Potential security threats on a home personal computer - Essay Example

Introduction Personal computers as with those owned by organizations are at a great risk of experiencing computer crimes, as long as they are connected to a network. This is due to the fact that such connections allows and makes it possible for other people to access information in the computer from remote locations, with or without the user’s permission (Gollmann, 2005). This paper will discuss the various potential threats to such computers as well as how criminals succeed in effecting them.

Potential Security Threats on a Home Personal Computer Personal computers have continued to gain popularity in most of our homes especially due to affordability as well as technological advancements in most business enterprises and organizations, which allow ecommerce. In this context, one can easily shop and buy goods online without necessarily having to travel to the business premises. This mode of conducting business has boosted computer crimes, by creating an alternative avenue for defrauding unsuspecting customers, mostly through phishing (Quarantiello, 2006).

Phishing involves the creation and designing of rogue websites by criminals, imitating websites belonging to genuine businesses, with the intention of capturing personal information such as credit card numbers, passwords, among others; which is commonly known as identity theft. After attaining the details, criminals can access bank accounts and make purchases without the knowledge of the bank holder (Quarantiello, 2006). The internet comprises of numerous sites, most of which are genuine but with some designed to spread malicious programs and computer viruses (Gollmann, 2005).

These sites are difficult to suspect and they create curiosity in the user by displaying attractive messages in form of pop up menus, prompting the user to click, for example to unhide a free gift. The user can also be attracted to downloading free software such as music, videos, antivirus, or screen savers, without knowing that these soft wares are attached to destructive computer viruses. In addition, spyware programs can also be downloaded into a personal computer through the same processes (Gollmann, 2005).

Spyware monitors the activities of the user for example key strokes, frequently accessed sites among others and through this, criminals may get information which may assist them in hacking online accounts such as Facebook, Twitter etc after which they become able to make use of the account as if it was their own. In worse conditions, such a computer may be used to remotely to broadcast spam over the internet or to cripple other systems through denial of service attacks. In fact, research indicates that approximately 20000 personal computers are being attacked to perform such activities on each and every day (Quarantiello, 2006).

Conclusion Home personal computers are at an equal or more risk of security attacks as long as they are connected to a network or the internet. Some of the risks involved are for example identity theft through phishing, attack by computer viruses downloadable from the internet together with freeware and shareware, as well as hacking by criminals who use spyware to monitor computer usage and extract vital security information such as passwords. As a result, users are advised to be extremely careful with websites requesting for personal information as well as be cautious while downloading free software from the internet.

Most importantly, they should install genuine and updated antivirus and antispyware programs to shield their systems from intrusion. References Gollmann, D. (2005). Computer Security, John Wiley & Sons Quarantiello, L. (2006). Cyber Crime: How to Protect Yourself from Computer Criminals, Tiare Publications