Chapter 3 continuation…

Internet Terms and Definition

• Internet - A global network of thousands of computer networks linked by data lines and wireless systems.
• Web – a collection of billions of webpages that you can view with a web browser
• Email – the most common method of sending and receiving messages online
• Social media – websites and apps that allow people to share comments, photos, and videos
• Online gaming – games that allow people to play with and against each other over the Internet
• Software updates – operating system and application updates can typically be downloaded from the
Internet
• HTML - Hypertext Markup Language is a coding language used to tell a browser how to place pictures,
text, multimedia and links to create a web page. When a user clicks on a link within a web page, that link,
which is coded with HTML, links the user to a specific linked web page.
• URL - Uniform Resource Locator is a web address used to connect to a remote resource on the world
wide web.
• Bit - is a single digit in the binary numbering system (base 2). For example: 1 is a bit or 0 is a bit.
• Byte - generally consists of eight bits.
• Upload - To upload is to transfer data from your computer to another computer.
• Download - To download is to transfer data from another computer to your computer.
• HTTP - is the acronym for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, the data communication standard of web pages.
When a web page has this prefix, the links, text, and pictures should work correctly in a web browser.
• HTTPS - is the acronym for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. This indicates that the web page has a
special layer of encryption added to hide your personal information and passwords from others.
• Router or router-modem combination is the hardware device that acts as the traffic cop for network
signals arriving at your home or business from your ISP. A router can be wired or wireless or both.
• Encryption - is the mathematical scrambling of data so that it is hidden from eavesdroppers. Encryption
uses complex math formulas to turn private data into meaningless gobbledygook that only trusted readers
can unscramble.
• Web Bot - A term that applies to programs/applets (macros and intelligent agents) used on the Internet.
Such bots perform a repetitive function, such as posting messages to multiple newsgroups or doing
searches for information.
• Search Engine - specialized software, such as Google and Yahoo, that lets www browser users search for
information on the web by using keywords, phrases
Netiquette
What is Netiquette?

What is Netiquette? Simple stated, it’s network etiquette – that is the etiquette of cyberspace and
“etiquette” means the forms of required by good breeding or prescribed by authority to be required in
social or official life. In other words, netiquette is a set of rules for behaving properly online.

Netiquette, or network etiquette, is concerned with the "proper" way to communicate in an online
environment. Consider the following "rules," adapted from Virginia Shea's the Core Rules of Netiquette,
whenever you communicate in the virtual world.

When you use e-mail, instant messenger, video calls, or discussion boards to communicate with others
online, please be sure to follow the rules of professional online communications known as netiquette.
These rules will help you communicate with instructors, classmates, and potential employers more
effectively and will help prevent misunderstandings.

REMEMBER THE GOLDEN RULE – Even though you may be interacting with a computer screen, you are
communicating with a real person who will react to your message.
Make a good impression - treat others with the same respect that you would like to receive and avoid
confrontational or offensive language.

To help convey meaning when creating messages, it is sometimes acceptable to include appropriate
emoticon symbols, such as a smiley face :) However, for professional communications these would be
inappropriate.

AVOID SLANG, ACRONYMS, AND TEXT TALK – Communicating effectively in college and business
environments requires the use of correct terminology, spelling, and grammar that can easily be
understood. For example, use “your” instead of “ur”.

AVOID “SCREAMING” IN TYPED MESSAGES – Typing an entire message using all capital letters is known
as “screaming”. It is distracting and generally frowned upon in professional environments. It is better to
draw emphasis to selected words or phrases by: using italic or bold text; using a different color for text or
background color; or denoting emphasis using special characters (Example: **Important**).

PROOFREAD YOUR MESSAGES BEFORE SENDING THEM – Proofreading your messages before you send
them is a best practice for effective and efficient communication. Strive to make your communications
concise and free of any:
• Spelling and grammar errors
• Confusing terms or phrases that could be misunderstood
 • Errors of omission, such as missing content or recipients
• Errors in accuracy of information

EXERCISE GOOD JUDGMENT WHEN SHARING INFORMATION WITH OTHERS ONLINE – E-mail and chat
messages that you send or receive are considered private and should not be forwarded or copied to others
without gaining the consent of all involved participants. In general, messages posted to discussion boards
and social media sites can be read by the public. You may never know who might read or share what you
post. It is a good practice to always ask a post’s author for permission before sharing a post with other
parties.
• To protect your privacy and safety, do not share online any sensitive personal information
such as:
- Your home address or phone number
- Personal conversations
- Social plans, such as vacations
- Financial information
- Usernames, passwords, or hints
personal that you would not want shared by others over the Internet
• If the material you share with others online came from another source, make every effort to gain
permission from the original author or copyright holder. Copying someone else's work and passing it off
as your own is plagiarism. It damages your reputation and could subject you to serious academic and legal
consequences.

RESPECT DIVERSITY IN VIEWPOINTS - Be constructive and respectful when sharing

opinions, beliefs, and criticisms, or responding to those of others in the conversation.

• When sharing a viewpoint that differs from someone else’s, it is a best practice to first acknowledge the
other person by briefly restating what he or she said, but in your own words. This lets the person know
that you are listening and trying to understand them.
• When presenting an opinion or criticism, it is helpful to use phrases that identify to whose point of view
you are referring. If the opinion is yours, you can begin with the phrase “In my experience” or “In my
opinion”. If it is a viewpoint of someone else, make sure you identify that in your message (Example:
“According to Eric Ericson,” or “The president believes”).

Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics

a) Rule 1: Remember the Human - When communicating electronically, whether through email, instant
message, discussion post, text, or some other method, practice the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you
would have others do unto you. Remember, your written words are read by real people, all deserving of
respectful communication. Before you press "send" or "submit," ask yourself, "Would I be okay with this if
someone else had written it?"

b) Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life - While it can be
argued that standards of behavior may be different in the virtual world, they certainly should not be lower.
You should do your best to act within the laws and ethical manners of society whenever you inhabit
"cyberspace." Would you behave rudely to someone face-toface? On most occasions, no. Neither should
you behave this way in the virtual world.

c) Rule 3: Know where you are in cyberspace - "Netiquette varies from domain to domain." (Shea, 1994)
Depending on where you are in the virtual world, the same written communication can be acceptable in
one area, where it might be considered inappropriate in another. What you text to a friend may not be
appropriate in an email to a classmate or colleague. Can you think of another example?

d) Rule 4: Respect other people's time and bandwidth - Electronic communication takes time: time to read
and time in which to respond. Most people today lead busy lives, just like you do, and don't have time to
read or respond to frivolous emails or discussion posts. As a virtual world communicator, it is your
responsibility to make sure that the time spent reading your words isn't wasted. Make your written
communication meaningful and to the point, without extraneous text or superfluous graphics or
attachments that may take forever to download.

e) Rule 5: Make yourself look good online - One of the best things about the virtual world is the lack of
judgment associated with your physical appearance, sound of your voice, or the clothes you wear (unless
you post a video of yourself singing Karaoke in a clown outfit.) You will, however, be judged by the quality
of your writing, so keep the following tips in mind: Always check for spelling and grammar errors Know
what you're talking about and state it clearly Be pleasant and polite

f) Rule 6: Share expert knowledge - The Internet offers its users many benefits; one is the ease in which
information can be shared or accessed and in fact, this "information sharing" capability is one of the
reasons the Internet was founded. So, in the spirit of the Internet's "founding fathers," share what you
know! When you post a question and receive intelligent answers, share the results with others. Are you
an expert at something? Post resources and references about your subject matter. Recently expanded your
knowledge about a subject that might be of interest to others? Share that as well.

g) Rule 7: Help keep flame wars under control - What is meant by "flaming" and "flame wars?" "Flaming is
what people do when they express a strongly held opinion without holding back any emotion." (Shea,
1994). As an example, think of the kinds of passionate comments you might read on a sports blog. While
"flaming" is not necessarily forbidden in virtual communication, "flame wars," when two or three people
exchange angry posts between one another, must be controlled or the camaraderie of the group could be
compromised. Don't feed the flames; extinguish them by guiding the discussion back to a more productive
direction.

h) Rule 8: Respect other people's privacy - Depending on what you are reading in the virtual world, be it
an online class discussion forum, Facebook page, or an email, you may be exposed to some private or
personal information that needs to be handled with care. Perhaps someone is sharing some medical news
about a loved one or discussing a situation at work. What do you think would happen if this information
"got into the wrong hands?" Embarrassment? Hurt feelings? Loss of a job? Just as you expect others to
respect your privacy, so should you respect the privacy of others. Be sure to err on the side of caution
when deciding to discuss or not to discuss virtual communication.
i) Rule 9: Don't abuse your power - Just like in face-to-face situations, there are people in cyberspace who
have more "power" than others. They have more expertise in technology or they have years of experience
in a particular skill or subject matter. Maybe it's you who possesses all of this knowledge and power! Just
remember: knowing more than others do or having more power than others may have does not give you
the right to take advantage of anyone. Think of Rule 1: Remember the human.

j) Rule 10: Be forgiving of other people's mistakes - Not everyone has the same amount of experience
working in the virtual world. And not everyone knows the rules of netiquette. At some point, you will see
a stupid question, read an unnecessarily long response, or encounter misspelled words; when this
happens, practice kindness and forgiveness as you would hope someone would do if you had committed
the same offense. If it's a minor "offense," you might want to let it slide. If you feel compelled to respond
to a mistake, do so in a private email rather than a public forum

Cybercrimes
What is Cyber?
It is the Characteristics of the culture of computers, information, technology and virtual reality.

Cybercrime is defined as a crime in which a computer is the object of the crime (hacking,
phishing, spamming and child pornography) is used as a tool to commit an offense.
Cybercriminals may use computer technology to access personal information, business
trade secrets or use the internet for exploitative or malicious purposes.

Republic Act No. 10175 Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 is a law in the Philippines approved on
September 12,2012 which aims to address legal issues concerning online interactions and internet.

Republic Act No. 10173 Data Privacy Act of 2012 is an act protecting individual personal information.

COMMON FORMS OF CYBERCRIMES:

a. Copyright
The exclusive legal right, given to an originator or an assignee to print, publish, perform, film, or record
literary, artistic, or musical material, and to authorize others to do the same.

Copyright infringement is the violation, piracy or theft of a copyright holder's exclusive rights
through the unauthorized use of a copyrighted material or work.
b. Plagiarism
An act or instance of using or closely imitating the language and thoughts of another author without
authorization.

c. Computer Addiction
• Offline: generally used when speaking about excessive gaming behavior, which can be practiced
both offline and online.
• Online: Also known as “Internet Addiction”, gets more attention in general from scientific
research than offline computer addiction, mainly because most cases of computer addiction are
related to the excessive use of the Internet.
*Virtual Self -The persona you create about yourself virtually.

CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES
a. Hacking
• Unauthorized access of or interference with computer systems, servers, or other information
and communication systems
• Unauthorized access to corrupt, alter, steal, or destroy electronic data using computers or other
information and communication systems without the computer or system owner’s knowledge and
consent
• The introduction of computer viruses resulting in the corruption, alteration, theft, or loss of such
data
• Illegal Access
• Illegal Interception
• Data Interference
• System Interference
• Misuse of Devices
• Infection of IT Systems with Malware – if the act is committed against critical infrastructure of
the Philippines the, penalty is between 12-20 years reclusion temporal
• Six years up to twelve years of imprisonment also known as prison mayor.

b. Computer-related forgery, fraud and/or identity theft

• An attempt to obtain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details
and (indirectly money), often for malicious reasons.
• Phishing
• Pharming
• Spam
• Maximum of Php 200,000 fine or prison mayor

c. Electronic theft
• Illegal Downloading
 • Obtaining files that you do not have the right to use from the internet.
• Digital Piracy
• Practice of illegally copying and selling digital music, video, computer software, etc.
• Copyright Infringement
• Penalty of Php 50,000 – 500, 000 and or prison mayor

d. Cyberbullying
• The use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending a message of an
intimidating or threatening nature.
• The Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 (RA 10627)

e. Cybersex
• Willful engagement, maintenance, control, or operation, directly or indirectly of any lascivious
exhibition of sexual organs or sexual activity with the aid of a computer system for favor or
consideration.
• There is a discussion on this matter if it involves “couples” or “people in relationship” who
engage in cybersex.
• Penalty at least Php 200,000 and or prison mayor

f. Child Pornography
• Is a form of child sexual exploitation.
• Unlawful or prohibited acts defined and punishable by Republic Act No. 9775 or the AntiChild
Pornography Act of 2009, committed through a computer system.
• Penalty of 12-20 years of imprisonment or reclusion temporal

g. Cyber Defamation
• Is an unprivileged false statement of fact which tends to harm the reputation of a person or
company.
• Penalty of 6-12 years of imprisonment or prison mayor.

Internet Threats
Hacking
Hacking is a term used to describe actions taken by someone to gain unauthorized access to a
computer. The availability of information online on the tools, techniques, and malware makes it
easier for even non-technical people to undertake malicious activities.
The process by which cyber criminals gain access to your computer.

What it can do:

• Find weaknesses (or pre-existing bugs) in your security settings and exploit them in order to
access your information.
 • Install a Trojan horse, providing a back door for hackers to enter and search for your information.

Malware
Malware is one of the more common ways to infiltrate or damage your computer. Malicious
software that infects your computer, such as computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware,
and adware.

What it can do:

• Intimidate you with scareware, which is usually a pop-up message that tells you your computer
has a security problem or other false information.
• Reformat the hard drive of your computer causing you to lose all your information.
• Alter or delete files.
• Steal sensitive information.
• Send emails on your behalf.
• Take control of your computer and all the software running on it.

Pharming
Pharming is a common type of online fraud.
A means to point you to a malicious and illegitimate website by redirecting the legitimate URL.
Even if the URL is entered correctly, it can still be redirected to a fake website.

What it can do:

• Convince you that the site is real and legitimate by spoofing or looking almost identical to the
actual site down to the smallest details. You may enter your personal information and unknowingly
give it to someone with malicious intent.

Phishing
Phishing is used most often by cyber criminals because it's easy to execute and can produce the
results they're looking for with very little effort. Fake emails, text messages and websites created
to look like they're from authentic companies. They're sent by criminals to steal personal and
financial information from you. This is also known as “spoofing”.

What it does:
• Trick you into giving them information by asking you to update, validate or confirm your account.
It is often presented in a manner than seems official and intimidating, to encourage
you to take action.
• Provides cyber criminals with your username and passwords so that they can access your
accounts (your online bank account, shopping accounts, etc.) and steal your credit card numbers.

Ransomware
 Ransomware is a type of malware that restricts access to your computer or your files and displays
a message that demands payment in order for the restriction to be removed. The two most
common means of infection appear to be phishing emails that contain malicious attachments and
website pop-up advertisements.

What it can do:

• There are two common types of ransomware:
• Lockscreen ransomware: displays an image that prevents you from accessing your computer
• Encryption ransomware: encrypts files on your system's hard drive and sometimes on shared
network drives, USB drives, external hard drives, and even some cloud storage drives, preventing
you from opening them
• Ransomware will display a notification stating that your computer or data have been locked and
demanding a payment be made for you to regain access. Sometimes the notification states that
authorities have detected illegal activity on your computer, and that the payment is a fine to avoid
prosecution.

What you can do:

• Do not pay the ransom. These threats are meant to scare and intimidate you, and they do not
come from a law enforcement agency. Even if you submit payment, there is no guarantee that you
will regain access to your system.
• If your computer has been infected (i.e. you are unable to access your computer or your files
have been encrypted), contact a reputable computer technician or specialist to find out whether
your computer can be repaired and your data retrieved.
• In order to lessen the impact of a ransomware infection, be sure to regularly back-up your data
with a removable external storage drive. It's possible that your files might be irretrievable; having
an up-to-date backup could be invaluable.

Spam
Spam is one of the more common methods of both sending information out and collecting it from
unsuspecting people.
The mass distribution of unsolicited messages, advertising or pornography to addresses which can
be easily found on the Internet through things like social networking sites, company websites and
personal blogs.

What it can do:

• Annoy you with unwanted junk mail.
• Create a burden for communications service providers and businesses to filter electronic
messages.
• Phish for your information by tricking you into following links or entering details with too-
goodto-be-true offers and promotions.
• Provide a vehicle for malware, scams, fraud and threats to your privacy.

Spyware (Spyware & Adware)

Spyware and adware are often used by third parties to infiltrate your computer.
 What it is:
Software that collects personal information about you without you knowing. They often come in
the form of a ‘free' download and are installed automatically with or without your consent. These
are difficult to remove and can infect your computer with viruses.

What it can do:

• Collect information about you without you knowing about it and give it to third parties.
• Send your usernames, passwords, surfing habits, list of applications you've downloaded,
settings, and even the version of your operating system to third parties.
• Change the way your computer runs without your knowledge.
• Take you to unwanted sites or inundate you with uncontrollable pop-up ads.

Trojan Horses
A Trojan horse may not be a term you're familiar with, but there's a good chance you or someone
you know has been affected by one.
A malicious program that is disguised as, or embedded within, legitimate software. It is an
executable file that will install itself and run automatically once it's downloaded.
What it can do:
• Delete your files.
• Use your computer to hack other computers.
• Watch you through your web cam.
• Log your keystrokes (such as a credit card number you entered in an online purchase).
• Record usernames, passwords and other personal information.

Viruses
Most people have heard of computer viruses, but not many know exactly what they are or what
they do.
Malicious computer programs that are often sent as an email attachment or a download with the
intent of infecting your computer, as well as the computers of everyone in your contact list. Just
visiting a site can start an automatic download of a virus.

What they can do:

• Send spam.
• Provide criminals with access to your computer and contact lists.
• Scan and find personal information like passwords on your computer.
• Hijack your web browser.
• Disable your security settings.
• Display unwanted ads.
• When a program is running, the virus attached to it could infiltrate your hard drive and also
spread to USB keys and external hard drives. Any attachment you create using this program and
send to someone else could also infect them with the virus.
 How will you know if your computer is infected?
Here are a few things to check for:
• It takes longer than usual for your computer to start up, it restarts on its own or doesn't start up
at all.
• It takes a long time to launch a program.
• Files and data have disappeared.
• Your system and programs crash constantly.
• The homepage you set on your web browser is different (note that this could be caused by
Adware that has been installed on your computer).
• Web pages are slow to load.
• Your computer screen looks distorted.
• Programs are running without your control.
• If you suspect a problem, make sure your security software is up to date and run it to check for
infection. If nothing is found, or if you are unsure of what to do, seek technical help.

Wi-Fi Eavesdropping
WiFi eavesdropping is another method used by cyber criminals to capture personal information.
Virtual “listening in” on information that's shared over an unsecure (not encrypted) WiFi network.

What it can do:

• Potentially access your computer with the right equipment.
• Steal your personal information including logins and passwords.

Worms
Worms are a common threat to computers and the Internet as a whole.
A worm, unlike a virus, goes to work on its own without attaching itself to files or programs. It lives
in your computer memory, doesn't damage or alter the hard drive and propagates by sending itself
to other computers in a network – whether within a company or the Internet itself.

What they can do:

• Spread to everyone in your contact list.
• Cause a tremendous amount of damage by shutting down parts of the Internet, wreaking havoc
on an internal network and costing companies’ enormous amounts of lost revenue.

References • http://www.mccc.edu/~virtcoll/Netiquette
• http://ecampus.matc.edu/student_support/pdfs/7-essential-rules-of-netiquette.pdf
• https://www.getcybersafe.gc.ca/cnt/rsks/cmmn-thrts-eng.aspx