Wireless Security: Know It All

Chapter 9. Security Defined

This chapter is by no means a complete treatment of the theory behind computer security—literally hundreds of books have been written on the subject—but it should at least provide a basic context for all readers. At the end of the chapter, we will provide a list of further reading for readers wanting a deeper treatment of the theory.

Computer security is a rapidly evolving field; every new technology is a target for hackers, crackers, spyware, trojans, worms, and malicious viruses. However, the threat of computer attacks dates back to the earliest days of mainframes used in the 1960s. As more and more companies turned to computer technology for important tasks, attacks on computer systems became more and more of a ...