LESSON 20

IS YOUR HOME COMPUTER A TARGET? [1]

Task 1. Read and translate the text:

Задание 1. Прочитайте и переведите текст:

Is your home computer a popular target for computer robbers? Why? It is so, because intruders want what you've stored there. They look for the numbers of your credit cards, bank account information, and anything else they can find. By stealing that information, all thefts can use your money buying themselves goods and services.

But they need not only the money-related information. These thefts also want your computer, it means your hard disk space, your fast processor, and your Internet connection. They use resources to attack other computers on the Internet. In fact, the more computers an intruder uses, the harder it is for law enforcement to find out where the attack is really coming from. If they can't be found, they can't be stopped, and they can't be prosecuted and imprisoned.

Why do criminals pay attention to home computers? Home computers are typically not very secure and are easy to break into. When combined with high-speed Internet connections that are always turned on, they can quickly find and then attack home computers. While thefts also attack home computers connected to the Internet through dial-in connections, high-speed connections (cable modems and DSL modems) are a favorite target.

No matter how a home computer is connected to the Internet, attacks of such people are often successful. Many home computer owners don't realize that they need to pay attention to computer security. In the same way that you are responsible for having insurance when you drive a car, you also need to be responsible for your home computer's security.

The purpose is to keep computer robbers and their programs off your computer. How do they break into your computer? In some cases, they send you an e-mail with a virus. When you read such e-mail you activate the virus, creating an opening that use to enter or access your computer. In other cases, they take advantage of a defect or weakness in one of your computer's programs — a vulnerability — to gain access.

Once they're on your computer, they often install new programs that let them continue using your computer-even after you closed all the holes they used to get onto your computer in the first place. These backdoors are usually cleverly disguised so that they blend in with the other programs running on your computer.

Task 2. Answer the following questions:

Задание 2. Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. Why are computer robbers paying attention to home computers?

2. What are they looking for?

3. Is it difficult to find a thief?

4. Why are the attacks of such people often successful?

5. How do intruders break into your computer?

Task 3. Find the English equivalents in the text and make up sentences:

Задание 2. Просматривая текст, найдите эквиваленты выражений и составьте с ними предложения:

Использовать ресурсы, место на жестком диске, высокоскоростное подключение к интернету, обращать внимание на безопасность, иметь при себе страховку, быть ответственным за что-либо, посылать электронное сообщение, активировать вирус, изъяны компьютерных программ.

Task 4. Say whether the statements given below are true or false:

Задание 4. Определите истинность или ложность следующих предложений:

1. All thefts can use your money buying themselves goods and services.

2. These thefts also want your computer.

3. They use resources to attack other computers son the Internet.

4. The more computers an intruder uses the easier for law enforcement to find him out.

5. Home computers are typically very secure.

Task 5. Complete the sentences:

Задание 5. Закончите предложения:

1. They look for... they can find.

2. These thefts also want your computer, it means....

3. In fact, the more computers an intruder uses, the harder it is....

4. When... intruders can quickly find and then attack home computers.

5. Many home computer owners....

6.... you also need to be responsible for your computer's security.

7. The purpose is to....

Task 6. Translate from English into Russian:

Задание 6. Переведите с русского языка на английский:

1. Вне зависимости от того, как ваш компьютер подсоединен к Интернету, атаки таких людей часто очень успешны.

2. Многие владельцы домашних персональных компьютеров не осознают необходимости заботы о компьютерной безопасности.

3. Так же, как вы должны иметь при себе страховку при вождении автомобиля, вы должны позаботиться о безопасности вашего компьютера.

Task 7. Make the sentences negative and interrogative:

Задание 7. Преобразуйте следующие предложения в вопросительную и отрицательную форму:

1. But they need not the only money-related information.

2. They use resources to attack other computers on the Internet.

3. If intruders can't be found, they can't be stopped, and they can't be prosecuted and imprisoned.

4. No matter how a home computer is connected to the Internet, attacks of such people are of ten 'successful.

5. The purpose is to keep computer robbers and their programs off your computer.

6. When you read such e-mail you activate the virus, creating an opening that intruders use to enter or access your computer.

7. They take advantage of a defect or weakness in one of your computer's programs to gain access.

Task 8. Write the plural form of the following nouns:

Задание 8. Образуйте множественное число следующих существительных:

Target, intruder, bank account, space, Internet connection, modem, purpose, e-mail, weakness, virus, program.