INTRODUCTION

The internet is one of the most amazing inventions of our modern age. At the click of a button, you have access to millions of people across the world. Using a simple search, you can access information. You can learn almost anything on the internet and can teach yourself everything from simple activities such as cooking to more complex things such as making your own furniture.

But there is also a dark side to the internet. Digital crimes are carried out by criminals like hackers who want to steal your information and data, and cyberbullies and stalkers who harass people online. Knowing how to protect yourself from these criminals and crimes is an important part of your online life.

In this chapter, you are going to look at what social engineering is and learn about social-engineering tricks. You will learn about online harassment and how to avoid cyberbullying and cyberstalking. There is also advice on how to shop and bank online safely.

There is a section that discusses what antivirus software is and how it works, and you will also learn how to back up your data for your safety.

UNIT
 10.1   Social-engineering tricks

Social engineering is a technique used to gain access to a facility’s systems, data and anything else by exploiting basic human psychology.

Some of these tricks include:

• Phishing is usually done via email where an attacker tricks people into giving out personal information or handing over money. Phishing is used with email spoofing and website spoofing. The most common phishing scam is an email from your bank to say your account has been suspended and that you need to reset the password by clicking on a link that takes you to a website that looks like your bank’s website. When you enter your account details, the attacker will have your information.
• Phishing and email spoofing: Phishing and email spoofing attacks try to obtain sensitive information (such as usernames, passwords and banking details) by sending emails to users that look like official emails. These emails will either directly request the sensitive information, or redirect users to an official-looking website from where their information will be stolen.
• Pharming: Much like phishing, pharming attacks create an official-looking website that requests sensitive information. A very common pharming attack allows users to “change” their passwords. Instead of changing their passwords, the user’s username and password are recorded and their account is taken over.

According to security studies, social engineering is the single most effective way to gain illegal access to a desired computer.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU SUSPECT YOU ARE A VICTIM?

If you think you accidentally revealed any financial information, immediately contact your bank and have them put a hold on any accounts that may be compromised.

Immediately change your password if you think you might have revealed it.

UNIT
 10.2   Data protection

It is important to back up your data regularly, since hardware can fail or accounts can be compromised. Backing up data lets you protect and store information.

CREATING A BACKUP

Because a back up is simply a copy of your computer’s data, it can be created using the Copy and Paste functions.

To recover the files from this backup, simply connect the backup hard drive to your computer and copy the damaged or missing data back onto your storage device.

The problem with using Copy and Paste to back up your data is that the backups must be done manually. As a result, it is possible to forget to create backups. These backups will also be much larger, since each backup will contain all the files and folders you copied, even if some of these folders have not changed since the previous backup.

These problems can be solved by using a backup utility such as Windows 10’s Backup and Restore.

To use Backup and Restore:

1.Buy an external hard drive to use for the backup and connect it to your computer.

2.Open the Start menu and enter the words Control Panel. This will open the window.

3.Click on the Backup and Restore (Windows 7) option to open the Backup and Restore window.

4.Click on the Set Up Backup option.

5.Select the external hard drive as the location where you would like to save the backup.

6.If all your files are stored in your private folders (such as the Documents, Music and Videos folders), use the Let Windows Choose option. Otherwise, select the Let Me Choose option and manually choose the folders that should be backed up.

7.Click on the Save Settings and Run Backup option to create a backup of all your files.

USING CLOUD STORAGE FOR BACKUP

One of the problems with backing up your computer’s contents to an external hard drive is that your computer and the drive can be lost due to theft, flood or fire. Cloud storage puts your information on an off-site server that never goes offline and that can be accessed from anywhere through the internet.

Cloud storage, however, is not the same as cloud backup. Although they both work on a similar basis and the result is the same – storing files online – there are completely different reasons for using them.

With cloud storage, you choose which files you want to store online and you send them to your online account. When you delete a file that you stored online, it is still in your cloud storage because it is not really tied to your computer anymore. Cloud backup is when you install a program on your computer and you tell it to keep certain files backed up online. A backup service will also upload any changes that are made to those files so that the current version is always online.

A backup server works for people or businesses that have a lot of files they want to keep backed up online, so that, should one of the computers suddenly stop working, the files can still be obtained from the cloud backup server.

These are a few cloud storage providers:

• Google Drive: This works very well with Google products and you get 15 GB for free, after which you have to pay a monthly fee for more storage space.
• Apple iCloud: This service works with all Apple devices, whether a Mac, iPhone, iPad or iPod. You get 5 GB for free but have to pay for more than that.
• Dropbox: It gives users 2 GB for free and lets you access your files from the Web, your desktop or mobile devices.
• Microsoft OneDrive: Integrates well with Microsoft’s products such as SharePoint and Word. Everyone with a Microsoft account gets 5 GB free storage space, after which you need to subscribe and pay for more space.

UNIT
 10.3   Protecting yourself online

ONLINE HARASSMENT, STALKING AND BULLYING

Online harassment is a wide range of damaging behaviours such as hateful messages, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, defamation and others. The goal of the harasser is to drive the target off the internet or punish them by publishing personal information, sending threats, or promoting harm.

Online harassment is especially prevalent in young adults; with people of colour and women more likely to be victims of serious harassment.

HOW DO YOU AVOID ONLINE HARASSMENT?

Limit the personal data you share on social media accounts and review your security or privacy settings regularly. Do not post your physical address, mobile number or email address (or make them publicly available as part of your profile).

Choose your passwords wisely, make them unique and strong. Change passwords regularly and do not use the same password for different sites. Make sure that the answers to your secret questions are hard to guess.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE HARASSED?

Make a copy of everything. Take screenshots of the harassment and print them out. Keep a record of the websites where the harassment happened. Have your parents take a look at the posts. Report the bullying to the website and ask that they take the harassing content down. If necessary, take the evidence you have collected to the police to open a case.

If you are bullied or harassed, you can call Childline South Africa on 0800 055 555.

MALWARE (MALICIOUS WARE)

Malware is any software that is specifically designed to disrupt, damage or gain unauthorised access to a computer. Examples of malware are:

1.Viruses

2.Worms

3.Trojans

4.Scareware

5.Spyware

6.Adware

7.Ransomware

To prevent your computer from becoming infected with malware, computer experts suggest that you do the following:

• Do not open suspicious emails.
• Do not download suspicious programs or attachments.
• Keep your antivirus application up to date.
• Keep your other software up to date: Hackers can use software weaknesses or vulnerabilities to gain access to your computer.

MULTI-STEP VERIFICATION

Two-factor authentication, or multi-step verification, prevents anyone from logging into your accounts using just your username and password. Instead, they need a second factor (which is usually a physical device such as your phone) to access your account.

UNIT
 10.4   E-commerce and e-banking

When using online services such as online banking or shopping, you must be careful that your information is not stolen. Your banking or credit card information can be used to make multiple purchases.

Tips for safely using online banking and shopping include:

• Use proper antivirus software and make sure it is up to date.
• Do not log into online banking or shopping sites using public Wi-Fi or on public computers (like those in an internet café).
• Make sure that the operating systems on all your devices are up to date. This is important for both your phone and computer. Make sure that the banking app on your phone is also up to date.
• Change your passwords regularly and make sure they are strong.
• Do not sign into your banking account through a link in an email as this is most likely a phishing attack.
• Sign up for notifications on your bank account for when money comes in or goes out and when your account is accessed online.

You should always check that the website URL has an “https” extension whenever you are making a transaction online. The “s” stands for secure and it means that the website has something called a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate. This creates an encrypted link between you and the server, making the data that you and the server send and receive secure and private. This protects your data from being intercepted and stolen.

ADVANTAGES OF E-COMMERCE

Below are some of the advantages that e-commerce holds for the consumer, which is you.

• There is a very wide range of products and services available.
• There are no geographical limitations. It is just as easy to buy something from the USA or Europe as it is to buy it in South Africa.
• It definitely saves you time, for example travel time, waiting time and searching time.
• It is available 24/7.

RISKS OF E-COMMERCE

Unfortunately, there are also certain risks related to e-commerce, such as:

• Fraud: Because transactional data is transmitted over the internet, it has become one of the target areas of cybercriminals. Financial information can be hacked or stolen, leading to purchases made by people who are not the rightful owners of that information. Customers sometimes complain that they have not received their packages and it is difficult to determine whether that is true or not.
• Online security: There are many security threats such as malware, spam mail and phishing that can cause you harm.
• Exchanging a product that does not fit the online description can be difficult.

ADVANTAGES OF E-BANKING

Below are some of the advantages of internet banking:

• It is convenient, as customers have 24-hour access to the bank, seven days a week.
• It can be done from any location where you have Internet.

RISKS OF E-BANKING

Although online banking is secure enough to use on a daily basis, you should know about these risks:

• Fraudulent transactions
• Online theft of your access ID/user ID or PIN/password could happen.
• Banking apps can be compromised.

UNIT
 10.5   How antivirus programs work

Antivirus software is any computer program that is designed to scan for, isolate and delete any harmful program from your computer before it causes any damage, but you can do an active scan any time you think that your computing device has been infected with a virus.

Antivirus and antimalware programs check all the files on a computer, checking all changes and the memory for specific types of file change patterns.

APPLICATION PERMISSIONS

When you install an app on your smartphone or tablet, you will need to give it permission to access certain functions on your device. For example, when you install a navigation app (such as Google Maps), you will first be asked for permission to access the device’s GPS location.

Using app permissions means that you can control what capabilities or information the app can access.

REVISION ACTIVITY

QUESTION 1: MULTIPLE CHOICE

1.1Which of the following is NOT an example of social engineering? (1)

A.Phishing

B.Malware

C.Tailgating

D.Pretexting

1.2If you come across fake news, what should you do? (1)

A.Post it and share it

B.Do more research on it

C.Delete it from the internet

D.Edit and try to fix it

1.3Which of the following institutions is used in phishing scams the most? (1)

A.Banks

B.Universities

C.Kindergartens

D.Online shops

1.4Which of the following scenarios do NOT use online banking? (1)

A.Ahmed owns an electronics store and does have a card swipe machine.

B.Chloe does not have a physical clothing store but she sells clothing through an online website.

C.Blessing only likes shopping for games online.

D.Hanno wants to send money to his mother overseas.

1.5Which of the following is NOT an antivirus program/application? (1)

A.Avast

B.Norton

C.Bitdefender

D.OneDrive

QUESTION 2: TRUE OR FALSE

Write True or False next to the question number. Correct the statement if it is FALSE. Change the underlined word(s) to make the statement TRUE. (You may not simply use the word NOT to change the statement.)

a.Multi-step verification can be used to keep your email password secure. (1)

b.A disadvantage of e-commerce is that it is hard to send physical money online. (1)

c.Emails from an unknown source are known as suspicious emails. (1)

d.If you want to prevent people from accessing your online accounts, you must use a strong password. (1)

e.Hackers use Quid Pro Quo to steal passwords. (1)

QUESTION 3: MATCHING ITEMS

Choose a term/concept from Column B that matches a description in Column A. Write only the letter next to the question number (e.g. 1J). (5)

QUESTION 4: MEDIUM QUESTIONS

4.1Briefly explain how to recover data from a backup? (2)

4.2What are three disadvantages of using an external hard drive to back up your computer’s data? (3)

4.3What is a preferable alternative to physical computer backups? (1)

a.Explain what this alternative backup does. (3)

b.Who would benefit most from this type of alternative backup? Mention three of them. (3)

c.What three things can you do to prevent your computer from getting infected by malware? (3)

4.4What is the difference between e-commerce and e-banking? (4)

4.5List two risks of online banking. (2)

4.6Explain the concept of cloud storage. (2)

4.7Provide two examples of cloud storage providers. (2)

TOTAL: [40]

AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER