AOIT Principles of Information Technology
Lesson 4
Staying Safe Online
Student Resources
Resource
Description
Student Resource 4.1
Worksheet: Cybercrime Scavenger Hunt
Student Resource 4.2
Reading: Maintaining Your Privacy and Acting Ethically Online
Student Resource 4.3
Worksheet: Protecting Your Privacy
Student Resource 4.4
Writing Assignment: Reflective Essay
Copyright © 2008 National Academy Foundation. All rights reserved.
Unit 1 Getting Started and Computer History
Lesson 4 Staying Safe Online
Student Resource 4.1
Worksheet: Cybercrime Scavenger Hunt
Use the following websites and additional online resources (if necessary) to find the answers to as many
of the following questions as possible. Be sure to make resource notes citing where you found each
answer. You have a limited amount of time, so work as quickly as you can. Questions do not have to be
answered in order; you may skip around.
“How a Computer Virus Works.” Cable News Network (CNN),
http://archives.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/10/23/virus.works.idg/
Symantec Security Response, Symantec Corporation,
http://www.symantec.com/security_response/index.jsp
Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, U.S. Department of Justice,
http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/cybercrime/index.html
OnGuard Online, U.S. Government, http://onguardonline.gov/index.html
1. How can a cybercriminal harm a person whose personal information he or she has stolen?
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2. How do web bugs (spyware) invade a person’s privacy?
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Copyright © 2008 National Academy Foundation. All rights reserved.
Unit 1 Getting Started and Computer History
Lesson 4 Staying Safe Online
3. What do cyberstalkers do? How do you protect yourself from them?
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4. How can you avoid becoming a victim of identity theft?
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5. What is phishing? What are some clues you can look for to avoid it?
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6. Briefly summarize two examples of cybercrime stories.
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7. What’s a bot?
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Copyright © 2008 National Academy Foundation. All rights reserved.
Unit 1 Getting Started and Computer History
Lesson 4 Staying Safe Online
8. Name three things you should do if you believe you’ve been victimized by crimeware or
online fraud.
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9. How does pharming work?
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10. Name two ways to protect your password.
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Copyright © 2008 National Academy Foundation. All rights reserved.
Unit 1 Getting Started and Computer History
Lesson 4 Staying Safe Online
Student Resource 4.2
Reading: Maintaining Your Privacy and Acting
Ethically Online
On the Internet, our digital fingerprints are everywhere. Though most Internet use is harmless, there are
still lots of things to think (and be concerned) about. Parents worry about the information collected when
their children are online. Also, the rise of identity theft has made people wonder how safe e-commerce is
and how they can protect their personal information. Furthermore, there are things we must think about
when dealing with the information we find online, so that we act in an ethical way at all times.
Protecting Your Privacy
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the government agency that regulates the Internet. It is the
FTC’s job to teach everyone about the importance of online privacy and to fight online crime and
unfairness. The FTC also works to protect children's privacy when they are online.
Children’s Online Privacy Protection
In 1998, Congress passed the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). This law put parents in
charge of what information is collected online from their young children. Anyone who runs a website or
online service for children under 13 must follow COPPA. Users must have a parent’s permission before
they give their personal information or create accounts. Parents can review and delete any information
about their children stored on any website.
The FTC takes COPPA very seriously, and has even sued companies that ignore it. For example, Xanga
was fined $1 million because they let children under 13 to sign up for their service without getting their
parent's permission first.
Personal Identity and Financial Privacy
Some people use the Internet to try to take money from others or to pester people with spam. Beware of
any “get rich quick” schemes that promise to help earn you lots of money in your spare time. You should
also ignore emails and websites that make big promises. Offers that sound too good to be true usually
don’t provide anything but a headache.
Businesses can get your personal information in lots of ways. One is when you buy something. This, of
course, is perfectly legal. Another legal method is when one company shares information with another
company. This information can include your name, telephone number, address, age, or ethnicity, but not
things like your social security, bank account, or credit card numbers.
A lot of people are worried about identity theft. You can reduce your risk of ID theft by understanding how
criminals work and following some common-sense suggestions.
We often think of ID theft as having a wallet or purse stolen and the thief using a credit card, driver's
license, or other identification to commit crimes. With the rise of the Internet, though, we also have to
worry about electronic theft of social security, bank account, or credit card numbers. If a thief gets this
information using spyware or by phishing, he or she could use it to open and use credit card accounts in
your name, take out fraudulent loans, or commit other crimes.
Copyright © 2008 National Academy Foundation. All rights reserved.
Unit 1 Getting Started and Computer History
Lesson 4 Staying Safe Online
What is phishing? Phishing, also called “spoofing,” is something everyone must look out for. The idea is
that bait is thrown out with the hopes that, while most people will ignore it, some will bite. Con artists send
millions of emails that seem to come from websites people trust, like their bank or credit card company. In
the emails, phishers ask for personal information. If they get any, the thieves then use it to commit crimes
in their victim’s name. Phishing typically happens in the form of emails or pop-up screens that ask you to
validate or update your account records. A thief can use any sensitive information that is entered to
transfer money, make payments, and commit other crimes. Never forget that real companies will not ask
you for personal information in an email. Never reply to these emails or click any links in the messages. A
phishing filter can help protect you from web fraud and the risks of identity theft by warning you about or
blocking you from reported phishing websites.
Losing money is only one of the risks of identity theft. Thieves can use your data to get a driver's license
or other ID with their photo but your name and information. They can then use that ID to get jobs and file
fake income tax returns, apply for passports and visas, file insurance claims, or even give your name and
mailing address to police and other authorities if they are arrested.
Web Bugs and Spyware
Web bugs are used to find out who is looking at a certain web page or email. Bugs can also tell when a
page was viewed, identify a computer, tell if information from one website was copied onto another, or
show if an email was forwarded. Usually bugs are invisible, so users don’t know which pages might have
them.
Spyware is software that is installed on your computer without your knowledge. It monitors your Internet
use and can also make your computer do things, like send your web browser to a page you don't mean to
visit, install other software, collect personal data, or give your information to someone else.
One way that businesses protect their confidential data is with employee monitoring. The American
Management Association performed a survey on employee monitoring and found that 75% of businesses
surveyed monitored their employees. It is legal for companies to monitor employees’ Internet use, read
and keep emails, listen to phone calls, and even monitor keystrokes, if the employee is using the
company’s resources (i.e., computer and Internet connection). However, it is smart for a company to have
a written policy about this and to tell both customers and employees of any potential monitoring.
Copyright
Copyright laws are another way to protect information. These laws protect the use of original ideas and
information. When conducting research, you must follow copyright laws. One way to use quotes,
graphics, or pictures is to ask permission. To do this, contact the owner of the copyrighted materials. This
is usually done through the publisher and involves a specific request form. Another way is to cite your
sources. Use a citation any time you quote two or more words, paraphrase or summarize facts and ideas,
use original images, or use noninterchangeable computer programs like calculation programs, data
analysis programs, geographic information systems (GIS), or three-dimensional information software.
Using someone else’s words, ideas, or images without asking permission or citing the source is called
plagiarism or copyright infringement. This is against the law and, of course, school and company policies.
School or company plagiarism policies generally include punishments such as being expelled or fired.
The original author whose copyrights were violated also has the option to sue the plagiarist.
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Unit 1 Getting Started and Computer History
Lesson 4 Staying Safe Online
Piracy
At its most basic level, piracy is stealing. Specifically, piracy is the infringement of copyright on items like
computer software, music, or movies. It’s piracy if you use, sell, or copy such items without permission
from the owner.
How Do People Commit Piracy?
Any time you download a piece of software, music, or a movie from a legitimate website, you must pay for
it. If you ever come across a site offering these materials for free, chances are that the site is involved in
piracy. Occasionally, software, known as “freeware,” is truly free, but this is the exception, not the rule.
Think of the Internet as a store: you wouldn’t leave a store without paying for your items, so never leave a
website without doing the same.
Some people get involved in piracy by joining peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. These sites allow users to
share all sorts of files. Though some file sharing is perfectly legal (if you have created the file you are
sharing), many people using P2P sites are sharing items whose copyrights they do not own. In recent
years, the government has made moves to shut down these sites and punish people who use them. In
one famous case in 2001, a large P2P music-sharing site, Napster, was forced to close and could only
reopen as a paid-subscription service for downloading music. Events like this are becoming more
common all the time.
What Can Happen When Someone Commits Piracy?
Pirates can face a variety of punishments. At the least, a person may have her account permanently
closed by her Internet service provider. In some cases, the government has gotten involved, charging
fines and sending guilty parties to jail.
The Piracy Deterrence and Education Act of 2004 (PDEA) was designed to stop Internet piracy. When
the bill was passed, it was estimated that “the most popular peer-to-peer file trading software programs
have been downloaded by computer users over 600,000,000 times. At any one time there are over
3,000,000 users simultaneously using just one of these services. Each month, on average, over
2,300,000,000 digital-media files are transferred among users of peer-to-peer systems” (PDEA, 2004). As
you can see, this is a huge problem, one that businesses and the government cannot ignore.
Under the PDEA and the Copyright Act, a person who pirates a movie, music, or software can be fined up
to $250,000 for each item they copy or share and be jailed for up to five years.
Artist and industry groups are also on the lookout for pirates. As of July 2006, the Recording Industry
Association of America (RIAA) had sued over 20,000 people for sharing music files.
What Else Can Happen?
When someone commits piracy, he often causes trouble for those around him. For example, if you were
to download an illegal copy of a song or movie while at school or work, your school or employer could
also get in trouble. Schools and businesses must follow the same laws that individuals do—this means no
copying or sharing is allowed. As a result, schools that find students involved in piracy may close the
student’s account, suspend the student, or even choose to expel him. Businesses may do the same,
closing the employee’s account, placing him on probation, or firing him.
How Can I Avoid Piracy?
The best way to avoid piracy is to stay away from P2P websites. Also, be sure that you pay for anything
you download from the Internet. If you can’t afford to buy something, check with your local library to see if
Copyright © 2008 National Academy Foundation. All rights reserved.
Unit 1 Getting Started and Computer History
Lesson 4 Staying Safe Online
you can borrow a copy, or see if a friend will loan you the CD or movie you are interested in. Another
option is to use a friend’s computer, if she has software you are interested in.
What Should I Do If I Suspect Piracy?
The old saying “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is” is true. If you come across a website
offering free copies of the latest music, movies, or software, don’t download them! You can report piracy
at several websites:
Music: Contact the RIAA at http://www.riaa.org/reportpiracy.php
Movies: Contact the Motion Picture Association of America at
http://www.mpaa.org/ReportPiracy/ReportPiracy.aspx
Software: Contact the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) at
http://www.siia.net/piracy/report_software.asp
These groups take piracy very seriously, and want your help. Some, like the SIIA, even offer rewards of
up to $1 million to those who report pirates.
Protecting Yourself Online
The Internet is an amazing tool. It gives you the opportunity to explore, shop, and communicate with the
world from the comfort of your home or school. Unfortunately, all kinds of predators, scam artists, and
thieves have made their way to the Internet as well. Take steps to help prevent yourself from becoming a
victim of someone’s malicious computer scheme.
Authentication
Authentication is the process of identifying a user logging on to a network or confirming the identity of a
transmitted message. In private and public computer networks (including the Internet), authentication is
typically done through the use of passwords. Knowledge of the password is assumed to guarantee that
the user is who he claims to be.
The first time you register on a network, you are either assigned a password or asked to choose one
yourself. Each time you go to that network, you must remember and use the previously declared
password. Passwords are the simplest authentication model to use, and that is why password models are
so common. Unfortunately, they are also a weak authentication model because passwords are guessed
or stolen relatively easily. Thus it is important to choose a password that is hard to crack.
Here is a checklist for a strong password:
It contains at least eight characters.
It contains at least one number.
It has at least one letter.
It makes use of at least one symbol (such as !, %, #, $, or &).
It does not use simple names or words (even foreign words), simple patterns, or famous
equations.
It is easy for you to remember.
Coming up with a password that’s both strong and easy to remember can take some creativity. Try using
part of a phrase, song, or poem that is easy for you to remember. If you are having problems
Copyright © 2008 National Academy Foundation. All rights reserved.
Unit 1 Getting Started and Computer History
Lesson 4 Staying Safe Online
remembering your password, write down your “system” in a way that only you can understand it.
Remember: never write down the password itself!
Once you have chosen a password, avoid using the “Remember Password” feature. This feature,
typically used to access secure applications (like email, calendar, and financial systems) and web
browsers (such as Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer), does not adequately protect passwords. It may
be possible for a computer virus or unauthorized user to obtain this stored information.
Some computer systems achieve security with authentication tokens. An authentication token is a tool
used in the authentication process to identify a user in a computer system or network. The tool is a device
or image known as a token. Specialized token-reader hardware and/or software is sometimes necessary
to use a specific token. Authentication tokens include fingerprints, retina scans, iris scans, facial scans,
USB tokens, and smart cards.
A smart card is a small plastic card (the size of a credit card) that contains a cryptographic key. The user
unlocks it using a special key pair. When you log on to a system, you put your smart card into a special
reader attached to the system. The system reads the key from the smart card and asks for your
passphrase to unlock the key. After you enter your passphrase, the system performs a cryptographic key
exchange with the central server for verification of the key. Smart cards have the unique ability to store
large amounts of data, carry out their own on-card functions (e.g., encryption and mutual authentication),
and interact in an intelligent manner with a smart card reader.
Preventing Cyberstalkers
Cyberstalking is a kind of crime committed online by perpetrators who seek to harass victims, sometimes
in the form of sexual violence or interpersonal violence. You can take the following steps to prevent
cyberstalking:
Always select a gender-neutral user name for your email address or for chat.
Share your primary email address only with people you know and trust.
Don’t give out personal information (such as your real name, address, or phone number) in
your profiles.
If someone bothers you in a chat room and won’t go away, put them on “block” or “ignore.”
Do not give your password to anyone, especially if someone sends you an IM. Your service
provider will never ask you for your password.
Be very careful about putting pictures of yourself online. Some stalkers are obsessed with an
image.
Talk to a parent or authority you trust about uncomfortable situations.
Surfing Anonymously
It’s easier than ever for the government, websites, and corporations to track exactly what you do online,
know where you’ve visited, and create profiles about your likes, dislikes, and private habits. The easiest
way to make sure websites can’t gather personal information about you and your computer is to surf
anonymously by using an anonymous proxy server that sits between you and the websites you visit.
Search engines are also available that will not keep track of your cookies (like Scroogle.org).
Copyright © 2008 National Academy Foundation. All rights reserved.
Unit 1 Getting Started and Computer History
Lesson 4 Staying Safe Online
Student Resource 4.3
Worksheet : Protecting Your Privacy
Review the online profile on the following pages. What information is okay for this user to reveal? What
should she not have revealed? Circle areas where you think the user made good choices to protect her
privacy. Draw boxes around things you think the user should not have revealed about herself. Add any
notes or comments you think of as you review these pages: What would you do differently? Is there a way
she could have told some things about herself in a better way that would have protected her privacy
more?
Copyright © 2008 National Academy Foundation. All rights reserved.
Unit 1 Getting Started and Computer History
Lesson 4 Staying Safe Online
Your notes and comments:
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Copyright © 2008 National Academy Foundation. All rights reserved.
Unit 1 Getting Started and Computer History
Lesson 4 Staying Safe Online
Your notes and comments:
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Copyright © 2008 National Academy Foundation. All rights reserved.
Unit 1 Getting Started and Computer History
Lesson 4 Staying Safe Online
Student Resource 4.4
Writing Assignment: Reflective Essay
As an Academy of Information Technology student, what will your personal guidelines be for behaving
online? Think about all that you have read and we have discussed during this lesson.
What points have stayed with you the most?
Is there anything you now know not to do when you are online that you did not know before
beginning this lesson?
Write about what you think are the three most important things Internet users should keep in
mind when surfing the web.
Use the following guidelines to structure your essay:
Write an opening paragraph that states the topic of the essay and clearly outlines the main
points to be discussed.
Think about and answer the questions in the first paragraph of these assignment instructions,
writing answers for each that are at least one paragraph long. Use specific examples and
explanations that refer back to the material you have learned during this lesson.
Write a concluding paragraph that summarizes what you have learned about online crime and
privacy concerns.
As you write, refer to the rubric your teacher gave you, and remember to consider the qualities of a good
essay.
Copyright © 2008 National Academy Foundation. All rights reserved.
Unit 1 Getting Started and Computer History
Lesson 4 Staying Safe Online
Exemplar:
Things to Keep in Mind When Writing an Essay
Study this exemplar of a reflective essay and use it as a guide when writing your essay.
Writing a good essay takes time and lots of thought. Before I begin, I plan what I am going to write. I
make sure to think of specific examples for each point I plan to make. While I write, I am careful not to use
slang words. I also know that I will have to rewrite the first draft before turning the essay in. Lastly,
throughout the writing process, I try to keep important tips in mind to ensure my essay turns out well.
In general, my guideline for writing essays is to carefully plan what I will write before I begin writing. This
means I create an outline of the points and examples I plan to use. For example, when I wrote an essay
on the causes of the Civil War, I wrote each cause down and thought about at least two examples that
would go with each cause. Preparing a detailed outline like this helped me stay on topic when I started to
write and has helped me get better grades on my essays.
As I have gotten better at writing essays, one particular point sticks out in my mind: how important it is to
be specific. Teachers want us to use examples in our writing so that they know we really understand what
we talked about in class. The best way to do this is to give direct examples from the textbook and from
class discussions.
The more essays I write, the more I learn what to do and what not to do. For example, in one essay for
English, I used too many slang words, like sweet, cool, lame, and hot. My teacher told me slang words
could make it hard for some readers to understand what I am saying. Another example of what I have
learned is that I get a better grade if I write a second draft. The first time I write the essay I focus on
making my points and giving examples. Then, I rewrite the essay on a clean piece of paper. This gives
me a chance to make sentences read better and change or add words that help readers understand what
I am trying to say. Rewriting the essay draft also lets me focus on extra neat handwriting.
I think the three most important tips to keep in mind when writing an essay are: make sure you
understand the topic, make an outline of what you want to write, and include specific examples. It is easy
to write a good essay on the wrong topic if you do not really understand what the question is. I read the
question a couple of times and make sure to talk to the teacher if I am not sure I understand. As I wrote
earlier, writing an outline helps me stay focused on answering the question, and using specific examples
helps prove to the teacher that I understood what we learned in class.
In conclusion, I think it is important to give yourself enough time to write a really good essay. Before you
write a good essay, it is important to understand the topic and write down a detailed outline with specific
examples. When you begin writing, it is important to use clear language and good detail. Finally, it is
smart to plan to rewrite your first draft to correct mistakes and make it easier to read.
Copyright © 2008 National Academy Foundation. All rights reserved.
