Group 2: "Team Red" (Navreet Bal, Maria Encalada, Amy Hayman, Andrey Yakovenko, Zoe Lee): Online Safety: How to Protect Yourself

Team Name
Team Red

Team Members
Navreet Bal, Maria Encalada, Amy Hayman, Andrey Yakovenko, Zoe Lee

Topic
Technology: The Internet

Issue: The risks and consequences we face when using the Internet.

Project Statement: While the Internet can make various activities such as banking, shopping and selling items more convenient, there are also risks involved as others may want to take advantage of unwary users. This section will discuss the risks involved with using the Internet for different activities and behavior that will reduce the risks.

Introduction
The Internet has become an essential tool used to access information and communicate with others. However, connecting to the Internet exposes users to many threats such as malware, scammers, and online predators. It is important for users to understand these threats and take measures to prevent themselves.

Laptop Protection


It is important to protect our laptops getting lost or from thieves. It is very common to bring our laptops to campus but we should beware. The newest laptops are thin and small enough to fit easily into the slenderest of carry-on baggage. This makes them easy to travel with, but also easier to lose or have stolen.

Here are some tips to help you secure the information on your laptop:
 * Protect your information. If you keep personal or financial information on your computer, invest in an operating system that includes file protection. For example, Windows Vista and Windows XP Professional have the tools to protect your information through a process called "encryption".
 * Protect your laptop with a strong password. Check your computer's Help and Support service to learn how to add or change your system password. Find passwords that are tough for hackers to crack, but easy for you to remember.
 * Always back up your information before you take your laptop on a trip. You can't always avoid the financial loss of your equipment, but you can avoid losing all your information in the process.
 * Double check what you store on your thumb drives. With the growing popularity and increasing memory capabilities of small flash drives, comes a greater risk of information theft. If you travel with a thumb drive, try not to store sensitive or important information on it. If you lose the drive or if the drive is stolen it's easy for anyone to access that information. Thumb drives can also carry viruses, so you should always remember to update the antivirus software on your laptop.
 * It is always good to have a proper laptop case. When using a cell phone try to place your laptop in front of you so you can see the laptop carrying case at all times.
 * Laptops should have a scribed or etched identification number on the computer to identify ownership. Remember, laptops are usually stolen from cars, hotel rooms, or when left unattended for even a few minutes, so always keep the laptop in plain view.

Passwords


Creating a strong password and protecting that password is extremely important because if your password is discovered by a person intending harm, they will have access to your account and may steal your identity.

Make sure that your password:
 * contains letters (upper case and lower case), numbers and symbols, if not, make sure the password is longer than the recommended character length
 * has more than eight characters
 * is changed at least once every 3 months
 * is different from your other passwords
 * isn't easy to guess (ex. names, birthdays, and phone numbers)
 * isn't a sequence of characters (ex. 12345678)
 * isn't a dictionary word
 * isn't given away based on an email requesting you to verify your password

Firewalls and Anti-Viruses
Hacking is defined by the The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language as the act of attempting "to gain access to (a computer file or network) illegally or without authorization". A hacker can access a computer by exploiting bugs in a system's software, or by planting a Trojan horse program, which allows the hacker to enter the system.

A computer has approximately 65 000 ports, giving hackers numerous routes to try entering a computer with. Firewalls close the ports that are not used, thus reducing the risk of hackers entering the system while anti-viruses detect and neutralize threats such as worms, Trojan horses, viruses, rootkits and key loggers.

Risks:
 * access to personal information
 * identity theft
 * destroyed and copied files (vandalism)
 * Trojan horses making it easier access to your computer by creating a "backdoor"
 * control of your computer by the hacker
 * your computer may be used to send viruses to other people

In order to protect yourself, make sure to:
 * install anti-virus software
 * ensure virus definitions are current
 * install a firewall
 * download security updates regularly
 * not open suspicious looking attachments

Online Banking
Online banking is efficient and convenient. One can access his or her account anywhere at anytime, and make transactions over the internet in mere seconds. However, with this convenience comes a few very serious risks:

Phishing Scams- Scam artists send fake emails that direct the user to what seems like a legitimate banking website. These websites lure users into entering personal information, like a pin code.

How to protect yourself: bank, never click the link in the message. Instead, type the URL of the bank into the address bar, and send the email message back to a known bank email account-chances are, your bank didn't actually send you the email.
 * 1. If you receive an email that is supposedly from a
 * 2.Never use a banking website that requires you to enter your pin code every time you sign in.

Other tips to protect yourself:
 * 1. Use unique passwords for your account
 * 2. Check your account regularly; report anything unusual to your bank immediately
 * 3. Do not access your account in a public location
 * 4. Never store banking information on a shared computer

Shopping
E-commerce is big business – consumers spent nearly $26 billion online last year, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Millions of people buy goods using the online shopping. But there are some risks associated with this kind of Internet activity.


 * Goods that would not be delivered
 * Goods not matching the description
 * Delays with online purchases.
 * Poor after-sales service.
 * Misuse of your credit card details.

There are some tips for safe online shopping:
 * Buy from reputable or well-known sellers - Look for good sellers, especially when buying from private individuals.
 * Use a secure website - Use only secure web site to enter credit card information. Look for a padlock symbol in the bottom right of the browser window and for the website address to begin with ‘https://’
 * Beware scams - If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is a scam. Check if anyone else has had problems.
 * Use a credit card - it's the safest way to pay because you have the legal right to dispute charges for goods or services that were never ordered or received.
 * Keep proof handy - print and file the information in case you need proof later.

What is Social Networking?
Social networking sites provide virtual communities for people to come together to chat, IM, post pictures, and blog through the creation of profiles.

Example of sites:
 * Facebook.com
 * Myspace.com
 * Youtube.com
 * Blogger.com
 * flickr.com
 * bebo.com
 * hi5.com
 * lavalife.com

Social networking sites are instant messaging taken to the next level. The profiles people create on these sites are basically bulletin boards of peoples lives that include information about, but not limited to:


 * Age
 * Sex
 * Hometown
 * Current location
 * Schools
 * Likes/dislikes
 * Hobbies/Interests
 * Pictures
 * Links to things profile user loves
 * Employer/ Job

Benefits of Social Networking Sites
Social networking sites provide an instant community amongst a group of people. They are a good way to stay in touch with people while on trips and share pictures.

Gives people the opportunity to create an identity for themselves, they can choose what to post and what to blog about. Individuals can pick and choose what type of image they want to portray of themselves on the internet, however this image may or may accurately reflect the individual.

Networking sites are great for a lot of people because it gives them a personalized space on the internet to express themselves. However putting personal information on the internet raises many safety concerns.

Safety Concerns

 * PRIVACY INVASION

Depending on the privacy policy of the website you are using, the personal information you post is accessible not only to your friends, but also to extended networks. If someone really want to get onto your profile, they could go through one of your friends pages to do so. This can pose a series of problems with situations like when people post event locations and uninvited people show up. Parties can easily get out of control, especially if people who are not invited show up.

Profile user's likes, dislikes, hobbies, and location can be accessed by dangerous people such as sexual predators. There is no guarantee that the people online are actually who they say they are and this poses potential for dangerous situations especially for the increasing number of young, naive, and therefore vulnerable users of the internet.

Social networking sites create opportunity for many new methods of bullying, such as online bullying through messages, posting videos, and manipulating pictures.

The information the profile users put onto networking create a type of database for potential employers and schools. Many people think only their friends can access their profiles, however ultimately potential employers and university admissions staff can gain access to the information people put onto the internet, they are increasingly doing so in order to learn more about their candidates, using the information they gain to make their hiring or acceptance decisions. Taking down a post does not completely remove it off the internet and if someone really want to access it, they can.

Article on employers using Facebook to background check- http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/16696?badlink=1

Protect Yourself
Many sites have default privacy settings that each profile gets when a user signs up for the sites service, you must go into the privacy settings of the website and manually change the settings to the amount of privacy you would like. For example, Facebook's privacy settings are available on the top right bar under settings--> privacy settings.
 * Take Advantage of Privacy Settings!


 * Read and understand the sites privacy policy thoroughly before you sign up. Make sure the privacy policy of the site is legitimate, clear, and gives you all the information you want to know.

Example of privacy policy-http://www.facebook.com/policy.php

Also, check to see how far the site goes to keep you safe online. For example, Myspace has their own filtering software, and more than one third of their staff works to check for obscene photo postings and underage posting. Facebook provides you with option to report posting that are offensive or obscene.


 * Be cautious of what you post because once something is posted on the internet it can't be undone.

Conclusion
Users should understand the risks involved with connecting to the Internet and how to minimize these risks in order to keep themselves safe. Protecting yourself depends heavily on how you act. For example, even if you have tools to protect your computer such as anti-virus software, you must update your virus-definitions and scan your computer regularly. Whether you are shopping, banking or networking online, what you do is important. Use common sense and take advantage of the tools available to you to protect yourself.

Zoe
Information on Passwords and Firewalls:
 * 1) Get Safe Online :: Use Strong Passwords--http://www.getsafeonline.org/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1127
 * 2) eBay Security Center --http://pages.ebay.com/SECURITYCENTER/mrkt_safety.html#password
 * 3) Internet Security  --http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/qc/infos_gen/publications/cybercrime/pirates_e.htm
 * 4) Stay Safe Online --http://www.staysafeonline.info/content/use-anti-virus-software-a-firewall-and-anti-spyware-software-help-keep-your-computer-safe-an
 * 5) Computer virus --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_virus
 * 6) Hacker (computer security) --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_(computer_security)
 * 7) Strong Passwords and Password Security --http://www.microsoft.com/protect/yourself/password/create.mspx
 * 8) Firewall Q&A --http://www.vicomsoft.com/knowledge/reference/firewalls1.html
 * 9) How Firewalls Work --http://www.howstuffworks.com/firewall.htm
 * 10) Password --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Password

Pictures:
 * 1) Red Apples --http://media.photobucket.com/image/banner%20red/auntielizzie/redapples.jpg?o=300
 * 2) Key --http://media.photobucket.com/image/key/forcefully30/Captain-silver-key.jpg?o=15

Amy
Information on Online Banking Risks:
 * 1) http://www.us-cert.gov/reading_room/Banking_Securely_Online07102006.pdf
 * 2) http://www.isaca.org/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=17424&TEMPLATE=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm
 * 3) http://www.pcworld.com/article/117757/does_online_banking_put_your_money_at_risk.html

Andrey
Information for Online Shopping:
 * 1) Get Safe Online :: Shop online safely --http://www.getsafeonline.org/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1121
 * 2) National Consumers League --http://www.nclnet.org/shoppingonline

Pictures:
 * 1) Cart --http://www.ireporter.tv/Upload/blog.shoppingexperience.info
 * 2) Picture in presentation --http://blog.rssapplied.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10

Maria
Laptop Protection
 * 1) http://www.microsoft.com/protect/yourself/mobile/laptop.mspx
 * 2) http://www.ehs.ucf.edu/insurance/Laptop%20Security.pdf

Navreet
Social Networking Saftey

1. http://www.commonsense.com/internet-safety-guide/social-networking.php 2. http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/16696?badlink=1- 3. http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/tech/tec13.shtm 4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites 5. http://www.facebook.com/policy.php