TEXT 2. INFORMATION SECURITY

The confidentiality, availability and the integrity of the data is the most important aspect of the computer security. No security system is foolproof, but taking basic and practical steps to protect data is critical for good information security. There is a large number of techniques that can be used to protect your computer from all the threats such as passwords for access control, encryption and decryption systems, firewalls, special protocols, antivirus software, and so on.

Password is a secret word or phrase that gives a user access to a particular program or system. It provides the first line of defense against unauthorized access to your computer. To make access as secure as possible, users should create strong passwords that use a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols, and avoid easily guessed combinations such as dates of birth or family names.

Encoding data or encryption, one of the oldest ways of securing written information, is the conversion of data into a form, called a ciphertext, which cannot be easily understood by unauthorized people. Today's encryption systems are similar to military code systems but not as sophisticated as such systems. Decryption, on the contrary, is the process of converting encrypted data back into its original form, so it can be understood.

Firewalls filter the information that passes through them, only allowing authorized content in. Together with an antivirus package, firewalls significantly increase information security by reducing the chance that a hacker will gain access to private data. Without a firewall, secure data is more vulnerable to attack.

Cookie is a file, which is stored on the user's hard drive and allows the user to distinguish a web page from others. Cookies are mostly used by e-commerce websites where they store the user's preferences (such as options that have been previously selected) so that the user does not have to select them the next time he visits. If one of the intermediary computers is infiltrated by hackers, data can be copied through cookies. To avoid risks, it is necessary to disable or delete them.

The security protocol called Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is today’s de facto standard for securing communications and transactions across the Internet especially in today’s e-commerce and e-business activities on the Web. It uses digital certificates which are electronic files used to identify people and resources over networks such as the Internet. Data transmitted over an SSL connection cannot be tampered with or forged without the two parties becoming immediately aware of the tampering.

Antivirus software is designed to deal with modern malware including viruses, Trojans, worms and etc. Using strong antivirus software is one of the best ways of improving information security. Antivirus programs scan the system to check for any known malicious software, and most will warn the user if he or she is on a webpage that contains a potential virus. Even the best antivirus programs usually need to be updated regularly to keep up with the new malware.

The above measures prevent unauthorized users (also known as "intruders") from accessing any part of your computer system.