Basic security options to protect your computer from hackers and rogue applications on the Internet.

Information travelling on the Internet usually takes a circuitous route through several intermediary computers to reach any destination computer. The actual route your information takes to reach its destination is not under your control. As your information travels on Internet computers, any intermediary computer has the potential to eavesdrop and make copies. An intermediary computer could even deceive you and exchange information with you by misrepresenting itself as your intended destination. These possibilities make the transfer of confidential information such as passwords or credit card numbers susceptible to abuse. This is where Internet security comes in and why it has become a rapidly growing concern for all who use the Internet.

Internet security describes a whole range of practices designed to ensure that you have control over who can access your data. Password protection keeps email accounts private. Encryption can be used to send files securely over email. Web browsers maintain heightened levels of security for transactions involving credit card numbers or other sensitive information. Firewalls are designed to protect your local area network from foreign users. Internet security is never absolute; there is probably a hacker out there that can crack any system. Whatâ€(tm)s important is that you inform yourself and choose the level of security you feel comfortable with. Source: TechSoup.org

A broad topic dealing with all aspects of data authentication, privacy, integrity, and verification for transactions over the Internet. For example, credit card purchases made via a World Wide Web browser require attention to Internet security issues to ensure that the credit card number is not intercepted by an intruder or copied from the server where the number is stored, and to verify that the credit card number is actually sent by the person who claims to be sending it.

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