Whether a person uses the computer occasionally, works in a large company or within a government agency, there is a dangerous risk. This risk is one everyone needs to worry about: inadequate cybersecurity. Cybersecurity has become essential in today's well-connected digital world. Everyone wants to communicate with someone at some point and normally these communications need to be secure. If these communications pass through any type of electronic device, they pass through some type of communications network. Whether the information is traveling across the globe or simply across the room to another computer, this information is at risk. You must implement safeguards on your computers and the networks they use to protect them from viruses, intruders and system failures. “A computer security risk is any event or action that could cause loss or damage to hardware, software, data, information, or processing capability” (Shelly). One of the most common risks is a computer virus. A virus can modify a computer's software to spread to other files. This can cause the failure of a program or even the operating system itself copies repeatedly, for example into memory or across a network, consuming resources and possibly shutting down the computer or network” (Shelly These computer viruses and worms are launched in four basic ways: When a user opens an infected file, they run a program infected, starts the computer with infected removable media inserted into a drive or connected to a port, or connects an unprotected computer to a network. A very common way these viruses and worms spread is via email at ... middle of paper ... is training." When end users are aware of different threats and understand the importance of various security measures, they will contribute greatly to the overall security of the computer network. Works Cited Barnett, Brad L. Personal Interview. July 3, 2011."IMPROVE ONLINE SECURITY." Scientific American299.3 (2008): 96-99. Elite academic research. EBSCO.Web. June 30, 2011.Shelly, Gary B., Thomas J. Cashman, and Misty E. Vermaat. Discovering Computers 2008. Np: Thomson Course Technology, 2008. 556-605. Print.STAJANO, FRANK and PAUL WILSON. “Understanding Scam Victims: Seven Principles for System Security.” Communications of the ACM 54.3 (2011): 70-75. Elite academic research. EBSCO.Web. June 30, 2011. Swartz, Nikki. "Protect the network". Wireless Review 15.19 (1998): NR17. Elite academic research. EBSCO.Web. June 27 2011.