tölvuroryggi

Tölvuroryggi, or computer security, is the practice of protecting computer systems, networks, software, and data from harm, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and disruption. It combines technical measures, organizational policies, and human factors to reduce risk to information assets.

Core objectives are commonly described by the CIA triad: confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Security governance includes risk assessment, policy development, compliance with laws, and incident handling. Defenses are implemented across multiple layers, from devices to networks and applications, and rely on ongoing monitoring and response.

Historically, tölvuroryggi emerged from the need to control access to early computers. As networks and the internet expanded, security research developed models for maintaining secrecy and integrity, and today focuses on protecting complex, interconnected environments such as corporate networks and cloud services.

The threat landscape includes malware, phishing, ransomware, credential theft, zero-day exploits, distributed denial-of-service attacks, and supply chain compromises. Threats can be external or originate from insiders. Defensive strategies emphasize defense in depth: endpoint protection, network segmentation, secure coding practices, encryption, strong authentication, access control, continuous monitoring, vulnerability management, and reliable backup and disaster recovery.

Standards and frameworks guide tölvuroryggi, including ISO/IEC 27001 for information security management systems and NIST guidance for controls. Regulatory requirements and privacy considerations, such as GDPR, influence practice. Ongoing trends include zero-trust architectures, cloud security, privacy-preserving technologies, and the use of artificial intelligence for threat detection and response.