Computer security

Computer security is a branch of information technology known as information security which is intended to protect computers. Computer security has three main goals:

• Confidentiality: Making sure people cannot acquire information they should not (keeping secrets)
• Integrity: Making sure people cannot change information they should not (protecting data)
• Availability: Making sure people cannot stop the computer from doing its job.

Computer security involves telling computers what they are not to do. This makes computer security unique because most programming makes computers do things. Security takes much of a computer's power.

Basic computer security methods (in approximate order of strength) can be:

• Limit access to computers to "safe" users.
• Peripherals that block any "unsafe" activity.
• Firewall and antivirus software.

An example of complexity and pervasiveness of the issue is vending machines, per Hackers Lurking in Vents and Soda Machines April 7, 2014 New York Times.

Computer Security Media

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  An example of a physical security measure: a metal lock on the back of a personal computer to prevent hardware tampering.

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  Cryptographic techniques involve transforming information, scrambling it, so it becomes unreadable during transmission. The intended recipient can unscramble the message; ideally, eavesdroppers cannot.

Related pages

• Cybercrime
• FreeOTFE - Disk encryption
• Internet safety
• Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) - Email encryption
• Memory safety