Lesson 2- Protecting Yourself Online

•Determine the strength of passwords

•Evaluate online threats

•Protect against malware/hacking

•Protect against identity theft

Objectives

•Determine how to remain safe on public networks

PasswordsThe whole purpose of a password is to keep important, private information safe.

• Strong passwords use upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols. (8 or more characters)

Weak passwords: Bickerton01Fluffy1992

• Don’t use information that is personal or easy to guess

Good password practices:

• Don’t share your passwords with anyone

• Change your password frequently or use a different password for every site you visit

Strong passwords:Fi#1c@t! (Fluffy is # 1 cat!)#Ih8P@$$words (I hate passwords)

Rate the following password examples as strong or weak:

I1uvS0ccer#1976

Bigbro01

Dimlyf3!7

Wallace_f12

Hacking is the act of cracking into a computer to steal information.

Malware is software that has malicious intent.

Two types of malware:

A computer virus attaches itself to a file or program, enabling it to spread from one computer to another.

Worms spread from one machine to another, rapidly, without human action.

Hacking/Malware

Antivirus software is a computer program that detects, prevents, and takes action to disarm or remove malicious software programs, such as worms and viruses.

Malware can be shared by:

• E-mail attachments• Fictitious websites• Pop-up ads• Spam

Antivirus Software

Hacking/Malware Defenses

Avoid attacks by:

• Do not open e-mails or attachments from unfamiliar e-mail addresses

• Question suspicious attachments from people you do know

• Right-click the pop-up taskbar or use the task manager to close pop-up ads

• Use tools to prevent viewing potentially dangerous sites.

Internet Scams

The primary goal of an internet scam is to trick someone into giving money or sharing information.

Some of the most common Internet scams include:

• Lottery wins• Contest wins• IRS audit• Dating schemes• Jury duty • Bank or credit card company

Avoiding Internet Scams

Ways to Avoid Internet Scams:

• Never provide your social security number.

• Your other personal information should also be kept personal.

• Know who you are dealing with.

• If you are receiving some type of deal or offer, get the facts before making any commitments.

Identity Theft

Identity theft is when someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person’s personal data, typically for economic gain.

There are four major types of identity theft:

Financial – thief spends another person’s money or opens a line of credit in their name.

Criminal – thief uses someone else’s identity to commit a crime.

Governmental – thief uses SSN to file taxes or reap other governmental benefits.

Medical – thief uses identity to gain medical treatment or commit insurance fraud.

Public Networks

Free Wi-Fi is typically offered on public networks, which are generally unencrypted.

If the network is unencrypted, that means the data sent back and forth between your device and wireless router can be viewed by others.

Special encryption called HTTPS can protect your web browsing information.

Public Networks

Here are some tasks you should avoid while on a public network:

• Handling financial transactions

• Logging into social media accounts

• Sending email

• Logging on to false Wi-Fi networks

•Determine the strength of passwords

•Evaluate online threats

•Protect against malware/hacking

•Protect against identity theft

Summary

•Determine how to remain safe on public networks