A workable alternative to a full system backup is a “selective” backup that contains only your most important data files. The disadvantage of this backup strategy is that because you backed up only data files, you must manually reinstall all your software before restoring your data files.
If your strategy is to back up your important data files, the procedure can be simplified if you’ve stored all these files in one folder or its subfolders.
In addition to data files you create, a few other types of data files might be important to you. Consider making backups of these files:
- Internet connection information
- E-mail folders
- E-mail address book
- Favorite URLs
- Downloads
Windows users often hear a variety of rumors about backing up the Windows Registry. The Registry, as it is usually called, is an important group of files the Windows operating system uses to store configuration information about all the devices and software installed on a computer system.
As simple as it sounds, backing up the Registry can present a bit of a problem because the Registry is always open while your computer is on. Windows users whose backup plans encompass all files on the hard disk must make sure their backup software provides an option for including the Windows Registry.
Your backup schedule depends on how much data you can afford to lose. If you’re working on an important project, you might want to back up the project files several times a day. Under normal use, however, most people schedule a once-a-week backup. If you work with a To Do list, use it to remind yourself when it is time to make a backup.
Store your backups in a safe place. Don’t keep them at your computer desk because a fire or flood that damages your computer could also wipe out your backups. Storing your backups at a different location is the best idea, but at least store them in a room apart from your computer.
Backup devices
The backup device you select depends on the value of your data, your current equipment, and your budget. Most computer owners use what they have — a writable CD drive, Zip drive.
The major disadvantage of backing up your data on CDs and DVDs is that the writing process is slow — slower than writing data to tape or a removable hard disk. Further, although it is feasible to back up your entire system on a series of CDs or DVDs, you would have to use special backup software, monitor the backup process, and switch disks occasionally. CDs and DVDs are more practical for backing up a select group of important data files.
Zip disks with 100 MB or 250 MB capacity are sufficient for backups of documents and most digital graphics files. Several 750 MB Zip disks might be enough for backing up all your data files and could be feasible for a full-system backup if you have not installed lots of application software.
A second hard disk drive is a good backup option — especially if it has equivalent capacity to your main hard disk. This capacity allows the backup process to proceed unattended because you won’t have to swap disks or CDs. Speed-wise, a hard disk is faster than tape, CD, or DVD drives. Unfortunately, like your computer’s main hard disk, a backup hard disk is susceptible to head crashes, making it one of the least reliable storage options.
Network and internet backup
If your computer is connected to a local area network, you might be able to use the network server as a backup device. Before entrusting your data to a server, check with the network administrator to make sure you are allowed to store a large amount of data on the server. Because you might not want strangers to access your data, you should store it in a password-protected, non-shared folder. You also should make sure the server will be backed up on a regular basis so that your backup data won’t be wiped out by a server crash.
Several Web sites offer fee-based backup storage space. When needed, you can simply download backup files from the Web site to your hard disk. These sites are practical for backups of your data files, but space limitations and download times make them impractical for a full-system backup. Experts suggest that you should not rely on a Web site as your only method of backup. If a site goes out of business or is the target of a Denial of Service attack, your backup data might not be accessible.
Backup software
To make a backup, you can use backup software — a set of utility programs designed to back up and restore files. Backup software usually includes options that make it easy to schedule periodic backups, define a set of files that you want to regularly back up, and automate the restoration process.
Backup software differs from most copy routines because it typically compresses all the files for a backup and places them in one large file. Under the direction of backup software, this file can spread across multiple tapes if necessary. The file is indexed so that individual files can be located, uncompressed, and restored.
Boot disks
A boot disk is a floppy disk or CD containing the operating system files needed to boot your computer without accessing the hard disk. A barebones boot disk simply loads the operating system kernel. It is needed, if your hard disk fails or a virus wipes out the boot sector files on your hard disk, you will not be able to use your normal boot procedure.
To create an MS-DOS boot disk, insert a blank floppy disk in drive A. Open My Computer or Windows Explorer, and then right-click the Drive A icon. Select Format and check the box labeled Create an MS-DOS startup disk.
Task 2. Match the beginnings of the sentences in the first column with the endings in the second one.
1. A backup is a copy of one or more files |
a) to restore your computing environment to its pre-disaster state with a minimum of fuss. |
2. A good backup plan allows you |
b) and automating the process requires a large capacity tape backup device or a second hard disk drive. |
3. You must devise your own backup plan |
c) that is tailored to your particular computing needs. |
4. A full-system backup takes a lot of time |
d) that has been made in case the original files become damaged. |
5. Your backup schedule depends on how much data |
e) value of your data, your current equipment, and your budget. |
6 The backup device you select depends on the |
f) you can afford to lose. |
7. If your computer is connected to a local area network |
g) you might be able to use the network server as a backup device. |
Task 3. Put the appropriate unscrambled words into the sentences on the right.
covreer evitartalen lailtsner emagad mumide |
1. Because you backed up only data files you must manually ___ all your software before restoring your data files. 2. You need a backup plan that helps you ___ data that’s been wiped out by operator error, viruses or hardware ___. 3. Store your backups in a safe place or a fire or flood that ___ your computer could also wipe out your backup. 4. A workable ___ to a full system backup is a selective backup that contains only your most important data files. 5. A backup is usually stored on a different storage ___ from the original files. |
Task 4. Fill in the blanks choosing from the variants given.
A backup is usually … (detected/stored) on a different storage medium from the original files.
A workable alternative to a full system backup is a … (selective/overall) backup that contains only your most important data files.
Storing your backups at a different locations is … (not a good/the best) idea.
The backup device you select depends on … (how much data you can afford to lose/the value of your data/your current equipment and your budget).
A full-system backup … (can be done in no time/takes a lot of time).
Under normal use most people schedule … (an everyday backup/once-a-week backup).
Task 5. Match the beginnings and the endings of the instructions/steps given and put them into correct order.
1. Your backup schedule depends on |
a) that is tailored to your particular computing needs. |
2. No single backup plan fits |
b) most people schedule a once-a-week backup. |
3. You can’t always prevent data disasters |
c) how much data you can afford to use. |
4. You must devise your own backup plan |
d) everyone’s computing style or budget. |
5. Under normal use |
e) but at least store them in a room apart from your computer. |
6. The best idea is storing your backups at a different location |
f) so you need a backup plan that helps you recover data that’s been wiped out. |
Task 6. Fill in the gaps in the text.
A backup is a copy of one or more files that has been made in case the original files become damaged. For safety, a backup is usually stored on a different storage medium from the original files. A good backup plan allows you to ___ your computing environment to its pre-disaster state with a minimum of fuss.
No single backup plan fits everyone’s computing style or budget. Your personal backup plan depends on the files you need to back up, the hardware you have available to make backups, and your backup software. In any case, it is a good idea to back up the Windows ___ and make sure your files are free of ___. Backups should be stored in a safe place, away from the computer.
Backups can be recorded on floppy disks, writable CDs and DVDs, networks, Web sites, a second hard disk, or tapes. Many computer owners depend on writable CDs for backups, and use My Computer or Windows ___ to simply select files and copy files to the backup. ___ drives and backup software are typically used in business situations when a full-system backup is desirable. Backup software differs from most copy routines because it ___ all the files for a backup into one large file.
In addition to file backups, you should have a ___ disk containing the operating system files and settings needed to start your computer without accessing the hard disk.
Task 7. Speaking. Discuss the following questions.
1. Why do you need to make backups?
2. What are the major strategies and plans of backup? What does their choice depend on?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of different backup devices?
4. What can you say about network and internet backup?
5. What can you say about backup software?
6. What is a boot disk? How can it be created?
Text 20B. Malware and computer crime
Computer crime encompasses a broad range of illegal activities. It may be divided into two categories: 1) crimes that target computer networks or devices directly (malware, denial-of-service (DoS) attacks and computer viruses) 2) crimes facilitated by computer networks or devices (cyber stalking, fraud and identity theft, phishing scams).
Malicious software (malware) is software designed to infiltrate a computer system without the owner's informed consent. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, and other malicious and unwanted software.
Many early infectious programs were written as experiments or pranks. Hostile intent can be found in programs designed to cause harm or data loss. Many DOS viruses were designed to destroy files on a hard disk, or to corrupt the file system.
However, since the rise of widespread broadband Internet access, malicious software has come to be designed for a profit motive.
Infected "zombie computers" are used to send email spam, to host contraband data such as child pornography, or to engage in distributed denial-of-service attacks.
The best-known types of malware, viruses and worms, are known for the manner in which they spread. A virus requires user intervention to spread, whereas a worm spreads automatically. It can reproduce itself and spreads from one computer to the next over a network. Before Internet access became widespread, viruses spread on personal computers by infecting programs or the executable boot sectors of floppy disks. With the rise of the MS Windows platform in the 1990s it became possible to write infectious code in the macro language of Microsoft Word and similar programs.
For a malicious program to accomplish its goals, it must be able to do so without being shut down, or deleted by the user or administrator of the computer on which it is running. When a malicious program is disguised as something innocuous or desirable, users may install it. This is the technique of the Trojan horse or Trojan. One of the most common ways that spyware is distributed is as a Trojan horse, bundled with a piece of desirable software that the user downloads from the Internet. When the user installs the software, the spyware is installed alongside. Spyware authors who attempt to act in a legal fashion may include an end-user license agreement that states the behavior of the spyware in loose terms, which the users are unlikely to read or understand.
Once a malicious program is installed on a system, it is essential that it stay concealed, to avoid detection and disinfection. Techniques known as rootkits allow this concealment, by modifying the host operating system so that the malware is hidden from the user. Rootkits can prevent a malicious process from being visible in the system's list of processes. Some malicious programs contain routines to defend against removal, not merely to hide themselves, but to repel attempts to remove them.
A computer can be a source of evidence. Even though the computer is not directly used for criminal purposes, it is an excellent device for record keeping, particularly given the power to encrypt the data. This evidence can be obtained and decrypted and be of great value to criminal investigators.
As malware attacks become more frequent, attention has begun to shift from viruses and spyware protection, to malware protection, and programs have been developed to specifically combat them. They can provide real time protection against the installation of malware software on a computer by scanning all incoming network data for malware and blocks any threats. They also scan the contents of the windows registry, operating system files, and installed programs on a computer, allowing the user to choose which files to delete or keep.
Task 8. Find the equivalents in the text:
1) широкий діапазон незаконної діяльності 2) файли на вінчестері 3) розсилати спам по електронній пошті 4) розміщувати заборонені дані 5) участь користувача для розповсюдження 6) він може відтворювати себе 7) маскується під потрібну програму 8) захищає від видалення 9) cвідоцтва можуть бути отримані і розшифровані 10) дозволяючи користувачеві вибирати файли для видалення.
Task 9. Make questions to the underlined words:
1) It is divided into two categories. 2) In XXI century Internet access became widespread. 3) The spyware will be installed alongside with the desirable program. 4) They provide real time protection against the installation of malware. 5) Antivirus programs have been developed to combat malicious software.
Task 10. Fill the gaps:
Computer crime ____ broad range of illegal activities. Criminals target computer networks or devices directly using malware and ____. They can also use ____ or devices for cyber stalking, fraud and identity theft, phishing scam. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, ____ , spyware and adware. These programs are written to destroy files on a hard disk, to ____ the file system, to send email spam, to host contraband data or to engage in DoS attacks. Malware is divided into ____ categories. ____ requires user intervention to spread. ____ spreads automatically from one computer to the next over a network. ____ is disguised as desirable program and users may install it. Rootkits can ____ the installed malware and defend against removal. Antivirus software has been developed to ____ malicious programs.
Task 11. Critical thinking. Read the article and express your opinion on the problem.
Computer Crime
It doesn’t take any special digital expertise to mastermind some computer crimes. Setting fire to a computer doesn’t require the same finesse as writing a stealthy virus, but both can have the same disastrous effect on data. “Old-fashioned” crimes, such as arson, that take a high-tech twist because they involve a computer can be prosecuted under traditional laws.
Traditional laws do not, however, cover the range of possibilities for computer crimes. Suppose a person unlawfully enters a computer facility and steals backup tapes. That person might be prosecuted for breaking and entering. But would common breaking and entering laws apply to a person who uses an off-site terminal to “enter” a computer system without authorization? And what if a person copies a data file without authorization? Has that file really been “stolen” if the original remains on the computer?
Many countries have computer crime laws that specifically define computer data and software as personal property. These laws also define as crimes the unauthorized access, use, modification, or disabling of a computer system or data. But laws don’t necessarily stop criminals. If they did, we wouldn’t have to deal with malicious code and intrusions.
A 1995 high-profile case involved a computer hacker named Kevin Mitnick, who was accused of breaking into dozens of corporate, university, government, and personal computers. Although vilified in the media, Mitnick had the support of many hackers and other people who believed that the prosecution grossly exaggerated the extent of his crimes.
Nonetheless, Mitnick was sentenced to 46 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,125 during his three-year period of supervised release. The prosecution was horrified by such a paltry sum – an amount that was much less than its request for $1,5 million in restitution.
Forbes reporter Adam L. Penenberg took issue with the 46-month sentence imposed by Judge Marianne Pfaelzer and wrote, “This in a country where the average prison term for manslaughter is three years. Mitnick’s crimes were curiously innocuous. He broke into corporate computers, but no evidence indicates that he destroyed data. Or sold anything he copied. Yes, he pilfered software — but in doing so left it behind. This world of bits is a strange one, in which you can take something and still leave it for its rightful owner. The theft laws designed for payroll sacks and motor vehicles just don’t apply to a hacker.”