ESL Podcast 834 - Breaching Computer Security
hacker - a person who has very good computer skills and uses them to break into other website, often to find or steal secret or confidential information
Is it safe to make a payment on this website, or will hackers be able to see my credit card information?
unauthorized access - the ability to reach or have something, especially information, without permission from the owner
Larry has had unauthorized access to this part of the lab and it's against the rules. Only researchers are supposed to be back here.
data - information, especially when talking about scientific research and computers
How long will it take you to input all this data collected on these forms?
to render - to make something present itself in a particular way; to put something in a particular position
This encoding system should render the emails unreadable to anyone outside of our company.
unusable - not useable; not able to be used; not functional or helpful
The battery is dead, so without a charger, this phone is unusable.
to crash - for a computer, system, or network to suddenly stop working
Whenever we have too many programs running at the same time, the computer crashes.
to implement - to officially launch and begin a new program or project
They first implemented the program in 2003, and it has been growing ever since then.
security measures - precautions or actions taken to make something safer and less likely to be stolen or used in the wrong way
As a security measure, we change the password every month.
impenetrable - impassable; not allowing anyone to enter or access something
All the blackberry bushes, poison oak, and other plants make these woods impenetrable!
to issue a challenge - to make a statement that invites other people to try to do something that is very difficult
The king issued a challenge to all the young men, saying that whoever killed the dragon would be given gold and jewels as a reward.
to breach - to break a rule; to violate some limit; to go past a barrier or limit without permission
How did the soldiers breach those barricades?
vulnerability - a weakness; a weak point
While expanding internationally, the company's greatest vulnerability was its lack of experience operating in Asian countries.
to exploit - to use something to one's advantage, especially when it creates problems for others; to use something to benefit oneself while harming others
The politician exploited the fact that the other candidate had had an affair, creating ads that made people question her judgment.
to serve (someone) right - for someone to get what he or he deserves, used in a negative way when talking about the consequence of some bad or wrong action done in the past
I'm sorry Hilda got in an accident, but it serves her right. She shouldn't have been drinking and driving.
to brag - to talk about how well one does something or how good one is to try to make other people admire oneself
Nobody likes to hear Katherine brag about how much money she makes.
to wave a red flag in front of a bull - to provoke or antagonize someone; to do something to make someone angry and respond in a certain way
When Brandy started talking about politics in her grandparents' home, it was like waving a red flag in front of a bull.