Computer Security Basics, 2nd Edition

Introduction Section 1.1.u The New Insecurity Section 1.2.u What Is Computer Security? Section 1.3.u Threats to Security Section 1.4.u Why Buy Security...

Some Security History Computer security is a hot issue today, but it's an issue that's been simmering for many years. The development of government security regulations and standards, research into security mechanisms, and debates over the threats t...

Computer System Security and Access Controls Computer security covers a lot of territory: locking your server and telecommunications rooms, locking your machine, protecting your login accounts with strong passwords, using file protection and adherin...

Viruses and Other Wildlife The word virus has become a generic term describing a number of different types of attacks on computers using malicious code. Just about everybody has heard of computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and other malicious...

Establishing and Maintaining a Security Policy Secure system planning and administration is the human side of computer security. Even in a highly trusted system, security isn't automatic. Administrators need a written guideline, spelled out beforeha...

Web Attacks and Internet Vulnerabilities If you are at all interested in computer and network security, you'll need to know something about the Internet, and its subset, the World Wide Web (WWW). This chapter deals with the basics of the Internet an...

Encryption The study of encryption is called cryptography, from the Greek kryptos meaning "hidden," and graphia, meaning "writing." The process of trying to decrypt encrypted information without the key (to "break" an encrypted message) is calle...

Communications and Network Security The cost of maintaining secure communications links can be great. In a time when remote access to the corporate IT infrastructure is critical, imagine the expense of securing the link to every traveling salesperso...

Physical Security and Biometrics Physical security protects your physical computer and networking facilitiesyour building, your server room, your computers, your backup media, and increasingly, your people. Biometric devices (devices that sample a...

Wireless Network Security Wireless network communications, systems that interconnect several units without using wires, has been a goal of network administrators for a long time. This is because seasoned administrators know that sometimes wires just...