Week 13: Muddy - Computer Security Risks

I found week 13's readings and lectures to be one of the more entertaining and knowledgeable readings in the course. After reading and watching the lectures I feel better informed on how to protect my computer and how to properly encrypt a message if necessary. Something I would have liked to seen better covered in lectures was the different type of computer security risks. These include a computer virus, worm, and or Trojan horse. The book does a bit better of a job describing each of the three:

1. Virus - This is a damaging computer program that affects or infects a computer in a bad way by altering how the computer was intended to work without the permission of the owner. Once the virus attacks the computer, it can spread throughout the computer damaging many files and possibly damaging the entire operating system.

2. Worm - A worm is a program that copies itself over and over again. By copying itself repeatedly, it can use of critical resources on a computer causing the computer or even the entire network to shutdown.

3. Trojan Horse - A program that hides within the computer and may look like a legitimate program. A specific condition or action triggers the Trojan horse and puts it into effect. However, in comparison to a worm or virus, a Trojan horse does not replicate itself to other computers.

In the past I have always wondered the difference between a virus, worm and Trojan horse, thankfully I can now differentiate between the three. Over the years, computer users have been suspect to many different kinds of computer security risks that have terrorized and destroyed millions of users data. With modern technology and vasts improvements in anti-virus programs, users now are much better protected from computer attacks then in the past. I believe that our society will never see the end of viruses, worms, or Trojan horses, however with a little self-awareness, users can protect their valuable data and help minimize spreading any type of virus. As technology progresses it will be interesting to see if more or less computer attacks are initiated in the future.