NCJ Number
81003
Journal
Assets Protection Volume: 6 Issue: 6 Dated: (November/December 1981) Pages: 13-20
Date Published
1981
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This introduction to computers illustrates the major components of the electronic computer, how they operate, and the vulnerable aspects of each to criminal attacks.
Abstract
Every computer system has the same basic functional parts, regardless of system size. The five functional components are the central processing unit (CPU), input, output, memory, and mass storage. The CPU is the heart of the computer system, providing for the interpretation of instructions and the control of information between the various other computer components. The input function takes information prepared by humans and recodes it so it can be processed by the CPU and subsequently stored in the memory of mass storage of the computer. The output function presents information from the computer to humans in a form understandable and convenient for the users. Often the input and output devices are located some remote distance from the CPU, with communication occurring over standard telephone wires or through direct computer connections. Such distributed systems have a greater vulnerability to criminal penetration. If a computer system can be fooled by using a false device to enter information, then the system can be compromised. The memory component of the computer system is the repository for coded instructions coming from the CPU, and the mass storage component is the mechanism for inexpensively storing programs and data for long periods. Diagrams and a glossary of data processing terms are provided.