Yea all i got was mostly oppressive criticsism when i first joined.Just afew months ago.Thing is i dident actually give a s**t.

Good Job John.
I will now post a 1866 word report I had to do for my ICT exam.

Data Security

DATA SECURITY 1
To Whom It May Concern. 1
How Data Can Be Lost 1
How to Prevent Data Loss 2
Backing Up 3
How to Completely Prevent Unauthorized Access 3
Computer Use – Ethics 3
APPENDIX 3

To Whom It May Concern.
I have recently been informed that you are that you are having problems with data security at you school. I have reviewed you security policy and my recommendations are as follows.

How Data Can Be Lost
Data can be lost in many ways. They are varying from disgruntled employees through to natural disaster. I will discuss:
• Data Corruption
• Hackers
• Viruses/Spy ware
• Unauthorized Access

Data Corruption is the deterioration or damage of data caused by human, hardware and software error. It can be caused in many ways. On the human side, if one were to accidentally trip over a computer wire like the power and the cable was unplugged from the wall socket, or if somebody were to accidentally save over a file. This will cause the data to stop being sent, and the unsaved data will be lost. On the hardware side, if a hard-drive were to slip or fall out of place the surface of he hard disk may become scratched, leaving unreadable data. On the software side, some programs may react badly to other software, or bad coding which causes the accidental deletion of data.

A hacker is ‘a programmer who breaks into computer systems in order to steal or change or destroy information as a form of cyber-terrorism’ according to Google Definitions. Using complex algorithms, or simple methods, these hackers can gain entry to a workstation to delete or change data. This could be done by a student to change grades, or to delete another student’s grades.

A virus is a computer program that can be designed in many different ways. It is usually for malicious purposes, like deleting certain files, or changing data like passwords, to allow others to gain entry. They also come in the form of programs called ‘time bombs,’ which are designed to release the virus at a set time, like during a companies backup period, when the data is most vulnerable. Spy ware, on the other hand is designed not to change or delete data, but it collects, or ‘spies’ on data and passes it on to the program. It can be used to gather things like passwords, or personal information like addresses and phone numbers.

Unauthorised Access is when a user gains access to a workstation without authorisation. Once a user is inside they can delete data, change passwords, copy personal information, etc. This is generally bad (duh!) and there could be serious problems.

How to Prevent Data Loss
Even though there are many ways that data can be lost easily, there are many procedures, some complex, and some simple, that can be done to prevent this. This section will cover how to prevent data, from the methods from the previous section.

Data Corruption can be prevented in various ways. I will again talk about the human, hardware, and software side of things. Data Corruption caused by humans can be prevented in many ways. In the case earlier, I mentioned tripping over a wire and accidentally unplugging the computer at the wall socket. One thing that can be done to prevent this is organising your wires. The best way to do this is to make sure that there are no wires along the floor. This means that you should have them hidden under a desk, or going along the skirting board of a wall. This means that there is no way for anyone to trip over the wires. In the other case where somebody accidentally had overwritten a file, some training could be used or you could make sure you create a backup of each file as you create them.

Preventing hackers, on the other hand is not as simple. A good place to start is a Hierarchical multiple password acceptance system, which is where each password has different access, and making sure that all passwords are changed at least once a month. If this seems not enough, it would be good to install a hardware firewall, or install 3rd party firewall software like System Mechanic 6 Professional. (http://www.iolo.com/sm/6pro/indexfw.cfm) Another good thing to do is try your best to keep information about the school server private. All of this can be useful when a hacker wants to get access to your servers.

Viruses can be quite tricky to prevent. It is a common misconception that installing an antivirus program on your network will prevent all viruses. If you are going to use an antivirus program, it is recommended that you update every day, or as soon as an update is released. This will make sure that you are prevented against the latest viruses, as they are being created as we speak, metaphorically of course. However, if you wish to completely protect your school you should introduce proper training of what to do in certain circumstances, like whether to open an email attachment or not.

Unauthorized Access is very complicated to prevent fully and may cost a lot of money to prevent. I shall cover the physical side of things. If there is a workstation that has got sensitive information on it, or if you have a main server, I recommend that you have an independent room where it is installed. From here, you could place bars on the windows, or design it with no windows at all. A swipe card system can be useful, as it prevents unauthorized access and you can log all of the people who have gained entry to the room. Also, if you have the money, a security guard outside the room is handy. If these procedures fail and somebody gains access to the room, it is recommended that a CCTV system is set up so that the intruder can be caught at a later date.
Backing Up
Backing up is one of the most important things that can be done. In essence, backing up is copying all of the data on the server. If you back up the entire server, minus the system software, like Word, as they do not change, during the night, you will receive the best results. The reason backing up at night is because there is no computer traffic to slow down the backup, and so that all of the data will be backed up. I recommend that you backup at about 3am for best results. The reason that backing up is so important is that if some data is lost, you can revert to an old backup, where the old data is present. The best way to store your backups is using a magnetic tape drive. This can store a massive amount of data and is relatively small. I recommend that you store the backup tapes in a fire proof, water proof container, and make sure the container is away from any magnets.
How to Completely Prevent Unauthorized Access
In addition to what is mentioned above, there are many things that can be done on the software side of things. A good firewall, as mentioned in the Hacker section, will often be able to prevent hackers. If accompanied with a good Hierarchical password system, an unauthorized user or hacker may gain access to the computer, but not be able to gain any information, or change anything like data or passwords. An anti spy ware program will be able to stop software from stealing any information, but needs to be updated very regularly.

Computer Use – Ethics
Computer Ethics is an unwritten law on what should be done in certain situations. Sometimes there may be old laws that do not cover modern situations, and some common sense is needed. One part of ethics is regarding information privacy. If you accidentally stumble upon somebody else’s data, you should leave it alone, or help protect it and make sure you keep it secret. It is all about common sense. If somebody else id what you are about to do, how would you feel!
Copyright, Piracy, Privacy, and Confidentiality.
These four components have laws behind them and it is recommended that you teach all students. All things that are created are copyrighted to the creator or owner. This may seem easy but websites like Google Images give images, but students may not realise that the images are copyrighted and use the images illegally. Another problem is music. Students might bring in music on their flash drive and copy it to somebody else’s account or flash drive.

Confidentiality. When has information about anybody you are required by law to keep this data private. This data may be contact details, but the people whose information it is have rights to it. If you share this data with anybody you are breaking the law.

Appendix
These are my recommendations on the following problems.
Logging on and accessing the schools computer network.
I recommend that you set up a Hierarchical multiple password acceptance system, and give each user an individual account, rather than everyone sharing a computer. Make sure that nobody can steal passwords by setting the workstations in such a way that it is impossible to copy. Make sure that all of the account permissions are set up appropriately. If you use a drive that everyone can access, make sure that only the creator and administrator can edit it.
Accessing and using the Internet at school.
If you wish to grant students access to the internet at school, make sure you set up a website blocking system. The last thing you want is getting a bad name because some students are viewing material of a pornographic nature at school. Also, make sure that no games are allowed so that students do not get distracted. Another useful thing to block is Google Images. There are often copyrights on images and some students may ignore these. It is also useful to set up a bandwidth limit on student accounts, if you have a capped broadband plan. You do not want the students to be costing you thousands of dollars a month.
Using Email
If you have got a student email system set up I have a few recommendations. Allow a maximum mailbox system, so you save on hard drive space. Setup an email firewall. You do not want a virus on your server so make sure you scan each email as it comes in. Another thing that you could do is try to stop outside emails from being received unless they are authorized by the firewall.
Health and Safety Issues
There are many things that can be done to protect the health and safety of students using a computer. The temperature of the room should be set low but not too cold so that it is relaxing. Chairs. The chairs in the room should have appropriate back support to prevent back and neck strain. The lighting in the room should be bright, to prevent any eye strain. It is also recommended that the computer screens are large, to encourage the eyes to move, instead of staying in one place.

Let's all have a smile!

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) Smiles! Anyway i would like to see everyone be nicer as well.

well i smile way to much

:) <----- here is my smile!
im not sure why, but anytime "yerjoking" see's my comments, he always starts bashing me. on one of his vids, i had a little suggestion and he started bashing me for it. im not sure what he finds offensive in my comments.

Your are soo right!

look believing in a certain religion has got nothing to do with knex so why the hell do you make groups called the christians i mean what the hell!!! personaly i think religion is a waste of time because every one just ends up arguing over it. i don't have a problem with it just theres no point involving it with DIY!!!!!!!!!!!!!