Digital Literacy: Staying Safe Online

2.1. Collecting data online

Finding information online
There are many reasons to look for information.
o You might do a web search to find information for a geography project.
o You might look for reviews online to help you decide which model of smartphone
is best for you.
Online registration
Registration means becoming a member of a website. You fill in an online form and provide
information about yourself to the owner of the site.
In return for registering, you receive some benefits. For example, you might be able to:
• read pages that are hidden from non-registered users.
• leave messages in chat rooms and on message boards.
• add content.
• get email updates when new content is added to the site.
• download software.
Which information should you give?
• The owner of a website should only collect the information they need, such as a
username and password. They may also need contact details such as an email address.
• Some websites ask for optional information such as your telephone number or
birthday. You don't have to give optional information to register.
Online shopping
Buying online is called internet shopping or e-commerce. Internet shopping sites collect data
when people buy things.
Some of the data that shopping sites collect is personal data, including:
• bank details - so we can pay for the items.
• address and other contact details so the company can deliver the items.
How online shopping is safe?
• Internet shops use secure sites to protect data.
• A secure site encrypts information that is sent over the internet.
• Encrypted data is coded.
• If a criminal steals the data, they will not be able to read or use the data.
When you are browsing the web, there are two clues that tell you a website is secure.
• Websites with a small, padlocked symbol.
• URL of website that starts with HTTPs. Here s stands for secure.
Cookies
• A cookie is a small file that is stored on your computer when you visit a website.
• A cookie saves information about the way you use web pages.
Types of cookies
There are four types of cookies.
• Essential cookies are needed to make a website work as designed.
• Performance cookies collect information about how you use a website.
• Functionality cookies record what you do on a web page.
• Advertising cookies record what you look at online. Records used to personalize the
adverts.
Cookies are used for two main reasons:
• Cookies make it easier to use websites.
• Cookies are used to personalize a website. For example:
o A cookie can store your location. That information can be used to make sure you
see weather reports and events that are local to you.
o Advertisers use cookies to make sure they show you adverts for events and
products you are interested in. They can collect this information from your
browsing history.
o The news stories that you see can be customised to match your interests.
Cookies and the law
• The governments in some countries have passed laws about the use of cookies.
• Website owners must make it clear what cookies their sites use and what they use the
cookies for.
• These laws make it easier for people to decide which cookies to accept and which to
reject.
2.2. Dangers Online
Cybercrime
Crimes committed using internet is cybercrime. A cybercriminal is someone who uses the
internet to commit their crimes.
• Cybercriminals sell illegally over the internet.
• Cybercriminals attempt to steal money and other possessions from people.
Cybercrime methods
Identity theft-A criminal steals personal information such as a person's name and address.
• Criminals can use a stolen identity to pretend they are someone else.
• They can open a bank account or a credit card account in someone else's name.
• They then use these fake accounts to buy goods or to steal money from banks.
Phishing-The practice of tricking Internet users using false email messages or websites.
• The email tells the person receiving the email that there is a problem with their
account, and they must log in to solve the problem.
• There is a link to the fake website.
• When the person logs in, the fake website records their username and password.
Scamming- A false scheme or trick used to cheat someone out of internet (Emails) ,
especially for money.
• The email offers something for sale at a very low price or asks for a donation to a
charity.
• Scammers also use social media sites.
Hacking- Hackers usually try to break into computer systems that hold a lot of personal
information.
Malware
Malware is software that is installed on a computer without the user's consent and that
performs malicious actions, such as stealing passwords or money.
Types of Malwares
• Viruses- Virus-spreads and infects files that it meets. That makes a virus difficult to
cure.
• Trojan-malware that is hidden inside another program, When someone uses
• the program, the malware is released and starts to work.
• Ransomware-A type of malware designed to block access to a computer system until
a sum of money is paid.
• Spyware - sits on a computer and records what the user is typing.
• Adware - places unwanted adverts on a computer. The adverts are often displayed in
another web page such as a social media or internet shopping site.
How do malware spreads?
Criminals often use email to spread malware.
• They often send fake emails with subjects that encourage you to open them.
• The email subject might say you have won a prize in a competition or warn you that
your computer has a serious problem you need to deal with.
• The email encourages you to open or install a software application or open a
• document.
2.3. Protect your computer.
Anti-virus software
• Antivirus is a kind of software used to prevent, scan, detect and delete malware from
a computer.
• AV software sits on your computer, looking out for malware.
How AV software works?
• Fingerprint and Signature-The fingerprint is a piece of programming code that is
unique to the malware. This fingerprint is called a signature.
• Quarantine-AV software continually checks the files on your computer, looking for
malware signatures. If your AV software finds a malware signature in a file, it puts the
file in quarantine.
When do AV software fails?
• But there may be times when AV software fails to detect malware.
• If a new piece of malware is developed, your AV software will not recognize it
because the signature of the malware will not be in the signature database.
How to fix it?
• Modem AV software protects your computer very well.
• AV software updates the signature database regularly.
Firewall
• A firewall surrounds and protects your computer like the walls of a castle.
• A firewall checks all data before it allows the data to pass through the gates in the
wall.
How firewall and AV software works together?
• AV software patrols inside the castle walls to find and quarantine any malware that
has slipped through the firewall.
• Your firewall is like a castle wall around your computer. There are guards at every
gate to stop malware entering.
How to use your computer safely?
Use firewall and AV software-
• Never turn off the firewall.
• AV software on your computer.
• Never change any of the settings in the software.
Use email safely-
• Malware can come from files attached to emails.
• If you open an email attachment, you may be inviting a criminal onto your computer.
• Criminals and hackers use misleading email titles to tempt you to open a mail.
Use the web safely-
• When you are searching for the web, only use sites that you trust. Files that you
download can contain malware.
• Downloading apps and games is particularly risky. If you are downloading software,
always use an official site.
Update your software-
• Keep the software on your computer up to date.
• Sometimes they find security errors.
• Criminals and hackers use security errors to access computers.
Keep your password safe-
• Use a strong password that contains upper- and lower-case letters, numbers and other
characters (for example, $).
• A strong password should be at least eight characters long.
• Change your password regularly.
2.4. Cyberbullying
What is cyberbullying?
• A person who uses the internet to bully people is called a cyberbully. Cyberbullying is
a serious problem.
• Cyberbullying often takes place on social media sites, but bullies also use email and
text messages.
Methods cyberbullies use.
Harassment –
• Illegal behavior towards a person that causes mental or emotional suffering.
• A bully sends threatening messages by text message or instant messaging.
• This is a serious form of bullying. The messages often make physical threats.
They can be very frightening.
Impersonation -
• An act of pretending to be another person for the purpose of entertainment or
fraud.
• A bully chooses a target (a person they want to bully) and then sends messages
that pretend to be from the target.
Exclusion –
• A bully sends messages that publicly exclude the target from social groups and events.
Dissing –
• A bully circulates rumors (untrue stories and opinions) about a target.
• The rumors are designed to humiliate and ridicule the target.
Photographs –
• Some cyberbullies use their smartphone camera to take photos of a target. They then
share the photos by text message or social media.
• They sometimes use the photos in harassment messages.
Effects of Cyberbullying
• A bully can strike at any time, using text messages and social media posts.
• The internet brings bullying into the target's home.
• Bullying over the internet is often anonymous.
• Not knowing who is carrying out the bullying makes it more frightening;
Cyberbullying can be devastating if you are the target.
It can affect every aspect of life.
Confidence
• Low self-confidence can lead to anxiety and depression.
• Being the constant target of rumour and ridicule makes a person feel powerless and
vulnerable.
Loneliness
• A person who is bullied often feels that no one can help them.
• They feel isolated, which may cause difficulties in their relationships with family and
friends.
Performance at school
• A target of bullying sometimes does less well at school.
• The cyberbullying distracts them from their schoolwork, and they find it difficult to
concentrate in class.
Change of personality
• A person who is usually pleasant and respectful may start to misbehave or become
aggressive.
• The stress caused by bullying can also lead to problems with sleeping and eating
routines.
• The person may even become ill.
What makes a Cyberbully?
Them are many reasons why someone might become a cyberbully.
• The cyberbully wants revenge for harm that has been done to them. It is rarely the
person they bully who has caused the harm.
• They turn their own unhappiness and insecurity on to someone else.
• They want other people to like and admire them.
• Online bullying allows the bully to be anonymous so they believe they can get away
with their bullying.
• They are all jealous of the person they bully.
• The cyberbully feels threatened by people who are different in themselves.
What should you do if you experience cyberbullying?
If you see someone being bullied
• Be careful not to join in. When you see a post that makes fun of someone, never click
the 'like' button - not even as a joke. You will encourage the cyberbully and upset the
person who the post is about.
• Say something positive about the person being bullied. Showing your support will
make the bullying easier to bear.
• Offer support and friendship. Let the person talk if they need to. Encourage them to
talk to an adult about the bullying.
If you are bullied
• Collect evidence. Take screenshots of posts so that you have a record even if the posts
are deleted.
• Talk to someone you trust about the bullying. Talk to a friend, family member or
teacher.
• Don't respond to the bullying. Responding can encourage the bully and make the
situation worse.
• Spend some time offline.

2.5. Use Content Responsibly

Intellectual property means something that you have created using your mind (your intellect)
and that you own.
Intellectual property can be:
• written workbooks, poems, articles, and web pages
• images and artwork-cartoons, paintings, photos, and sculptures
• music and songs
• plans and designs
• computer software and games.
There are different types of intellectual property. Each has its own symbol.
• Copyright © Copyright means you have the right to copy your work. Other people
must ask your permission before they can use it. You automatically have copyright for
any work you create.
• Trade mark TM Companies use trademarks to protect logos, slogans and product
names. The Microsoft logo is a trademark.
• Patent Inventors use patents to protect their new inventions. A patent stops other
people from copying an invention and claiming it as their own idea.
• Registered ® design This is used to protect designs like wallpaper and carpet patterns.
What copyright means to you
You can legally use someone else's work in these situations:
• You have purchased their work.
• The owner of the work has given you permission to use their work.
Software piracy
• Copyright theft is a type of cybercrime.
• Criminals make copies of music, games, and films. They sell the copies, often over
the internet. This type of crime is called piracy.
• When software is illegally copied and sold, it is called software piracy.
What is wrong with piracy?
• When legal copies of software, music and games are sold, the person who created the
work gets some money from each sale.
• When pirated copies are sold, the person does not get any money.
• It is illegal to download and use pirated versions of software and other files.
Creative Commons
• Many content owners make their images available free of change on the internet They
use a special licence called Creative Commons.
• Creative Commons lets you use images without having to ask the owner for
permission, Creative Commons music and video content is also available.
How to find Creative Commons images
• There are websites that allow you to search for Creative Commons images. They are
Wikimedia Commons, Pixabay and Unsplash.
Giving credit for the images you use
• The owner of a Creative Commons image gives you permission to use the image.
Most owners ask you to give credit for the work.
• A credit includes the owner's name and a link to the website you got the image from.
2.6. Giving Credit
Using citations
How to credit an image
• The text that you use to give credit is called a citation or an attribution.
Writing your own citation
• Sometimes the owner of a piece of work does not provide a citation for you to use. In
that case, you need to write your own citation.
There are four pieces of information you should include in a citation:
• author: the name of the person who created the work.
 • year: when the work was produced.
• title: for example, the title of an article you are quoting from or the title of a picture
you want to use.
• internet address: the address of the site you are taking the work from. If the work you
are using does not come from the internet, use the title of the book or newspaper
where you found the work.
How to use a citation in your work
You should add a citation for every piece of content you use that is not your own work.
Adding a citation is straightforward:
• Type or paste the citation immediately below the image or quoted text.
• Use a font that is a little smaller than the main text in your document. For example, if
the text in your document is 12 points, use 10 points for your citation.
Why are citations important?
There are four reasons why it is important to use citations to credit other people's work.
1. You are giving credit to the person who created the content. People work hard to
create new content and they are proud of it. They want to get credit for producing it.
2. Someone who reads your work can follow the link in your citation to learn more
about a subject.
3. Citation makes it clear what work is yours and what belongs to someone else.
a. It is an important part of learning, first you must not pretend that someone
else's work is your own. That is called plagiarism. If you use citations
correctly, nobody can accuse you of plagiarism.
4. Citations show your teacher that you have carried out research to complete your
school assignments.