Final answer:
Computing devices face a range of environmental threats from physical damage due to temperature and humidity, to cybersecurity risks including data breaches and loss of privacy. Disposing of electronics improperly can pose significant environmental hazards. Increased usage of mobile communications can interfere with radio astronomy, and increased online activity raises concerns over security vulnerabilities.
Step-by-step explanation:
Environmental threats that endanger computing devices include physical hazards like extreme temperatures, humidity, and electrical surges, which can cause hardware to malfunction or degrade over time. Additionally, cybersecurity risks pose a significant threat, as increased online activity can lead to the loss of privacy and potential data breaches. Furthermore, the disposal of old electronics poses environmental hazards, with toxic chemicals potentially being released into the ground or atmosphere if not properly handled according to government safety guidelines.
On the global scale, a significant environmental issue is the spilling of terrestrial communications into the frequencies reserved for radio astronomy. This results from the growing demand for mobile devices, which use radio channels and can potentially interfere with the detection of cosmic radio sources. Finally, increased usage of online tools increases the potential for security vulnerabilities, such as personal information theft or online harassment, as indicated by Pew Research Center surveys.