Protecting Your Computer and Data

Summary

The goal of computer security is to eliminate or protect against threats. A threat is anything that can cause harm.

A countermeasure is any step taken to ward off a threat. Countermeasures are meant to protect data and systems from damage.

Computer use poses several kinds of threats to users. These include the risk of identity theft, the loss of privacy, the exposure to spam, and even physical injuries.

In identity theft, an ID thief impersonates someone else by using the victim's name and personal information.

A successful ID thief can obtain documents and conduct business transactions in the victim's name.

Many companies monitor the activities of consumers each day and compile this information for various reasons.

The growing amount of personal data that is sold and traded among companies - and which is available for individuals to access - raises concerns abort the loss of personal privacy.

Spam is unwanted, or "junk", e-mail messages.

Spam messages are usually commercial in nature and may arrive by the dozens or hundreds in a person's inbox.

There are a variety of steps you can take to avoid receiving spam.