Лекция: Security and Privacy on the Internet

There are many benefits from an open system like the Internet, but one of the risks is that we are often exposed to hackers, who break into computer systems just for fun, to steal information, or to spread viruses (see note below). So how do we go about making our on-line transactions secure?

Security is crucial when you send confidential information on line. Consider, for example, the process of buying a book on the Web. You have to type your credit card number into an order form which passes from computer to computer on its way to the on-line bookstore. If one of the intermediary computers is infiltrated by hackers, your data can be copied. To avoid risks, you should set all security alerts to high on your web browser. Mozilla Firefox displays a lock when the website is secure and allows you to disable or delete cookies – small files placed on your hard drive by web servers so that they can recognize your PC when you return to their site. If you use on-line banking services, make sure they use digital certificates– files that are like digital identification cards and that identify users and web servers. Also be sure to use a browser that is compliant with SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), a protocol which provides secure transactions.

Similarly, as your e-mail travels across the Net, it is copied temporarily onto many computers in between. This means that it can be read by people who illegally enter computer systems. The only way to protect a message is to put it in a sort of virtual envelope – that is, to encode it with some form of encryption. A system designed to send email privately is Pretty Good Privacy, a freeware program written by Phil Zimmerman.

Private networks can be attacked by intruders who attempt to obtain information such as Social Security numbers, bank accounts or research and business reports. To protect crucial data, companies hire security consultants who analyze the risks and provide solutions. The most common methods of protection are passwords for access control, firewalls, and encryption and decryption systems. Encryption changes data into a secret code so that only someone with a key can read it. Decryption converts encrypted data back into its original form.

Malware (malicious software) are programs designed to infiltrate or damage your computer, for example viruses, worms, Trojans and spyware. A virus can enter a PC via a disc drive – if you insert an infected disc – or via the Internet. A worm is a self-copying program that spreads through e-mail attachments; it replicates itself and sends a copy to everyone in an address book. A Trojan horse is disguised as a useful program; it may affect data security.

Spyware collects information from your PC without your consent. Most spyware and adware (software that allows pop-ups – that is, advertisements that suddenly appear on your screen) is included with ‘free’ downloads.

If you want to protect your PC, don’t open e-mail attachments from strangers and take care when downloading files from the Web. Remember to update your anti-virus software as often as possible, since new viruses are being created all the time. NOTE: originally, all computer enthusiasts and skilled programmers were known as hackers, but during the 1990s, the term hacker became synonymous with cracker – a person who uses technology for criminal aims. Nowadays, people often use the word hacker to mean both things. In the computer industry, hackers are known as white hats and crackers are called black hats or dark-side hackers.

Ex. 7. Listen to an interview with Diana Wilson, a member of the Internet Safety Foundation. Which answers (a or b) best describe what she says?

1. Parents should make children aware of

2. A web filter program can be used to

3. If kids spend too much time on line or suffer from internet addiction, parents should

Ex. 8.Listen again and complete the interviewer’s notes.

Ex. 9.Read the text and tell what the most common types of internet crimes are.