Computer Security! Emma Campbell, 8K VirusesHackingBackups

Computer Viruses!

So what is a virus? Well, basically, a computer virus is a program that wants to harm a computer. Most of the time they’re created by people. They can do a range of different things, depending on how the creator programs them. Some can stop you using your computer at all, some damage certain parts of the computer. Some can stop you opening or closing the disc drive, some delete files on your computer, some stop the antivirus on your computer working so you can’t get rid of it! There are a lot of viruses out there, but a lot of information about them, too, so it’s easy to look up what a virus does. Sources used:

Different Types Of Virus Different types of viruses include: Computer Worms are programs that use the computer network to send themselves off but do not need to attach themselves to other programs like viruses do. Trojan horses, which appear to offer good things but when you download them they steal information from or harm your computer. Spyware, which is installed on a person’s system and then collects information without the user’s knowledge. Adware, which is designed to play adverts on the computer of the victim. Most of them are harmless, but some come with spyware installed in them too. Sources used:

So what can I do? There are lots of ways you can stay protected against viruses. Get some antivirus software. This will sit quietly on your computer and scan it, and if a virus is found, the software will attempt to remove it. Don’t download any software without checking it out first. Some people may be advertising programs as screensavers, but it could be a virus. If it looks weird, don’t take a chance! Update your computer often. Your computer will usually tell you, if you are using Windows, when new updates are available or a little notice may pop up telling you to restart your computer because an update has been installed. This can be annoying (especially if you’re in the middle of something!) but it’ll help a lot. Everybody thinks that viruses won’t be sent by people you know, for example your best friend, because they’re too smart to send it on. You’re wrong - viruses more often than not come from people you know because the virus sends itself through addresses - so if you’re in the victim’s address book, the virus will send itself to you! Sources used:

There’s a catch, right? Well, yes, there is. There are some weaknesses in anti-virus software, even though for the most part they’re quite reliable. New viruses appear every day. It’s important to update your software regularly, or if you get a new virus, your antivirus will be useless as it won’t know what to do! Luckily, some antivirus programs update by themselves. Some programs recognize software that’s perfectly safe as viruses, so this can confuse if you get a warning about it but you’re sure it’s safe (check with your parents, they’ll tell you!) Depending on what type you have, very often, antivirus software slows a computer down a lot. This will get in the way, obviously, so sometimes, people decide to remove it, leaving them entirely open to viruses.

Stuxnet! Stuxnet is a worm discovered in 2010 that targets industrial software/equipment. Stuxnet targeted 5 Iranian organizations and it’s speculated that several countries like Israel and the USA could have done it deliberately.

Hacking

So what is hacking? Hacking is something that happens when another person gets into your computer. From there, they can do a lot - they can delete files, change settings/passwords or put viruses into your computer!

So how can I stop it happening? Don’t worry! There are a number of ways you can stop yourself getting hacked. Don’t give any of your passwords out. Even if it’s someone you trust, they could let it slip and someone could use it against you. Again, don’t download stuff you don’t know about. Some programs, called keyloggers, keep a record of what you type so they can find out your password. If you’re sensible and you keep an eye out on what you look at or download, then you probably won’t get hacked.

Backups

What’s a backup? A backup is keeping another copy of something important somewhere else, so if your file is lost, you have another one somewhere safe. There are lots of different kinds of backups: Full backups are backups of your entire computer. They’re very useful if you get a bad computer virus, but they take a long time to copy to and load. You can also take the option of only backing up your important files. This saves time and space and is usually the method people choose. Some people also take screenshots of their work, so they can recreate it later.

Where should I back up my files to? There are lots of places you can back up to, and they’re all useful, but it mostly depends on what you want to back up: External hard drives usually have a lot of space on them and they’re very good for keeping large amounts of data on. A CD-ROM can store quite a lot of data, but less than external hard drives. A USB stick is the most common tool used to back up. It can’t hold loads, but it can hold lots of important files. There’s also the matter of keeping your data secure. If it’s not secure, hackers can get at that too! One way to do this is to encrypt the files - this means you’re changing it so it can’t be looked at by other people, only by you. Sources used:

How to do a backup! On the left is the file we want to save. It’s easy to back something up! First, save it onto your computer if you haven’t already. And on the right is how we back up - save it in a different location. “USB Memory” is my USB stick, and that’s where I’m backing my files up to, so I just save them there! Simple!

Thanks for watching!