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Hardware And Software Security
We now rely and use our computers on a daily basis and they are subject to threats. It is not only our computer equipment that we should worry about. Our important information which is on our computers is also at risk. Therefore, we should take appropriate steps to reduce danger from these threats.
Our computer equipment and the data on the equipment is a very important resource. We should always be on guard and ready for anything that can happen and make sure that we are capable of recovering from any situation.
Our computer equipment can be protected from any sought of damage through insurance cover. If our equipment is also stolen we know that we can get it back. Most people take insuring computer equipment for granted. We should also protect our computers by doing the very basic things like locking them away.
Software installed from CD if corrupted can be re-installed by using the original disks. So you should always keep original software disks and never discard them.
Threats to our computers include:
1. Powercuts where unsaved data could be lost.
2. Physical damage from water spillages, floods, fire etc.
3. Infection by computer viruses.
4. Theft or other malicious act.
5. Serious hardware fault.
Loosing files on a home computer can be a major convenience but the implications on computer equipment for business could prove to be catastrophic. Files should be backed-up regularly. You can backup important files onto a CD-RW, CD-R, or the whole drive to a DVD or an external hard drive.
If you are running a business you should backup your data regularly for instance every few hours, at the end of each business day or weekly depending on how big your business is.
To help protect your data from intruders on the internet you should install a firewall which acts as a barrier between your computer and the internet. | 
