Some IT Jargon
Explained
Other useful sources of
information
Anti-virus (AV) software – these are
AgeUK produce a number of leaflets and
booklets including:
programs which protect your computer from
viruses. Typically, as well as being able to
remove or isolate viruses that attack your
computer, they also set up firewalls to prevent
virus attack in the first
place. AV software also
normally has programs
which spot Phishing
emails.
Firewall - A firewall
is a piece of software
(or hardware) that sits
between a user’s PC and a network, such
as the internet, protecting the computer from
unauthorised traffic and potentially malicious
attacks. Put simply, a firewall acts as a block
between your PC and the outside world.
Phishing – an attempt at identity theft in
which criminals lead users to a counterfeit
website in the hope that they will disclose
private information such as user names and
passwords.
Spam filter – normally a program that is
sold as part of an AV package. It detects
emails that come from potentially risky
sources and either deletes or gives you the
option of doing so.
‘Internet security – staying safe online’
‘Making the most of the internet – a
practical guide to getting online’
Copies are available by calling
0800 196 6565 or visiting
www.ageuk.org.uk/workandlearning
For further help and guidance visit
www.getsafeonline.org.uk
Getsafeonline has produced a
‘Rough Guide to Online Safety’
http://www.getsafeonline.org/
nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1842
Local Contacts
Royal Borough Trading Standards
Tel: 01628 683800
Royal Borough Community Safety
Tel: 01628 796126
Age Concern Windsor
Tel: 01753 860685
Age Concern Windsor run computer
sessions – call for further details.
Royal Borough Adult Community Learning
and Skills organise a wide range computer
courses – visit www.rbwm.gov.uk
Staying Safe
online
Do you use a computer on a
regular basis?
This leaflet could help keep
you and your information safer.
Many of us use the internet every day and
although it is generally safe, it can be all too
easy to become a victim of scams or e-crime
– just by an unwitting click on a link.
Online crime includes identity theft, virus
attacks and unsolicited emails enticing you to
reveal personal and financial
details.
The Royal Borough has
developed this leaflet to
highlight the simple steps you
can take to avoid becoming a
victim of e-crime.
Viruses
Phishing
The term ‘virus’ is
often used as a catchall to describe all kinds
of security hazards
but, in fact, it refers to
a specific type of
problem.
A true computer virus is a program that works
in the same way as a biological virus, infecting
and replicating itself without the user’s
knowledge.
These programs, which can be attached
to emails or come from files you load onto
your computer e.g. via USB sticks or simply
from accessing some websites. They can
take many different forms e.g. attacking your
computer and making it inoperable, causing
irritation by copying themselves to the email
contacts on your computer, or running in the
background collecting vital data about yourself
What you can do
The best advice is to take time to gain a
wider appreciation of the threats that are
out there – the more you understand the
threats the better prepared you will be. This
advice stands for all the threats covered in
this leaflet. To protect yourself from viruses
you need some good anti-virus software that
includes Firewall Protection, and a Spam
Filter. The BBC Webwise site provides a
useful no-nonsense helpful guide
http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/virusprotection
Phishing refers to any
email or online scam
that ‘hooks’ users and
cons them into
supplying personal
data. Phishing scams
usually take the form
of an unexpected email or website that looks like
it comes from an official body – for example,
your bank – which requests that you input
logins, passwords, credit card numbers, dates of
birth and the like into an online form.
The information is then passed on to crooks who
can use it to steal your identity or access your
finances. Many phishing emails and websites
look just like the real thing and it can be hard
to tell a fake. If you use a spam filter, however,
it should catch the majority of these messages
before they reach your inbox. The latest internet
browsers have built-in phishing filters. However,
some phishing emails will always get through,
so take care. Always delete unexpected emails
asking for any personal, IT, or financial details.
What you can do
Check on the internet sites below which provide
advice. But if in doubt, simply delete the email.
Reputable organisations will never ask for
banking details unless it is part of a financial
transaction you have agreed to conduct. The
commercial sites below provide very useful
advice and tips, but we must emphasise that we
do not endorse products advertised on the sites:
http://www.cymru1.net/extras/security3.php
http://www.technicalinfo.net/papers/Phishing.
html
http://www.technicalinfo.net/papers/Phishing2.
html
Identity theft
This is a major problem and is not just about
computers. The National Fraud Authority has
estimated that every year in the UK identity
fraud costs more than £2.7billion and affects
over 1.8million people.
Your dustbin is as much a source of
information as your PC. Here villains will seek
to collect all manner of personal information
about you and then use it for a wide range of
fraudulent purposes from acquiring a passport
to taking out credit cards in your name.
What you can do
Be very cautious about supplying personal
details including photographs to anyone,
even your friends, and do not throw things
such as bank statements in your dustbin
without first shredding them.
Fortunately, the Home Office has set up an
excellent site which advises on all aspects of
Identity Fraud from which you can download
advice leaflets, including one especially for
students.
http://www.identitytheft.org.uk/