Chapter 9 - Indiana University of Pennsylvania.ppt.pptVIP

* Biometric authentication devices are devices you can attach to your computer that read a unique personal characteristic, such as a fingerprint or the iris pattern in your eye, and convert that pattern to a digital code. When you use the device, your pattern is read and compared to the one stored on the computer. Only users having an exact fingerprint or iris pattern match are allowed to access the computer. Because no two people have the same biometric characteristics, these devices provide a high level of security. They also eliminate the human error that can occur in password protection. (You might forget your password, but you won’t forget to bring your fingerprint to the computer!) Malware is software that has a malicious intent (hence the prefix mal). There are three primary forms of malware: adware, spyware, and viruses. Adware and spyware are not destructive like viruses and worms are. Known collectively as grayware, they are primarily intrusive, annoying, or objectionable online programs that are downloaded to your computer when you install or use other online content such as a freeware program, game, or utility. Adware is software that displays sponsored advertisements in a section of your browser window or as a pop-up ad box and is considered a legitimate (although sometimes annoying) means of generating revenue for those developers who do not charge for their software or information. Spyware is an unwanted piggyback program that usually downloads with the software you want to install from the Internet and runs in the background of your system. Many spyware programs use tracking cookies to collect information, whereas others are disguised as benign programs that are really malicious programs (such as Trojan horses). Some spyware programs (known as keystroke loggers) monitor keystrokes with the intent of stealing passwords, login IDs, or credit card information. * Spam is unwanted or junk e-mail. Companies find your e-mail address either from a list the