Internet Privacy and Security: Essential Strategies to Protect Your Personal Information
In Chapter Nine, we explore key aspects of maintaining computer security with a focus on internet privacy. Learn about vital security risks such as cookies, pop-ups, and how to mitigate them. Understand the importance of strong passwords, recognizing phishing attempts, and the significance of secure sites. This chapter outlines procedures for maintaining a secure online environment and offers strategies to avoid identity fraud. Equip yourself with the knowledge to navigate the web safely while protecting your personal information from threats.
Internet Privacy and Security: Essential Strategies to Protect Your Personal Information
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Presentation Transcript
Chapter Nine Maintaining a ComputerPart II: Internet Privacy and Security
Strata Objectives Covered 4.1 (3.1 FC0-U11 U.K.) Recognize the basic security risks and procedures to prevent them • Identify security threats related to: cookies, pop-ups, and accidental misconfiguration 4.2 (3.2 FC0-U11 U.K.) Recognize security breaches and ways to resolve them • Recognize the proper procedures to maintain a secure environment 2
Avoiding Identity Fraud • Use strong passwords • Change passwords frequently • Do not share personal information with untrusted sources • Be aware of social engineering tricks
Social Engineering • Tricking someone into sharing personal information • Examples: • Email • Pop-up web window • Phone call • Instant message
Web Browser Risks • Malware scripts embedded in web pages • ActiveX controls that cause harm when downloaded • Low security settings in browser prevent warnings from being displayed for risky content • Cookies store personal information, compromising privacy
Cookies • A plain text file that a web page stores on your hard disk for tracking purposes • Usually harmless, and may perform useful functions • Risks: • Cookies can deliver personally identifiable information to website • A virus may copy a stored password from a cookie and send it to someone
Cookies • First-party cookie: placed on computer by a website you visit • Third-party cookie: placed on computer by an ad on a website • Session cookie: persists only as long as web browser is open • Persistent cookie: stays on the hard disk after you close the browser
Pop-Ups • An extra, small browser window that appears automatically when you click a link or open a page • Usually a nuisance, displaying ads • Browsers may block some pop-ups automatically • To allow a pop-up, hold down Shift as you click the link to display the page
Secure Sites • Encrypt transmissions between client and web server to prevent snooping • Typically begin with https:// • Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is one of the technologies for generating secure connections • Security certificates verify that the site is legitimate
Phishing • Site that masquerades as a legitimate secure site but steals your login information • Also called spoofing • Can be solicited via email or another website • Most browsers have some phishing protection, such as SmartScreen Filter in IE
InPrivate Browsing • Highly secure browsing mode that guards your privacy • History, cookies, user names, passwords, and temporary files are not stored • To enable, choose Tools, InPrivate Browsing • Close browser window when finished