A+, Network+, Security+ Exams in a Nutshell

Security

Security was not a big concern when computers were not networked and when the Internet was not as widely used as it is used today. Connecting to the Internet opens your computer or the entire network to the outside world. If security methods are not implemented, the computers or the Internet may be at risk of being exploited. Security threats come in various forms and can cause loss of connectivity or loss of valuable data. As a PC technician, you are expected to have a good knowledge of basic security concepts. In this section, we will discuss some fundamental security concepts.

Principles of Security

In this section, we will study some basic elements of computer security. These topics include authentication technologies and protocols, malicious software, and elements of wireless security.

Authentication technologies and protocols

Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a person. It is considered the first point of controlling access to a system. In the context of computer security, authentication is the method of verifying that the identity of a person or an application seeking access to a system, object, or a resource is true. For example, if a user wants to access a computer, the identity of the user is usually verified by having the user enter a valid username and password. If the username and password of the user matches the ones stored in the security database of the computer, the user is allowed access. This process is known as the authentication ...