Lesson 7

1. Lesson 7 Computer Safety and Ethics

2. Lesson Objectives • Explain how to maintain a safe working environment and use computer equipment in a way that prevents personal injury. • Identify injuries that can result from the use of computers for long periods of time. • Identify software threats and risks to data.

3. Group work Discuss the following topics in your groups • What should you pay attention to in order to maintain a safe computing environment?

4. Maintaining a Safe Computing Environment • Make sure you use a computer in a way that supports your comfort, health, and safety. • Pay attention to your posture, lighting, and activity level. • Review product safety guidelines provided with your computer and any electronic devices.

5. Computer Related Injuries • What is RSI? • When does it take place ? • Who are people that can have RSI ? • How can we avoid it?

6. Computer Related Injuries • Take precautions to avoid eyestrain, back problems, and repetitive strain injury (RSI), which can result when a person makes too many of the same motions over a long period of time. • A well-designed work area, use of ergonomic furniture, good posture, and changing positions throughout the day are factors that will minimize these types of injuries. • RSIs are common in people who use computers or play video games frequently. Repeated motions can strain and irritate a joint and the tendons and muscles around it. Take frequent breaks, stretch, and remain relaxed rather than tense while you work to help prevent these kinds of injuries.

7. Group work With a group, search the internet for • Definition of ergonomic furniture • Create a list of at least five products that you could use in a home office to help prevent RSIs, including prices. Compare your list with other groups in the class.

8. Security Risks Wireless networks create serious risks if they are not properly secured. • Using Network Protection • Password-protect your wireless network and turn on some form of encryption. • Computer Hacking • Use firewalls to prevent hackers from invading computers. • Avoiding Data Loss • Save frequently and back up data regularly. • Safeguarding Against Software Threats • To protect against viruses, use strong passwords, download and install the latest security updates for your operating system, and use an up-to-date antivirus program.

9. Quick Quizzes: A(n) ____ is a malicious program that records keystrokes. • Answer:key logger What does a strong password contain? • Answer: Eight characters with at least one letter, one number, and one special character.

10. Access Restrictions • System administrators and users often restrict access to files, storage devices, various computers, networks, the Internet, or specific Internet sites to protect data and other users. • Firewalls do not protect data from employees. • When using software to monitor computer usage, protecting users should be balanced with preserving privacy.

11. Private Property—But Not Yours • Generally, any information gathered from a company’s computer system is company property and not an individual worker’s personal property. • Many organizations have computer network usage policies that provide guidelines for using the organization’s systems ethically, professionally, and legally.

12. E-Commerce Issues • Before providing personal or credit card information on an e-commerce site, verify that the site is secure. • TSL and SSL technology enables encryption of sensitive information by establishing a private communication channel. • To protect private information: • Use a secure browser • Check privacy policies • Keep personal information private

13. Extra for Experts: Safe ways to pay for online purchases include using a perishable credit card, which assigns a credit card number to an online purchase or online merchant only for a specific amount of time. You can also use third-party payment services such as PayPal. You set up and fund an online account and make payments from that account without exposing your real credit card or bank account information. E-wallets are a type of online account you can maintain for small purchases, such as magazine subscriptions.

14. Quick Quizzes: • What types of sites should use TLS or SSL certificates? • Answer: E-commerce sites, sites that process sensitive data, and sites that require privacy and security. • What do a public key and a private key do in an SSL certificate? • Answer: A public key encrypts information and a private key deciphers the information.

15. Preserving Privacy • Any time you submit information on the Internet, it can possibly be gathered and used. • Phishing attempts to steal private data by posing as a trustworthy entity. • Cookies and Spyware • Clean up unnecessary cookies on your computer frequently with a utility program. • Spyware tracks your Web habits and can be harmful as well as annoying.

16. Securing Data • It is the responsibility of a company or an individual to protect their data. • The best way to protect data is to effectively control the access to it using passwords or login information.

17. Quick Quizzes: • When communicating on a forum, blog, or social network, you should use a(n) ____ to protect your privacy. • Answer: alias • What should you do to protect your privacy when using a computer in a public place? • Answer: Verify that you logged off.

18. Using the Internet Safely and Legally • Nearly all schools, government agencies, companies, libraries, and other similar institutions have written policies and guidelines regarding Internet usage. • Additional information on the safe use of computers can be found on numerous Web sites, in books and magazines, and in other similar media.

19. Technology Changes and Individual Responsibilities • It is your responsibility to stay informed about changes and advancements in computer technology, product upgrades, and virus threats. • Be a responsible computer user by recycling products such as paper and ink cartridges and donating unneeded computer hardware. • Consider volunteering to help others learn to use computers effectively.