Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 21 views

    Cybersecurity and Computer Misuse

    Uploaded by

    Kevaughn Brown
    Computer security, also known as cybersecurity, describes techniques used to protect computers, networks, and data from unauthorized access or attacks. Companies implement computer security to minimize risks like vulnerability, threats, attacks, and countermeasures. Computer misuse can occur through collecting private information without permission, storing incorrect information about innocent people, or allowing unauthorized access to information. Common forms of misuse include cyberbullying, copyright infringement, data theft, denial-of-service attacks, malware, identity theft, phishing attacks, software and music piracy, financial abuse, privacy violations, propaganda, industrial espionage, and electronic eavesdropping. Measures must be taken to prevent these misuses which can impact individuals, organizations, and

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Cybersecurity and Computer Misuse

    Uploaded by

    Kevaughn Brown
    21 views5 pages
    Computer security, also known as cybersecurity, describes techniques used to protect computers, networks, and data from unauthorized access or attacks. Companies implement computer security to minimize risks like vulnerability, threats, attacks, and countermeasures. Computer misuse can occur through collecting private information without permission, storing incorrect information about innocent people, or allowing unauthorized access to information. Common forms of misuse include cyberbullying, copyright infringement, data theft, denial-of-service attacks, malware, identity theft, phishing attacks, software and music piracy, financial abuse, privacy violations, propaganda, industrial espionage, and electronic eavesdropping. Measures must be taken to prevent these misuses which can impact individuals, organizations, and

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Computer security, also known as cybersecurity, describes techniques used to protect computers, networks, and data from unauthorized access or attacks. Companies implement computer security to minimize risks like vulnerability, threats, attacks, and countermeasures. Computer misuse can occur through collecting private information without permission, storing incorrect information about innocent people, or allowing unauthorized access to information. Common forms of misuse include cyberbullying, copyright infringement, data theft, denial-of-service attacks, malware, identity theft, phishing attacks, software and music piracy, financial abuse, privacy violations, propaganda, industrial espionage, and electronic eavesdropping. Measures must be taken to prevent these misuses which can impact individuals, organizations, and

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    21 views5 pages

    Cybersecurity and Computer Misuse

    Uploaded by

    Kevaughn Brown
    Computer security, also known as cybersecurity, describes techniques used to protect computers, networks, and data from unauthorized access or attacks. Companies implement computer security to minimize risks like vulnerability, threats, attacks, and countermeasures. Computer misuse can occur through collecting private information without permission, storing incorrect information about innocent people, or allowing unauthorized access to information. Common forms of misuse include cyberbullying, copyright infringement, data theft, denial-of-service attacks, malware, identity theft, phishing attacks, software and music piracy, financial abuse, privacy violations, propaganda, industrial espionage, and electronic eavesdropping. Measures must be taken to prevent these misuses which can impact individuals, organizations, and

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    You are on page 1of 5

    Information Technology

    5ARB

    Topic: Cybersecurity and computer misuse

    Computer security, which is also known as cybersecurity or information technology security,


    describes the techniques employed for protecting computers, networks, programs,
    information systems and data from unauthorised access or attacks, theft, or damage to the
    hardware, the software and the information stored on them. Additionally, it protects against
    any form of disruption or misdirection of the services they provide.
    Companies or organisations will ensure that computer security is implemented to minimise
    the risk of the following elements: vulnerability, threat, attack and countermeasure.

    COMPUTER MISUSE
    Computers make it so easy for you to collect, store and share information; likewise, they also
    make it easy for the misuse of information or the committing of computer crimes. For
    example, information is collected on people who use the Internet, whether they know it or
    not.
    Information may be misused in the following ways:
    ■ by collecting information about people without their permission.
    ■ by vengeful employees or employers who want to spread propaganda on suspecting
    persons.
    ■ by (wilfully or unwittingly) storing incorrect information on an innocent person that may
    be made available to the public
    ■ when unauthorised persons are able to view and/or change information.
    ■ by using information for purposes other than those for which it was intended.

    Misuse can occur in the following ways:


    1. CYBERBULLYING
    This is the use of cell phones, emails and social network sites to bully a person, typically by
    sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature. By definition, it occurs among
    young people. When an adult is involved, it may meet the definition of cyber harassment or
    cyberstalking, a crime that can have legal consequences and involve jail time. Severe, long-
    term or frequent cyberbullying can leave both victims and bullies at greater risk for anxiety,
    depression, and other stress-related disorders. In some rare but highly publicised cases, some
    kids have turned to suicide.

    2. COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT
    A copyright infringement is a violation of an individual or organisation’s copyright. It
    describes the unauthorised use of copyrighted material, such as text, photos, videos, music,
    software and other original content. In the computer industry, copyright often refers to
    software programs and websites.

    3. DATA THEFT
    This is the act of stealing computer-based information from an unknowing target with the
    intention of compromising privacy or obtaining confidential information. This misuse act is
    increasingly a problem for individual computer users, as well as large corporations.

    4. DENIAL-OF-SERVICE ATTACK
    A denial-of-service attack is a security event that occurs when an attacker prevents legitimate
    users from accessing specific computer systems, devices, services or other IT resources.

    5. MALWARES AND COMPUTER VIRUSES


    Malware is an abbreviated term meaning ‘malicious software’. This is software that is
    specifically designed to gain access to or damage a computer without the knowledge of the
    owner. A virus is a type of malicious software program that, when executed, replicates by
    reproducing itself (copying its own source code) or infecting other computer programs by
    modifying them.
    6. IDENTITY THEFT
    This is the crime of obtaining the personal (name, identifying number, etc.) or financial
    information, such as a credit card number, of another person for the main purpose of
    assuming the person’s name or identity to make transactions or purchases, without their
    permission, to commit fraud or other crimes.

    7. ONLINE PUBLICATION OF OBSCENE MATERIALS 8. PHISHING ATTACKS


    This is the fraudulent use of electronic communications to deceive and take advantage of
    users, often to steal the user’s data, including login credentials and credit card numbers. It
    occurs when an attacker poses as a trusted entity and deceives a victim into opening an email,
    instant message or text message.

    9. SOFTWARE AND MUSIC PIRACY


    Software piracy is the act of illegally using, copying or distributing programs (software)
    without the consent of the owner. The majority of software today is purchased as a single-
    user licence, meaning that only one computer may have that software installed on it at one
    time. Copying that software to multiple computers or sharing it with your friend without
    multiple licences is considered software piracy, which is illegal. It has become a huge
    problem for software manufacturers because it causes loss of revenue and jobs.
    Some measures have been put in place to reduce software piracy, such as:
    ■ Use of registration keys that are only available with the purchase of the software.
    ■ Severe penalties, such as heavy fines and/or imprisonment for anyone found selling or
    knowingly using pirated software.
    Music piracy is the copying and distributing of copies of a piece of music for which the
    composer, recording artiste, or copyright-holding record company did not give consent.

    10. FINANCIAL ABUSES


    This may be defined as where a current or former partner controls someone’s ability to
    acquire, use or maintain financial resources by preventing victims from earning or accessing
    their own money.

    11. VIOLATION OF PRIVACY


    This is the intrusion into the personal life of another, without just cause, which can give the
    person whose privacy has been invaded a right to bring a lawsuit for damages against the
    person or entity that intruded. It encompasses workplace monitoring, Internet privacy, data
    collection, and other means of disseminating private information.

    12. PROPAGANDA
    The use of computer systems to distribute information has inevitably resulted in their use for
    spreading both beneficial and harmful material. The widespread use of the Internet by
    computer users has created a readily accessible means of transmitting such material. In some
    countries, such propaganda may be used to sway public support in favour of one party group
    or another in an attempt to discredit the opposing groups.

    13. INDUSTRIAL ESPIONAGE


    Some organisations take on this practice to ascertain pertinent information about their
    competitors such as their marketing strategies, research and future plans to gain a profit or
    marketing edge. Industrial espionage is when secret information is obtained by spying on
    competitors or opponents.

    14. ELECTRONIC EAVESDROPPING


    Electronic eavesdropping is the tapping into a communication channel to retrieve
    information. Data may be encrypted before it is transmitted to prevent eavesdropping on that
    data. Hackers commonly use electronic eavesdropping.
    For example, good hackers can collect information that you type at websites, such as your
    credit card number, password or personal data.
    The entities that such misuse acts would impact include individuals, organisations and
    government. Thus, measures have to be put in place against such acts.

    KEY WORDS/VOCABULARY:
    ■ Computer/cyber or IT security
    ■ Cyberbullying
    ■ Copyright infringement
    ■ Data theft
    ■ Denial-of-service attacks
    ■ Viruses and malware
    ■ Phishing attacks
    ■ Software and music piracy
    ■ Financial abuses
    ■ Violation of privacy
    ■ Propaganda
    ■ Electronic eavesdropping
    ■ Industrial espionage

    You might also like