Making a computer system secure involves many different factors. Not surprisingly, some of the most basic ways of keeping a computer system secure do not have to do with technology or software at all. It is very important to keep the physical side of the computer safe with such things as surveillance cameras and guards if it is an office or government owned computer as well as locks for all computers including home computers. These items will help safeguard a computer system and discourage criminals “from gaining unauthorized access to computer facilities (White 32).”

Aside from physically securing our computers, technology can take over when it comes to securing our computers internally, such as our programs, personal records, files, and the internet. Antivirus programs, firewalls which filter out unauthorized packets from being received by computer systems, monitoring tools “which identify and destroy malicious programs (Dekker),” and cryptography or encryption which translates information from its original form, can all be used to protect computer systems internally (Dekker).

Security software, however, cannot protect a computer internally by itself. Humans also play a vital role in protecting a computer internally. There are many different safeguards that businesses and people who own home computers can use to protect themselves against computer crimes. Accidental hardware damage, for example, can be protected by purchasing surge suppressors and doing important tasks to your system externally such as proper storage media care, protecting against too much heat, dust, and static. In case of data loss, businesses and those who own home computers should make backups and develop disaster-recovery plans for both man made and natural disasters. People should guard there information carefully to protect against identity theft, and secure web servers should be used for sensitive transactions. One may also use encryption to secure e-mails and sensitive files (Morley 654).

There are many ways to protect a system against computer crimes and computer users should begin securing themselves by understanding and learning the many ways to protect both the hardware and software of their system.