Data Privacy, Security, and Ethical Computing

Risks to Privacy from Collecting and Storing Data on a Computer

When you utilize and store data on a computer or any device,
there are risks to the privacy of your data. Whether the intel is extremely
confidential or a very minor case, data security is always at risk. Computers can
often have low security which causes data to get hacked and stolen. In order to
protect data from getting stolen, we must acknowledge risks to its privacy.

A real-world example of computer data risk is an individual
leaving a computer out in public unlocked. This allows another individual
with malicious intent to sneak unsuspected onto their computer and steal the
data due to no protection. Another example is search engines such as google have
access to your search history and transactions in which they can use to make data
about you. When utilizing social for data, it gets put onto the network and becomes
difficult to discard.

When leaving your computer unprotected, it leaves it at risk
of getting hacked and data stolen. People can pose to be you on the internet
and take possession of things that belong to you. In addition, they can delete
information in which you may never be able to get back or they may reupload unwanted
information to the internet. Not only that, but individuals may get blackmailed in
order to keep the hacker from using their data.

After acknowledging the consequences of data privacy, it’s important
to learn measurements in order to prevent hacking. For instance, a person can
minimize the amount of tabs they open in order for hackers to gain minimal information.
As well as, deleting your history in case they gain access and won’t be able to view
your recent searches. A user should also create multiple passwords in order for hackers
to have a more difficult time with accessing other accounts. Overall, data privacy can
be a huge problem, but only if you don’t utilize the correct security.

Misuse of Computing Resources and How They Can Be Protected

If you look back at all the networks you’ve ever been on, it would be
way beyond the number of counting. Now just imagine you could’ve gotten hacked
or your information on each and everyone of them. This is unfortunately a common
daily occurrence that happens to a multitude of people on the internet. So many
individuals get hacked just because they lack knowledge of computing resource safety.

An occurrence in the real world is when a person goes onto a malicious
network or site that poses to be trustworthy but in reality takes data from them.
People’s passwords also can be guessed after learning new information about the person
such as their birthday which could be used for their password. In addition, viruses can
track information through transactions of the user to also gain access and information
from them.

When a person gains access to a user’s data they can use it to access a
user’s unique authentication. Examples of these are usernames, passwords, fingerprints,
etc. After they’ve gained the user’s personal information they can use the account of the
user to utilize their resources and data. For instance, they can use a bank account to
transfer money from the user to the hacker.

A way to prevent users from getting hacked is to make stronger passwords.
This can include capitalizing letters, adding numbers, adding special characters, or
lengthening the text. Although it is important to make a strong password, it’ll all be
completely useless if the user isn’t cautious of the sites they visit in which the hacker
will be able to track information regardless of their password. Even though the web can
be quite dangerous and lead to lost data, users can navigate through it safely if they are
more careful.

Unauthorized Access to Computing Resources

Unauthorized access happens when someone gets into a computer, account,
or network without permission. This can happen to anyone, from regular people to big
companies. Many people don’t realize how easy it is for hackers or strangers to sneak
into their stuff. If someone isn’t careful, their private information can be stolen
before they even notice.

One example of unauthorized access is when a hacker guesses someone’s
password and logs into their account. It can also happen if someone forgets to log
out of their computer at school or work, and another person gets into it. Hackers
can even break into huge company databases and take customer information. All of these
examples show that both small mistakes and big attacks can lead to unauthorized access.

When someone gets into your computer or account without permission,
the results can be really bad. They might delete or change your files, or even pretend
to be you online. Hackers could steal money from your bank account or use your personal
information for scams. Sometimes, even something small like losing control of a social
media account can turn into a huge problem.

To stop unauthorized access, people need to be more careful with their
devices and accounts. Strong passwords with numbers and symbols make it harder for hackers
to guess. Using two-factor authentication is another way to protect accounts. It also helps
to log out of devices when you’re done and keep your software updated. If people use these
safety steps, they can lower their chances of getting hacked and keep their computing
resources safe.