Computer Science · Ch 12 — Security Aspects
Threats and Prevention
Threats and Prevention
The Core Idea
Security is easiest to guarantee in isolation. A computer with no link to any external device or network is free from the security threats that connectivity brings. But staying completely disconnected is not a realistic option for a person or a computer -- the world is steadily moving toward being fully connected, and a device that stays aloof from every network loses most of its usefulness.
This growing connectedness of devices and computers is exactly what has brought network threats -- and the need to prevent them -- into focus.
What Network Security Means
Network security is concerned with protecting a device, as well as the data on it, from illegitimate access or misuse.
What a Threat Is
A threat covers all the ways in which someone can exploit a vulnerability or weakness in a network or communication system, in order to cause harm or damage one's reputation.
This short opening section only sets up the general idea of network security and what a threat is. The rest of the chapter goes on to examine specific threats and defences in their own dedicated sections -- malware, antivirus software, spam, the HTTP-vs-HTTPS distinction, firewalls, cookies, hackers and crackers, and other network security threats.