unit 12-computer security .ppt

3. Other Hazards There are plenty of other hazards to computer systems and data besides criminals. They include the following: (1) Natural Hazards Natural forces include fires, floods, wind, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes. Even home computer users should store backup disks of programs and data in safe location in case of fire or storm damage. (2) Civil Strife and Terrorism Wars, riots and other forms of political unrest are real risks in some parts of the world. Even people in developed countries, however, must be mindful that acts of sabotage are possible. (3) Technological Failures Hardware and software don’t always do what they are supposed to do. For instance, too little electricity, caused by a brownout or blackout, may cause the loss of data in primary storage. Too much electricity, as when lightning or other electrical disturbance affects a power line, may cause a voltage surge, or spike. This excess of electricity may destroy chips or other electronic components of a computer. Most microcomputer users buy a surge protector, a device that separates the computer from the power source of the wall outlet. When a voltage surge occurs, it activates a circuit breaker in the surge protector, protecting the computer system. Another technological catastrophe is when a hard-disk drive suddenly “crashes”, or fails, perhaps because it has been bumped inadvertently. If the user has forgotten to make backup copies of data on the hard disk, data may be lost. (4) Human Errors Human mistakes are inevitable. Data-entry errors are probably the most commonplace. Programmer errors also occur frequently. Some mistakes may result from faulty design, as when a software manufacturer makes a deletion command closely resembling another command. Some error