Understanding Data Security

• Data security protects data like databases from destructive forces and unwanted actions.
• Computer criminals can infiltrate computer systems and steal confidential information.
• A hacker gains illegal access to information via computer.
• Viruses enter PCs via email attachments or when files are downloaded from the Internet.
• Cookies are small files web servers use to identify return visitors.
• Encryption encodes data to prevent unauthorized users from reading it.
• Decryption decodes encrypted data.
• A virus becomes active when an infected program is run, infecting other programs.
• Computer crime is an act performed by a knowledgeable computer user that illegally browses or steals private information.
• Computer crimes include phishing, malware, money laundering, software piracy, identity theft, and cyber stalking.
• Cyber stalking involves using the Internet to harass or stalk individuals or groups and may include false accusations.
• A backup is a copy of a file or data used to protect against accidental loss or corruption.
• A firewall prevents unauthorized network access.
• Computer viruses reproduce inside a host, which they damage or destroy, similarly to biological viruses.
• A virus patching the operating system can copy itself into any program files.
• Some viruses load into memory to stay dormant until triggered.
• Payload examples, particularly in the context of software and cybersecurity, encompass various actions such as sending a notification to a user or erasing specific files from a system. These functions can serve as alerts or as methods to carry out malicious tasks in an exploit scenario.
• Viruses often attach to COM or EXE programs.
• A Trojan has a payload but lacks a reproduction routine.
• "Anti EXE" viruses will corrupt, overwrite, and lose data via various methods.
• A logic bomb is activated when a dismissed employee's name is deleted, which results in the destruction of payroll records.
• Cascade viruses trigger a payload when a date occurs that makes characters on a text mode screen slide down to the bottom.
• A MIDI message encodes sound into code as 8-bit bytes of digital information.

Safe Data Transfer

• Privacy.
• The recipient's private key
• Public-key cryptography
• Decrypt
• Create MAC
• Information about the company operating the server and the server's public key.
• To encrypt a message for sending: The recipient public key
• To decrypt a received message: The recipient private key
• To encrypt the MAC of a message: The sender's private key
• To encrypt the MAC of a digital signature: Trusted issuer' private key
• Gibberish: meaningless data
• Imposter: Person pretending to be someone else
• Decipher: Convert to meaningful data
• MAC: Message-authentication code
• Tenets: Principal features
• Tamper: Make unauthorized changes

Some Definitions

• Incremental backups – Copies of changes to files made to reduce the risk of loss of data.
• Shareware – Software available for a short time on a free trial basis if adopted a fee is payable to the author.
• Cannot be disrupted or cut – Under lock and key
• Put at risk – Compromise
• Deciphered, worked out – Decoded
• Encrypt – Protect data by putting it in a form only authorized users can understand.
• Firewall – A combination of hardware and software to protect networks from unauthorized users.
• Audit – Observe and record systematically.
• Biometrics – Measuring physical characteristics such as distance between the eyes.
• Frequent intervals – Periodic audits