Computer Essentials Ch 9

Major Laws on Privacy?

-Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act protects personal financial information -Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects medical records -Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) resists disclosure of educational records General Data Protection Regulation (GRPR) sets guidelines for collection and processing of personal information from individuals who live in the European Union California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) a state statue to enhance privacy rights and consumer protection for residents of California

Freedom of Information Act

A law that allows you to gain access to records about you held by government agencies and portions may be deleted for national security reasons

Information reseller (information brokers)

A vast industry of data gathers that collects, analyzed, and sells personal data

Cyber Crime

AKA computer crime, is any criminal offense that involves a computer and a network. Estimated to affect over 400 million people and costs over $400 billion dollars each year

Personal information can reveal more than you might wish to make public and have an impact beyond what you might imagine which raises many important issues:

Collecting public, but personally identifying information Spreading information without personal consent Spreading inaccurate information Freedom of Information Act

Botnet (robot network)

Collection of zombie computers. Harness the combined power of many zombies for malicious activities like password cracking or sending junk e-mail

Temporary Internet Files

Contain web page content and instructions for displaying the content; the files are saved by browsers

Another way web activity is monitored is with

Cookies; small data filed that are deposited on your hard disk from web sites you have visited

Malicious Hardware

Criminals use computer hardware to steal information, infect computers with malicious software, and disrupt computer systems. The most common hardware includes zombie botnets, rogue Wi-Fi hotspots, and infected USB flash drives

Antispyware or spy removal programs

Detect and remove various types of privacy threats

Using publicly available databases and non-public databases, information resellers create

Electronic profiles or highly detailed and personalized descriptions of individuals

The information stored depends on whether it is a

First-party cookie or a third-party cookie

Browsers create

History files of the locations, or addresses, of sites visted

Cyber crimes can take various forms including

Identity theft Internet scams Data manipulation Ransomware Denial of service attacks

Rogue Wi-Fi hotspots

Imitate free networks and operate close to the legitimate free hotspots and typically provide stronger signals that many users unsuspectingly connect to

Web bugs

Invisible images or html code hidden within a web page or email message that can be used to transmit information without your knowledge

Computer Security

Involves protecting information, hardware, and software from unauthorized use as well as preventing or limiting the damage from intrusions, sabotage, and natural disasters

first-party cookie

Is generated (and then read) only by the websites you are currently visiting. Stored information about the current session, your general preferences, and your activity on the site. When you revisit a site, a previously deposited cookie can provide information so that you can be greeted by name and presented with sales and promotions

Spyware

Is the most dangerous type of privacy threat. A wide range of programs that are designed to secretly record and report an individual's activities on the Internet

computer monitoring software

Is the most invasive and dangerous type of spyware. Keystroke logger records every activity and keystroke made on your computer including credit card number and passwords

Large Databases

Large organizations compile information about us and store it in large databases. Every digital event whether using a telephone or smartphone, buying a product or service, or sending or receiving any electronic communication is collected and recorded

employee monitoring software

Many businesses search employee's electronic mail and computer files using

Privacy mode

Most browsers offer this, which ensures that your browsing activity is not recorded on your hard disk. Google Chrome provides Incognito Mode accessible from the Chrome menus Safari- Private Browsing accessible from the Safari option on the main menu

Effective implementation of computer technology involved maximizing its positive effects while minimizing its negative effects. The most significant concerns are:

Privacy Security Ethnics

Trojan horses

Programs that enter a computer system that appear to be harmless but carry malicious programs. Aren't viruses but can be carriers of viruses

Viruses

Programs that migrate through networks and operating systems, and most attach themselves to different programs and databases

Property

Relates to who owns data

illusion of anonymity

The mistaken belief that as long as people are using their own computer and are selective about disclosing their names or other personal information, then little can be done to invade their personal privacy

Social Engineering

The practice of manipulating people to divulge private data. It has played a key role in identity theft, Internet scams, and data manipulation

Accuracy

The responsibility of those who collect data to ensure that the data is correct

Access

The responsibility of those who have data to control and who is able to access that data

Measures to Protect Computer Security

There are numerous ways in which computer systems and data can be compromised and many ways to ensure computer security

Infected USB flash drives

USB drives can hide viruses and other malicious software. Crackers will abandon these drives in the hope that others will find them, plug them into their computer m, and become infected. Been found distributed for free at conferences and slipped into people's mailboxes

third-party cookies

Usually generated by an advertising company that is affiliated with the website you are currently visiting; keep track of your web activity as you move from one site to the next and are often referred to as tracking cookies

Cracker

a computer criminal who creates and distributes malicious programs. Three most common types of malwares are: Viruses, Worms, and Trojan horses

Phishing

a technique employed by scammers attempting to trick Internet users to think a fake but official looking site is legitimate

Zombies

computers infected by a virus, worm, or Trojan horse that allows them to be remotely controlled for malicious purposes

Privacy

concerns the collection and use of data about individuals. There are three primary issues: Accuracy, property, and Access

Worms

programs that replicate themselves over and over again. Once active in a network, the self-replicating activity clogs computers and networks until their operations are slowed or stopped

mistaken identity

the electronic profile of one person is switched with another

online identity

the information that people voluntarily post about themselves online. With the popularity of social networking, blogging, and photo- and video-sharing sites, many people post intimate details of their lives without considering the consequences. There are a number of cases of people who have lost their jobs on the basis of posts on social networking