Final Thoughts

The semester has come to an end.  I thoroughly enjoyed this class and I learned a lot of new information that I can share with all my friends and family.  In this last section we were assigned a final project of creating a video instead of doing a paper.    We aligned ourselves into teams based on our interest in certain cyber topics, I chose to join the cyberbullying team.  The way in which our kids are growing up with all this technology cyberbullying has become an issue on the rise.  I think its important to get as many parents, teachers, caregiver's etc. as educated on this topic as possible to try and put a stop to this and so they can be aware of signs children may exhibit if they are being targeted.

I was a little nervous about working with a team on this project as I am a strictly online student whose only means of communication with my partners was via the internet.  As time went on I grew very fond of my partners and in the end we were able to work very well together to get our movie done and enjoyed doing it.  During this project I learned a lot about this topic and also learned a lot about making a movie.  Here is the end product Cyberbullying.  This video is not perfect but this is the first video I have ever worked on or created so please keep that in mind! I think it came out well and I can now add creating basic moves to my toolbox. 

I am not sure if I will continue to blog after this or not. I am moving on to some programming classes so maybe I will blog about those.  I would like to say this is my first time blogging and I wasn't sure if I would like it our not but I have actually grown to like it.  I feel its a way to share your knowledge and opinions with others that could use it.  So I hope you enjoyed this blog and please use this information to keep yourself safe!   

The End is Near...

It seems that we have come to an end to the semester already!  This semester sure flew by in a blur and I have learned a lot of information about computer security that I am so glad to know now.  I am already using this new knowledge to secure my computer and personal information.  I am also sharing what I have learned to help my family and friends keep their computers save ( or at least safer then they were).  Computer security (and cyber crime) has become a huge topic in the world of technology that we live in and I think it will just continue to grow.  During this class I came across some really good websites that keep us up to date on the latest threats and security issues for example the US Department of Justice, this website is also great for reporting any cyber crimes.  I did subscribe to some of the free newsletters so I would know whats going on out there and what to be on the lookout for, check this one out!

We had a guest speaker, John Payne this mod who works in the IT department of Brigham Young University.  The class was able to ask him any question relevant to computer security.  There were so many good questions that ranged from topics like what changes he has seen during his career at the University to cyber-terrorism security measures and encryption and storage.  It seems that there is and probably always will be, a growing need for IT career's as our society continues to be so dependent upon technology.  A good point was brought up about how does someone whose interested in a career in the it field get a "head start", well I think Mr. Payne had a great answer:

" Always be learning, and be curious.  It’s ok to ask questions, in the spirit of learning from someone already in the field. I read quite a bit, both physical books and online content.  At some point, you need to specialize in something, and become an expert in that area.  Then you can broaden your knowledge from there. "

    

I feel like in an ever changing career like the would of security/IT it is very important to always be learning and reading to keep up to date on any new threats that are out there.  I am really grateful to Mr. Payne to take the time and have this discussion with us, it is encouraging to hear about his career and what the world of IT and security is like.

At this point I'm not 100% sure what type of IT career I would like to go into.  This class has brought to light a lot of things I never even knew about such as the importance of securing your routers at home and all the different type of viruses out there ( and how to tell if you have one).  I really enjoyed the book and all of the interesting stories they have.  I have learned a lot in this class and I will use this blog in my professional portfolio and I will also use it as a reference to what I learned.  We have one more blog entry to make about our group projects/teamwork and after that I am not sure whether I will continue to write in it or not. Keep your computers and personal information safe out there!!

How Secure Is Your Wi-Fi?

I have Wi-Fi at home as I’m sure many of you do as well but how secure is your Wi-Fi?  In this mod we learned about how easily accessible personal information is if you don’t have the proper security settings! To be honest I knew that for personal Wi-Fi you should have it password protected to keep unwanted guess from using the data you pay for.  What I didn’t know was that you should change the name of your router, use WPA (not WEP if possible) and unplug the router when not in use. 

My Settings

I was challenged to find my SSID information on my personal computer to see how secure my Wi-Fi really is. Here it is:

What do you think? Do you think this is set to maximize my security? After what I have learned I would say NO! I didn't change the SSID of my router and by not doing this it could lead hackers to think that I have minimal security and possible even no password.  While this is not true, I do have my WI-Fi password protected, it's even better to change the name so I don't lead the hackers to think I am an easy target.  After learning this I have since changed my SSID:

Along with changing your SSID you should turn on WPA, have a strong password, and change the username so a hacker can't easily break in.  When it comes to encryption WPA is the most secure, check out this chart (from this website) I found that describes the difference and what you should be using:

Where do you shop?

If you ask me WEP should not even be an option anymore, what good is it if it's easily hacked into?  Remember the big TJ Maxx heist, if not you should definitely read about it, this is the perfect example of why WEP is no good.  According to the article, the company used WEP and didn't want to upgrade their systems to WPA because it was too expensive.  This was a terrible idea because their network was hacked into and tons of customers information was accessed.  This type of break in is something shoppers never want to hear and makes them loose trust in companies and then they take their business somewhere else.  Many companies do have the correct security measures in place to keep your information safe.  I love to shop online and one of my favorite websites is amazon and in their privacy policy they state :

• " We work to protect the security of your information during transmission by using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software, which encrypts information you input.
• We reveal only the last four digits of your credit card numbers when confirming an order. Of course, we transmit the entire credit card number to the appropriate credit card company during order processing.
• It is important for you to protect against unauthorized access to your password and to your computer. Be sure to sign off when finished using a shared computer. Click here for more information on how to sign off " 

Be sure that the places you shop at whether in store or online have a good security system in place to make sure your information is not stolen! Read privacy policies, check their network settings for WPA to make sure they have the highest encryption protection and if you don;'t get that warm fuzzy feeling find out before you give out your information, you won't regret it!

Put your Defenses up!!

I have recently learned a lot about viruses and the affect they can have on your computer.  There are a lot of malicious viruses out there and if they get into your computer they can really do a lot of damage, some that can never be repaired.  It is very important to have the proper defenses in place to help protect your computer from getting any of these viruses.  In some cases, like a botnet and/or zombie you may not even realize that your computer has been compromised and this can be dangerous because your computer can be used to commit illegal activity and these hackers can gain access to your personal information.  Now that I am aware of all these viruses, what they look like and how dangerous they can be I will be sure my computer has up to date software and antivirus software installed.  At work and home I do not open or download anything in emails from sources I don’t know.

Prevention Methods

Also to prevent your computer from getting any viruses do not open/download any attachment’s in emails that you are not 100% sure of the source. If there’s a link within the email it is better to type the URL in the browser yourself instead of clicking on the link.  If you open/click on attachments or links they can contain a virus that will then download to your computer and wreak havoc.  Be very careful downloading anything from the internet as well, some of those programs are really nasty viruses not the program you really think it is.  Never click on any pop-ups advising you that your computer is infected with a virus either, go to your own anti-virus program to figure that out, those pop-ups are often viruses as well. Check out this quick video about fake anti virus programs. 

  

You can use a pop-up blocker to block these unwanted ads from bothering you! Make sure that your computer has an up to date version of some type of anti-virus program as well as firewall protection, even though the program may not catch everything it will catch a lot more than having no program at all! Here  are some tips for keeping your computer safe!

What I use 

To keep my personal computer safe I use Windows Defender, this

 is what mine looks like http://screencast.com/t/374rEJeH.  This program came installed on the computer when I bought it so I decided to use it instead of purchasing a new one.  This program will notify you if any potentially harmful software tries to run or download to your computer.  It will also remove any items that it finds harmful.  There are options to do hard scans or a quick scan with the click of a button, there's a section where you can see the history of things that were detected and  there's a settings area where you can choose how this program will behave for you.  It also performs automatic definition updates so it will keep up to date on the latest unwanted software on your computer.  So far I am very happy with this program.
In addition I use a program called CCleaner. This program helps to keep my computer free of old junk and it also gets rid of temporary internet files and clears out the browsing history which helps to protect your personal information.  Here is what mine looks like after I ran it, all those files are things that can be removed a bunch of them are cookies. Just like with the other program there are options you can choose from depending on your preference.  I use the free version but if you want to pay for it then you will there will be even more features available to you but for me the free version works just fine.

System Restore

If for some reason you do get some type of virus and you just cant get it of your computer, you may need to do a system restore. All systems restore settings are different you just have to find yours and figure out how to use it.  Here's what mine looks like:

I have Windows 8 on my computer so in order to get to the system restore you need to go to the control panel from the start menu.  From the control panel you can click on recovery and then it will bring up a couple options You will want to click on open system restore, from there you can chose recommended or choose a different date which you know your computer was in a good state on.  Basically you just follow the instructions (click next, next and so on)from there.  I have personally never done a factory reset on my computer but I just looked around and was able to find the recovery section.  Here is a website that can walk you through how to do it as well.

Don't Get Hooked!

I have learned a lot about the different ways in which online victimization happens.  There are many ways in which predators are able to lure people into their traps and we don't even realize it's happening until it's too late.  Some of the ways in which scammers get us are phishing, vishing, smishing, pharming and spamming.  Here is a short video from class that briefly explains vishing and smishing if you are not familiar with them.  Until now I didn't realize I myself have been a victim of online scams, luckily my experiences have not really had any bad consequences.



In this last module we learned about something called vishing .A couple months ago after our income taxes were due I received  phone call from a number I didn't recognize so I didn't answer it. They left a voicemail saying they were the IRS and there was something wrong with my taxes and I needed to call them to verify some information.  I though this was weird because we had already filed and received our tax return but I figured maybe they found something after the fact.  I called the number back and when the person who answered said "Hello?" the red flag came up.  If this was the IRS they would not be answering the phone with hello, it would probably be more professional then that or maybe even start with an automated system.  I could also hear people chatting in the background so I hung up realizing it was not legit.  Luckily I realized it and didn't give out any information because that could have been very bad for me.  I am willing to bet many people don't realize it and give out there personal information and just like that they have become a victim.

Smishing is another way in which predators try to lure people into giving away their personal information.  I had never heard of this term until I learned about it in class.  It just happens that I have received text messages saying I have been approved or won something and these messages have web links in them and they want you to click the link.  This is dangerous because if you click on that link it could take you to a fake webpage that can then load a virus on your computer.  Here is a personal example of a recent text message I  received:

I did not apply for a personal loan and this web link does not look official at all.  If I had applied and been approved the loan company would not be notifying me via text message.  Don't be tricked into clicking on these links, there could be someone lurking behind that link! This is an interesting article about smishing and how it's on the rise because of the amount of cell phones users.  It also has some tips on how protect yourself.

The above are just a couple personal examples of ways in which I could have had my identity stolen, I was lucky and didn't have any consequences from these examples. However this is not the case for a lot of people who do end up with painful consequences for clicking on these links or giving personal information out over the phone.  Here is a story of a woman who lost everything because she fell for a vishing attack.  The consequences from these kinds of attacks can ruin your finances, your reputation and even cost you your job!  Be aware and be cautious of any emails, text messages, phone calls and voicemail's from people you don't know! If you think it may be legitimate proceed with caution and take all the right steps to be sure it's legitimate and use your common sense!

 

Don't get hooked! Here are a couple websites to help you keep you personal information safe:

Phishing - http://www.identitytheftkiller.com/prevent-phishing-scams.php

Vishing - http://www.voipits.com/blog/features/learn-to-recognize-and-prevent-vishing

Smishing - http://netsecurity.about.com/od/secureyouremail/a/Protect-Yourself-From-Smishing-Attacks.htm

Keeping You Information Safe!

During this last module I have learned a lot about how to keep your personal information safe on the internet.  From identity theft to deep packet inspection there are a number of ways in which your information can get into the wrong hands and do nothing but cause you pain.  Deep packet inspection and cookies are used to track your internet use.  According to the article "How Internet Cookies Work" from, http://computer.howstuffworks.com/cookie.htm,  cookies are a small text file that is placed on your computer by a website to store information such as a unique ID number.  The website can then track if you have visited the website before, how often you have visited and can even store your preferences.  The good thing about cookies is the user can control whether or not they want them put on their computer (by a setting in the browser).  This can make it so that website do not track your internet use or place any files on your computer. Personally I will be monitoring my computer closely from now on so I know what if any cookies are on it.  Check out this website https://kb.iu.edu/d/ajfi to view and control cookies on your computer!

Deep packet inspection is a different beast in which the ISP uses to track you.  This method of tracking goes beyond just tracking whether you have been to a website or not.  According to the article "Every Click You Make" by Peter Whoriskey from the website http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2008/04/03/AR2008040304052.html, "deep-packet inspection," enables a far wider view -- every Web page visited, every e-mail sent and every search entered. Every bit of data is divided into packets -- like electronic envelopes -- that the system can access and analyze for content.".  This means the ISP provider could have a fair amount of your personal information.  Even though this collection of information is supposed to be to help personalize the web for you, how do you know they won't sell or give your information out?  This article also explains that most customers don't even know they are being tracked, however it says "Each company allows users to opt out of the monitoring, though that permission is buried in customer service documents." So my advice is if you know you are being tracked, opt-out! This way your personal information will remain your own and will not be available for the ISP providers to collect and possible sell.

While shopping online is such a convenience to a lot of consumers these days, including myself, it is also a great opportunity to have your identity stolen.  After reading the chapter on "Identity Theft" in the book Cyber Crime Fighters Tales From The Trenches by Felicia Donovan and Kristyn Bernier I have learned a lot about how identity theft happens, the types of identity theft and how it can really be devastating to the victim.  Anytime you use your credit card, social security number or any personal information online it has the potential to get stolen.  Unfortunately there are predictors lurking everywhere out there waiting for their next victim. If your identity gets stolen its very important to tell you credit card companies, banks, DMV, and even the police.  According to the same book mentioned above you should also alert the credit report agencies so they can place a fraud alert on your report.  Fortunately there are ways we can protect ourselves from these nasty attacks including use prepaid credit cards for online purchases, get your credit report annually ( and verify all accounts on it), monitor your bank accounts, shred any credit card offers and any other mail that has your information on it, opt-out of preapproved credit card offers and never give out your social security number unless you verify it's use.  Always make sure you use a secure website too which means the site should start with "https" and have a lock symbol on it.  Here are a couple resources for tips on protecting yourself online:http://enlightenme.com/top-10-ways-to-keep-your-personal-information-safe-on-the-internet/

• http://www.bbb.org/blog/2014/01/5-tips-for-keeping-your-personal-information-secure-online/
• https://www.washington.edu/doit/online-safety-tips-protecting-your-personal-information

Here is a website to help if you have your identity stolen:

• http://www.creditsesame.com/blog/steps-take-immediately-victim-identity-theft/

I have learned a lot of valuable information in this module.  I now know ways in which I can prevent my personal information from getting in the wrong hands.  I will be taking a lot of these precautions going forward! 

Computer Security's affect on our Lives

After reading about how to find out about people including myself it has become clear that it is very important to think about how you use your computer.  There are many reasons we use computers but I never realized how much the ways in which we use them can affect us both positively and negatively in all aspects of our lives. During some researching on myself I found that a lot of information we put on the internet can never be erased and if it gets into the wrong hands it can be dangerous.  It is very important to use computers cautiously and to make sure you have proper security so any important information can remain protected.  The article "Nine Themes of Digital Citizenship" from http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/Nine_Elements.htmlexplains explains ways in which we use computers and the appropriate use of each element.  I have read these and have chosen 3 of which affect my life in different ways.
   
     First, digital commerce has become huge for many people, it provides a way for us to get products without even leaving the house.  The amount of people who are now buying and selling products on the internet has increased over the years and will continue to increase.  I have found some statistics from the website http://www.statista.com/markets/413/topic/544/key-figures-of-e-commerce/ to show this increase and predicted continued growth until 2018

According to the article "Statistics and Market Data on Key Figures of E-Commerce" from the same website http://www.statista.com/markets/413/topic/544/key-figures-of-e-commerce/ ,some businesses get more then half of their sales from online shoppers.  I think with online shopping we need to be very careful of the security of these sites we shop from so our payment methods/information do not get into the wrong hands.  I have never been a victim of any credit card fraud or identity theft but I do know that my boss has had his credit card number stolen from using it online and had to jump trough hoops to prove he did not make the purchases and get his money back.  The point I am making here is we need to be sure we are using the computer and internet services properly so our crucial information does not get stolen.

    Second,  digital communication is another element that I found affects my daily routine especially in my workplace.  I use email, instant messaging, and video conferencing almost daily at work.  In order to communicate with my co-workers in my building I need to be able to email and or instant message.  The company I work for also have offices in other states/country's such as Massachusetts and even in the Netherlands and in order to communicate with those offices we often use conference calls and emails.  Our sales team also uses the same means of digital communication with our customers to make sure we maintain good relationships with them, especially when they are having technical problems with our devices and we can't fly or get to them in a timely manner.  Here is an interesting article that I found on this topic "How Technology Has Changed Workplace Communication" from http://www.forbes.com/sites/unify/2013/12/10/how-technology-has-changed-workplace-communication/, it had another great point that with digital communication we are now able to work from home.  This greatly affects my life as well as my career because I have 2 children who often have appointments (as do I) and I have the ability to work from home those days so I don't have to take a full vacation day (as I work an hour from my home and doctors offices).

     Lastly,  I chose digital etiquette which is basically the code of conduct for the internet/computer communications.  I think this element affects me the most at college.  I believe this because I am a strictly online student therefore I do no physically see an other students or any professors.  In all my classes we participate in discussions and group projects and it's easy to get into debates with each other and we have to make sure when we do this that we still respect each other. We should not use capitols when typing as it leads others to think we are shouting and I think sometimes because we can't see each other people will say rude or mean things that they would not normally say in person.  Here is a video that I thinks sums it all up https://www.brainpop.com/technology/freemovies/digitaletiquette/.  Also we have to be careful with what we post on our social media site because whether we like it or not some prospective employers may look at our sites when trying to decide if we are a good candidate for the job.  There is a lot of debate on whether this is something employers should do or not.  Here is an article from class "Employers, Get Outta My Facebook" from http://www.businessweek.com/debateroom/archives/2008/03/employers_get_outta_my_facebook.html, that has some pro's and con's about whether prospective employers should be looking at our social media sites such as Facebook or not .  I have a Facebook and I am fine with my anybody looking at it, I try to be careful about what I post and I don't think I have anything there that would turn an employer away.  However I don't think they should use this as a basis to hire or not hire somebody.