Computer Security Systems
Computer security is an increasingly important consideration. From authentication to encryption keys, learn how to keep your computer's hard drive protected and your personal information safe.
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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.
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
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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?
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?
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?
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People traveling to the United States have grown accustomed to tight security. But can the government really take your laptop and keep it indefinitely?
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?
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
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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.
Internet censors range from parents and employers to national governments. They block access to the Web pages they identify as undesirable.
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?
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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.
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.
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?
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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
Most people associate phishing with e-mail messages imitating banks or other businesses in an attempt to scam victims into revealing personal information. But e-mail messages are only one small piece of a phishing scam.
According to recent estimates, more than two-thirds of all PCs are infected with some kind of spyware. These programs track your Web habits and more. Is your computer doomed, or can you get rid of spyware?
By Dave Coustan
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Your fingerprints are not only unique; they're also very hard to fake and even harder to misplace. What better ID to use in a security system? Learn how fingerprint scanners know it's you.
By Tom Harris
If you're surfing the Internet at work, you may not be the only one who knows. Watching workers has become an industry unto itself. Find out exactly how companies are monitoring employees.
By Kevin Bonsor