Week Four: Information Security

Almost everything that has an upside has a downside, and the Internet is certainly no exception. The very tool that makes our lives so convenient by allowing us to purchase virtually anything online, keep in nearly instant contact with people around the world and manage almost all of the details of our lives also has a thriving dark side of people who are constantly coming up with new and innovative ways to steal that information and use it to their advantage - while causing tremendous harm to us in the process. Thankfully, there are people working just as hard on our side to stay a step ahead of them. However, it also requires diligence on our part, and we must be sure to take steps like having a firewall on our computer, using antivirus software, not downloading items that we know little about, and, perhaps most importantly, only doing business (and providing personal information to) sites we know and trust.