Computer Security Terms To Familiarize Yourself With

People today are using computers for a wide array of different activities, and unfortunately this has lead to hackers and scam artists becoming increasingly intelligent with systems. Fortunately, there are a number of computer security programs and downloads that can protect your computer. Here are some terms you will want to familiarize yourself with.

The first term to know is firewall, which works to secure your computer. What it does is restrict information that comes to your computer from other computers, thus providing you with much more control over viruses, programs and worms that other people may send. If you have a high speed connection, have a firewall is an absolute must.

The next computer security term to familiarize yourself with is spyware, which is a rather broad category for malicious software that takes partial control over your computer’s operation without your consent. Spyware essentially monitors your activity on the internet and sends the information to someone else. It can record everything from your keystrokes, history, passwords and other confidential information. Installing anti-spyware is extremely important.

The final term to associate yourself with is virus and anti-virus programs. A virus is a program or code that is loaded onto your computer and can bring your system to a halt. There are simple viruses that can be fixed and more dangerous viruses that will actually bypass security systems. Viruses are typically hidden in programs and activated when you run the program, so be careful what you download. Anti-virus programs can help warn you if a file or program is unsafe. It does this by scanning all incoming and outgoing files for known viruses.