Viruses, Vulnerabilities and Security Holes (Essay Sample)

Viruses, Vulnerabilities and Security Holes
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Essay Paper
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Fall 2012
Abstract
Computers are essential in data manipulation and storage; however, there are malicious programs designed to interfere with data integrity and security. Virus is a software program that is developed will ill motives of compromising information within a computer; Vulnerability is the likelihood of computer virus to interfere with files within a computer through modification of corrupting the data content. However, Security Holes are the avenues through which the virus affects a computer and various ways that would be deployed to enhance computer security so that virus attack would not compromise information stored in a computer. Windows and LINUX/ UNIX are types of operating systems that manage both software and hardware applications in a computer. The program developers of such malicious software target complete destruction of computers, and information contents so that users would purchase anti-virus software to clean up their computers. The virus programs are developed by computer programmers with the ability to derive the corresponding anti- virus that would solve the problems caused by the respective malicious programs. The essay will focus on virus, vulnerability and security holes within a computer system.
Key words: Viruses, Vulnerabilities and Security Holes


Viruses
Viruses are executable programs that are maliciously created to compromise computer security. The respective developers also develop the antivirus that would clean up and/ or recover the lost data (Kizza, 2008). The common viruses include worms, Trojan horse and macros; most of the computers are at high risk of virus attack despite having the computer protection on active mode (Cobb, 2011). The various anti- virus programs have to be updated in order to enhance full protection form the executable malware. Programs which are transferred through both computers based and network programs (Bidgoli, 2006).
Vulnerabilities
The vulnerability to computer system attack is determined by the kind of operating system installed. The most vulnerable operating systems are window based operating systems like Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows 7. Linux operating systems are more secure since the source codes with better security making them less vulnerable to malicious programs like Trojan horse and other malicious executable programs (Bidgoli, 2006).
Security Holes
Computers operating on Linux operating systems are secured from the common malware this implies that LINUX/ UNIX based operating systems are the most preferred operating systems (Kizza, 2008). The difference in operation between the Windows based operating system and the Linux based operating system is the system codes. The structure of Linux coding system is security enhances to complicate the operating system structure, so nobody/ malicious program would get access to the system programs t...