Click the links for current and additional information. A computer security risk is any event or action that could cause a loss to computer equipment, software, information, or processing capability. Security risks include computer viruses, unauthorized access and use, theft, and system failure.
Any illegal act involving a computer generally is referred to as a computer crime .
Computer Viruses A computer virus is a potentially damaging computer program designed to infect other software. Virus programs often are intended to damage computer systems by destroying or corrupting data. A boot sector virus replaces the program used to start the system with a modified version of the program. A file virus inserts virus code into program files. A Trojan horse virus hides within or is designed to look like a legitimate program.