The threat of Internet security is an issue of growing concern. In the last decade, the number of computers in use has exploded. For quite some time now, computers have been a crucial element in how we entertain and educate ourselves, and most importantly, how we do business. Research indicates that approximately ninety percent of all computer systems are insecure and hackable. This report points out areas of vulnerability and areas of common security leaks, such as, chat rooms, e-mail, browsers and modems. The report substantiates the reasons for the growing concern and recommends ways to tighten Internet security as well as ways to reduce the risk of Internet hacking through the use of security devices including, but not limited to network firewalls, password audits, encryption and security scans.

Internet security is a tool utilized to protect customers and educated employees. Not securing company information on computer systems costs a business in both dollars and customer trust. Although no one is ever one hundred percent secure, if companies keep the security software up-to-date all the time, the chances are much lower that they will be hacked.

never been more complex, especially today with Internet telecommunications infrastructures crossing ground, air, ocean, and space. Within the last five years, businesses have begun to need to share data across wide areas. Unlimited new types of hacking crimes are possible. The Internet has become a playground for CYBER HIJACKERS, HACKERS AND TERRORISTS.

It is a reliable, repeatable test, with comparisons reported from one run to the next. This allows the organization to check for the addition or removal of services and hosts that might otherwise go unnoticed, and to confirm that the firewall or host is allowing only the expected set of services to be visible on the internet.

Denial-of-service e-mail attacks - There are two types of denial-of-service e-mail attacks: ping-pong auto-responders, which are simply return addresses, and cascading confirmation receipts. Both instances would result in an infinite amount of redundant e-mail traffic causing networked computers to disconnect or just crash. Computer hackers look for computers that are permanently connected to the Internet and that are not protected by firewalls.

If the organization or user is worried about a word processor leaking scraps of your sensitive documents all over the hard drive, he/she can use a secure text editor that automatically encrypts documents. It is also possible to e-mail secret memos to co-workers from within the text editor.

Internet Security Flaws - Over 500 potential problems, businesses are too busy to correct them all -- The majority of successful attacks on computer systems via the Internet can be traced to exploitation of one of a small number of security flaws. A few software vulnerabilities account for the majority of successful attacks because hackers are opportunistic - taking the easiest and most convenient route. They exploit the best-known flaws with the most effective and widely available attack tools. They count on organizations not fixing the problems, and they often attack indiscriminately, by scanning the Internet for vulnerable systems.

Online security is a concern and if not correctly implemented, it can become a problem: protecting businesses digitally is now as important as protecting them physically.

¨ the user is sending unencrypted information to a site.

Some common words found in the essay are:
ID Passwords, Computers Internet, INTERNET SECURITY, Network Audits, E-mail Recent, TERRORISTS Internet, Modems Business, Security Flaws, Install Firewall, PC's Firewalls, internet security, ¨ user, computer systems, threat internet, threat internet security, registered users, site ¨ user, ¨ reporting, connected internet, access internet, denial-of-service e-mail attacks, user logs, computer network, majority successful attacks, encrypted site ¨,
Approximate Word count = 1959
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)