System Failure
A system failure is the prolonged malfunction of a computer. System failure can cause loss of hardware, software, data, or information. A variety of causes can lead to system failure. These include aging hardware; natural disasters such as fires, floods, or hurricanes; random events such as electrical power problems; and even errors in computer programs.
Safeguards against System Failure
A system failure is the prolonged malfunction of a computer. System failure can cause loss of hardware, software, data, or information. A variety of causes can lead to system failure. These include aging hardware; natural disasters such as fires, floods, or hurricanes; random events such as electrical power problems; and even errors in computer programs.
Safeguards against System Failure
- To protect against electrical power variations, use a surge protector.
- A surge protector uses special electrical components to provide a stable current flow to the computer and other electronic equipment.
- If your computer connects to a network or the Internet, also be sure to have protection for your modem, telephone lines, DSL lines, Internet cable lines, and network lines.
- For additional electrical protection, some users connect an uninterruptible power supply to the computer. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is a device that contains surge protection circuits and one or more batteries that can provide power during a loss of power. A UPS connects between your computer and a power source.
Backing Up — The Ultimate Safeguard
To protect against data loss caused by a system failure or hardware/software/information theft, computer users should back up files regularly.
A backup is a duplicate of a file, program, or disk that can be used if the original is lost, damaged, or destroyed. In the case of a system failure or the discovery of corrupted files, you restore the files by copying the backed up files to their original location on the computer. Keep backup copies in a fireproof and heatproof safe or vault, or offsite. A growing trend is to use cloud storage as an offsite location.
Most backup programs for the home user provide for a full backup and a selective backup. A full backup copies all of the files in the computer. With a selective backup, users choose which folders and files to include in a backup.
Some users implement a three-generation backup policy to preserve three copies of important files. The grandparent is the oldest copy of the file. The parent is the second oldest copy of the file. The child is the most recent copy of the file. Others use RAID to duplicate the contents of a disk.
Most operating systems include a backup program. Backup devices, such as external disk drives, also include backup programs.
Wireless Security
Wireless technology has made dramatic changes in the way computer users communicate worldwide. Although wireless access provides many conveniences to users, it also poses additional security risks.
One study showed that about 80 percent of wireless networks have no security protection. Some perpetrators connect to other’s wireless networks to gain free Internet access; others may try to access an organization’s confidential data.
To access the network, the individual must be in range of the wireless network. Some intruders intercept and monitor communications as they transmit through the air. Others connect to a network through an unsecured wireless access point (WAP). In one technique, called war driving, individuals attempt to detect wireless networks via their notebook computer or mobile device while driving a vehicle through areas they suspect have a wireless network.
In addition to using firewalls, some safeguards that improve the security of wireless networks include reconfiguring the wireless access point and ensuring equipment uses one or more wireless security standards such as Wi-Fi Protected Access and 802.11i.
• A wireless access point (WAP) should be configured so that it does not broadcast a network name.
The WAP also can be programmed so that only certain devices can access it.
• Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) is a security standard that improves on older security standards by authenticating network users and providing more advanced encryption techniques.
• An 802.11i network, sometimes called WPA2, the most recent network security standard, conforms to the government’s security standards and uses more sophisticated encryption techniques than WPA.
By implementing these security measures, you can help to prevent unauthorized access to wireless networks.