Computer Security Systems

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

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.

By Tracy V. Wilson

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

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

Security passcards are often used to gain entry into areas and buildings with restricted access. Find out what data is kept on an encoded security passcard and how they work.

The growth of the Internet has excited businesses and consumers alike with its promise of changing the way we live and work. But doing business online means there's a whole lot of information that we don't want other people to see. That's where encry

By Jeff Tyson

If George Orwell's book "1984" creeped you out, you'll want to read the facts about the FBI's Operation Carnivore. It gave agents the permission and technology to access to the online and e-mail activities of suspected criminals.

By Jeff Tyson

Firewalls have helped protect computers in large companies for years. Now they're a critical component of home networks as well. What are they protecting you from?

By Jeff Tyson

Cookies are widely used by Web sites to keep track of their visitors, but they can also provide a better user experience. Are cookies letting Big Brother into your PC?

By Marshall Brain

Both BO and Netbus are Windows 95/98 applications designed to allow other people to access your machine over the Internet. But here's the kicker - you're the one installing it!

A smart card may look like a credit card, but just like people, it's what's inside that counts. Find out how smart cards protect sensitive data.

From Trojan horses, to worms and viruses, we give you the skinny on how viruses can infect your system through email.

Fortunately the Year 2038 problem is somewhat easier to fix than Y2K on mainframes. Learn about the standard time library and how C programming is involved with this computer blunder.