P3 - Explain the security risks and protection mechanisms involved in website performance
On the internet, you will encounter risks that will affect your browsing performance:
Hacking
Hacking is an activity for malicious users who intend to exploit weaknesses in a computer and its internet
software. They intend to force their way into the computer and discover personal information on the
owner of the computer, and use it for identity theft or other malicious intent without authorised
permission.
Hackers will use the information that they gain for malicious uses, often identity theft or fraud. This makes
it vitally important that users and companies find good protection and anti-virus software for their systems
to protect them from hackers.
Phishing
Personally known as the ‘Nigerian Prince’ method, phishing is a term used to describe the act of taking a
secure website, such as the login page for an online banking account, and copying it in its entirety and
uploading it to another website with an almost identical address. The website will tell the user to login, and
once they have logged in with their username and password, the website will show a page informing the
user that the website is down for maintenance. Meanwhile, the user’s information is being sent to
malicious users in another country, who will use the information to sign into their online banking.
Identity Theft
Identity theft is when malicious users use software, such as Trojans, to gain personal information on
people and use it to steal their identities and use them for personal gain. They will gain their identity
through passports or other ways of confirming a person’s identity, and using them they will open bank
accounts in their name, withdraw money from their bank accounts and commit fraud.
Identity theft can cause users and companies to lose a lot of money, which makes it important that they
protect themselves from these malicious users.
Viruses
Viruses are malicious programs and software that has been installed onto a system. The software is
intended to steal data and information on the user, and the stolen information will be used to steal details,
usually on bank accounts. Some viruses are keyloggers, which is a program that will log your keystrokes
when using the keyboard. This usually enables the owner of the malicious software to determine your
password from the keystrokes you make while using the computer.
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