Chapter 2--Personal Safety Online

This summary does not substitute for reading this chapter. There is a wealth of helpful information contained within the chapter that you will need to know.

Once you have access to the Internet, you are in a very public space. Once something reaches the Internet, it becomes available to an enormous audience. And once it is available to download, reproduce, or distribute, that may be what occurs but does not mean that it is legal or moral to do so. Software manufacturers are not responsible for the way end users decide to utilize the software they have purchased. Acceptable Use Policies (AUP) are often developed by those who provide Internet access (i.e. your company) or some public Internet servers. It is "a policy that outlines appropriate use of the Internet and is enforced by system administrators." When you obtain an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that gives you access to the Internet from your home for a fee, you will have some restrictions that pertain to your ISP account called terms of service (ToS).

Password Security
Keeping your password secret and secure is one of the best defenses you have on the Internet against mischief . A secure computing environment provides password security that prevents even system administrators from retrieving a password for a given account. Legitimate system administrators do not need to know your password for system maintenance and will not ask for it. System administrators with privileges can bypass usual password protocol if circumstances require it. If you are asked for your password, take caution! Report such requests to your system administration. If you create your own password, follow these suggestions:

• Passwords should be at least six characters in length (eight is better)
• Use both lowercase and uppercase letters
• Include at least one numeric character
• Change your password frequently
• Do not share your password with anyone and do not write it where it can be found
• Do not use the same password in many different places

Antivirus software can be used to scan your hard drive, floppy disks, and other drives for viruses and then clean the viruses from the drive. Antivirus software needs to be updated regularly. The more active you are online, the more regularly you should update your antivirus program. Since floppy disks have a boot sector, you should keep floppy disks out of your floppy drive unless you are working with files on the diskette. To ensure security, use encryption on files that are sensitive in nature or store them offline on backup diskettes or other media. Do not leave your computer connected to the Internet longer than necessary, especially when utilizing a high-speed connection. If you do have a high-speed connection, you should install a firewall on your computer (see Ch. 9). Do not download files offered to you in a chat room or from personal Web pages.

The most common viruses are macro viruses, which are small computer programs that execute in response to specific combinations of keystrokes or clicking an icon. It is written inside a macro that is part of an application program.

Email viruses are spread through email attachments. Opening the attachment can cause the virus to activate. You CANNOT get a computer virus from reading a plain text mail message. There is a web site you can use to check to see if a virus warning is a hoax. Some viruses that can be spread through email attachments are automatically spread by copying addresses from an address book and spreading it to everyone in the address book. When you receive email with an attachment, check to see if a message from the sender has been included and/or contact the sender to verify that he or she has sent the attachment. When you receive an email attachment, download it and run it through a virus checker before opening the attachment. Another variation of e-mail attachment viruses contain scripts, computer programs written to target PCs running Windows.

Blended Threats

Blended Threats are a mix, or combination, of script attacks, worms, Trojan horses, and viruses that present extremely dangerous e-mail attacks that reproduce at remarkable speeds. In some cases, these viruses can activate by simply having been received in one's e-mail inbox. The blended threats are more sophisticated and more difficult to stop. In order to address these threats, better computer security is needed. The responsibility for this security lies in the hands of software manufacturers and system administrators. The key is to block unrecognized executables, which end users can do with good firewall software.

Hacker Attacks and Intrusions

Hacker intrusions are less common than viruses. If your Internet account is through a 56K modem through a telephone connection, you are not very vulnerable to a hacker attack. If you have a high-speed connection, you should be concerned and take precautions. Hackers can gain access to your computer and take control of it, as well as gain access to the hard drive and the material stored therein. This kind of activity is illegal and punishable by fines and jail sentences. You are at greater risk if your computer is on 24/7, if you have a high-speed connection, and if you use chat clients, instant messenter, and peer-to-peer file sharing. Those who can hack into a computer can use it as a "drone" in another distributed attack on a third party server. Installing a firewall is the best defense. "A firewall is a software application that acts as a protective boundary between your computer and the outside world. Just as an antivirus program protects your computer from computer viruses, a firewall program protects your computer from hackers and unwanted intruders."

Shopping Online
In order to ensure that you are secure when shopping online, using a credit card is safer than sending a check or cash because your credit card issuer can intercede if violations occur. The Fair Credit Billing Act prevents your potential loss due to fraud from exceeding $50. When you get to the site where you enter your credit card information, be certain that the URL begins with https:// with the "s" at the end of http for secure and is protected by a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). It is wise to do online business with reputable companies.

Online Privacy
Web pages can be programmed to collect information about when you visited the page and how many times, and links you clicked. Do not complete online forms that ask for personal information. Do not give your Social Security Number, age, income, or other sensitive data online. Check a site's privacy policy prior to completing a form for a credit card transaction. A privacy policy gives you information about what the organization will do with the information collected about you. The policy should be posted and easy to find on the web page. The Internet Fraud Watch posts Internet fraud and scams commonly encountered on the Internet. Beware of sites that sound too good to be true, get rich quick offers, high pressure tactics, vacation prizes offered through email, miracle health cures and diets, fee-based credit record repair, insider investment advice for a fee, free cable service with descramblers (illegal), or guaranteed loans or credit. Although there are fraudalent online auctions, there are also legitimate auctions. Do some homework prior to utilizing an online auction.

A cookie is a file that is created by a Web site you have visited and is stored on your computer. Its purpose may be to allow faster downloading of the site the next time you visit. It can also store information about what areas you clicked and how much time you spent on a particular part of the web site. The cookie can use this information to personalize your next visit to the site. You can remove cookies from your computer but they can also be an enhancement to your time on the Web.

Libel and Lawsuits
"Libel is any written or pictorial statement that damages a person or organization. Posting libelous statements on the Net can result in legal actions against the poster." Libel is not a criminal offense,punishable by a jail term. You can, however, be sued. Libel can include negative statements about a company's products or services if they result in lost revenues, even if the information is accurate. "If the claims can be verified, the lawsuit will fail, but the legal process can be costly and time-consuming." Statements about individuals can also be libelous. Public figures cannot sue for libel.

Threats and Harassment
Making threats on the Internet, in chat rooms, or within an email message is serious and can result in action taken by law enforcement agencies. "U.S. criminal laws make issuing threats on or off the Internet illegal. Threatening the President of the United States will result in immediate response by the Secret Service. Some attacks on the Internet are verbal but not threatening. A flame is an excessively angry email or newsgroup message with the writer attacking another person. A flame war is an exchange of angry, hostile messages. Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act makes it illegal to harass others in the workplace. This would include viewing pornography on the Internet in the workplace. "Free speech in the workplace takes a back seat to Title VII."

Software Piracy and Copyright Infringements
"Software piracy is the willful reproduction or distribution of one or more copies of a computer program that prohibits such reproduction or distributions. Pirating software titles with a total retail value of more than $1,000 is a criminal offense punishable by a jail term and a fine." Those who believe that if something obtained over the Internet through a copyright violation and is not sold for profit is all right, they are mistaken. Software piracy includes those who do not profit from their action. Purchasing software also does not give you the right to reproduce and distribute the software. A purchase gives you only licensee rights to use the software and is subject to restrictions. The recording industry is taking matters into its own hands when dealing with those who illegally distribute music recordings over the Internet in violation of copyright infringement. "Anyone who downloads illegal MP3s from the Internet is engaging in a criminal activity."

Plagiarism

"Copyright violations occur when you reproduce a substantial subset of a written work verbatim." You can paraphrase a work without being guilty of copyright violations, but you may still be guilty of plagiarism. Plagiarism is the presentation of ideas of a published work as if it were your own. You must give appropriate credit to the author when you are summarizing a work (see the line below the title of this chapter at the top of this web page). You must use quotes when you use the direct material from the work. High school and college instructors and professors have the ability to use a variety of websites and software programs to check work that has been submitted and see if it is plagiarised material. Submitting plagiarised material puts you at risk for receiving a failing grade on an assignment.

Pornography
Child pornography is illegal in every form. It is a felony to view child pornography, be in possession of child pornography, or distribute child pornography. Employers do have the right to use software to spy on employee email or web browsing. If your home computer has been provided to you by your employer, your are restricted to your employer's use policies.

Related Web Sites
 

Computer Virus Myths	http://www.Vmyths.com
Widespread Virus Myths	http://www.stiller.com/myths.htm
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse	http://www.privacyrights.org/
Urban Legends and Folklore	http://urbanlegends.about.com/index.htm
Online Textbook Resources	http://www.aw.com/lehnertweb101/