The A to Z of security

Be afraid. Threats to corporate security are everywhere. Just when you thought your network was safe from hackers, along came wi-fi - or your iPod-wielding workforce - and opened a whole new can of worms.

Security is by its nature ever-evolving. Just as one threat is apparently locked down, another springs up to take its place - or an old one rears its head in a new form. Grappling with this malicious hydra it's no wonder the security space spawns new terms and phrases at a rate of knots - and you're supposed to keep up with them all.

Security from A to Z

Click on the links below to find out more...

A is for Antivirus
B is for Botnets
C is for CMA
D is for DDoS
E is for Extradition
F is for Federated identity
G is for Google
H is for Hackers
I is for IM
J is for Jaschan (Sven)
K is for Kids
L is for Love Bug
M is for Microsoft
N is for Neologisms
O is for Orange
P is for Passwords
Q is for Questions
R is for Rootkits
S is for Spyware
T is for Two-factor authentication
U is for USB sticks/devices
V is for Virus variants
W is for Wi-fi
X is for OS X
Y is for You
Z is for Zero-day

And while the rise of the net has opened many doors, it has also kicked down a few that really should be locked. Google is an undeniably wonderful tool for helping people find anything and everything, but such power, especially when rolled onto desktop PCs in a corporate setting, can be abused as well. And it is the human urge to misuse technology that keeps security professionals working in overdrive.

Human failings of a less malicious kind are yet another headache for IT departments - from poor choice of passwords to dodgy downloads.

If the business of securing computers and networks is a lucrative one - something Microsoft has become keen to capitalise on of late - so too is the international business of high-tech cyber crime that underpins it. Cyber crime is a hot political potato too: the UK government has just updated the Computer Misuse Act to close a loophole regarding denial of service attacks and provide for stiffer penalties for hacking offences.

The rise of wi-fi, remote working and mobile technology has taken security concerns out of the office. Threats follow the data and if the data is out there somewhere, you can guarantee the threats won't be far behind...

Click on the links in the box for the security A to Z - from antivirus to zero-day.