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Emirose D. Toguay 12 HUMSS-02

Empowerment Technologies
Online Safety and Security

T
he Internet has become a part of our daily lives. The technology has become so
advanced that the average person can now access vast amounts of information and
communicate with people from all over the world using devices that can fit in his pocket.
In what is called the Information Age, the Internet has become not only a privilege but also a
necessity for many people.
Information Security
We usually need to submit some personal information in order to gain access to online
sites and services. These personal details are often required to secure our online activities and
transactions. However, in the wrong hands, our personal information can be used to cause
inconvenience, loss or even harm to us and other people. Here are some of the most
commonly shared personal details, how they can be used in dishonest and malicious ways and
what you can do to secure them.
Full Name
Almost every app and website with a log-in feature require your full name. Most of the
time, they just ask for it to determine how to properly address you in emails and personal
messages. Some sites, like Facebook, use it to label your account and online interactions.
What’s the risk?
Your name is probably the most widely known detail about you but it can still be used in
the simplest forms of identity theft. Anyone can use your full name to sign up and create a fake
account. This account can then be used in ways that may put you in trouble like posting
malicious content or leaving rude comments.
What can I do?
Just like in the real world, you should always be careful of whom you tell your name to.
In online, you can refrain from using your full name especially in apps and sites where they are
not really required.
Username
A username is an alias that represents your online presence. It can be your real name or
combinations that totally depend on your creativity. Some apps and websites address you by
your username instead of your full name. In many cases, your username, along with your
password are all that is needed to log in to your account.
What’s the risk?
In the Internet, your username is as good as your actual name. Therefore, anyone who
knows it can start looking for you or sometimes even contact you.
What can I do?
Like your real name, do not readily give out your username, especially with people that
you don’t trust. As a precaution, you can select usernames that do not include your real name.
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Password
The password is one of the most important bits of information in the Internet. Basically,
it is a group of characters that, when paired with your username or email address, can unlock
your user account. For this reason, website and app owners have many ways to keep your
password secure.
What’s the risk?
For obvious reasons, hackers take special interest in people’s passwords. People tend to
use similar if not identical passwords for their online accounts so figuring out the password to
one account may also compromise the others.
What can I do?
There are several steps that you can do to keep your passwords secure:
1. Do not share your password with ANYONE.
2. Memorize your password. Do not write it down anywhere.
3. Do not use obvious passwords like important dates or names of you or your loved ones.
4. Use combinations of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers and special characters.
Some websites require this but it’s a good practice to do so even if it’s not.
Tip: To prevent yourself from forgetting your password, use phrases that are easy for you to
remember but hard for others to guess like lines from a song or movies or phrases that have
personal meaning to you.
5. Do not use the same passwords for different accounts.
Tip: More specifically, do not use the same passwords for apps that are used for leisure
(Facebook, Instagram) and apps that are used for financial transactions (Paypal, eBay, online
banking)
6. Change your passwords periodically
7. Do not save your password when using public computers or other people’s device.
Tip: Web browsers commonly give you the option to save your password when you first log in
to some websites. This feature may be convenient when using your own computer or mobile
device but it can be dangerous if you accidentally save your password in someone else’s
computer or device especially if it is in a public place like a library or a computer shop.
Birth Date
Birth dates are mostly required to determine if you are old enough to access certain
contents and features in the Internet. Sometimes, it is also used in security checks to determine
if it is indeed the rightful owner who is accessing the account since birth dates are not usually
widely known.
What’s the risk?
The birth date, along with other personal details can be used to pass security checks
and hack personal accounts.
What can I do?
For your own protection, observe the age restrictions of online content. Websites are
required by law to add warnings to age-sensitive content but it is still up to the users to choose
whether or not to view them.
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Home Address and Locations

Some online services ask for users’ home address. Some apps can automatically
determine your current location using your device’s GPS (Global Positioning System) feature.
They do this in order to give you location-specific contents and options. For example, YouTube
determines the user’s location and suggests videos that are relevant to that area.
What’s the risk?
Carelessly sharing your location or home address can ultimately compromise your
physical security because it will tell potential criminals where you are. Also, because it is usually
required information in online commerce like online shopping, your home address can be used
in identity theft.
What can I do?
Always check if a website or app requires you to submit your address or allow them to
automatically track you. If it is required, then check the settings if you can hide your address
and current location from other users. If it is not required, then don’t submit it at all.
Phone Numbers
Phone numbers are usually required by many online services in order to have a direct
line to their clients.
What’s the risk?
Home phone and mobile numbers should not be shared carelessly since anyone who
has your phone number has a direct way to harass, threaten, or inconvenience you.
What can I do?
Because of the sensitivity of this information, very few apps and websites insist on
getting your phone number. Do not submit your phone number unless it is absolutely
necessary.
Email Address
Almost every website that has a sign-up feature requires an email address to confirm
the user’s identity.
What’s the risk?
Like phone numbers, your email address is a direct link to you. The practicality and
versatility of emails make it the most used and abused method of communication in the
Internet. The most common forms of Internet fraud such as spamming and phishing (to be
discussed later in this chapter) are done through emails.
What can I do?
You can create multiple email addresses. You can have dedicated email address for
leisure purposes like online gaming and social media. This email can then be shared and used
to sign up to apps and websites. On the other hand, you can create another one for formal use
like job applications and schoolwork.
Financial information
This includes bank account names, account numbers, credit card numbers and security
details like pin codes and answers to security questions. These details, especially the credit card
number, are used in online commerce.
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What’s the risk?

These details can be used to access your financial accounts. Therefore, anyone who has
this information can spend or take the contents of your bank account or make purchases that
will be charged to you.
What can I do?
Treat this information with the same care as you do with your money because they are
as valuable as your money. Don’t do online financial transactions with suspicious looking
websites and merchants. Do a background check to make sure that the person or website that
you are dealing with is legitimate.
Malware: Online Threats
These are some of the most common types of malicious software or Malware. Keep in
mind that while all of them can spread through the Internet, some of them also spread through
offline means such as flash drives and local area networks (LAN)

1. Virus
A virus is a program designed to interfere with your computer, device or network's
normal operation. A virus attaches itself in a program or a file and like real-life viruses,
computer viruses can multiply or make complete copies of themselves when you copy the
program or file that it is attached to.
What can they do?
Because a virus is a program, it can be programmed to do different sorts of harm to
your system. It can slow down your device or computer or network’s speed by running
unwanted processes or it can fill your computer’s memory with unwanted files. In the worst
cases, a virus can overload servers and cause entire networks to shut down.
How do they spread?
A computer virus can spread whenever a computer makes contact with another
computer. It can spread in a network like LAN or the Internet or through indirect means like
infecting a flash drive or a DVD. Keep in mind that a virus relies on human action to spread. It is,
therefore, possible to have a virus in your computer and still be uninfected unless your open
the file or program that it is attached to.
2. Worm
A worm is considered as a type of virus. Like a virus, it can make copies of itself in
computers that it comes in contact with.
What can they do?
Like a virus, a worm can harm your system in different ways which can range from minor
annoyances like hiding your icons or major damage like destroying your files or causing your
computer to shut down on it’s own.
How do they spread?
The main difference between viruses and worms is that worms don’t rely on human
action to propagate. A worm will automatically spread and copy itself.
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3. Trojan
A Trojan Horse or simply a Trojan is a type of malware that disguises itself as a useful
and/or harmless program or file. Named after the fictional wooden horse used by the Greeks to
defeat Troy, a Trojan’s goal is to get through your computer’s security features and cause harm
once it’s in.
What can they do?
Like a virus, a Trojan can damage your computer or system in different ways, which
include but are not limited to deleting, copying and altering files. It can also cause harm
slowing down system performance.
How do they spread?
Unlike worms, Trojans cannot create copies of themselves. Instead, they pose as
harmless files or programs such as pictures or videos and rely on people to send, copy, and
download them.
4. Spam
A spam is an unwanted and unsolicited message/email.
What can they do?
Spam emails are usually just promotions to sites and services. Though not normally
harmful, large amounts or spam emails are annoying and can use up your memory space. It is
not uncommon to have hundreds or even thousands of spam in your email address. In the
worst of cases, viruses can also be attached to spam emails.
How do they spread?
People who spread spam or Spammers collect emails using several methods. The
easiest way is to simply guess email addresses though this process can be automated using
programs. They can use programs that search web pages for email addresses or by hacking
mailing lists. It is also known that some dishonest website owners sell list of their subscribers’
emails to spammers.
5. Adware
An adware is a type of malware that launches unwanted advertisements in your
Internet browser or your desktop.
What can they do?
Other than being majorly bothersome, adware programs can cause your system to slow
down because they initialize automatically and remain running in the background.
How do they spread?
Adwares are usually included in the installers of other programs or browser add-ons.
Installing these programs and add-ons will also cause the adware to be installed.
6. Phishing
Derived from the word “fishing”, phishing is the fraudulent practice of stealing
important information from users such as passwords, pin codes and credit card numbers.
What can they do?
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Information stolen via phishing can be used in identity theft and stealing money. For
example, someone can use stolen credit card details for purchasing items, which will then be
charged to the real account holder.
How do they spread?
Phishing is done by tricking people into submitting their personal details. It can be done
by sending emails and offers that imitate legitimate businesses like banks and credible
websites.
How to Avoid Malware
The risk of falling victim to malware will always be present as long as mankind uses
interconnected digital devices. However, there are precautions that can be taken to minimize
this risk.
1. Install an anti-virus program
An anti-virus program can detect and delete virus in your computer. It can also block malware
before they infect your system. Many trusted anti-virus companies give out free versions of
their products. Try them and find one that suits your needs.
2. Do not submit your email address to suspicious looking websites
You don’t have to sign up every time you are asked to. To avoid getting spam, weigh the
benefits of signing up against the risk of compromising your email address.
3. Don’t fall for obvious tricks
Fake prizes are probably the bread and butter of online scams. When you receive an email or
see a pop-up that says you’ve won something, you can almost always be sure that it’s not true.
As a rule, do not believe anyone who tells you that you won a prize for a contest that you didn’t
join.
4. Don’t open spam emails
Spam emails are normally obvious. Delete these emails immediately and block the sender.
5. Do not click suspicious looking links
If you see a link that promises a prize or offers something that is too good to be true, like a free
iPad or ways to get free Internet access, it may direct you to a website that has malware. As a
rule, do not trust any ad or message that says you’ve won something in a contest that you did
not join.
6. Read before you install.
Sometimes even legitimate and useful programs come with unwanted “freebies”. These so
called freebies are often small programs that may alter your computer’s settings or
automatically subscribe you to unwanted services and newsletters. Read through the
installation steps to see if another program will be installed. There is usually an option to leave
out the freebies and install only the main program.
7. Do not download pirated contents
Because pirated files and software are unregulated, they tend to be a breeding ground for
malware. Also, piracy is against the law. (to be discussed in the next chapter)
8. Install an ad-blocker
Ad-blockers are browser add-ons that prevent ads from being displayed in your browser. Most
ad-blockers are free.