Natural Threats
* Lesson 1 - INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SECURITY AND PRIVACY
1.2 - NATURAL THREATS [1] Natural Threats
Natural calamities such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, can damage
your computer at any time. Natural calamities can cause fires, extreme
temperatures, and lightning strikes that lead to major physical damage to
the computers and loss of data.
This illustration describes the various natural threats to computer
security and privacy. Scroll down for more information.
Most of the components of a computer are designed to operate within a
specific temperature range. In case of excessive heat or cold, some
components may start to malfunction, and you may need to replace them. If
your computer has been exposed to extreme temperatures, let it return to
room temperature before you start it.
Fire can damage your computer beyond repair. Even if the computer does
not directly catch fire, the heat caused is enough to melt the delicate
components inside the computer. Moreover, smoke can damage the CPU fan,
which in turn can cause overheating of the CPU and damage it.
Lightning that strikes with a huge amount of electrical charge can cause
a surge. A surge or spike is a sudden increase in the supply voltage, which
can permanently damage some components of your computer. For example, a
sudden increase in voltage can destroy the motherboard of your computer.
