Cyber Safety

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19.1 Introduction 19.5 Confidentiality of Information
19.2
19.3
What is Cyber Safety ?
Safely Browsing the Web
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19.7
Cybercrime
Common Social Networking Sites
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19.4 Identity Protection While Using Internet 19.8 Appropriate Usage of Social Networks
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CYBER SAFETY

19.1 INTRODUCTION
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Today’s age cannot be even thought of without Internet, even in dreams. Although Internet has
made many things easier but at the same time it has posed many security risks too, if not used in
a proper way. Thus, it is important to know about possible threats, challenges and risks of
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working on Internet to ensure personal safety and information security. This chapter deals with
the same. It talks about possible risks and threats on Internet and the safety measures to avoid
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them.

19.2 WHAT IS CYBER SAFETY ?

Cyber Safety refers to the safe and responsible use of Internet Cyber Safety
so as to ensure safety and security of personal information Cyber Safety refers to the safe
and not posing threat to anyone else’s information. It involves and responsible use of Internet
gaining knowledge about possible threats to personal safety to ensure safety and security of
and security risks for the information along with measures to personal information and not
posing threat to anyone else’s
prevent and counter them.
information.

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19.2 SUPPORT MATERIAL

19.3 SAFELY BROWSING THE WEB

These days working on web has become inevitable and thus it is very important to know the
threats it offers in many ways. Safe browsing on web needs you to know many things like :
m What are the possible dangers ?
m How to avoid these ?
m How to virtually conduct yourself while browsing web ?
Thus, you need to know that not every site is safe to visit ; whatever you post or do online is
visible to others ; not everything that you see or is promised online is true. Also, safeguarding
your computer is very crucial before you go online. There are some rules you must follow to
conduct yourself online and there are other things that you must know so that you can counter

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unknown dangers.
All this and more, we are covering in coming sections.

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19.4 IDENTITY PROTECTION WHILE USING INTERNET

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We surf the Internet for a variety of reasons, from using social media, buying and selling goods,
to sending information. When we give out private data to businesses and other Internet users
(such as while filling up some forms or making payments online), we trust them to use that
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information for legitimate purposes. This isn’t always the case
Identity theft
though and financial and personal data can be used for harmful
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reasons like hacking, stalking and identity fraud. Identity Identity theft is a type of fraud
that involves using someone
fraud is when personal details that have been accessed or stolen else’s identity to steal money or
are used to commit fraudulent acts posing as someone else with
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gain other benefits. Online

stolen identity. identity theft refers to an act of
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stealing someone’s personal

Most common solution to this is : Private browsing or
information such as name , login
Anonymous Browsing on Internet. Before we talk about this, let details etc. and then posing as
us talk about what happens when you normally browse the Internet. that person online.
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19.4.1 Many Ways Websites Track you

Whenever you visit a website, your web browser may reveal your location via your device’s
IP address. It can also provide your search and browsing history etc. which may be used by
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third parties, like advertisers or criminals. This way websites track you. Tracking is generally
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used by advertising networks to build up detailed profiles for pinpoint ad-targeting even
tracking down users for special purpose such as effecting their political choices. Recall the data
tracking reported in US elections, Brazil elections and many more.
The type of information is compiled through your web usage patterns, and which websites
generally use for tracking you. This generally includes :
(a) IP Address
IP address is a unique address of your device when you connect to the Internet. It’s likely that
your computer shares your IP address with the other networked devices in your house or office.
From your IP address, a website can determine your rough geographical location.
(b) Cookies and Tracking Scripts
Cookies are small pieces of information websites can store in your browser. They have plenty of
legitimate uses – for example, when you sign into your online-banking website, a cookie
UNIT 4-1 : CYBER SAFETY 19.3

remembers your login information. When you change a

Cookies
setting on a website, a cookie stores that setting so it can
persist across page loads and sessions e.g., you change the Cookies are small text files on
your computer storing small
zoom percentage of your webpage, then this setting will
piece of information related to
reflect on all opened webpages – because this was stored in a your online habits.
cookie. Cookies can also identify you and track your
browsing activity across a website.
Cookies can be :
(i) First party cookies. These are the cookies that store your own login id, passwords, auto
fill information etc. for some websites that you frequently visit.

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(ii) Third party cookies. These are the cookies that websites store to know about your

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search history and web browsing history so as to place advertisements as per your
interests.

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Third party cookies may result in many unwanted advertisements on your webpages.
(c) HTTP Referrer

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When you click a link, your browser loads the web page linked to it and tells the website where
you came from. For example, if you clicked a link to an outside website on a webpage e.g., (see
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figure below) then the linked website will get opened and internally information about you
such as your IP address, location, your web browser, machine type etc. will also be provided to the
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linked website – it is known as the HTTP referrer (e.g., see figure below).
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If you click at this ad, then the

link will take you a new website
and will also provide information
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about you to the website (e.g.,

your IP address, location,
browser etc.)
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(d) Super Cookies

Super cookies are also cookies but these are persistent cookies, i.e., they come back even after
you delete them. Super cookies (like evercookie) store cookie data in multiple places – for
example, in Flash cookies, Silverlight storage, your browsing history, and HTML5 local storage
etc.
When a website notices that you’ve deleted part of the super cookie, the information is
repopulated from the other location. For example, you might clear your browser cookies and
not your Flash cookies, so the website will copy the value of the Flash cookies to your browser
cookies.
19.4 SUPPORT MATERIAL

(e) User Agent

Your browser also sends a user agent every time you connect to a website. This tells websites
your browser and operating system, providing another piece of data that can be stored and
used to target ads.
All the above things leak your identity information to websites and it may be used against you.
Solution to this is Private browsing and Anonymous browsing. Let us learn what is this type of
browsing.
19.4.2 Private Browsing and Anonymous Browsing
Anonymous browsers allow users to view websites without revealing any personal information of
the user like their IP address, machine type, location etc. An anonymous browser lets users

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access websites anonymously. It can be used as a tool for governments, journalists and

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everyday security-conscious surfers.

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There is another type of browsing – Private browsing.
Private Browsing

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There are other ways to use the Internet without revealing your search history and sharing your
data. These are :
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m Incognito browsing opens up a version of the browser that will not track your activity.
It’s particularly useful if you’re entering sensitive data like bank details into the browser,
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as it can minimise the risk of your information being saved to that computer. It can also be
used for purposes like – to look at surprise gifts for the family without leaving clues,
searching for hotel rooms for your vacation, filling examination forms etc. But this
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information is still visible to your school, university or organization. You may also use
private browsers and search engines like DuckDuckgo.
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m Proxy works by acting as a middleman between your computer and the website you want
to access. Now the tracking website will get the IP address and information that belongs
to the proxy site, so you are effectively getting the same content from another source
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without it getting to know your browsing details.

m Virtual Private Network or a VPN is a method used to add security and privacy to
private and public networks, like WiFi hotspots and the Internet. VPNs are most often
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used by corporations to protect sensitive data. Virtual

Private Browsing
Private Networks (VPN) were originally meant for
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business employees working offsite to gain access to A type of browsing wherein

shared drives or networks. Nowadays, you can set up browser opens in incognito mode
or through proxy or VPN, and does
a VPN at home to protect yourself from hackers trying not store cookies about your
to access your sensitive information. online activity, is called Private
browsing.
19.5 CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION
Internet is a public platform, mostly. The sites you visit, the N O T E
things you search on it, the posts that you put on social
networking sites are all visible to public. But there must Confidentiality of information
be some information like your credit history or bank ensures that only authorized
users get access to sensitive and
details, your mails etc., which you do not want to make
protected data.
public, i.e., you want to keep this information confidential.
UNIT 4-1 : CYBER SAFETY 19.5

Similarly, on your computer system or in a private network, you would certainly want that
crucial information is protected and is not publically visible. Confidentiality of information
ensures that only authorized users get access to sensitive and protected data.

19.5.1 Practices to Ensure Confidentiality of Information

Computers, networking, Internet – these all are inevitable ; you cannot avoid these as these are
modern age tools. But you surely can follow certain practices to safeguard your data and ensure
its confidentiality.
Best practices used to ensure confidentiality are as follows :
1. Use firewall wherever possible

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Your system must be secured such that only authentic users can connect to it. Firewall is one

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very good solution for this. Firewall is a program that monitors all communications and traps
all illicit packets. Most operating systems now come with a firewall preinstalled. However,

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some, such as the Windows Firewall, only block suspect incoming communications, leaving
completely open access to the Internet from your machine.

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Thus, it is recommended that you install a firewall that can monitor both incoming and
outgoing communication and traps the illicit ones.
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2. Control browser settings to block tracking
You already know that websites can track your surfing on their site by IP address and related
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system information, including system names and Internet network addresses that often
uniquely identify your computer. Search engines generally record your queries together with
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your computer identification, building up a profile of your interests over time.

To minimize these threats, you can turn your default browser settings to exclude cookies
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especially third party cookies, since they can be used to build up detailed profiles of your
surfing patterns over time.
3. Browse privately wherever possible
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To avoid the tracking by websites, you should try to browse Internet privately wherever
possible. This way websites would not be able to store cookies on your computer, which give
information about your search pattern and surf history.
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4. Be careful while posting on Internet

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You should know that posting is public. When you post anything to a public Internet such as
social networking sites like Instagram or Facebook etc., newsgroup, mailing list, or chat room, you
generally give up the rights to the content and any expectation of privacy or confidentiality is
useless. In most countries, anything you post to a public space can be saved, archived,
duplicated, distributed, and published, even years later, by anyone in the same way as a
photograph taken in a public space like a city park.
So ensure that you never post your crucial information like your personal details such as
address, mobile phone number, bank details, credit card details etc. on public Internet sites.
5. Ensure Safe sites while entering crucial information
Sometimes, you have a need to provide your crucial information such as your personal details
or bank details etc. For example, you might be applying online to register for an entrance exam
through a legitimate site that asks for your personal details.
19.6 SUPPORT MATERIAL

In such cases, ensure these things :

m Type the URL of the website in the address bar of the browser on your own . Do not click
on a link that takes to this website; or do not cut/copy the link of this website and paste it.
TYPE THE URL ON YOUR OWN in the address bar of the web browser.
m Ensure that the address contains HTTP and a pad lock sign. When this website gets
loaded, before you start typing any information, ensure that the website address. A safe
site’s URL starts with https:// and not with http://. Also, it shows a closed pad lock.

Closed
pad
lock

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https:// in a URL means it is a secure connection and no one can see your private information.
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When there is no https or the URL contains only http, then it is an insecure connection, which
means your private information may get leaked.
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6. Carefully handle emails

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While opening an email, make sure that you know the sender. Even if you open the email
message by accident, make sure not to open attachment in an email from unrecognized source.
Emails containing sensitive information should be deleted securely.
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Also, your email might contain a link to legitimate looking website; never click on any link inside
an email to open it. The link might look legit but it may take you to a fraudulent site. Even if
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you need to visit the linked website, type the URL of the website on your own in the address bar
of a web browser but never open any link by clicking inside an email or by copying its link.
7. Do not give sensitive information on wireless networks
Sometimes, you get access to some wireless connections such as the Wi-Fi connections available
on Airports or Railway stations. While using such Wi-Fi connections, make sure not to open any
personal email or provide any sensitive information on a website. The reason for this is that
most free wireless networks are not encrypted and hence information on it can be tapped and
used for fraudulent purposes.
8. Avoid using public computers
Always try not to use the public computer especially if you have to deal with your crucial data.
But if you need to work on a public computer, then make sure following things :
(a) Browse privately, first of all. (b) Don’t save your login information.
UNIT 4-1 : CYBER SAFETY 19.7

(c) Never save passwords while working on a public computer.

(d) Avoid entering sensitive information onto a public computer.
(e) Don’t leave the computer unattended with sensitive information on the screen.
(f) Disable the feature that stores passwords.
(g) Properly log out before you leave the computer.
(h) Erase history and traces of your work, i.e., clear history and cookies.

19.6 CYBERCRIME
Cybercrime is any criminal offense that is facilitated by, or Cybercrime
involves the use of, electronic communications or information

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Any criminal offense that is

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systems, including any electronic device, computer, or the facilitated by, or involves the use
Internet. The term, cybercrime, is a general term that covers of, electronic communications or

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crimes like phishing, credit card frauds, illegal downloading, information systems, including
any electronic device, computer,
industrial espionage, child pornography, cyber bullying, cyber
or the Internet is referred to as
stalking, cyber terrorism, creation and/or distribution of viruses,

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Cybercrime.
spam and so on.
Let us talk about some common cybercrimes. AI
Cyber Trolls and Bullying
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Cyber troll refers to a person who purposely posts opposing-, sarcastic-, demeaning- or
insulting- comments about something or someone with an aim of targeting a person online. The
provocative messages posted this way are also called troll. So the word troll can refer to a
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person also who is doing it and it may refers to the Cyber Trolls
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derogatory comments posted by a troll. Trolling is a

Derogatory messages or
cybercrime and is closely related to cyber bullying. In fact, it comments posted online targeting
is a form of cyber bullying. people are called cyber trolls.
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Cyber Bullying
Cyberbullying occurs when someone uses the Internet, a cell phone, email, instant messaging,
chat rooms, or social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter etc., to harass, demean, embarrass, or
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intimidate someone else. It is commonly a crime committed by teens too, as their growing
access to electronic communication makes it possible to make fun of or ostracize others. The
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problem spreads like wildfire as the bully can hide behind the anonymity of a login identity,
while encouraging other kids to join in the “fun” of harassing the victim.
Cyberbullying is a crime, garnering such criminal charges as Cyber Bullying
harassment, libel, assault, and even terrorism. In addition to Harassing, demeaning, embar-
criminal charges, cyberbullies may be held responsible for rassing, defaming or intimidating
the damage they do in a civil lawsuit, where they may be someone using modern techno-
logies like Internet, cell phones,
ordered to pay for it.
instant messengers, social networks
etc., is called Cyber Bullying.
Cyber Stalking
This is a kind of online harassment wherein the victim is subjected to a barrage of online
messages and emails. Typically, these stalkers know their victims and instead of resorting to
offline stalking, they use the Internet to stalk. A cyber stalker relies upon the anonymity
afforded by the Internet to allow them to stalk their victim without being detected.
19.8 SUPPORT MATERIAL

Cyber stalkers often do this to trouble their victims :

m They collect all personal information about the victim such as name, family background,
telephone numbers of residence and work place, daily routine of the victim, address of
residence and place of work, date of birth etc.
m The stalker may post this information on any filthy/obscene or illegal websites posing as if
the victim is posting this information.
m People of all kind from nook and corner of the World, who come across this information,
start calling the victim at his/her residence and/or work place for many filthy/obscene reasons.
m Some stalkers subscribe the e-mail account of the victim to innumerable obscene or illegal
sites because of which victim starts receiving such kind of unsolicited e-mails.

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m Some stalkers keep on sending repeated e-mails asking for various kinds of favors or

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threaten the victim.
m Stalkers follow their victim from board to board. They “hangout” on the same social

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networking site as their victim, many times posting notes to the victim, making sure the
victim is aware that he/she is being followed.

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m Stalkers will almost always make contact with their victims through email having
friendly or threatening content. The stalker many times uses multiple names when
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contacting the victim.

Spreading Rumours Online

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People often think that they can make a fake profile with some different name and do anything
online and will not be caught. Through such fake profiles, people sometimes indulge in posting
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false information on social media, or comments that could hurt others or spread rumours that
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may trigger panic or hurt religious sentiments of other people resulting into clashes and even
riots etc.
Spreading rumours online is a cybercrime and is a punishable offence. As per Information
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Technology Act of India, Publishing/circulation of Rumours, especially hurting religious

sentiments is a cybercrime and it may invite a fine with imprisonment extendable up to three
years.
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19.6.1 Reporting Cybercrime

If any cybercrime happens, one must report it firstly to parents, school authorities and then to
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police. The procedure for reporting cybercrimes is more or less the same as for reporting any
other kind of offence.
That is, to report a cybercrime :
m The local police stations can be approached for filing complaints just as the cybercrime
cells specially designated with the jurisdiction to register complaint.
m In addition, provisions have now been made for filing of ‘E-FIR’ in most of the states.
m In addition, the Ministry of Home Affairs is also launching a website for registering
crimes against women and children online including cybercrimes.

The Information Technology Act categorically provides that a cybercrime has global
jurisdiction, meaning that the crime may be reported in the Cyber Crime Units of any city,
irrespective of the place where the act was committed.
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19.7 COMMON SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

A Social networking site is a web application or online platform where people can setup their
public profile and make connections with other online people (who have also setup their profile
on the same platform), called online friends. There are many social networking sites. We are
listing below some common and popular social networking sites.
(i) Facebook. It is a platform to setup your page where you can share your ideas in the
form of posts, share your photos, videos etc. Through Facebook you can connect with
other Facebook users and exchange messages, posts etc. It allows you to view the posts,
images and videos shared by your friends, and provides options to like it or comment
on it, etc.

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(ii) Twitter. It is a microblogging site which allows to post very small messages (earlier

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limit was 140 characters, now extended to 280 characters).
(iii) LinkedIn. It is a social network for professionals. It provides features to make profiles

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look sort of detailed resumes, with sections for work experience, education, volunteer work,
certifications, awards and all sorts of other relevant work-related information.

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(iv) Instagram. It is one of the most popular social networks for online photo sharing. It
offers features like sharing real-time photos and short videos while on the go.
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Some other popular social networking sites are Google+, Pinterest, SnapChat, Reddit etc.
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19.8 APPROPRIATE USAGE OF SOCIAL NETWORKS
Social media is everywhere these days. From personal to professional front, we encounter social
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media in multiple ways – directly or indirectly. And thus, this direct and indirect connectivity
with social media has made it too difficult to remain entirely anonymous these days. In fact, the
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openness that the Internet offers has resulted into a bigger challenge, sometimes danger that the
information we post online can be shared like never before.
Do you know that whatever you do online – post something or visit friends’ pages or search
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something etc. leaves a permanent foot print, called digital footprint and it remains for years
storing trails of your online activities. Although most of the times the social media that we use is
for personal reasons and most of the conversations here harmless, but still, once posted these
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become part of public domain and hence are visible to anyone who looks for it. This might not
cause any problem now, BUT sometimes later it can pose potential problems when it comes to
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matters like – taking admission in higher education or looking for a job or even when looking
for a life partner. This is because, these days, many universities look for digital footprint of
applicant students before giving them admission. Similarly employers also may look for digital
footprint of candidates and so on.
Thus appropriate usage of social networks is very important and you must be aware that it may
pose problems later if not used appropriately. In the following section we talk about what you
should know, what you should avoid and rules you should follow while using social media.

19.8.1 What You Should Know ?

While using social networking sites, you should know about what the right online behaviors
are and what is considered a cybercrime. You have read about some cybercrimes above. If one
thinks that by making some anonymous profile and using fake information, he/she can do such
19.10 SUPPORT MATERIAL

activities without getting caught, he/she is certainly mistaken. Modern technology tools can
find anyone online using IP address, location etc. So, one must not indulge in these activities at
all.
Other than that there are some dangers and possible traps that you must know about.

Digital Footprint
Digital footprints are the records and traces individuals Digital Footprints
leave behind as they use the Internet. Digital Footprints are the
Your interactions on social media, your friend circle on social records and traces individuals’
activities as they use the
media sites, sites you visit, online purchases, locations visited
Internet. Digital footprints are
through Facebook check-ins etc. all make up your digital

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permanently stored.

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footprints.
A common comparison to digital footprints is the footprints you leave behind you when walk

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along a beach. Every step you take leaves an impression on the sandy surface that allows
another person to see the marks that your activity has made and offers the possibility for them
to follow your trail. Digital footprints are also referred to as “digital tattoos”.

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Unlike a beach footprint which will eventually fade away, the Internet – and any electronic
‘event’ in general – doesn’t work the same way. It’s safe to assume that anything you do,
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publish or post online may be there permanently and won’t be ‘washed away’.
Mistakes aren’t as easy as they used to be because once we post anything online, it stays forever
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and cannot be undone, Digital Footprints last forever, and colleges and jobs will look back at
them to see if you are what you portray and how you conduct yourself actually.
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Privacy Settings
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When you start using social media, you should not go with default privacy settings. Rather it is
always a good idea to set-up privacy settings yourself by using Account settings. Through
privacy settings, you can control:
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m Who all can see what you have posted,

m Who all can send requests to you
m What all information about you is visible to others, even to your contacts etc.
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In short, you should always set-up privacy settings for all types of social media yourself.
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19.8.2 What You should do – Usage Rules

While using social media, if you conduct yourself in a responsible way, you can enjoy using
social media and can utilize its power for yourself. For this you should follow following usage
rules applicable on the use of social media.
1. Be Authentic
Be honest about your identity. In personal posts, never pose as authorized person of an
institution or organization. Represent yourself in clear and honest way, without boasting.
2. Use a Disclaimer
If you are associated with an institution or organization in some form (student or faculty or staff
etc.), and you are sharing your personal views about something, do make it clear that these are
your personal views and you do not represent any institution or organization here.
UNIT 4-1 : CYBER SAFETY 19.11
3. Don’t Pick Fights Online
Sometimes people may respond to your post in a way you do not find good. In such a case, it is
advised not to pick fights online. Rather convey your unhappiness through constructive
posts/message while carefully choosing the right words. If, however, the posts are too
derogatory and fall into category of trolls or cyber bullying then handle it the way we
mentioned in earlier section.
4. Don’t Use Fake Names or Pseudonyms
Never pretend to be someone else. If you think that making an anonymous profile would hide
you online, you are mistaken. Modern tracking tools can easily track supposedly anonymous
posts and their authors. Thus, anonymity online is just a myth.

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5. Protect Your Identity
While you should be honest about yourself, BUT you should never provide or post personal

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information online. The scam artists or identity thieves keep looking for such things and can use
your information to conduct some fraud or crime.

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Thus, NEVER list your full name, parents’ details, home address or telephone number online. It
is a good idea to create a separate e-mail address that is used only with social media sites. Also,
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you should never share about your location online; thieves are always ready and love such
opportunities.
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6. Does Your Information/Post Pass the Publicity Test ?
Before you post something online, perform Publicity test on
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it. The rule is : if your post /message is not acceptable for

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t face-to-face conversation, over the telephone, or in another

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eckP medium, then it is NOT ACCEPTABLE for a social
Ch 19.1 networking site too.
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1. What make your online identity ? Ask yourself, would I want to see this published in the
2. What are cookies ? newspaper or posted on a billboard tomorrow or ten years
3. What are super cookies ? from now? If your answer is Yes, feel free to post it.
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4. What is private browsing ? 7. Respect Your Audience

5. Can you see history of pages you
Sometimes school/college students talk in slang or use
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visited in private browser window ?

6. What is confidentiality of Information ? some abusive words which they find okay within their
7. What are cyber trolls ? small group. But these things must not be posted online.
8. ‘Posting something which you just Don’t use slangs, personal insults, obscenity, or engage in
heard or received but you are not sure any conduct that would not be acceptable in your
of its authenticity’ – is it a crime ? connected world.
9. What is digital Foot Print ?
8. Respect other’s Sentiments
10. Which of the following is NOT an
example of Cybercrime ? You should always respect others’ privacy and be
(a) Stealing computer hardware considerate for topics that may be considered sensitive—
(b) Cyber Bullying such as politics and religion. Thus you should never post
(c) Cyber Stalking anything that may compromise someone’s privacy or hurt
(d) Stealing someone’s online identity someone’s sentiments.
19.12 SUPPORT MATERIAL

9. Monitor Comments
Most people who maintain social media sites welcome comments— it builds credibility and
community. You should prefer to review and approve comments before posting them on your
site. This way you will ensure the quality of comments. But this also needs that you should
respond in a timely way to comments so that comments posting happens in a stipulated
amount of time and is not delayed for unnecessarily long period.

With this we have come to the end of this chapter. Let us quickly revise what we have learnt so
far.

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Let Us Revise

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Ç Cyber Safety refers to the safe and responsible use of Internet so that to ensure safety and security of personal
information and not posing threat to anyone else’s information.

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Ç Websites track you when you work online by tracking your IP address, search habits, shopping preferences etc.
Ç Cookies are small text files storing small piece of information related to your online habits.
Ç Persistent cookies are called supercookies.
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Ç A type of browsing wherein browser opens in incognito mode and does not store cookies about your online activity,
is called Private browsing.
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Ç Confidentiality of information ensures that only authorized users get access to sensitive and protected data.
Ç Any criminal offense that is facilitated by, or involves the use of, electronic communications or information systems,
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including any electronic device, computer, or the Internet is referred to as Cyber Crime.
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Ç One must report cybercrime without any fear.

Ç Derogatory messages or comments posted online targeting people are called cyber trolls.
Ç Spreading rumours online is a cybercrime and is a punishable offence.
Ç Digital footprints are the records and traces individuals’ activities as they use the Internet. Digital footprints are
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permanently stored.
Ç One must set-up privacy settings for a social media site oneself.
Ç While using a social networking site, one should follow usage rules like : Be authentic, don’t use fake names don’t
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pick fights online, protect identity, test your post for ‘publicity test’, respect your audience etc.
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Solved Problems

1. Should you use a nickname when you log on to the Internet ?

Solution. Yes. It is always a good idea to use a nickname when we log on to the Internet. This will
make it difficult for identity thieves to find us.
2. When you shop you always check the security of the Website before you enter personal and credit card
information. Comment.
Solution. Yes. We should always check that the site we are shopping on is secure. One way is to
check if the URL starts with https://. Another way is to check the browser’s window to see if a closed
padlock is visible.
UNIT 4-1 : CYBER SAFETY 19.13

3. Is it all right to give your name, address and birth date when registering to use a Website online?
Solution. No. It is never a good idea to give out your birth date on the Internet. Most websites
request this as an option. Protect yourself from identity thieves and ignore this request.

4. Robin wanted to gift his friend a football or a wrist watch. So he searched for many sports items and wrist
watches online.
But after that everytime he goes online, his web browser shows him advertisements about sports items and
wrist watches.
(a) Why is this happening ? (b) How could have Robin avoided them ?
(c) How can Robin get rid of this now ?

.
Solution.

O
(a) This is happening because third party cookies saved his search preferences and now websites are
posting advertisements based on his preferences.

C
(b) Robin could have avoided this by privately browsing i.e., opening the web browser in incognito
mode before searching for such things.

&
(c) Now Robin can delete all the previous history and cookies stored on his computer. This would
stop websites posting advertisements.

5.
AI
Nivedita has recently shifted to new city and new school. She does not know many people in her new city and
school. But all of a sudden, someone is posting negative, demeaning comments on her social networking profile,
school site’s forum etc.
R
She is also getting repeated mails from unknown people. Everytime she goes online, she finds someone chasing
her online.
T

(a) What is this happening to Nivedita ? (b) What action should she taken to stop them ?
PA

Solution. (a) Nivedita has become a victim of cyber bullying and cyber stalking.
(b) She must immediately bring it into the notice of her parents and school authorities. And she must
report this cyber crime to local police with the help of her parents.
AN

6. Describe following Cybercrimes :

(a) Cyber Bullying (b) Cyber Stalking
Solution. Cyber bullying refers to act of online harassment of someone by using online tools such as
H

Internet, email, instant messages, chat rooms or social networking sites etc. Cyber trolling, which
means posting of sarcastic-, demeaning- or insulting- comments about someone, is also considered
D

form of cyber bullying.

Cyber Stalking refers to online stalking where someone uses Internet, chat rooms, social networking
sites, emails etc. to stalk his/her victim. Cyber stalker follows the victim online everywhere and
keeps posting/sending something which are unsolicited.

7. What do you understand by identity theft ?

Solution. Online identity theft refers to an act of stealing someone’s personal information such as
name, login details etc. and then posing as that person online. Whatever online activity happens
after this is thought to be of the person whose identity details are stolen and being used.
With online identity theft happens one can gain access to other personal information (name, login
details, Adhaar number, credit card information, etc.) and use this information for illegal activities such
as harassing others or stalking others or for conducting cybercrimes etc.
19.14 SUPPORT MATERIAL

8. What measures should one take to avoid and maintain confidentiality of personal information?
Solution. Some common measures that one can take to protect one’s identity online are:
³ Never open suspicious texts or emails – always delete them.
³ Never send money or give credit card, online account details or copies of personal
documents to anyone you don’t know or trust.
³ Choose passwords that would be difficult for others to guess, and update them regularly.
Don’t use the same password for every account, and don’t share them with anyone.
³ Secure your networks and devices with anti-virus software and a good firewall.
³ Avoid using public computers or Wi Fi hotspots to access or provide personal information.
³ Be very careful about how much personal information you share on social network sites.

.
O
When making online payments, only pay for items using a secure payment service—look for a URL
starting with ‘https’ and a closed padlock symbol, or a payment provider such as PayPal.

C
Glossary

&
Cookie A small text files on a computer storing small piece of information related to online habits of the user
AI
Private A type of browsing wherein browser opens in incognito mode and does not store cookies about your online
Browsing activity
R
Cybercrime Any criminal offense involving the use of, electronic communications or information systems or Internet etc.
T
PA

Assignments

1. What is cyber safety ? Why is it important ?

AN

2. What should you do to protect your identity on Internet ?

3. How do websites track you online ?
4. What are cookies ? How are they used by websites to track you ?
H

5. What is Private browsing ? Why is it considered a better way of browsing the Internet ?
D

6. What is confidentiality of information ? How do you ensure it ?

7. What is cyber crime ? How can you report it ?
8. What is cyber bullying and cyber stalking ?
9. What is identity fraud ?
10. What is digital footprint ? Why is it so important ?
11. Why are privacy settings of a social networking site so important ?
12. What are the usage rules for effective use of social networking sites ?