ONLINE SAFETY, SECURITY, AND NETIQUETTE
Rule 4 - Respect other people’s time and bandwidth.
let us visit each item and see how risky it is to share them. 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.
Rule 5 - Make yourself look good online
The quality of your writing will judge you, 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
Rule 6- Share expert knowledge.
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 for your subject matter. You have recently
expanded your knowledge about a subject that might be
of interest to others? Share that as well.
Rule 7 - Help keep flame wars under control.
Flaming is what people do when they express a strongly
held opinion without holding back any emotion." (Shea,
1994).
"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.
Rule 8 - Respect other people’s privacy
Depending on what you are reading in the virtual world,
Internet be it an online class discussion forum, Facebook page, or
- is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses an email, you may be exposed to some private or personal
the Internet protocol suite to communicate between networks and information that needs to be handled with care.
devices. Internet is the information superhighway with the help of
different gadgets or ICT. It is one of the most dangerous places, Rule 9 - Don’t abuse your power
especially if you are a new user. Like in face-to-face situations, there are people in
- When the internet was fully commercialized in 1995, it has cyberspace who have more "power" than others. They
tremendously impacted culture and commerce, including the rise of have more expertise in technology or have years of
near instant communication by email, instant messaging, two-way experience in a particular skill or subject matter. Maybe it
interactive video calls, and the World Wide Web with its social is you who possesses all of this knowledge and power!
networking, and online websites. Just remember: knowing more than others do or having
more power than others does not give you the right to
Common issues on the Internet: take advantage of anyone. Think of Rule 1: Remember the
- Cyberbullying human.
- Hacking
- Identity theft Rule 10 - Be forgiving of other people’s mistakes.
- Plagiarism Not everyone has the same amount of experience working
- Intellectual rights and property issues in the virtual world. And not everyone knows the rules of
Netiquette. At some point, you will see a stupid question,
Netiquette read an unnecessarily long response, or encounter
is the combination of the words “net” from the word internet and misspelled words; when this happens, practice kindness
“etiquette”, that focuses on the acceptable behavior of the users using and forgiveness as you would hope someone would do if
the internet, while online ethics focuses on the acceptable use of online you had committed the same offense. If it's a minor
resources in an online environment. "offense," you might want to let it slide. If you feel
compelled to respond to a mistake, do so in a private
Core Rules of Netiquette (by Virginia Shea) email rather than a public forum.
Rule 1- Remember the human
When communicating electronically, whether through email, instant
message, discussion post, text, or another method, practice the Golden
Rule: “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you”.
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.
Here are some tips to stay safe online: Common Types Malware:
- Be in mind of what you share online. 1) Virus – a malicious program intended to reproduce
- Do not just accept terms and conditions, just read it. itself and transfer from one computer to another either
- Check out the privacy and policy of a website. through the internet and local networks or data storage
- Know the security features of the Web site you are browsing. like flash drives.
- Do not share your password.
- Avoid logging in to public networks/Wi-Fi. 2) Worms – are malicious software that attach to
- Do not entertain anyone whom you do not know. another program and, when executed-unintentionally by
- Never post anything about your future plans in social media. the user- replicates itself by modifying other computer
- Avoid downloading anything from untrusted website. programs and infecting them with its own bits of code.
- Use a genuine software.
- Do not click and reply emails from suspicious links. 3) Trojan- is one of the most dangerous malware types.
It usually represents itself as something useful in order to
Some things to consider before posting online: trick you. Once it’s on your system, the attackers behind
the Trojan gain unauthorized access to the affected
1. Before you post think of the following: computer. From there, Trojans can be used to steal
a. Who can see your post? financial information or install threats like viruses and
b. Can this post affect your future? ransomware.
2. Talk to somebody about serious things because they depend on you
to protect their reputation. 4) Spyware is malware that runs in a background without
3. Search engine will not be able to monitor your post if you will set it to you knowing it. It has the ability to monitor what you are
private. presently doing thus it is called “Spy”. It secretly observes
4. Names are easy for search engine to scan so avoid names. the computer user’s activities without permission and
5. If the post will affect the reputation of others report it as reports it to the software’s author such as Keylogger
inappropriate. Keylogger used to record the keystroke done by the users
to steal their password or any confidential information
INTERNET/ONLINE THREATS while typing on a keyboard.
- As the World Wide Web evolved over the years, many internet hackers
have been playing on vulnerabilities of computer software to attack and 5)Adware (advertising supported software)
retrieve sensitive data from the users. We must be aware what is is unwanted software intended to send advertisements
happening over the internet. up on your screen such as pop-ups.
Online threat
- is any malicious act that attempts to gain access to a computer
network without permission from the owner. These are usually done by
computer hackers who uses the World Wide Web to facilitate
cybercrime.
- Web threats use multiple types of malware and cheating, all of which
utilize internet protocols, but may also employ other protocols and
components that access the Web.
- Web threats pose a wide range of risks, including financial damages,
identity theft, loss of confidentiality of information, theft of network
resources, damaged personal reputation, and destruction of user
assurance in e-commerce and online transactions.
Online Threats:
1) Spams are unwanted emails, instant messages coming from
advertisers that are not allowed for the message to be sent. Spam
messages can be harmful if you open or respond to it. It can be used to
send malicious software.
2) Phishing occurs when an email is sent from an internet criminal
disguised as an email from a legitimate source. The message is meant to
direct you to reveal confidential information such as password credit
card or personal information.
3) Pharming is a way of phishing that happens when a hacker directs an
internet user to a false website instead of a real one. These “spoofed”
sites can capture a victim’s private data, containing usernames,
passwords, and credit card data, or install malware on their computer.
4) Malware or malicious software, is any program or file that is harmful
to a computer user.
