MITZI PERDUE: Cyber security
Source: NandoTimes
In the real world, we worry about anthrax or smallpox. These bacteria and viruses potentially can kill millions of people and it's difficult to defend against them.
In the cyberworld of computers and the Internet, there also are infectious agents that can cause great harm and that are difficult to defend against. Last year, according to a research firm in California, Computer Economics, worms and viruses cost us more than $17 billion.
This figure includes the costs associated with cleaning malicious computer codes from networks, servers and clients. It also includes the costs of restoring lost or damaged files, plus lost productivity.
No one knows what the future holds, but if malicious individuals can cause billions of dollars in damage to our information systems, how much harm could state-sponsored cyber-terrorists cause?
There is some good news in all of this, though. Bill Arbaugh, a West Point graduate who now teaches at the University of Maryland, believes that the vast majority of computer viruses and worms can be prevented if each of us practices good computer security.
