Communications and Security: Use Protection

There are a lot of ways for people to communicate with each other: sending text messages, writing letters, and talking on the phone. Imagine, for some reason, there was another person reading your text messages, opening and reading your letters, and intercepting your phone calls. You would not feel safe using those methods of communication, since you have just lost your privacy. This is the same for computer communications as well. You would not feel safe if you knew someone else had access to your files, your passwords, and your credit cards. It is important to have basic knowledge of computer communications and securities.

In a computer network, which is "a telecommunications network that allows computers to exchange data," the most commonly used network to share and exchange data is the Internet. In these networks, the networked computing devices exchange data to each other through data connections. Computer networking supports many different types of applications such as web browsers, storage servers, printers, and e-mail.

Computer security is "information security as applied to computers and networks." Any related computer equipment would be protected from unauthorized access, unplanned events, and natural disasters. It is important to have an updated firewall, which is "a software or hardware-based network security system that controls the incoming and outgoing network traffic by analyzing the data packets and determining whether they should be allowed through or not, based on applied rule set." Having a security system can protect you from computer viruses and Trojans.

Finally, there is cryptography: "the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of third parties." Basically, it can help prevent data from being stolen from bad people. If someone were to break into your computer or intercept your messages, then they would not be able to read it because of cryptography. Also, it performs other critical security requirements for data including authentication, repudiation, confidentiality, and integrity.

Now that almost anything can be stolen or intercepted, it is important to have something, like a security guard, to prevent any huge loss. Be safe. Use protection.