INTERNET ISSUES Samir Char

Camila Abiad

Maria Juliana Morales

INTRODUCTIONThe Internet links are computer networks all over the world so that users can share resources and communicate with each other. The Internet is an inherently participative medium. Anybody can publish information or create new services that´s why it is a fantastic resource for finding and sharing information. The Web contains literally billions of web pages containing information about every topic imaginable.

However we need to take care when using the Internet to look for information, or to send information.

RELIABILITY OF INFORMATIONThe Internet and Web are not regulated - there is no organisation that controls who can create web pages or what those pages can contain.

So... how do you which web pages to believe, which information to trust?

Stick to websites that belong to trusted organisations. If the website address ends in .gov.uk it is more likely to be reliable than one that ends in .com

Look at the spelling and grammar used. Who is the author or sponsor of the page? Are there obvious reasons for bias? Is contact information provided? Is there a copyright symbol on the page? If so, who holds the copyright? Is this page a "zombie," or one considered "walking dead" because the person who posted

it no longer maintains or updates it? What is the purpose of the page? Why is this information being posted--as information, as

a public service, as a news source, as a research tool for academics, as a personal ax to grind, or as a way to gain attention?

How well organized is the page? Is the page easy to navigate? Is it complete? When was the page last updated? Is the information on it current? How credible are the links it provides?

Can you verify the information on the Web page some other way? Even though a page might not meet your standards as a citable source, it may help

you generate good ideas.

UNDESIRABLE INFORMATION In addition to the Web being full of websites with inaccurate information, there are also a huge number of websites that contain highly offensive, or illegal material.

Avoiding this type of material can be tricky. Many organisations and also many parents, make use of web page filtering software. This software attempts to prevent offensive and illegal material being accessed.

Even if filtering software is not installed on a computer, you can still take steps to help you avoid these types of sites:Use the 'safe search' feature on search engines such as Google. Don’t click the links that are shown in junk email (spam) Think carefully about the keywords that you use to search with.

SECURITY OF DATA TRANSFER USING INTERNET

As has been discussed already, you should always consider encrypting any sensitive or personal data that is sent or accessed over a public network such as The Internet.

Many websites, especially online shopping or online banking sites, require you to enter personal information, such as credit card numbers, social security IDs, etc. To make sure your data is safe, these websites use encryption - they are called secure websites.

You should always make sure that a website is secure before giving personal information...The website URL (address) should begin with https://... (normal, unsecure sites have addresses that start with http://...) Your web browser should show a closed padlock icon

PHISING

'Phishing' is the nickname given to the sending of fraudulent e-mails that attempt to trick people into revealing details about their bank accounts, or other online accounts (e.g. Amazon, eBay, etc.)

The 'phishers' then use these bank details to login to the victim's bank account and take their money.

The e-mail looks very convincing. It even has the bank's logo. And it sounds urgent and scary...

If you were to click the link, you would be taken to a fake bank website. Then if you were to enter your login details, these would be recorded by the phishers and used to empty your real bank account.

PHARMING'Pharming' is similar to phishing, but instead of deceiving you (as phishing does), a pharming attack deceives your computer.

In a pharming attack, when you type in a completely genuine URL (e.g. for your online banking website), your computer is tricked into displaying a fake website (often a very accurate copy).

Then, when you try to login to the fake website, your username / password are recorded and used to take money from your real bank account.

It is very difficult to spot pharming attacks, because to the user everything seems to be normal.

E-MAIL SPAM 'Spam' is the name given to unsolicited e-mails (ones sent without being asked for). It is a huge problem. It is estimated that 97% of all e-mail messages sent is spam.

The most commonly seen spam includes the following: Phishing scams, a very popular and dangerous form of email fraud Foreign bank scams or advance fee fraud schemes Pyramid schemes, including multilevel marketing (MLM) Other "Get Rich Quick" or "Make Money Fast" (MMF) schemes Quack health products and remedies Ads for pornographic web sites Offers of software for collecting email addresses and sending UCE Offers of bulk emailing services for sending UCE Chain letters Illegally pirated software

Spam e-mails usually contain adverts for products.

If it wasn't for e-mail spam filters (which separate out spam messages from genuine messages) our e-mail systems would be unusable.

CONCLUSION As technology evolves so does computers, internet, and

hacking programs and methods. Terrorists and thieves now can attack via internet to individual users and even entire governments, generating fear, which develops in terror and creates conflicts. Methods such as pharming, phishing and E-Mail spamming are often used by hackers in order to get money or information from internet users. In this presentation we are going to make you aware of all this types of internet attacks, in order to keep security.