Securing the Computer System

Notes

10
SECURING THE COMPUTER SYSTEM

Today we live in the technological era where Internet has become indispensable
part of our lives. Internet and its services help us perform multiple tasks. Using
Internet, we can search any type of information, do online shopping and banking,
book movie, railway and flight tickets, undertake online courses and many more.
Unfortunately, there is other side of the coin as well. If not used, with caution,
Internet is a dangerous tool in the hands of malicious people. Internet and its
related services have brought lot of security threats. The most effective way to
protect yourself from the cyber threats is to be aware of them and take appropriate
measures to protect yourself, your device and your data. In this lesson, we will be
talking about cyber security, cyber law and e-waste management.

Objectives
After reading this lesson, you will be able to:
z define cyber security;
z secure the computer system;
z describe cyber law;
z explain about e-waste and its harmful effects.

10.1 Cyber Security

Cyber security refers to the processes, practices and techniques designed to
protect our devices, networks, data and programs from attack, damage or any sort
of unauthorized access. It is also referred as ‘Information Technology Security’

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or ‘Cyber Safety’. Anyone trying to access our computer without authorization

is a threat to our identity as well as data or other related resources. Any such
activity comes under ‘Cyber Crime’ and is liable for punishment under Indian Notes
Penal Code. Some of such activities are online transaction fraud, online stalking,
identity theft, child pornography etc. They are potential cyber threats and a major
concern for all countries across the globe. The purpose of cyber security is to take
measures to prevent these attacks and devise measures to be taken if any such
attack takes place.

10.1.1 Need for Cyber Security

Cyber Security is of utmost importance today. In fact, the cyber security market
currently is over150 billion. As most data is available on the net, we need to be
aware of the need for cyber security. Some of the points are discussed below:

z Availability of Data for All: Today anyone can get any information, may it
be personal, professional or organizational; all data is accessible to any person
in the world. It is therefore very important to know the means to protect data
from unauthorized access, copying and distribution.

z Protecting Organizational Data: Organizations share confidential data

over the network with their employees for business purposes. Such data has
to be protected from being leaked and used by other competitors.

z Personal Safety on Internet/Protection of Personal Data on Social

Media: The personal information available on social networking sites such
as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn etc. is also prone to hacking. This
information can be used for malicious purposes.

z National Security: ‘Cyber Attacks and Digital Spying’ are one of the most
dangerous threats to national security. The anti-nationals and terrorists are
always trying to steal sensitive data related to a particular country and use it
to for anti-national activities. So, it is very important to be cautious and take
adequate precautions to save our data.

10.1.2 Steps to be Taken to Secure Your System

Data may be saved on our personal computer, private network or public network.
It is very important that our data is kept safe and secure, wherever it is stored.
Anyone can steal the computer or laptop or any storage device and use it for
malicious purposes. If data is being stored on cloud, it may be hacked. Hence, when
we talk about security of the system, it has to be kept secure from physically being
stolen and also from being hacked.Each one of us should be well aware of cyber

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threats and take adequate measures to protect our system. Following are the steps
that should be taken to protect and secure your system from potential cyber crimes.
Notes
z Always Password Protect Your System: It is always advised to password
protect your system and also certain applications or files containing sensitive
data. One should keep the following points in mind while setting passwords:
o Do not share your passwords with anyone.
o Do not use the same password for all applications.
o A password should be strong having a combination of alphabets, digits
and special characters.
o It is not good to have your initials, date of birth, pet’s name etc. as your
passwords.
o Preferably your password should be 8-10 characters long and should
have special characters too..

You may use password manager application that will help you to remember
multiple passwords.
z Always Update Your System: You should always update the operating
system, antivirus or any other software installed in your computer. Although
the updates add on some extra features but they also cover the cyber security
loopholes. Generally, one gets message pop ups when the system or any
software is due for updates. Many OS and other applications have the facility
to automatically update which makes things easier.
z Always Pay Attention to Security Warnings: If the system is giving
security warning, one should not ignore it. Immediate action nees to be taken
as directed by the application or the system.
z Always Install Original Antivirus: It is very well known that any machine
connected to the Internet is prone to viruses, worms, Trajans, or any other
form of malware. An antivirus software helps in protecting the system from
potential virus attack. Although it does not give 100% assurance to keep the
system safe, yet it gives quite a considerable amount of protection. One
should always use original antivirus software and keep on updating the
antivirus regularly.
z Never Open Unsolicited Mails: Most of the cyber attacks are through
emails. So avoid opening the mails that are sent from unknown persons. And
more importantly you should not click on any links provided in these mails,
unless you are sure that they are safe.

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z Always Download Authenticated and Reputable Software: Before

downloading any software, one should always check for its authenticity. In
fact, one should always download the programs from the software’s official Notes
site. Ignore the ads that prompt to download the software for your system’s
security or for any other incentive. These may be potential threats to damage
your systems or steal data from your system.
z Always Scan Your Files Before Downloading Them: Before downloading
any program, software or even an email attachment, it should be scanned for
any viruses.
z Enable the Firewall: A firewall acts a barrier between your computer/
network and the internet. It stops any data communication between your
device and the internet, thereby protecting it from potential cyber threats. This
is done as the firewall closes all ports, thereby stopping any type of
communication between your device and the internet. A firewall may be a
hardware or software. A hardware firewall often comes built in with home
routers while a software firewall generally comes built in with the operating
system. One needs to simply enable it by selecting the ‘Control Panel’ →
‘System’ → ‘Security’. Even antivirus software comes with built in firewall.
Still, we may install additional firewall if required.
z Adjust Your Browser Settings: A browser is an application that connects
you with the internet. So it is very important to make your browser secure.
You can adjust the security and privacy settings of the browser installed on
your computer. This lowers the risk of your system being attacked by hackers.

Customize and Control

Google button

Fig. 10.1: Browser Settings Option

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You can make settings to block cookies, to block the advertisements, to block
your location access and so on. It must be noticed that many of the options
Notes are disabled by default so, you have to enable them by selecting your
‘Browser Settings’ options. In Google Chrome, the Settings option is
available in the pop up menu that is displayed when we click on ‘Customize
and Control Google Chrome’ button present on the top right of the browser
(Fig. 10.1).
z Use Anti Spy Software: A spyware is a malware that is designed to gather
information secretly from a system or a database and send it to any third party.
Sensitive information such as banking and credit card details can lead to
identity theft and fraudulent transactions. Nowadays, latest antivirus programs
have anti spyware built in them. They also give protection against adware and
Trojans.
z Back up Your Data: It is always a good practice to back up your data on any
secondary storage device or on the cloud. This comes to rescue when your
system gets hacked or even when your hard drive crashes.
z Uninstall the Programs That are no Longer in Use: One should always
uninstall the programs that are not being used. This helps keep your system
secure and also increases the processing speed of your computer.

Intext Questions 10.1

1. State whether the following statements are true or false:
(a) Identity theft is not a cyber crime.
(b) We should not use same password for all applications.
(c) A firewall may be a hardware or software.
(d) It is not advisable to uninstall the programs that are not in use.
2. Name any two ways to secure your system

10.2 Cyber Law

Cyber law is the area/branch of law that deals with electronic devices, Internet and
its related services. Here the term ‘electronic devices’ includes computers,
software, hardware and information systems. Cyber law is also known as ‘Internet
Law’ or ‘IT Law’ or ‘Law of the Internet’. The large scale increase in the use
of smart devices and internet has led to various cyber crimes related to computers,
mobile phones, data storage and privacy of data.

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Cyber Law deals with legal issues related to cyber space and it covers a variety of
areas such as online privacy, intellectual property, freedom of expression, usage of
Internet, online transaction frauds etc. It gives protection to the victims of cyber Notes
crime by providing provisions to take action against the people committing such
crimes.

According to Cyber Law, the definition of cyber crime includes any unlawful act
done using digital devices that are connected to Internet. Following are some of
the acts that come under the purview of cyber crime:

z Online Fraud: The cyber law protects the internet users from online frauds
such as credit card thefts, identity thefts etc. A person who commits such
offence is liable to be prosecuted under this law.

z Copyright Infringement: With Cyber Law, copyright violators can be

booked. So it protects the rights of individuals and companies to earn profit
form their creative work. Any unauthorized download and usage is punishable
under this law.

z Defamation: Everyone has freedom of expression on the social media but

that doesn’t give the liberty to defame another person. So if anyone defames
someone by giving fake public statements that can cause harm to one’s
business or personal reputation on the Internet, he/she violates Cyber Laws
and is liable for action.

z Cyber Stalking and Cyber Bullying: Sometimes, a person is repeatedly

sends messages and posts that are often defamatory. They may be even
threatened online. This violates the Cyber Law and is liable for punishment.

z Business Ethics: Most of the companies exchange documents and also do

transactions online. Their trade secrets are protected under the Cyber Law.
This helps the competitive firms to protect their trade secrets.

z Identity Theft: The people with malicious intentions steal personal data such
as credit card details from the Internet and use it for transacting money or
extortion purposes. Even social media accounts of people can be hacked and
the information can be used for committing different types of fraud. All these
acts are punishable according to various provisions of cyber law.

To take cognizance of these acts, Indian Penal Code has some up with IT Act 2000.
It is based on The Indian Penal Code, 1860, The Indian Evidence Act, 1872, The
Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, 1891, The Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, etc.

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This is the primary law as far as the cyber crimes and e-commerce in India are
concerned. The salient features of this Act are:
Notes
z The IT Act 2000 provides legal recognition to the transactions done via
electronic medium.
z It gives legal recognition to digital signatures for authentication of any
information.
z It facilitates and regulates online correspondence with the government
agencies and departments. For example, we can file online return, pay taxes,
apply for passports and Aadhar cards etc., and give online payments for these
services as well.
z It allows and facilitates electronic storage of data. Even government banks
such as RBI is given permission to store records in electronic form.
z It gives legal permissions for online transfer of money between customers,
banks and other financial institutions.
z It elaborates the offences, penalties and breeches related to cyber crime.
z It also lays down the trial procedure and justice dispensation system for cyber
crimes and its accused.
z It enacts penalties for offences such as damaging computer systems, committing
cyber terrorism etc.
z The section 66A of the Act makes the offensive messages illegal and owners
of the servers are responsible for its content. If any offensive image is
uploaded and forwarded on social media, its server owner will be held liable.
A cyber crime of any nature should always be reported to cyber cell in local police
station. The Government of India has laid down various initiatives to facilitate
victims of cyber crime so that they can file complaints online.

The complaint of cyber crime can be reported online through cyber crime
portal. (https://cyber crime.gov.in/cybercitizen/home.htm). Through this portal,
the victim can report an anonymous complaint where the victims or the
complainants may not disclose their identity.

Advantages of Cyber Law

The various advantages of Cyber Law are as follows:
z The IT Act addresses all issues of security on the Internet which includes
personal, professional and organizational security of data and services.

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z The companies and organizations are able to carry out their business
processes according to the legal provisions stated in the IT Act 2000. This
Notes
encourages healthy trade practices.

z Digital Signatures have been given validity making exchange for authenticated
documents easier between companies and government organizations.

z It has increased the utility of e-governance as well. The Government can now
issue notifications and circulars on the web for the general public. Similarly,
people can transact with government through various online portals. For
example, nowadays we can apply online for passports or even file online IT
returns.

Intext Questions 10.2

1. Fill in the blanks.

(a) Cyber Law is also known as .........................

(b) The ......................... provides legal recognition to the transactions done

via electronic medium.

(c) A cyber crime of any nature should always be reported to .........................

in local police station.

2. What is the advantage of giving validity to digital signatures by IT Act 2000?

10.3 E-Waste Management

E-Waste stands for electronic waste. The old electric and/or electronic devices that
are no longer in use constitute e-waste. It can be computers, laptops, mobile
phones, tablets or any other electrical or electronic device or accessories that we
intend to throw away. These dumped electronic devices have harmful chemicals/
elements that cause water, air or soil pollution. It is therefore very important that
such toxic waste are not thrown like any other garbage material but is managed in
the manner that is less harmful to environment and humans. When e-waste is
deposited in a landfill just like any other household garbage, it tends to leach. When
water passes through it, it picks up traces of toxic chemicals. This contaminated
landfill water reaches natural groundwater and contaminates it. This can be
harmful if it enters any drinking water bodies.There should be strict penalties for
dumping e-waste in landfills.

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Notes

Fig. 10.2: E-waste in Landfills

https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/f07ccfb8-4ca7-423a-8e34-
c9b176bfbd66

Fig. 10.5: E-waste Types

http://www.elcita.in/faqs-on-e-waste-recycling/

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10.3.1 Harmful Effects of E-Waste

The electrical/ electronic devices contain hazardous chemicals and metals such as Notes
lead, beryllium, cadmium, plastics etc. Most of the materials used are complex and
are difficult to recycle. They are also considered to be toxic and carcinogenic. That
is why ‘Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)’ is becoming a
major threat to the world. This e-Waste, if not disposed in proper manner can be
extremely harmful to human beings, animals and environment. Some of the
harmful effects of e-waste are discussed below:
z Lead is the most widely used metal in electronic devices. The high level of lead
contained devices such as monitors and batteries contaminate air, water and
soil. Thereafter lead enters the human body through food, water, air and soil
thereby causing ‘Lead poisoning’ that causes disturbance in brain
development, central nervous system and kidneys.
z Many such devices also contain high levels of mercury which causes respiratory
disorders and brain damage.
z Various forms of plastic found in electronic/electrical devices react with
moisture and air thereby polluting the environment. It damages the immune
system of the body and also causes various psychological problems such as
stress and anxiety.
z When e-waste is burnt, the motherboard elements react to create a harmful
chemical called beryllium which causes lung cancer, skin diseases and
allergies.

10.3.2 Management of E-Waste

The efficient disposal of e-waste is known as E-Waste Management. Having
realized the hazards of E-waste, we can now understand the importance of E-
waste management. Although we cannot completely destroy E-waste, yet efforts
should be made to convert them into less harmful items before disposing them
completely. Some of the most feasible methods of e-waste management are
‘recycling, refurbishing and re-use’.
‘Recycling’ is the method in which the e-waste is converted to something that can
be used again in some or the other manner. Many devices such as mobile phones,
CPU’s, keyboards, laptops etc., can be recycled with the help of recycling process.
The equipment is dismantled and its precious metals such as copper, gold or lead
can be extracted. This can be achieved if the manufacturers of such devices use
green elements or recyclable material for their production. Also recycling should
be done with proper precautions and care. It should be made mandatory to wear

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gloves and masks during the recycling process. Nowadays there are many e-waste
recycling companies coming up with the pickup facilities for collecting old
Notes electrical or electronic items from your homes.
Refurbishing is the process in which the electronics are sold again at lower prices.
This benefits both society and the environment. The word ‘refurbish’ means to
renovate.
Re-use: In this process of e-waste management, the electric or electronic device
is reused after making a slight modification. Devices such as mobile phones,
computers, laptops etc., can be re-used.
The government needs to take a few stringent steps in order to promote e-waste
management. Some of these steps are as follows:
z Various recyclable units should be set up and promoted so that people can
easily send their devices and appliances for recycling.
z There should be proper arrangements for safe storage of e-waste or its
recycled products.
z Research for efficient utilization of e waste should be encouraged.
z There should be strict rules and laws pertaining to e-waste management. The
rudimentary methods of waste disposal and recycling should be stopped.
People openly burn the waste, heat circuit boards, expose them to acid baths,
dump waste into landfills, and so on. Anyone who is caught doing such acts
should be punished.

It is estimated that more than 55 metric tonne E-Waste is generated every

year globally.

Intext Questions 10.3

1. What does ‘E’ in E-waste stand for?
2. What is the name of the process in which the electronics are sold again at lower
prices?
3. Name the chemical that is created when e-waste like motherboard is burnt?
4. Name any two toxic materials contained in e-waste.

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5. A ......................... acts a barrier between your computer/ network and the

internet.
Notes
6. Before downloading any software, one should always check for its
.........................
7. The ......................... elaborates the offences, penalties and breeches related
to cyber crime.
8. A ......................... is a malware that is designed to gather information secretly
from a system or a database and send it to any third party.
9. The efficient disposal of e-waste is known as .........................

What You have Learnt

z Cyber Security/Information Security/Cyber Safety refers to the processes,
practices and techniques designed to protect our devices, networks, data and
programs from attack, damage or any sort of unauthorized access. It is also
referred as ‘Information Technology Security or Cyber Safety’.
z Nowadays, as most data is available on the net, we need to be aware of the
need for cyber security.
z It is very important that our data is kept safe and secure, wherever it is stored.
For this following steps should be taken:
o Always password protects your system.
o Always update your system.
o Always pay attention to security warnings.
o Always install original Antivirus.
o Never open unsolicited mails.
o Always download authenticated and reputable software.
o Always scan your files before downloading them.
o Enable the Firewall.
o Adjust your browser settings.
o Use Anti Spy Software.
o Back up your data.
o Uninstall the programs that are no longer in use.8

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z Cyber crime includes any unlawful act done using digital devices that are
connected to Internet. Online Fraud, Copyright Infringement, Defamation,
Notes Cyber Stalking and Cyber bullying, Business ethics and Identity Theft are
some of the acts that come under the purview of cyber crime.
z IT Act 2000 of Indian Penal Code takes cognizance of cyber crimes.
z E-Waste or electronic waste is constituted by the old electric and/or electronic
devices that are no longer in use.
z E-waste contains hazardous chemicals and metals such as lead, beryllium,
cadmium, plastics etc., that are difficult to recycle. Hence, it should disposed
in a proper manner.
z Some of the most feasible methods of e-waste management are recycling,
refurbishing and re-use.
z Recycling is the method in which e-waste is converted to something that can
be used again in some or the other manner.
z Refurbishing is the process in which the electronics are sold again at lower
prices.
z ReUse: In this process of e-waste management, the electric or electronic
device is reused after making a slight modification.

Terminal Exercise
1. Fill in the blanks:
2. State whether the following are True or False:
(a) The purpose of cyber security is only to prevent cyber attacks.
(b) We can ignore the security warning being given by our system.
(c) We should download the software from the website that looks most
beautiful.
(d) Downloading an image that has copyright restrictions is a cyber crime.
(e) We should burn e-waste to get rid of it.
3. Define the following
(a) Cyber Security (b) Cyber Crime
(c) Cyber Law (d) E-waste

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4. Answer the following questions:

(a) Why is cyber security important today? Give minimum three points to Notes
support your answer.
(b) What points should be kept in mind while setting the passwords?
(c) Name any four salient features of IT Act 2000.
(d) Write any two advantages of Cyber Law.
(e) Why e-waste should not be dumped in a landfill?
(f) Differentiate between recycling and refurbishing.

Answers to Intext Questions

10.1
1. (a) False (b) True (c) True (d) False
2. Use original antivirus, password protect your system

10.2
1. (a) IT Law (b) IT Law 2000 (c) Cyber cell
2. It has made exchange for authenticated documents easier between companies
and government organizations.

10.3
1. (a) Electronic (b) Refurbishing
(c) Beryllium
2. Lead, mercury 5. Firewall
6. Authenticity 7. IT Act 2000
8. Spyware 9. E-Waste Management

Key Learning Outcome

z Be able to take measures to secure the computer system and be aware of
the different cyber security laws for the same.

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