Computer Security Systems

No one should think of surfing the Internet without some kind of anti-virus software protection. Learn if there is any free anti-virus software in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

In 2009, President Barack Obama created a White House position -- the cybersecurity czar -- to oversee the nation's computer network safety. With so many other federal agencies focused on the same task, what exactly does the cybersecurity czar's job entail?

By John Kelly

Biometrics provide a unique method of security that's virtually foolproof. Just scan a fingerprint or your retina and you're in. But what could happen if your personal information were stolen?

By Jonathan Strickland

Millions of people around the world have personal profiles on social networking sites. But when those people pass away, what happens to all that personal information they put online?

By Jonathan Strickland

What does it take to cripple a nation? Someone with solid computer skills, for a start. Nefarious hackers wield a lot of power with a few keystrokes, and the United States is taking action.

By Cristen Conger

We all get spam e-mail messages that tell us to follow a link. But that link could download a Trojan horse. What is it, and how is it different from a virus?

By John Fuller

Where you go on the Web is your own business. Without an administrator's password, no one should be able to take control of your computer. At least, that's what you've been told.

By John Fuller

Sometimes it seems like no matter what Internet community you join, someone's trying to drive you crazy. Are they just annoying, or are they doing it on purpose?

By Jonathan Strickland

Hackers can disable digital infrastructure in minutes. Is it only a matter of time before countries attack one another's computers? Or have they already started?

By Jonathan Strickland

You can get some great deals on online auction sites. But do you know where the items originally came from? You might be buying from an eFence.

By John Fuller

Most computer-savvy people know about viruses and how to prevent an infection. But what are some of the most destructive viruses of all time, the record-smasher server-crashers?

By Jonathan Strickland

People traveling to the United States have grown accustomed to tight security. But can the government really take your laptop and keep it indefinitely?

By Jonathan Strickland

Are you a computer? If you've ever successfully filled in a CAPTCHA on the Web, you're probably not. So what is this test, and what does it do?

By Jonathan Strickland

Digital signatures make sure the documents you send electronically are authentic. Learn about digital signatures and other authentication methods.

Information technology and trade laws interact to let us purchase goods from faraway companies safely. Learn about information technology and trade laws.

By John Fuller

Could your e-mail be used against you in a court of law? Maybe. Computer forensics searches, preserves and analyzes information on computer systems for potential evidence in a trial.

By Jonathan Strickland

Internet censors range from parents and employers to national governments. They block access to the Web pages they identify as undesirable.

By Jonathan Strickland

E-mail scams are often well-disguised and can be very dangerous. Check out some examples of e-mail scams in this article.

By Tim Crosby

Without hackers, we'd have no PCs or iPods. Yet, hackers have gotten a bad reputation as criminals of the computer age. Are they friends or foes?

By Jonathan Strickland

As the famous cartoon has it, "On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog." Online fraud is one of the fastest-growing crimes -- so how can you protect yourself?

By Joe Wallace

With the evolution of the Internet, the big kid in class who used to steal your lunch money has evolved into a new kind of bully -- one who hacks your e-mail, sends you threatening messages and sabotages your computer.

By Jacob Silverman

When hackers take over computers to do their Internet bidding, they create zombie computers. Allegedly, one hacker under investigation used a single computer to control a network of more than 1.5 million zombie computers.

By Jonathan Strickland

In "Live Free or Die Hard," Detective John McLane fights a group that carries out attacks using the Internet. Is it really possible for hackers to cause economic or physical devastation in the United States?

By Jacob Silverman

How did hackers exploit four different "zero day" flaws in Microsoft Word? Find out what went wrong with Microsoft Word.

By Julia Layton

Logic bombs can cripple a company's computer system and either reveal or destroy sensitive information. It's often a tool used by angry employees -- in the IT world, it has a reputation of being associated with "disgruntled employee syndrome."

By Julia Layton