Security and privacy on the internet

Lesson 5. Antiviruses
Task 1. Consider these examples of computer disasters. How could you prevent them or limit their effects? Write a small paragraph.

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  You open an email attachment that contains a very destructive virus.
  
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  Someone guesses your password (the type of car you drive plus the day and month of your birth) and copies sensitive data.
  
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  Your hard disk crashes and much of your data is lost permanently.
  
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  Someone walks into your computer lab and steals the memory chips from all the PCs.
  
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  Your backup tapes fail to restore properly.
  

Opening email attachments from unknown sources is a common way to get infected with viruses. To prevent this, it's important to have a good antivirus program installed on your computer that can detect and remove viruses before they cause any harm. Additionally, you should be cautious when opening emails and attachments from unknown sources, and always scan them before opening.


Using weak passwords that are easy to guess can lead to data theft. To prevent this, it's important to use strong passwords that include a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. You should also avoid using personal information in your passwords, such as your birthdate or the type of car you drive.


To prevent data loss due to a hard disk crash, it's important to back up your data regularly. This can be done using external hard drives or cloud-based storage services. Additionally, it's important to have a reliable and up-to-date antivirus program installed on your computer to prevent viruses from causing a hard disk crash.


To prevent theft of memory chips from your computer lab, it's important to have physical security measures in place, such as locked doors and security cameras. Additionally, you should encrypt sensitive data stored on the computers to make it difficult for thieves to access.


To prevent backup tape failures, it's important to regularly test your backup system to ensure that it's working properly. This can be done by performing regular test restores to ensure that the data can be recovered in the event of a disaster. Additionally, you should store backup tapes in a secure location to prevent damage or theft.