An investigation of computer security status at the University of Nairobi

Abstract

The problem addressed in this study is inadequacy in the current security mechanism in the relation to the three control mechanisms of physical control, logical control and administrative control. Solution to the study problem is aimed at determining, at the University of Nairobi, the level of computer usage and protection; the level of knowledge in relation to computer security issues at the University; the type of computer security threats and their solutions; existing policy and procedures in utilization of computers, and; make recommendation for appropriate computer security policies and practices. This study considers computer security at the University of Nairobi in terms of risk, threat, vulnerability and misuse. These terms in relation to computer security systems at the University of Nairobi are defined in terms of physical infrastructures, accessibility, data security, and intrusion through the network. This study has relied largely on the primary data collected through field survey using questionnaire and observation instruments. Data collection instruments have been designed to capture data on computer systems' security in terms of ; physical security; logical security; and; administrative security. J The sampling frame in this survey is the University of Nairobi, and the data elements in this frame are the employees and students. The analysis of the data is based on three concepts on computer security; physical, control and administrative. Statistical analysis technique applied is the descriptive or summary method because the data measurement level is ordinal, in most cases. Computer security problems at the University of Nairobi identified in this study are: