There are many things in life are worth protecting. Our children, our precious, our resources and of course, ourselves. Only twenty years ago, if security is mentioned, you spoke to protect your home. And you most likely discuss security systems, monitoring, oversight, firearms and cameras.
With the explosion of personal computers, the Internet and the ease of access to information, security has now taken on additional roles. With more than 605 million people online at any given moment worldwide, criminals are no longer bound by geographic location. Today’s cyber criminals can hack from the comfort of their home just by getting online.
There are software programs that do nothing but scan the internet for un-secure ports and open networks so that they can get into the machines that are not protected access to important information. There are many users who know little about internet security and rely on their ISPs to provide for them.
To look deeper into this topic, let’s examine the qualities that make security both similar and different. With your home, you have a physical area that you can protect with fire and motion sensors, cameras, glass break detectors and decals strategically placed to prevent potential thieves. For your computer, you protect a virtual space usually containing sensitive information relevant to personal finances or identity key theft items such as family names and social security number. To protect these resources, we need to install software (anti-virus, port scanners, Trojan hunting software, firewalls) as one level of protection. You can also add a layer of security through a hardware firewall of connectivity to and from the Internet or network.
Both home security and computer security have maintenance costs associated with them. Reliable home security will usually consist of one-time fee to install the hardware in your home, and then deal to have 24-hour monitoring service for a specified period. Computer security will consist of buying software and then either a monthly or annual subscription fee to receive the latest information and protection from Internet threats.
One difference between the two is the method of monitoring. While computer security is only responsive while the computer is active or online, home security monitoring is responsive at all times provided the system is properly armed.
Another difference is the method of response. In home security, people will respond by sending the police, fire or EMS directly to your home or business site. On the computer, the response is when the software vendor becomes aware of the problem, create solutions, and has updates available for download.
With advances in technology, monthly fees for home security monitoring are reasonable for the services they provide. Beware: not all monitoring companies have the same ability when it comes to quick response. That is one reason why a good idea to ensure that any security company you choose has a UL certification. This can be important because it shows that the security company has met stringent standards for compliance management systems (such as a backup source of power).
The same methodology should apply to the provider of security software. Just because they say they are the best, does not mean that they are. Due diligence is the responsibility of the user. Your information is too valuable to be taken lightly.
Both home security and cyber security are similar to having insurance. You have it, but you hope you never need it. And if you need it, you want a company or vendor that has a history of excellent customer service.
There are those who think that having a firearm is all they need for protection. While that may apply in some form, a firearm will not let you know if someone is trying to enter your home through the back door while you are sleeping and tells you or the authorities. The general perception is that supervisors will alert the homeowner to intrusion, but again, man’s best friend sleeping 10 to 12 hours a day and can not tell the police.
There are some computer users who claim they can detect viruses in email sent with a few taglines that clearly intended for the user to open and infect the machine.
Not all viruses in the email, although it is the most common form. They also can be uploaded to a website, or embedded in Java Applets or Active X controls
Trojans, which can log all users keystrokes and sites visited, are secretly downloaded in the form of free games or free software, and not detected by anti-virus software. This is the preferred method of attack by hackers on the machine. By not changing the engine performance (such as a virus or worm does not), happy users continue to use their machines to make purchases online, and enter sensitive information, thinking they are safe, while the Trojan secretly records all the information and will only send all the user information on designated intervals to the hacker.
Many times a decision about security measures for your home or computer is based on a limited budget. But always consider what you’re protecting and how much you will pay back whatever was stolen, lost or damaged when unfortunate events happen in your life.