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Chapter 6

Data security

3.1 Risks

Data security is concerned with keeping data safe from various hazards
that could destroy or compromise it.

These include:

Physical risks – impact on the physical environment in which the system exists (e.g.
fire or flood)

Human risks – access is gained to the system by an unauthorised user, either
physically or remotely (e.g. hacking, virus infection or fraud).

The main risks to computer systems and the data they contain include the following:

Potential threats Counter measures

Physical damage, due to  well documented fire procedures

 fire  staff training

 flooding
 provide fire extinguishers and
smoke/ heat detectors, fire doors
 terrorist attacks

 computer equipment might be
 power failures
located in a segregated area
 other environmental –
 back-up generators
heat, cold, humidity,
dust  Off-site facilities to cater for the
possibility of total destruction of the
in-house computer equipment

 off-site back-up copies of data files

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