such as
floppy disks, CD-ROMs and DVDs.

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 The virus or worm can,
o Disable the computer
o Add, modify or delete files or reformat the hard
disk.
o A worm eats up storage space and slows down the
computer, but won't alter or delete files.
o Steal addresses held in our computer to send on
virus-infected emails to our friends, colleagues,
clients or customers.
3. Logical Bombs
o They activates when certain triggering actions
occurs otherwise they can stay dormant in your
computer until the triggering action occurs.
o The triggering mechanisms could be key press, file
open and specific time.
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4. Trojan Horse
o Although Trojan horse programs are categorized as
viruses, they are not true viruses, since they do not
replicate.
o It is a malicious program disguised as something
benign, such as a screen saver.
o When loaded onto our machine, a Trojan horse can
capture information from our system, such as user
names and passwords or could allow a malicious
hacker to remotely control our computer.
o Trojans are one of the sneakiest of the online risks.
o They are often downloaded on the back of a free
program (freeware) that has some value to the
user a free game, software program or music, for
instance.
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o Alternatively, the Trojan can be programmed to
automatically send any information on our PCs
back to the attacker.
o This could include,
 Client or customer information or other
business data and Credit card details.
 Passwords for access to your online bank, ISP or
web services.
 Children's names, photographs, ages or other
personal details held on the computer.
Crackers Vs. Hackers
 Crackers: are Good Guys, they are talented
programmers. True hackers subscribe to code ethics.
 Hackers: are Bud Guys, who seeks to crack or gain
unauthorized access to the system.
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Virus protection and Prevention
 The best way to protect yourself against a virus is to
keep up-to date copies of your disk files.
 Computer users can prepare for a virus infection by
creating backups of legal original software and data
files regularly so that the computer system can be
restored if necessary.
 Several types of antivirus software can be used to
detect the presence of a virus.
 This SW can check and recognize the characteristics of
a virus's computer code and look for the
characteristics in the computers files.
 E.g. currently Semantecs, Macafee, Norton, AVG,
Avira, Avast, and Kaspersky are most commonly used
anti viruses.
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