IC3/Computer Use and Safety

Computer use and safety examines computer use and associated risks, including how to use computers and the Internet safely, ethically and legally.^[1]

This lesson introduces computer use and safety and helps learners prepare for the IC³ Living Online certification exam.

Objectives and Skills

Objectives and skills for the computer use and safety portion of IC³ certification include:

Objectives^[2]

Identify how computers are used in different areas of work, school and home
Identify the risks of using computer hardware and software and how to use computers and the Internet safely, ethically and legally

Skills^[3]

Secure online communication or activity: Identity Protection, data protection, ergonomics, computer positioning, input device use, chairs, lighting, body posture
Legal and responsible use of computers: Censorship, filtering, intellectual property, piracy, copyright use, licensing, creative commons

Readings

Multimedia

Activities

Complete the tutorial GCF Learn Free: Computer Safety and Maintenance.
Review Microsoft: Computer Ergonomics Guide. If necessary, adjust your workspace to provide a healthy work environment.
Complete the tutorial GCF Learn Free: Internet Safety.
Complete the tutorial GCF Learn Free: Use Information Correctly.
Complete the tutorial GCF Learn Free: Password Tips.
Complete the tutorial GCF Learn Free: Browsing Privately.
Review GCF Learn Free: Avoiding Spam and Phishing.
Review GCF Learn Free: How to Avoid Malware.
Install a malware detention system in the form of Malwarebytes.

Lesson Summary

Internet Safety is the knowledge of maximizing the user's personal safety and security risks to private information and property associated with using the internet, and the self-protection from computer crime in general.^[4]
Sensitive information such as personal information and identity, passwords are often associated with personal property (for example, bank accounts) and privacy and may present security concerns if leaked.^[5]
Common causes of information security breaches include: Phishing, Internet Scams, and Malware.^[6]
Computer security is the protection of computer systems from the theft or damage to their hardware, software or information, as well as from disruption or misdirection of the services they provide.^[7]
Computer security is critical in almost any industry which uses computers.^[8]
Human factors and ergonomics (commonly referred to as HF&E), also known as comfort design, functional design, and systems.^[9]
Ergonomics is the practice of designing products, systems, or processes to take proper account of the interaction between them and the people who use them.^[10]

Key Terms

censorship: The suppression of speech, public communication, or other information that may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, politically incorrect or inconvenient as determined by governments, media outlets, authorities or other groups or institutions.^[11]
copyright: Legal right created by the law of a country that grants the creator of an original work exclusive rights for its use and distribution.^[12]
cookie: A small piece of data sent from a website and stored on the user's computer by the user's web browser while the user is browsing such as items added in the shopping cart or browsing activity^[13]
creative commons: An American non-profit organization devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share.^[14]
cryptocurrency: A secure digital currency designed to be a medium of exchange using cryptography for secure transations. Often used chosen currency for ransomware applications.^[15]
cyberbullying: A relatively common Online bullying occurrence and it can often result in emotional trauma for the victim.^[16]
cyberstalking: The use of the Internet or other electronic means to stalk or harass an individual, a group of individuals, or an organization. It may include the making of false accusations or statements of fact (as in defamation), monitoring, making threats, identity theft, damage to data or equipment, the solicitation of minors for sex, or gathering information that may be used to harass.^[17]
email spoofing: The creation of email messages with a forged sender address.^[18]
ergonomics: The study of designing equipment and devices that fit the human body and its cognitive abilities.^[19]
filter: A higher-order function that processes a data structure (typically a list) in some order to produce a new data structure containing exactly those elements of the original data structure for which a given predicate returns the boolean value true.^[20]
identity theft: The deliberate use of someone else's identity, usually as a method to gain a financial advantage or obtain credit and other benefits in the other person's name.^[21]
information privacy or data protection: The relationship between the collection and dissemination of data, technology, the public expectation of privacy, and the legal and political issues surrounding them.^[22]
intellectual property: Refers to creations of the intellect for which a monopoly is assigned to designated owners by law. Intellectual property rights (IPR) are the protections granted to the creators of IP, and include trademarks, copyright, patents, industrial design rights, and in some jurisdictions trade secrets.^[23]
internet scams: Schemes that deceive the user in various ways in attempt to take advantage of them.^[24]
license: An official permission or permit to do, use, or own something(as well as the document of that permission or permit).^[25]
lurker: A member of an online community who observes, but does not actively participate.^[26]
malware: Particularly spyware, is malicious software disguised as legitimate software designed to collect and transmit private information, such as passwords, without the user's consent or knowledge.^[27]
online predation: The act of engaging an underage minor into inappropriate sexual relationships through the internet.^[28]
pharming: A cyber attack intended to redirect a website's traffic to another, fake site.^[29]
phishing: A type of scam where the scammers disguise as a trustworthy source in attempt to obtain private information such as passwords, and credit card information, etc. through the internet.^[30]
piracy: Refers to the unauthorized copying, distribution and selling of works in copyright.^[31]
ransomware: A type of malicious software from cryptovirology that threatens to publish the victim's data or perpetually block access to it unless a ransom is paid.^[32]
spyware: A software that aims to gather information about a person or organization without their knowledge, that may send such information to another entity without the consumer's consent, or that asserts control over a device without the consumer's knowledge.^[33]
trolling: Sowing discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.^[34]
web safety, or online safety or Internet Safety: The knowledge of maximizing the user's personal safety and security risks to private information and property associated with using the internet, and the self-protection from computer crime in general ^[35]
website spoofing: The act of creating a website, as a hoax, with the intention of misleading readers that the website has been created by a different person or organization.^[36]

Review Questions

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A Trojan is _____.

A Trojan is used to carry out ransomware attacks by being disguised as a legitimate file that the user is tricked into downloading or opening when it arrives as an email attachment.
All of the information about a person that can be found online is called _____________.

your digital footprint.
A type of Malware that locates and saves data from users without them knowing about it is called _____________.

spyware
A private network accessible only to an organization's members, employees, or others with authorization is called a ___________.

intranet
The practice of defending information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, perusal, inspection, recording, and destructions is know as ______________________.

information security
The practice of designing products, systems, or processes to take proper account of the interaction between them and the people who use them is known as ______________________.

Human Factors and Ergonomics

References

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IC3

Computing Fundamentals →

[1] IC³ GS4 Living Online

[2] IC³ GS4 Living Online

[3] IC³ GS4 Living Online Skills Measured

[4] Wikipedia: Internet safety

[5] Wikipedia: Internet safety

[6] Wikipedia: Internet safety

[7] Wikipedia: Computer security

[8] Wikipedia: Computer security

[9] Wikipedia: Human factors and ergonomics

[10] Wikipedia: Human factors and ergonomics

[11] Wikipedia: Censorship

[12] Wikipedia: Copyright

[13] Wikipedia: HTTP cookie

[14] Wikipedia: Creative commons

[15] Wikipedia: Cryptocurrency

[16] Wikipedia: Social Networking Service

[17] Wikipedia: Internet safety

[18] Wikipedia: Email spoofing

[19] Wikipedia: Human factors and ergonomics

[20] Wikipedia: Filter

[21] Wikipedia: Identity theft

[22] Wikipedia: Information privacy

[23] Wikipedia: Intellectual property

[24] Wikipedia: Internet safety

[25] Wikipedia: License

[26] Wikipedia: Social Issues

[27] Wikipedia: Internet safety

[28] Wikipedia: Internet safety

[29] Wikipedia: Pharming

[30] Wikipedia: Internet safety

[31] Wikipedia: Copyright infringement

[32] Wikipedia: Ransomware

[33] Wikipedia: Spyware

[34] Wikipedia: Social Issues

[35] Wikipedia: Internet safety

[36] Wikipedia: Email spoofing

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