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    Nursing Informatics-ACT 2-MIDTERM

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    Jeannezelle Anne Mariz Gaza
    Computer security is important to protect systems, information, and enable essential functions. Malware is malicious software like viruses, ransomware, and spyware that can damage systems. Common forms of malware include viruses, worms, spyware, trojans, and ransomware. A malware attack can steal sensitive information, slow computers, restrict file access, spread through a network, and disrupt daily operations. Key steps to prevent malware attacks include maintaining backups, using malware scanners, and educating users on safe practices.

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    Nursing Informatics-ACT 2-MIDTERM

    Uploaded by

    Jeannezelle Anne Mariz Gaza
    19 views5 pages
    Computer security is important to protect systems, information, and enable essential functions. Malware is malicious software like viruses, ransomware, and spyware that can damage systems. Common forms of malware include viruses, worms, spyware, trojans, and ransomware. A malware attack can steal sensitive information, slow computers, restrict file access, spread through a network, and disrupt daily operations. Key steps to prevent malware attacks include maintaining backups, using malware scanners, and educating users on safe practices.

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    Computer security is important to protect systems, information, and enable essential functions. Malware is malicious software like viruses, ransomware, and spyware that can damage systems. Common forms of malware include viruses, worms, spyware, trojans, and ransomware. A malware attack can steal sensitive information, slow computers, restrict file access, spread through a network, and disrupt daily operations. Key steps to prevent malware attacks include maintaining backups, using malware scanners, and educating users on safe practices.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    19 views5 pages

    Nursing Informatics-ACT 2-MIDTERM

    Uploaded by

    Jeannezelle Anne Mariz Gaza
    Computer security is important to protect systems, information, and enable essential functions. Malware is malicious software like viruses, ransomware, and spyware that can damage systems. Common forms of malware include viruses, worms, spyware, trojans, and ransomware. A malware attack can steal sensitive information, slow computers, restrict file access, spread through a network, and disrupt daily operations. Key steps to prevent malware attacks include maintaining backups, using malware scanners, and educating users on safe practices.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 5

    Gaza, Jeannezelle Anne Mariz H.

    BSN-3B

    Nursing Informatics-LAB

    Activity 2

    1. Why is understanding computer security important?


    Computer Security is, basically speaking, the preservation of computing
    systems and the information that they save and / or retrieve. Computer
    Security is important as it enables people to perform their work and study. It
    helps in the execution of essential business processes, and safeguards
    confidential and sensitive information. Computer Security is important
    enough that it should be learned by everyone. Only 10% of security
    safeguards are technical—the remaining 90% depends on the user adhering
    to good computing practices. Every user of a computer or mobile device
    should be able to grasp how to keep their computer, devices, and data secure.
    Computer security is everyone’s responsibility.
    2. Define malware. Discuss different forms of malware. What can happen if there is a
    malware “attack?”
    Malware is the collective name for a number of malicious software variants,
    including viruses, ransomware and spyware. Shorthand for malicious
    software, malware typically consists of code developed by cyberattackers,
    designed to cause extensive damage to data and systems or to gain
    unauthorized access to a network. Malware is typically delivered in the form
    of a link or file over email and requires the user to click on the link or open
    the file to execute the malware.

    Different forms of Malwares:

    o Virus
    Possibly the most common type of malware, viruses attach their
    malicious code to clean code and wait for an unsuspecting user or an
    automated process to execute them. Like a biological virus, they can
    spread quickly and widely, causing damage to the core functionality of
    systems, corrupting files and locking users out of their computers.
    They are usually contained within an executable file.
    o Worms
    Worms get their name from the way they infect systems. Starting from
    one infected machine, they weave their way through the network,
    connecting to consecutive machines in order to continue the spread of
    infection. This type of malware can infect entire networks of devices
    very quickly.
    o Spyware
    Spyware, as its name suggests, is designed to spy on what a user is
    doing. Hiding in the background on a computer, this type of malware
    will collect information without the user knowing, such as credit card
    details, passwords and other sensitive information.
    o Trojans
    Just like Greek soldiers hid in a giant horse to deliver their attack, this
    type of malware hides within or disguises itself as legitimate software.
    Acting discretely, it will breach security by creating backdoors that
    give other malware variants easy access.
    o Ransomware
    Also known as scareware, ransomware comes with a heavy price. Able
    to lockdown networks and lock out users until a ransom is paid,
    ransomware has targeted some of the biggest organizations in the
    world today — with expensive results.
    What can happen if there is a malware “attack?”
    o Steal Your Sensitive Information
    More than 1,000 data breaches occurred in the past year alone. These
    breaches affected a range of diverse industries, from government
    operations to small and large businesses, and many got their start
    with malware. Information theft is one of the most serious and costly
    results of malware. Once pieces of malware such as spyware and
    trojans are installed on your device, hackers can gather your personal
    and company information to sell to third-party sources. This
    information can include browsing history, passwords, client profiles
    and other sensitive data.
    o Slow Your Computer
    Once a piece of malware is in action, it begins to consume a large
    chunk of your computer’s memory. Many types of malwares also
    replicate themselves and fill your hard drive, so there’s little room left
    for legitimate programs. This loss of space can lead to a sluggish
    computer, which makes it difficult to carry on with business as usual.
    o Restrict Access to Your Files
    Certain types of malwares can damage or delete files and programs on
    your computer. Unless your data is backed up on another hard drive
    or cloud server, you won’t be able to regain access to many of these
    files after a cyber-attack.
    One type of malware known as ransomware holds the files on your
    computer hostage. Ransomware hackers threaten to delete all of your
    data unless you give them money.
    o Spread Throughout Your Network
    Worms are an especially disruptive type of malware for businesses.
    Once this malware infects a computer, it replicates itself and spreads
    throughout the entire network. Most companies operate all their
    devices on a single network — which means that a worm could
    damage not just one employee’s computer, but the entire organization.
    o Disrupt Daily Operations
    Nearly every type of malware will affect normal business operations
    in some form or another. Adware is specifically a nuisance for
    business productivity. When installed onto a computer, it enables
    constant popups and can even redirect your search results to
    advertisers’ sites — making it hard for anyone to enjoy the
    functionality of their device.
    3. List three steps to prevent malware attacks
    a) Make sure you have a good set of backups.
    Having a good set of backups make the process of removing malware
    exponentially easier. Instead of having to rebuild a system from scratch,
    you’ll be able to turn to the last clean backups. If you’re backing up regularly,
    you’ll only lose a few hours of work instead of the totality of your data. With
    that in mind, make sure that you’re backing up as frequently and securely as
    possible. Test your backups to make sure that they’re functional. The better
    your backups are, the less a malware infection will hurt you.
    b) Use a malware scanner.
    When you’re expecting to be attacked, it’s wise to set a watchman.
    Malware scanners can be a great start when it comes to alerting you of
    potential dangers. They can also notify you in the event of an attack, and
    some will even help you to repair the damage.
    When choosing a malware scanner, go with a well-reputed, name-brand
    option like Malware Bytes or Bitdefender. And remember to be careful when
    downloading a scanner; ironically, malware is often disguised as a security
    scanner, and inexperienced users looking to protect their systems can
    sometimes end up compromising them by downloading viruses. It’s also
    important to remember that malware scanners are often playing catch-up to
    the malware itself. Even the best programs won’t be able to catch everything
    – but they’re still a good place to start.
    c) Educate end users.
    Many malware problems can be prevented simply by educating end
    users. A chain, after all, is only as strong as its weakest link – so no matter
    how securely your network has been designed, if your secretary has a habit
    of clicking through suspicious ads or emails, you’re putting yourself at risk.
    Basic safety training on common preventative measure isn’t difficult,
    and it can pay huge dividends in preventing issues. One such easy safety
    measure is to avoid using machines as an admin user. Instead, run as a
    secondary user without permissions. It might be annoying to log out and
    back in when you want to install something, but it could prevent you from
    inadvertently installing malware on your machine.

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