IT Security Risks – Pre-emptive Measures
Literature Review
Technology nowadays is rapidly progressing; every quarter new gadgets and systems are developed and launched in the market. Technology in this era is accessible, with the creation of the computer and the internet, communicating with other people became easier as well as finding relevant information. However, with the fast advancement of technology comes with consequences that could be harmful especially in the security and privacy of the users. Viruses in the computer have become more sophisticated and harder to be recovered. Therefore a number of companies employing complex technologies have employed security measures to ensure that their important files are free from risks.
Information Technology has been a common phrase for the past decade. Information technology pays a very significant role in the changes in the businesses, industries, entertainment, government and the daily life of ordinary individuals. The developments in information technology have a huge impact on the propagation of new instruments and tools that could help in managing, entering, obtaining, and manoeuvring data and information encrypted in the system. Utilising technologies such as computers faces a number of challenges particularly in terms of security and safety. Data can be stolen easily, especially if it is stored in diskettes, laptops, and flash drives. Aside from the threat of being stolen, the possibility of acquiring viruses is highly possible especially if the computer is not restricted by the administrator.
According to Relkin (2006) there is no such thing as a perfect security in technology, however the individuals using technology must properly apply security controls that could decrease the risks, Relkin discussed and enumerated the ten security problems that the information technology sector faces and these are:
System Penetration Threats- numerous people have now access to technology through the internet and the availability of computer rentals makes it possible for hackers to penetrate the valuable information stored. People must be extra careful in keeping their personal identification information such as access codes and password. Companies must have an information system that could not be easily infiltrated by the hackers. Other measures that could be utilised by different people are the maintenance of the firewalls which is an important tool in countering viruses and having the appropriate tool in removing the spam emails in the internet. The budget of organisations may it be private or public on the security of data must be adequate enough in order to constantly update and keep up with the changes in technology.
Internet security realities- internet is now one of the most important means of acquiring information and communicating with other people in this world. With just a click of a button messages could be sent and received by different parties in any part of the globe. However, internet is very prone to threats in security and can be easily accessed without authorisation. Authors (Kent and Piscitello, 2003 and Ali Pabrai, 2003) pointed out that in a survey conducted by the FBI, 85 percent have discovered that their computers have viruses acquired from the internet, and 75 percent accredited have referred Internet connection as the source of attack in the privacy and information of an individual or a company. In order to counter these threats, the data of an individual online must be protected through strong preventive actions by the government, businesses, as well as the consumers to eliminate if not reduce the abuse online (Bahl, Milne, and Rohm, 2004). Organisations, as well as, the usual internet users must be aware of the threats in the internet and must protect themselves through not giving sensitive information on the internet and using and sustaining firewalls.
Portability of hardware- nowadays tons of information could be stored in just a small microchip. In any part of the world, an individual could bring his files through portable computers and connect to the worldwide web. However, this portable hardware is no exception from the challenges of security. According to Ferraro (2001) theft of laptops, palmtops, and mobile phones has been one of the major problems of portable hardware. The major challenge for the company or an individual if this hardware is lost or stolen is the replacement of the important information. In order to counter this problem, a back-up of the files must be made in order to assure that the important data could be retrieved. If the laptop is stolen or lost the important information could be accessed by another person. The best measure to counter it is to encrypt the data so that in the event that the hardware is lost or stolen, the files could not be accessed.
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