Concerns about spyware and other Internet threats have resulted in some significant changes in how many corporations treat their computers. It is no secret that a majority of small to medium sized businesses’ IT systems have some sort of spyware or other Internet threat installed on them. The vast majority of those spyware programs do nothing more than monitor the activity on a computer. However, some are so malicious that they can cause much trouble. These problems have brought about concerns from major corporations all the way down to individual homes.
Concerns about spyware first arose with the advent of the Internet. People realized that they could easily track the location of just about any computer in the world within seconds by reading the IP address of the machine. This type of information was not available before because it was difficult to collect and analyze. Now, though, IP address locators are freely available online. For small to mid-size businesses this information is crucial to maintaining computer security.
Concerns about spyware have also given rise to new concerns about computer security for home users. The Internet has given almost anyone with a modem the power to become a cyber stalker. Anyone can now use their home computer to surf the web, send e-mails, and even perform online shopping. Home computer users are increasingly worried about this potential abuse of their privacy. Many have asked the question: does the government need to have a reason to suspect a computer user of committing a crime? The answer might be complicated, but it is probably not necessary.
Concerns about computer security have been ongoing for several years. Law enforcement authorities have expressed concern that terrorists may be using hidden “data bases” to plan attacks on the United States. Concerns about Internet predators have also given rise to concerns about protecting children from Internet predators. Computer security experts argue that there is no adequate substitute for a child’s parents in protecting a child from neglect and Internet predators.
Concerns about Internet safety have caused some major corporations to develop computer security software programs that can protect their clients computers from Internet threats and from hackers. Concerns about Internet security are also causing major corporations to be more cautious about what information they divulge to customers. Major corporations routinely change computer stationery, network passwords, and other means of securing computer systems. Businesses also frequently change their e-mail passwords and user names. To reduce the threat of theft or tampering with computer systems, businesses have been asking government agencies and computer security companies for advice about how to best protect their computer systems from Internet threats.
Concerns about Internet safety have resulted in some very specific changes in the way that some businesses handle their computer systems. For example, some hotels provide laptops to their room guests. Some computer security software programs include a feature that allows the user to set a password for all of the computer networks in the program. Many companies also have provided employees with special identification badges that can be used to log into a computer without presenting a user name and password. In addition, some companies have provided employee training on how to use the various computer security options available to them. In this way, business owners can feel more confident about the security measures that their computer systems are implementing.