Ch.10 4RQs Monday

2. Why is it hard to estimate the extent of computer crimes? It is hard to estimate the extent because some crimes go undetected and are sometimes not reported (such as to prevent negative publicity) 4. What is the most common computer crime? Who commits it? What is being done to stop it? Theft by computer is the most common computer crime.It is when computers are used to steal money, goods, information etc.. A variety of people are usually involved with it such as , employees, programmers,clerks,and managers. To prevent this from happening, companies are creating more secure Web sites, the FBI gets involved (with large cases), people are encouraged to use firewall,encryption software and passwords. 6. Describe several types of programs that can be used for software sabotage. viruses: Software that spreads form program to program or from disk to disk, and used infected program or disks to make copies of itself worms: similar to viruses but they travel independently over networks looking for uninfected workstations to occupy. Trojan horses: A program that performs a useful task while at the same time carrying out some secret destructive act. spyware: technology that collects information from computer users without their knowledge or consent 7. What are two inherent characteristics of computers that make security so difficult? 1) Computers do exactly what they are programmed to do. And they can be reprogrammed 2)It can only do what it is programmed to do, meaning that it cannot protect itself from malfunctions and attacks.