Risky Business & What Can We Do About It?

Up until now, I have written about all of the illegal activity done by others and how it may affect you. And yes, I am still going to discuss that in this blog, but I am also going to discuss the illegal activity you may be engaged in. And maybe I can influence my readers to change their computer habits, if even just a little bit. Some computer activity is extremely risky, and if you don’t watch what you do, you may unintentionally end up in a lot of trouble. 

Peer-to-peer network dangers

            If I were in a room of 100 people and asked them to raise their hand if they have ever done something illegal that could have resulted in 5 years of prison if they were caught, I don’t think many would raise their hands. My next question would be, have ever downloaded music, movies, or copyrighted content; if even just one file? The hands raised would likely quadruple. This shows that our society isn’t very well informed of the consequences that could come along with peer-to-peer file sharing. The RIAA (Record Industy Association of America) is cracking down on individuals involved in illegal use of P2P, and the lawsuits are becoming far more common. These fines and punishments can be extremely harsh. The legal limit of which someone can be fined for music piracy is a hefty $250,000 and 5 years in jail. So is it really worth it? Here is an example of a woman who was charged for downloading 24 songs. The consequences she faced may shock you.

Use of Video

The recent phenomenon of Youtube has drastically changed the way we communicate, and share our life’s moments. Has it also become a tool that is allowing us to share our sometimes too much personal life. Many people who are capturing these videos may not be too smart when posting them online for the world to see. For example, people have posted videos of assaults, vandalism, even murders... and have been arrested and caught because of it. This article shows an example of how life changing Youtube videos can be, and not always for the better. 

Your own personal computer security safety

            According to the book “Cyber Crime Fighters: Tales from the Trenches”, there are three very important steps to take to ensure protection on your computer.  “1. Always keep your system up to date with automatic updates and patches to the operating system. 2.  Install virus protection and make sure it is protected. 3.  Install a spyware and/or malware detection program and run it frequently." All of these steps are crucial to keep your computer and personal information safe. It is very important too to these things because it will prevent a lot of problems. 

Another thing you should consider is to keep your passwords extremely strong. This is extremely important because weak passwords can be hacked within seconds! Also, use different passwords for different accounts. And finally, make sure your Wi-fi is secure. Change the SSID to something other than the default name. This shows criminals that your connection isn’t very secure. Turn on encryption; you could use either WEP or WPA. WPA is far more secure.  Then change the default name and password. Just like any password, something easy for you to memorize but hard for others to guess. And last but not least, shut off your Wi-fi router when not in use.

Here is an example of my personal Wi-fi settings, I was happy to know that I am using a WPA type security. My network does in fact have a unique name, and password.

As for businesses, it is crucial that they have upgraded from WEP to WPA. However, many still haven’t done so. When searching for a company that used either WEP or WPA, I found that this information is kept secret unless you manually go to the store and find the security information on your laptop. I also read, “This information is classified in nature. Unless there is a person who wishes to violate company policy, and does not bother to care for this rules. If there is an important reason behind this inquiry, I suggest that you file formal request for this information.” I found it interesting that companies try to hide what type of security they are using, when it is in fact accessible by anyone using their laptop within a close range of the building.

            When analyzing all of these legalities and computer security concerns, it is important to be informed. I am going to take a lot of the advice I have provided you with and use it in my own life. Yes, I have downloaded music many years ago, and that is something I cannot change. I was uninformed but now I will make sure not to do engage in this type of peer-to-peer downloading in the future. Also, I will make sure that if I ever post something on Youtube, I will keep in mind that it is irreversible and could have an affect on my future. And finally, I will keep my computer safe by following the above measures. I hope I have encouraged my readers to do the same!

Computer Threats- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

        During the last two weeks, I have learned a lot in my Computer Security class. I have learned how computer viruses work, how they can affect my computer, and what types of malicious programs are really out there. I have definitely become more aware of what I am doing on the computer. Though this may have been more relevant when I was learning about spam, today I was proud to teach someone close to me about how to avoid bad situations on the computer to prevent getting scammed, or even hackers on your computer. When my boyfriend received an email from 1st financial bank, about his credit card statement, not only were there links in the email, but also an attachment. By clicking the attachment, he could have downloaded viruses, spyware, even a bonnet. (Now, I will never download an attachment unless I know the sender and was expecting to receive an attachment.) When he clicked the hyperlink shown in the email, it took him to a site that was not the banks official website. I immediately made sure that he exited out of the website and went to the banks direct site. For some reason, he thinks this class is getting to my head- I think I’m just being a lot safer than I ever was before.
        In the future, I will make sure what I am doing is smart. And if I suspect a problem in my computer I will make sure to tackle the problem immediately. I will also run my anti-virus program on a weekly basis at minimum. Previously, I rarely bothered with anti-virus programs. Not only will I be more aware of my computer habits, but also my friends and family’s habits as well. My mom is notorious for opening junk emails and attachments, as well as clicking on pop-ups. I’m going to try and scare her into not doing these things anymore by the information I am learning.

         Here is a video that discusses how important an Anti-Virus program truly is. It also discusses how some virus protection software, is the exact opposite and could cause major issues with your computer that can be costly and very problematic. Symantec stresses using Norton Anti-Virus because that is their product, however there are many similar legit programs other than Norton. I personally use Norton Anti-Virus and am very satisfied with their software.



           One way to clean up your computer is through System Restore. There are many tutorials that show you how to do this on Windows. Here is one of them.



           I personally am going to show you how to do something very similar to System Restore, called Time Machine. This is pretty much Mac’s version of a System Restore. Watch the tutorial below!

Victims of internet crime- Have you been one of them?

I have learned a lot about scam and internet crime the past few years, and within that past couple of weeks I have had the opportunity to reflect on how it has affected me. The class that I am taking, Principles of Computer Security, has really opened my eyes as to how violent and illegal spam truly is. Yes, spam is indeed a nuisance, but it is a very serious crime. Many people are scammed of their hard earned money every year because of spam, scams, vishing, phishing, and other methods of internet crime. I personally have had my share of internet scams, and believe me- it is no joke.

        There are many instances that I have faced and have watched others face in the past. By telling others my stories, I think it could help show others not to fall into the tricks of these scammers.

        The first time I can ever remember being scammed online was when I was in middle school. I begged my parents for a new digital camera. I think it only had 2.4 Mp, but that was a nice camera back then. I had heard everyone talking about Ebay and how great it was, so I wanted to get my camera there. After researching about digital camera's for weeks, I finally decided to bid on the camera I wanted. The camera cost around 200$, and after I sent the money, I never received it. A few weeks later I noticed that the guy who once had 100% positive ratings now had 80 negative reviews since I purchased the camera. He not only scammed me, but many others. I reported him to Ebay, and in result his account was closed. Talk about a slap on the wrist! - By the way, my dad will never buy anything online ever again. Which goes to show how these scams can really tarnish the way individuals look at technology.

       Then, when I was in high school, I tried selling my laptop online. Using the site "Craigslist.com" which is pretty similar to Ebay.com, I posted my laptop on sale for about $300. I was ecstatic when I was emailed back with a man stating something along the lines of " I would love to buy your laptop immediately! However I am staying in Indonesia with family right now because my house in Texas burned down last week... I will send you $800 to cover shipping fee's. Please have it shipped ASAP." Now, I would immediately delete an email as such but back then I didn't think anything of it. He told me he was going to send the money through PayPal and I agreed. I received an email stating " Your account has been credited $800" - Directly from PayPal or so I thought. I clicked on the link, and everything looked as if it were the real PayPal page. After seeing that the money was in my account, I began to pack up the laptop. But for some reason, it was my gut instinct to go directly to PayPal.com and check my account there. To my surprise, there was no evidence of any transaction. The link I was sent was indeed fictitious, and I was getting scammed! I was lucky enough to double check what was going on but when many people read emails directly from a company they automatically believe it is true.

        It is obvious that I am not the only one who has been scammed. It is definitely a growing problem in today's technological society.  A television show on ABC, called What Would You Do shows a popular Nigerian type of scam email. Watch this video below : 

 There are so many ways to get scammed, and opportunities may seem legit. But I have learned to be very careful when it comes to online activity. If your giving up money, be sure to make sure you won't regret it later. 

Also, this video from Youtube was provided by the instructor, and it was very useful when studying this topic.