THE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN AUTOMATED AUTO LOCK SECURITY SYSTEM FOR FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, OWERRI FUTO

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In primitive times, people lived more freely with each other and in groups. They neither lived in fear of being attacked nor thought of attacking one another. However, as population grew, people began to scatter and travel to different places, and in the course of their movement, began to encroach on other people that they met. They also formed groups that sought to attack others and loot whatever they could lay hold on without suffering for it. Therefore, people began to find ways of protecting what they treasure against attack or laundering. This has given rise to the idea of security consciousness (Adibe, 2005).

People ensure that their treasures are protected from attack. As such, there is a quest in man to protect what he has, knowing well that it is bound to come under attack (Dr. Wilgersworth, 1987).

          In modern times, the ‘currency’ on which activities drive is information. Everything thrives on it. The new century, with the advancement of technology, has come to recognize information as the most treasured facility in any organization or society. However, while some information is for public consumption, some that are considered sensitive are kept secret or secured, as making it public can trigger the downfall of its producers or possessors.

          With the advancement of time and technology, man has invented the computer as the best device for the storage of information. Information means a lot to man, and while it is for humans, is not always accessible to everybody as some of them are meant to be kept secret (Aneke, 2008). These secret classes of information, man has come to see, are also accessed illegally by unauthorized persons, just like men attacked each other in the past. An example is a case where a person’s bank account is illegally manipulated without their knowledge. Thus, people have been inventing security measures to curtail such occurrences. For instance, in 1984, over a hundred intrusions were made by unidentified hackers into the Rome Laboratory, the U.S. Air Force’s main command and research facility. Using Trojan Horse viruses, hackers were able to obtain unrestricted access to Rome’s networking system and remove traces of their activities (Neumann, 1989). They were able to obtain classified files like air tasking order systems data and penetrate connected networks of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, some Defense contractors, and other private sector organizations, by posing as a trusted Rome center user. Now, a technique called Ethical Hack Testing is used to remedy these situations.

Automated Security Lockis a system that enables an authority to control access to areas and resources in a given physical facility or computer-based information system. An access control system, within the field of physical security, is generally seen as the second layer in the security of a physical structure.

Automated lock security simply means the act of protecting something against attack, usually with a key-lock (Demmy, 1989). This is done to avoid the misuse of information relating to people or corporate bodies, protect our computer and data against unauthorized disclosure and modification, and secure the system against viruses and damages that might be caused by external forces.

In the olden days, record keeping was done by means of primitive notches cut into wooden stick, on bone fragments or marks pressed in clay tables. They soon improved with the development of papyrus and calamus pen. The ancient record keeping was well in hand and reached its peak in Roman Republic and Roman Empire.

The census of 1890 turned out to be especially significant in the evolution of recorded machine-processible form. For this census, Herman Hollerith developed the punched card as a unit record and invented machinery for processing these records. Some 60 years later, the first electronic computer was constructed and its application in record-keeping systems ushered in the era of computerization.

From this humble beginning of antiquity, record-keeping has grown into gigantic dimensions with the advent of computer networks, conferencing through computers and so on. These have increased the vulnerability of data in both stored forms and transmission formats, to wire tapping, saving and accessibility. Another reason is the complexity of interaction of individuals with their governments. With these new dimension dangers surfaced, private and confidential records could easily become public property, thus endangering sensitive data and information of huge organizations like banks and government parastatals, among others.

A solution had to be found for this problem of insecurity of data. One such solution is to provide automated code lock security for computers.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Organizations cannot afford to lose important data, which is the live wire on which they run. Most organizations have information in their databases which, if illegally accessed, can endanger the entire organization.

Securing this kind of sensitive information is paramount as unauthorized access must be prevented using necessary measures.

1.3     OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

Having taken a look at a brief history of the development of PC automated code lock security system and what automated code lock security system is, it would be imperative to state the objectives that the new system is expected to achieve. These objectives include:

• The system will enhance security in personal computers with respect to the information stored in them.
• The study will also enlighten individuals, government and companies on the need to use the computer (with its code lock system) as the best device for storing and safeguarding information.

1.4     SCOPE OF THE STUDY

In this work, I am going to cover automated code lock security system specifically with a stand-alone operating system.

In this research work, I am not going to cover multiple systems or networked environments, automated security lock systems in cars or security door auto lock systems.