There always seem to be people who want to use good things for bad ends. Computers and the internet have a lot of power for good. Unfortunately, some people want to use that power to cause harm.
This is partly why security is so important. But it also means computer programmers have to take extra care to build security into their systems. Security is something we all have to focus on.
Phishing
Phishing is when someone tries to get personal data by hiding who they really are. A person may visit a site or get an email that looks real. For example, you may get an email from your favorite shopping site. It may have the company’s logo and all the details at the bottom that look like it came from the store. The mail says that it’s time for you to update your account information. It provides a link for you to do just that.
When you click the link, it takes you to a web page that looks like your shopping site. But it isn’t. It has been made to look like it, but it’s just there to get your information. This is called a phishing attack.
There are many ways you can protect yourself from phishing attacks. One way is to check all links before you click them. Most modern desktop browsers and email tools help you with this. If you rest your mouse over a link and wait for a second or two, the tool will show you the actual link. If the text you see says it takes you to www.relecloud.com, but the actual link is to some website you don’t know, be careful!
The link exposure tool is one way programmers have developed to help protect users. Many computer companies also do background checks on web links. They keep databases of links that can cause harm. When you try to click a potentially bad link, the software can warn you.
Hacking
Hackers come in many shapes and sizes. There are “black hat” hackers that are after money or to cause harm. There are “white hat” hackers that can break into systems like any other hacker but have noble goals (like exposing weaknesses). There even are gray hat hackers that sometimes break the rules but generally have good intentions.
The black hats are the ones to be most concerned about. Hackers have the ability to break into computer systems by violating security. They may use tools to test thousands of passwords a minute until they find one that works. They write code that can be injected into computers to gain access. They also can write code in programs that seem innocent (like a game) but are designed to steal information.
Many of the security tools you see today are designed to prevent hacking. Many of them work well, but hackers can still find a way to work around them. Being safe involves trusting software from reputable companies. But it also means being vigilant and aware of what you’re doing.
Programming for Safety
Becoming a good programmer means partly designing programs with security in mind. There are many “best practices” programmers use to do this. Many of the modern tools programmers use also help make them aware of potential issues. Finally, lots of testing can help catch bugs and issues that leave a program open to hackers.
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