CompTIA A+® Certification All-In-One For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

Chapter 1. Fundamentals of Security

Exam Objectives

• Types of attacks

• Physical security

• Authentication and authorization

• Data protection

One of the most important skills to have if you are going to support networked systems or systems connected to the Internet is the capability of securing systems and networks. And even if you are not working in a networked environment, you can apply these same skills to your customers with home Internet machines. The bottom line is that you need a solid understanding of network security.

I remember when a close friend of mine had his Web site totally replaced by a hacker. My friend's Web site files were replaced with inappropriate content, and he wondered how on Earth someone had hacked his server. It seems amazing now, but back then (circa 1994), a lot of companies did not use firewalls because they were not aware of the risks involved in having a computer connected directly to the Internet. Back then, people thought, "I have a password on the administrator account, so I am secure."

In this chapter, I introduce you to the basic concepts and terminology used to help secure an environment. Be sure to read this chapter carefully and make sure you understand the topics as you will be tested on security topics on the A+ exams. Have fun with this topic area — it is very exciting!