Basic Internet Security Terminologies for Beginners

Internet security is a branch of computer security specifically related to the Internet. It's objective is to establish rules and measure to use against attacks over the Internet. The Internet represents an insecure channel for exchanging information leading to a high risk of intrusion or fraud (e.g. phishing). Different methods have been used to protect the transfer of data, including encryption. If you are a newbie in Internet security, you have come to the right place. The following is information on some common terms used in Internet security. So next time you don’t have to scratch your head when someone uses these.

Firewall - is a system that acts as a barrier between your computer network and the Internet. A firewall controls the flow of information according to security policies.

Hacker - can be anyone specializing in accessing computer based systems for illegal purposes or just for the fun of it.

IP spoofing - is an attempt to access your system by pretending like another system. This is done by setting up a system with an IP address that you normally trust.

Sniffing - is the spying on electronic transmissions to access data. This mostly occurs in privately owned LAN networks connected to the web.

Trojan horse - a program pretending like useful software, while its actual strategy is to access, steal or destroy user data and access authorization. Apart from destroying information, trojans can also create a backdoor on your system for stealing confidential information.

Virus - is a program that attaches itself to a program or file. This allows it to spread across networks and cause damage to software and hardware. To operate, viruses require the execution of the attached file.

Worm - A worm is almost similar to a virus, except that it doesn’t need the execution of any executable file to get activated. It can also replicate itself as it travels across networks.

So newbies, hope this post was helpful for you.

Do you have questions, comments, or suggestions? Feel free to post a comment!

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