Additional reading and giving annotations to the texts

An introductory text: Computer

Computer and its History

Computers appeared in people’s life not long ago. In the middle of the 20th century common people had no idea about them. In 1951 the first commercially available computer was introduced. In 1975 personal computers appeared.

The Importance of Computers

It is hard to imagine modern life without computers. The sphere of their application is very wide.

Most offices are equipped with computers to make calculations and work with documentation. Surgical operations which were not previously possible are performed thanks to computer technologies. Technologies are also used in modern education both by students and teachers.

The Role of Computers in Teens’ Lives

Teenagers use computers for many purposes. Firstly, they play computer games, watch cartoons and films. Secondly, they do school tasks, read books and find various information on the Internet.

A comparatively new trend is communicating online. Such applications as Skype give an opportunity to talk to people who may be very far away in real time.

Some Threats Computers Bring

Computers do not have only a positive influence on children. One of the threats is being captured by a virtual reality. Some kids spend so much time at the computer that they forget about real people around them.

Consequently they will lack important social skills in the future. Sitting at the computer children spoil their eyes and posture. So, adults should be very attentive to how long their kids use computers.

INFORMATION SECURITY

Information Security Components: or qualities, i.e., Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability (CIA). Information Systems are decomposed in three main portions, hardware, software and communications with the purpose to identify and apply information security industry standards, as mechanisms of protection and prevention, at three levels or layers: physical, personal and organizational. Essentially, procedures or policies are implemented to tell people (administrators, users and operators) how to use products to ensure information security within the organizations.

Information security means protecting information and information systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, perusal, inspection, recording or destruction. The terms information security, computer security and information assurance are frequently incorrectly used interchangeably.

These fields are interrelated often and share the common goals of protecting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information; however, there are some subtle differences between them. These differences the primarily in the approach to the subject, the methodologies used, and the areas of concentration.

Information security is concerned with the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data regardless of the form the data may take: electronic, print, or other forms. Computer security can focus on ensuring the availability and correct operation of a computer system without concern for the information stored or processed by the computer.

Governments, military, corporations, financial institutions, hospitals, and private businesses amass a great deal of confidential information about their employees, customers, products, research, and financial status. Most of this information is now collected, processed and stored on electronic computers and transmitted across networks to other computers. Should confidential information about a business' customers or finances or new product line fall into the hands of a competitor, such a breach of security could lead to lost business, law suits or even bankruptcy of the business.

Protecting confidential information is a business requirement, and in many cases also an ethical and legal requirement. For the individual, information security has a significant effect on privacy, which is viewed very differently in different cultures.

The field of information security has grown and evolved significantly in recent years. There are many ways of gaining entry into the field as a career. It offers many areas for specialization including: securing network(s) and allied infrastructure, securing applications and databases, security testing, information systems auditing, business continuity planning and digital forensics science, etc.

Since the early days of writing, heads of state and military commanders understood that it was necessary to provide some mechanism to protect the confidentiality of written correspondence and to have some means of detecting tampering. Julius Caesar is credited with the invention of the Caesar cipherca.

50 B.C., which was created in order to prevent his secret messages from being read should a message fall into the wrong hands. World War II brought about many advancements in information security and marked the beginning of the professional field of information security.

The end of the 20th century and early years of the 21st century saw rapid advancements in telecommunications, computing hardware and software, and data encryption. The availability of smaller, more powerful and less expensive computing equipment made electronic data processing within the reach of small business and the home user. These computers quickly became interconnected through a network generically called the Internet or World Wide Web.

The rapid growth and widespread use of electronic data processing and electronic business conducted through the Internet, along with numerous occurrences of international terrorism, fueled the need for better methods of protecting the computers and the information they store, process and transmit.

The academic disciplines of computer security, information security and information assurance emerged along with numerous professional organizations – all sharing the common goals of ensuring the security and reliability of information systems.

Notes

1. Integrity – целостность, сохранность.

2. Information assurance – обеспечение; гарантирование информации.

3. Privacy – секретность, конфиденциальность.

4. Forensic science – судебная экспертиза.

5. (Computer) tampering – преступное использование компьютера.

6. Encryption – шифрование, зашифровывание, процесс применения шифра к защищаемой информации.