Understanding It Terminology And Security

Why do we need to use correct terminology?

This helps us understand what we are talking about, or put another way, it helps people understand properly what you are talking about.

As an example, I find as a tutor that I need to specify and repeat the terms used in computing in particular. Students and indeed anyone says things that are confusing and a good example of this is the computer. We cannot escape the digital age all it brings with us but we can avoid a lot of confusion and frustration using the equipment just by considering what we are saying to someone and considering how we sound to them.

Computers are a good example of this as it has developed a language of its own and contains a lot of terms that can be confusing.

What do we mean by Computer security?

The answer to this lies in what we mean by computer. Do we mean the computer we are working on or the data that we produce on it or both. Do we understand the difference or are they one and the same?

A lot of computer terminology is used interchangeably, an example is data and information. Are they both the same? One is data, one is information, what is the difference and is there a difference?

Let's clear up something first. A lot of terms used with the use of computers is used interchangeably due to a lack of proper computer training and standards regarding the learning and teaching of computer related subjects.

Computer security is no exception to this. Is there any difference between computer security and data security? The answer is yes there is.

Computer security would use software such as firewalls and antivirus whereas data security uses things such as encryption and codes. Try using a code on your computer and see how far you get or try using a firewall on a file that you have produced in Microsoft Word and you will see what I mean.

They are two different things as is data and information. For example, data could be

00001 12 9 1934 123875 07 what does this mean? We don't know, this is data. How do we make this understandable? By giving the data items labels and making it understandable as shown here:

Customer iddate of birth item number bought 'quantity bought

00001 12 9 1934 123875 07

Now we have the makings of a customer database because we know what the numbers mean. Therefore the numbers on their own are data, (they mean nothing) and the numbers with headings or labels mean something, they are now information and understandable. The difference between data and information is that information is organised data.

Computer security is also a similar misunderstanding. Is the computer or the data produced by and stored on the computer?

Let's see what the difference is.

We use antivirus software and a firewall to protect our computer, (the hardware). The firewall closes most of the open ports (think of ports as doorways into and out of your computer) on the computer, (by default Windows opens quite a few ports which you would never know about) and protects your computer from outside signals being received through these ports. Therefore there is less chance of a hacker finding you.

The antivirus software checks your hard drive for signs of virus software. Virii (the plural of virus) can do all sorts of things to your computer and even damage the hardware, (memory, disk drive, etc.) and they attach themselves to or modify programs on your computer. The antivirus software checks the programs integrity to find out if they have been changed and if there are traces of a virus on them.

How does a virus infect your computer?

There are quite a few ways. Downloading and opening an email even if it is from someone you know. Visiting websites especially shady ones, (we have all done that except for maybe those using computers that have lots of restrictions and parental controls on them), downloading and installing games, you tube is also a good source of malware.

What is malware?

It's any program that has an undesirable effect on your computer. A virus is malware because it does all sorts of unwanted things on your computer, adware, (advertising programs) are malware because they keep bringing up adverts that get in the way, spyware is malware because it sits in the background and monitors your system, mainly your keyboard to record what you type then it sends all that off to whoever wrote the program and then someone you don't know has all of your information and personal details, (yes, that is scary).

So the collective term for all the programs that adversely affect your computer is malware.

So be safe, in this instance knowledge is power Here