Chapter 22
Computer Benefits and
Risks
1
What’s Inside and on the CD?
• In this chapter, you will learn:
– How computers affect society, your health, and the
environment
– About potential risks computers pose to your privacy
and security
– Tips for:
• Protecting privacy and security
• Avoiding scams
• Spotting hoaxes
• Thwarting identity thieves
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How do computers benefit society?
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How do computers benefit society?
• Computers have transformed many aspects of the way
we live:
– Socializing
– News
– Education
– Business
– Manufacturing
– Banking
– Shopping
– Travel
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How do computers benefit society?
• Computers of all sizes contribute to the modern digital
world
– Complex distributed computer reservation systems
– Law enforcement databases
– Premises security
– Weather prediction
– Embedded computers
– Handheld digital devices
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How can I avoid computer-related
health risks?
• Many spend long hours gazing at a computer monitor
and typing on a keyboard
– Computers are an important part of work environment
– Telecommuters or “teleworkers” use home-based
computers and telecommunications equipment
• Health problems of prolonged computer use include:
– Eye strain
– Musculoskeletal strain related to improper arrangement of:
• Chair
• Desk
• Computer
– Contribute to repetitive motion injuries
• Take frequent breaks to rest eyes and move muscles
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How can I avoid computer-related
health risks?
• Ergonomics is the study of work and work environment
– The “science of designing a job to fit worker, rather then
worker to fit job”
– Adequate lighting and ventilation important
– Wrist rest can reduce risk of carpal tunnel syndrome
– Adjustable chairs and desks allow you to position
equipment and maintain good posture
• Make sure work areas are safe
– Equipment on secure surface and have adequate air
circulation
– Cables should be adequately stowed to prevent tripping or
being fire hazard – don’t overload electrical circuits
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How can I avoid computer-related
health risks?
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How do computers affect the
environment?
• Millions of computers are discarded every year
• Billions of printer ink cartridges, floppy disks, CDs, and
DVDs end up in landfills
• Computers contain toxic materials which can threaten
groundwater
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How do computers affect the
environment?
• Computer owners can take some simple steps to have
positive effect on environment
– Recycle consumable products such as paper
– Use electronic documents
– Refill or recycle printer ribbons, ink, and toner
cartridges
– Donate old computer, monitor, and printer to
charitable organization
– Dispose of malfunctioning equipment at facility
designed to handle electronic waste
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How do computers affect the
environment?
– Recycle used floppy
disks, CDs, and DVDs,
when possible
– Computers use
electricity and are
becoming more and
more efficient
• To reduce power
consumption,
configure computer to
enter standby mode
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How can I protect my data from loss
and damage?
• Threats to data and computer equipment come from
many sources
• A thief can physically break into your home or office,
steal your computer, and get access to all the data it
contains
• Consider following tips:
–
–
–
–
–
Keep your computer secure
Establish password access to your computer
Use a surge strip or UPS
Save your files frequently
Keep your computer’s hard disk tuned up
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How can I protect my data from
damage and theft?
– Pay attention to restore points
– Make regular backups
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How can I protect my computer from
intrusions?
• Hackers can gain access to your computer, often without
your knowledge
• Consider these tips to protect your computer from
intrusion:
– Use encryption software
– Use a firewall when connected to a network
– Use a router to filter out unauthorized network traffic
– Activate encryption on wireless networks
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How can I protect my computer from
intrusions?
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How can I protect my computer from
viruses?
• Malicious code refers to any program or set of
instructions designed to surreptitiously enter computer
and disrupt its normal operations
– Most prevalent types include viruses, worms, and
Trojan horses
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How can I protect my computer from
viruses?
• A computer virus is set of program instructions that
attaches to a file, reproduces itself, and spreads to other
files. Virus can:
– Corrupt files
– Destroy data
– Display an irritating message
– Disrupt computer operations
– Key characteristic is ability to lurk in computer for
days or months – easy to spread to other computers
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How can I protect my computer from
viruses?
• A Trojan horse is a computer program that seems to
perform one function while actually doing something else
– Not designed to make copies of self
– Notorious for stealing passwords
– Can delete files and cause other problems
• A Blended threat combines more than one type
malicious code, such as Trojan horse and virus
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How can I protect my computer from
viruses?
• A Worm is designed to spread from one computer to
another over local area networks and Internet
– Mass-mailing worm makes use of infected computer
information to mail itself to every one listed in e-mail
address book
– Denial of service attack designed to generate a lot
of network activity to overwhelm network’s processing
capability
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How can I protect my computer from
viruses?
• Most malicious code is stored in executable files, usually
.exe but some have .sys, .drv, .com, .bin, .vbs, .scr, or
.ovl
– Can’t infect computers unless opened
• Common sources of viruses and Trojan horses are
floppy disks, homemade CDs, and disreputable Web
sites that offer fun stuff
• E-mail attachments are another common source
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How can I protect my computer from
viruses?
• Data file with .doc or .xls extension can contain a macro
virus
– Activated when its corresponding document or
spreadsheet opened
– Most software that executes macros have built-in
security
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How can I protect my computer from
viruses?
• Antivirus software is a set of utility programs that looks
for and eradicates viruses, Trojan horses, and worms
– Typically, kept running in background to check files
and e-mail messages as downloaded
• A Virus signature is a section of code that can be used
to identify known virus
– Most antivirus software can be configured to
automatically download any updates
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How can I protect my computer from
viruses?
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How can I protect my computer from
viruses?
• To protect against malicious codes, take following steps:
– Install antivirus software and keep it running in
background
– Before downloading a file, make sure the source is
reputable
– Whenever you receive a disk, scan it with antivirus
software before using
– Never open an e-mail attachment unless you know
who it’s from
– Watch for information about the latest virus threats
– Keep your antivirus up-to-date
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How can I protect my computer from
viruses?
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Can I depend on companies to respect
my privacy?
• Personal information is defined as any data that can be
associated with you as individual by:
– Name
– Social security number
– Physical address
– Telephone number
• Personal information is already stored in many business
and government organizations
– Databases typically protected by privacy policy and
procedures of organization that maintains data
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Can I depend on companies to respect
my privacy?
• Information security refers to techniques used to
protect information from unauthorized access, damage,
disclosure, loss, modification, or use
– Staff members aware of responsibilities
• Voluntary security and privacy measures have not
proven to be sufficient
– Some laws and rules are in place
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Can I depend on companies to respect
my privacy?
• Whenever you divulge personal information, read the
entire document or screen carefully, looking for any
check box you might have to select or deselect to keep
data from distribution
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How can I protect my privacy online?
• Privacy violations take place when personal information
is distributed or tracked without permission
• Spyware is any technology that surreptitiously gathers
information
• If you click third party banner ad, an ad-serving cookie
could be created tracking your shopping activities
• Check the list of cookies on your computer, typically
generated by sites never visited and sometimes
containing word “ad” or “log”
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How can I protect my privacy online?
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How can I protect my privacy online?
• A Clear GIF or “Web bug” is 1X1 pixel graphic on Web
page and can be used to send cookies to third-party
– Simply viewing page sets cookie
• Several software products are designed to block adserving cookies, clear GIFs, and other spyware
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How can I protect my privacy online?
• You can violate your own privacy by releasing
information unintentionally about yourself
– Consider whether access to protected Web site
worth information required
• You might inadvertently supply information in e-mail
messages sent using computer at school or work
– Under certain circumstances, legal for schools and
business to read your e-mail
– Creative work created on their computer could be
considered theirs
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How can I protect my privacy online?
• To avoid compromising your privacy:
– Do not reveal e-mail unless you want correspondence from
them
– Be careful posting physical address and phone number in
online public forums, bulletin boards, or online resume
– Be wary about sharing information about your family and
friends
– Use alias when using chat rooms and do not divulge personal
information
– Be wary of online surveys
– When registering for account or password, supply minimum
information
– After using a public computer, make sure you sign out, log off,
delete temporary Internet files, and shut down Windows
– Regard e-mail like postcard rather then sealed letter
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Are children safe online?
• Web site filtering blocks access to certain sites
• Parents should consider following guidelines to keep
children safe online:
– Supervise as much as possible
– Keep computer public
– Install filtering software
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Are children safe online?
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Can I prevent online identity theft?
• Identity theft occurs when someone obtains your
personal information and uses it without permission to
commit crime
• Consider these tips to thwart identity thieves:
– Don’t divulge personal information
– Shred your trash
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Can I prevent online identity theft?
– Guard your mail
– Protect your identification documents
– Divulge your Social Security number only when
absolutely necessary
– Keep track of computer data
– Keep passwords secret
– Keep informed
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How can I avoid scams and hoaxes?
• Scam artists have been around long before computers
• Phishing is the use of fraudulent Web sites and e-mail
links to trick people into revealing personal information
• Legitimate businesses never send unsolicited e-mail
asking for account numbers or passwords
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How can I avoid scams and hoaxes?
• Technologies have potential to reduce e-mail scams
– Digital certificate – issued by certificate authority
that vouches for certificate holder’s identity
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How can I avoid scams and hoaxes?
• “Advance fee fraud” schemes gross hundreds of millions
of dollars each year
• Begins with request for bank account number; escalate
to pleas for money to initiate transaction
• Never respond to an unsolicited request that seeks
personal information or involves transfer of funds
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How can I avoid scams and hoaxes?
• A virus hoax warns of devastating new virus, describes
eradicating procedure and encourages notification of
friends
– Before any action, check one of antivirus sites, such
as
• symantic.com
• f-secure.com
• mcafee.com
• hoaxbusters.ciac.org
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What should I know about intellectual
property online?
• Intellectual property refers to intangibles, e.g., ideas,
music, art, photos, logos, movies, and creative,
intellectual programs
– Idea that is important, not particular expression of
idea
• Many laws and regulations have been established to
govern use and distribution of intellectual property online
and offline
– Trademarks – protect corporate logos and product
names
– Patents protect inventions from being used with out
permission of inventor
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What should I know about intellectual
property online?
– United States Digital Millennium Copyright Act of
1998 updated many key aspects of intellectual
property law to meet new digital realities
– Copyrights protect works such as software, photos,
movies, and music
– Copyright law makes it illegal to copy and distribute
protected works without permission of author
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What should I know about intellectual
property online?
• Copyright law does not prohibit all copying
• To determine whether you can use material under fair
use regulations, make sure it fits following criteria:
– You are using material for educational purposes or
critical review
– The work has been previously published in some
manner
– You are not using substantial part of entire work
– Your use doesn’t provide level of functionality that
replaces work
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What should I know about intellectual
property online?
• Failure to cite source of copied material or pretending it
is your own is plagiarism
– Unethical and unlawful
• Libel defined as false and malicious statements used to
damage reputation of living person
– Always cross-check material attributed to source –
especially if controversial
• If intended use of material is not covered by fair use,
obtain author’s permission
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What should I know about intellectual
property online?
• Copy protection refers to any physical method to
prevent works from being copied
• Copy protection methods can be hacked and
circumvented
• Expect further developments in copyright law, anti-piracy
campaigns, and copy protection
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How can I keep informed about
technology related issues?
• Numerous sources provide access to information:
– Computer publications
– Mailing lists and RSS feeds
– Professional organizations
– Corporate sites
– Consumer reviews
– School and work policies
– Laws and regulations
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How can I keep informed about
technology related issues?
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