The protection of data against unauthorized access. Programs and data can be secured by issuing passwords and digital certificates to authorized users. However, passwords only validate that a correct number has been entered, not that it is the actual person. Digital certificates and biometric techniques (fingerprints, eyes, voice, etc.) provide a more secure method (see authentication). After a user has been authenticated, sensitive data can be encrypted to prevent eavesdropping (see cryptography).
Authorized Users Can Be the Most Dangerous
Although precautions can be taken to authenticate users, it is much more difficult to determine if an authorized employee is doing something malicious. Someone may have valid access to an account for updating, but determining whether phony numbers are being entered requires a great deal more processing. The bottom line is that effective security measures are always a balance between technology and personnel management. See Parkerian hexad, information assurance, security scan, security audit, audit trail, NCSC, ICSA, access control, share-level security, user-level security and social engineering.
Face Recognition
Face recognition is one of the best ways to authenticate a person. This TrueFace system from Miros uses neural network technology to distinguish a face with different appearances, such as with and without glasses and changing hair styles. (Image courtesy of Miros, Inc.)
Authorized Users Can Be the Most Dangerous
Although precautions can be taken to authenticate users, it is much more difficult to determine if an authorized employee is doing something malicious. Someone may have valid access to an account for updating, but determining whether phony numbers are being entered requires a great deal more processing. The bottom line is that effective security measures are always a balance between technology and personnel management. See Parkerian hexad, information assurance, security scan, security audit, audit trail, NCSC, ICSA, access control, share-level security, user-level security and social engineering.
Face Recognition
Face recognition is one of the best ways to authenticate a person. This TrueFace system from Miros uses neural network technology to distinguish a face with different appearances, such as with and without glasses and changing hair styles. (Image courtesy of Miros, Inc.)
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2009 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- Cisco launches iPhone security app
- Cisco is offering a free iPhone app that will allow people to get customized alerts on new security threats and other information for safe web browsing. Cisco is offering a free iPhone app that will allow people to get customized alerts on new security threats and other information for...
- News items 2009-11-20
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- Discussion threads 2009-11-19
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- HAHA! Way to go Microsoft! They basically just told Google to suck it! The best part is they were right the whole time. Yet people blindly defended Google. It would seem Google has more software issues than anyone else.RE: Microsoft finds security hole in Google Chrome FrameI'm not...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-19
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- Discussion threads 2009-11-19
- Managing a growing threat: An Executive's Guide to Web Application Security
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- Software downloads 2009-11-19
- ID Vault Free Edition 5.5.514 (Windows)
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- Software downloads 2009-11-19
- NBL Purchasing 1.3.1 (Windows)
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- Software downloads 2009-11-19
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- 1Password is a Password Manager that uniquely brings you both Security and Convenience. It is the only program that provides Anti-Phishing protection and goes beyond password management by adding Web Form Filling and Automatic Strong Password Generation. All your confidential information, including passwords, identities, and credit cards, is kept in...
- Software downloads 2009-11-19
- NBL Product Sale 1.3.1 (Windows)
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- Software downloads 2009-11-19
- Salesforce Chatter: Social operating systems emerge on the IT stage
- The next big shift: Intranets, portals, and software suites that are the integrating force of the social fabric for our organizations. This morning's announcement here at Dreamforce today from Salesforce of Chatter, an enterprise-class realization of Facebook and Twitter, is further evidence of the industry's push for social Web capabilities...
- Blog posts 2009-11-18
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- Blog posts 2009-11-18
- Selling customer information leads to prosecution
- Perhaps Mr. Graham of the Information Commission was reading my post yesterday. The BBC has reported that an individual attempted to sell customer mobile cellular account information. A broker got the information from an employee of a mobile service provider and then sold it to other mobile service providers. ...
- Blog posts 2009-11-18
- Firefox faces browser clone war in China
- Come on ZDNet!!!!Is this really newsworthy????Newsworthy? That's not the point...ZDNet's intent was not to write about anything worthwhile. It's intent was to draw you in and to have you read further in order to get you to visit at least one more page in their web-site.If they had...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-18
- SpiralBound 1.1.2 (Mac)
- SpiralBound is intended for those Mac users who find that they store way too much information in Stickies, but aren't interested in using a database. SpiralBound is modeled after a spiral bound notepad with a few modern additions. Features include: The convenience of Stickies plus organizing and security features. The...
- Software downloads 2009-11-18
- Advanced Device Locks for BlackBerry 1.02 (Mobile)
- Do you need to protect important information and personal data on your phone? Do you need to restrict the access to certain applications? Do you need to stay confident that your phone applications will not be accessible even if the phone is lost or stolen? Advanced Device Locks ADL allows...
- Software downloads 2009-11-18
- The Queen could better manage security of personal information than civil servants are
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- Discussion threads 2009-11-17
- Beware: Spam on Facebook and Twitter has reached epidemic
- another spammer paradise...tell me something I don't know.Duh reallyDuh really,you got payed to tell us were getting spammed?? Well actually you get spammed i don't subscribe to twitter or face book. I just simply email friends and family and guess what,i don't get spammed doing it that way,who woulda known!How...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-17
- The Queen could better manage security of personal information than civil servants are
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- Blog posts 2009-11-17
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- White papers 2009-11-17
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