Chapter 2. Computer Security: Are You at Risk?

Balancing Safety and Convenience 28

Know Your Enemy: Seven Threats to Your Computer's Security 29

How Can You Protect Yourself? 43

Every year, personal computers become more powerful, more complex, more connected… and more vulnerable.

In 1995, when the Internet was still in its infancy, a leading computer security clearinghouse, the CERT Coordination Center (http://www.cert.org), reported the discovery of 171 vulnerabilities that thieves and vandals could exploit to attack widely used operating systems and applications. In 2000, the number of newly discovered vulnerabilities jumped to 1,090; and in 2002, the total skyrocketed to more than 4,100, with 37 of those flaws considered serious enough to warrant ...

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