Computer

What is a computer?

• A computer is an electronic device that manipulates information, or data.
• It has the ability to store, retrieve, and process data.

Data

Data is unprocessed facts and figures without any added interpretation or analysis.

Information

Information is data that has been interpreted so that it has meaning for the user.

Advantages of Computers

• Speed
• Storage
• Reliability
• Consistency
• Communication

Components of a Computer

• It consists of both hardware, the information
• will be stored on hardware. Information stored
• on computer hardware is often called software.
• Hardware components of a computer system are the electronic and mechanical parts.
• Software components of a computer system are the      data and the computer programs.

Software

Consists of a series of instructions that tells the computer what to do and how to do it, is also called a program.

Types of software:

• System Software
• Application Software

System Software

System software (systems software) is computer software designed to operate and control the computer hardware and to provide a platform for running application software. System software can be separated into two different categories, operating systems and utility software.

Application Software

Application software (an application) is a set of computer programs designed to permit the user to perform a group of coordinated functions, tasks, or activities. Application software cannot run on itself but is dependent on system software to execute.

• Memory Types
• Memory can be classified as:
• Volatile requires power to maintain stored
• information
• Non-Volatile does not require a maintained
• Power supply
• Secondary Memory Devices
• Secondary Memories are non-volatile in nature
• Data can be accessed in any order from anywhere on the device
• Example: Hard disk, Pen drive, DVD, CD-ROM

What is Laptop?

Portable and compact personal computer with the same capabilities as a desktop computer. Laptop computers have an L-shape design and the screen can be lowered and closed to allow for easy transportation of the machine. The primary feature that attracts users to laptops over desktops is their portability. Laptop computers provide users the ability to run the machine using an internal battery or an outside power adaptor. Laptops have dramatically decreased in size since their introduction in 1979. Laptops are usually more expensive than standard desktops and do not have the same life-span as fixed personal computers.

What is Scanner?

A scanner is a device that captures images from photographic prints, posters, magazine pages, and similar sources for computer editing and display. Scanners come in hand-held, feed-in, and flatbed types and for scanning black-and-white only, or color. Very high resolution scanners are used for scanning for high-resolution printing, but lower resolution scanners are adequate for capturing images for computer display. Scanners usually come with software, such as Adobe's Photoshop product, that lets you resize and otherwise modify a captured image.

Scanners usually attach to your personal computer with a Small Computer System Interface ( SCSI ). An application such as PhotoShop uses the TWAIN program to read in the image.

Some major manufacturers of scanners include: Epson, Hewlett-Packard, Microtek, and Relisys.

Who is the inventor of computer printer?

In 1938, Chester Carlson invented a dry printing process called electrophotography commonly called a Xerox, the foundation technology for laser printers to come. For years, nobody seemed to pay any interest to Carson's invention.

Deception technology

Part of the Security threats and countermeasures glossary:

Deception technology is a category of security tools and techniques that is designed to prevent an attacker who has already entered the network from doing damage. The technology uses decoys to misdirect the attacker and delay or prevent him from going deeper into the network and reaching his intended target.

Deception technology products work by distributing deception decoys that mimic genuine IT assets throughout the network. The decoys run either a real or emulated operating system (OS) and provide services that are designed to trick the attacker into thinking he has found a way to steal credentials or escalate privileges. In reality, however, the attacker has simply been lured into scanning or attacking a decoy, which then notifies a special dedicated server called an engagement server or a deception server. Correlation engines within the deception server identify which decoy the attacker has scanned or tried to attack and what attack vectors he used. 

Deception technology is intended to enhance rather than replace the other security products an organization uses. The technology is not reliant upon attack signatures, which makes it extremely effective for gaining real-time visibility into an attack that has bypassed all other prevention efforts. This capability enhances the tasks that the organization’s regular security information and event management (SIEM) system carries out, ensuring that infected devices are identified and quarantined as quickly as possible.

Because deception technology is designed to detect inside-the-network threats and their lateral movement, alerts are always event-driven and automatically supported by forensics that can be analyzed with other log data from the organization’s SIEM system should the need arise. Should even more information be required during an attack, some advanced deception systems can even open communications with the attacker’s command and control (C&C) server to learn more about the attacker’s methods and the tools he is using.