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CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide

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malware.

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Analyzing Threats

Threats to your data and PC come from two directions: accidents and

malicious people. All sorts of things can go wrong with your computer, from

users getting access to folders they shouldn’t see to a virus striking and

deleting folders. Files can be deleted, renamed, or simply lost (what Nancy

Drew might call “The Case of the Disappearing Files”). Hard drives can die,

and optical discs get scratched and rendered unreadable. Accidents happen,

and even well-meaning people can make mistakes.

Unfortunately, a lot of people out there intend to do you harm. Combine

that intent with a talent for computers, and you have a dangerous

combination. Let’s look at the following issues:

• Unauthorized access

• Social engineering

• Denial of Service

• Data destruction, whether accidental or deliberate

• Administrative access

• Catastrophic hardware failures

• Physical theft

• Malware

• Environmental threats

Unauthorized Access

Unauthorized access occurs when a person accesses resources without

permission. “Resources” in this case means data, applications, and hardware.

A user can alter or delete data; access sensitive information, such as financial

data, personnel files, or e-mail messages; or use a computer for purposes the

owner did not intend.

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