EMPOWERMENT TECHNOLOGY

Lesson 2: Rules of Netiquette E HANDOUTS

Netiquette – is network etiquette, the dos and don’ts of online communication

The following are some of the internet threats you need to be aware of:

EMAIL SCAM/JUNK MAIL/SPAM MAIL - Usually unsolicited commercial email sent from an unknown
source with identical message sent to multiple recipients. Usually not dangerous but can be time and space
consuming. Dangerous ones can carry viruses and other malicious software or malware.

EMAIL SPOOFING - is the creation of emails with a forged sender address. The goal of email spoofing is to
get recipients to open, respond and engage with the email message. Email spoofing can greatly increase
the effectiveness of phishing and other email-based cyber-attacks by tricking the recipient into trusting the
email and its sender (Tunggal 2019). It is usually used by spammers to hide the origin of the spam.

PHISHING – is a deceitful practice of getting your personal information using email or text messages.
Scammers may try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that
information, they could gain access to your email, bank, or other accounts (Federal Tr. Comm. ’19).

PHARMING - is a scamming practice in which malicious code is installed on a personal computer or server,
misdirecting users to fraudulent Web sites without their knowledge or consent. This happened when the
code sent in an e-mail modifies local host files on a personal computer. A computer with a compromised
host file will go to the fake Web site even if a user types in the correct Internet address or clicks on an
affected bookmark entry (Rouse, Pharming n.d.).

SPAM - unwanted email mostly from bots or advertisers. It can be used to send malware.

COMPUTER VIRUSES - are small programs or scripts that can negatively affect the health of your
computer. These malicious little programs can create files, move files, erase files, consume your computer's
memory, and cause your computer not to function correctly. Some viruses can duplicate themselves, attach
themselves to programs, and travel across networks. In fact, opening an infected e-mail attachment is the
most common way to get a virus (Christensson, Virus Definition 2011).

SPYWARE - is software that "spies" on your computer where it captures information like Web browsing
habits, e-mail messages, usernames and passwords, and credit card information. If left unchecked, the
software can transmit this data to another person's computer over the Internet. It can be installed when you
open an e-mail attachment containing the malicious software. It can also be installed when you install
another program that has a spyware installer attached to it (Christensson, Spyware Definition 2006).

POP-ADS - a type of window that appears on top of (over) the browser window of a Web site that a user
has visited (Pop-up Ad n.d.). It is also called as pop-up ads. It can also be used by hackers to steal your
personal information (such as your bank details). Clicking pop-up ads can redirect you to sites that can
infect your computer and system files (What Causes Pop-up Ads and How to Remove Them 2019).

HACKER - a clever or expert programmer who can gain unauthorized access to other computers. He can
"hack" his way through the security levels of a computer system or network (Christensson, Hacker
Definition 2006). And can vandalizes the victims’ website, steals personal information, obtains intellectual
property, and performs credit card fraud.
There are also common threats to personal safety. They are the following:

CYBERSTALKING – is the same as physical stalking by giving unwanted obsessive attention to a specific
person like following, secret surveillance, persistent and manipulative calling and texting, and other means
of approaching the victim unexpectedly but cyber stalkers rely on online technology to do it. Email, social
networks, instant messaging, personal data available online –everything on the Internet can be used by
cyberstalks to make inappropriate contact with their victims (Andrea 2020).

CYBERBULLYING - is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and
tablets. It can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where
people can view, participate in, or share content. It includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful,
false, or mean content about someone else like sharing personal or private information causing
embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior (What
Is Cyberbullying 2020).

ONLINE PREDATION - is the act of engaging an underage minor into inappropriate sexual relationships
through the internet. Online predators may attempt to initiate and seduce minors into relationships through
the use of chat rooms or internet forums. Online predators may try to lure kids and teens into sexual
conversations or even face-to-face meetings. Predators will sometimes send obscene material or request
that kids send pictures of themselves (Internet Safety for Kids-Staying safe from online predators n.d.).

FLAMING - is the act of saying mean things online, usually in ALL CAPS, and often in a public forum with
the intention to humiliate.

ONLINE ETHICS AND ETIQUETTE

In order for you to be safe and you can protect your private information while you are working online, you
need to know and apply online ethics and etiquette. Online ethics focuses on the acceptable use of online
resources in an online social environment.

NETIQUETTE is a combination of the words network and etiquette and is defined as a set of rules for
acceptable online behavior (What is Netiquette? A Guide to Online Ethics and Etiquette.

The Internet is defined as the information superhighway. This means that anyone has access to this
highway, can place information, and can grab that information. Any information, even things that have set
privately, can be accessed one way or another. This is why social networking sites like Facebook continue
to improve their security features. The threat of cybercrime is very real. While you may not experience the
threat now, whatever information we share today could affect our future.

TIPS TO STAY SAFE ONLINE

The Internet is a public place, and it is up to you to protect yourself. Here are some tips to help you stay
safe when using the Internet.

1. Be mindful of what you share online and what site you share it to.
2. Do not just accept terms and conditions; read it.
3. Check out the privacy policy page of a website to learn how the website handles the information you
share.
4. Know the security features of the social networking site you use. By keeping your profile private,
search engines will not be able to scan your profile.
5. Do not share your password with anyone.
6. Avoid logging in to public networks/Wi-Fi. Browsing in “incognito (or private) mode,” a feature of the
browser, will not protect you from hackers.
 7. Do not talk to strangers whether online or face-to-face.
8. Never post anything about a future vacation. It is similar to posting, “Rob my house at this date.”
9. Add friends you know in real life.
10. Avoid visiting untrusted websites.
11. Install and update an antivirus software on your computer. Use only one anti-virus software to avoid
conflict.
12. If you have a Wi-Fi at home, make it a private network by adding a password.
13. Avoid downloading anything from untrusted websites. You are most vulnerable in peer-to-peer
downloads (torrents) as the download is most likely not monitored by the site owner.
14. Buy the software; do not use pirated ones.
15. Do not reply or click links from suspicious emails.

INTERNET THREATS

Here are some of the threats you should be aware of when using the Internet:
1. MALWARE – (stands for malicious software) - is a set of instruction that run on your computer and
make your system do something than an attacker wants to.

What is it good for?

a. Steal personal information

b. Delete files
c. Click fraud
d. Steal software serial numbers
e. Use your computer as relay

Different Kinds of Malware

A. WORMS- a stand-alone malicious software that can self-replicate and propagate via computer
networks w/o human help. For example, the ILOVEYOU worm (LOVE BUG WORM) created by
Filipino.
B. TROJAN - disguised as a useful program but once downloaded or installed, leaves your PC
unprotected and allows hackers to get your information.
C. RANSOMWARE- a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until
a sum of money is paid.
*ROUGE SECURITY SOFTWARE - tricks the user into posing that it is a security software. It asks
the user to pay to improve his/her security but in reality, they are not protected at all.

D. SPYWARE - a program that runs in the background without you knowing it (thus called spy) It has
the ability to monitor what you are currently doing and typing through keylogging.
E. KEYLOGGERS - used to record the keystroke done by users. This is done to steal their password
or any other sensitive information.
F. VIRUS - loaded into user’s computer without the user’s knowledge and perform malicious actions
and can be transferred from one computer to another.
G. ADWARE - a program designed to send you advertisements, mostly as pop-ups.
H. ROOTKIT- A rootkit is a program or a collection of malicious software tools that give a threat actor
remote access to and control over a computer or other system.
I. REMOTE ACCESS TROJAN (RATs) - Remote access trojans (RATs) are malware designed to
allow an attacker to remotely control an infected computer.
PROTECTING REPUTATIONS ONLINE

- In the past, doing something embarrassing was not much of a big deal. It happened; people would
laugh at it, and they would move on. Nowadays, embarrassing moments are captured using any
device you could imagine. What is worse is that people can easily upload it to the Internet, where it
can be stored forever. This could impact not only your reputation but also the people around you.
What is worse is that people tend to ignore this fact and suffer from it later in their life.

- Once you post something over the Internet, search engines keep them in their archives for search
results. This makes anything you post to last forever even if you delete it in your page. Something
you and your friends find funny today may be something that could harm someone’s reputation later.

THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK

Here are things you might want to consider before posting something over the Internet:

1. Before you post something on the web, ask these questions to yourself: Would you want your
parents or grandparents to see it? Would you want your future boss to see it? Once you post
something on the web, you have no control of who sees your posts.

2. Your friends depend on you to protect their reputation online. Talk to your friends about this
serious responsibility.
3. Set you post to “private.” In this way, search engines will not be able to scan that post.

4. Avoid using names. Names are easy for search engines to scan.

5. If you feel that a post can affect you or other’s reputation, ask the one who posted it to pull it
down or report it as inappropriate.

COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT

Here are some tips that could help you avoid copyright infringement:

1. Understand. Copyright protects literary works, photographs, painting, drawings, films, music (and
lyrics), choreography, and sculptures, but it generally does NOT protect underlying ideas and facts.
This means that you can express something using your own words, but you should give credit to the
source.

2. Be responsible. Even if a material does not say that it is copyrighted, it is not a valid defense
against copyright. Be responsible enough to know if something has a copyright.

3. Be creative. Ask yourself whether what you are making is something that came from you or
something made from somebody else’s creativity. It is important to add your own creative genius in
everything that will be credited to you.

4. Know the law. There are some limitations to copyright laws. For instance, in the Philippines,
copyrights only last a lifetime (of the author) plus 50 years. There are also provisions for “fair use”
which mean that an intellectual property may be used without a consent as long as it is used in
commentaries, criticisms, search engines, parodies, news reports,
research, library archiving, teaching, and education. If you have doubts that what you are doing
does not fall under the policy of fair use, seek permission first. Another misconception is that
 fanfiction is not copyright infringement. In reality, it is and some copyright holders ignore them but
they can opt to use their rights.

ONLINE RESEARCH

1. Have a question in mind. Focus on a question you want answered. If it is a series of questions,
start with one. Never search everything on one go.

2. Narrow it down. Search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo use several filters to determine the
most appropriate result for you. These search engines use your previous search history and your
geographical location and send you the result which is the most related to you. Try to search
“weather” and most search engines would return the weather conditions of where you are. But if all
of these filters fail, you should remember to narrow down what you are searching for.

For example, if you where to look for Tom Sawyer, the animation series, you would better use the
keywords “Tom Sawyer animation” rather than just “Tom Sawyer.” Another example is if you were to
look for science research experiments, it would be better to include what branch of science is it or
what type of study it is.

3. Advance Search. The best way to filter information you get from search engines, is by using the
advanced search. This will allow you to filter out information you do not need.

4. Look for a credible source. Some wikis, though filled with updated information, are not a
credible source. This is due to the fact that anyone can edit its content. When using wikis, check out
the link of the cited text (indicated by superscript number) to be navigated to the footnote where the
list of sources is located. Click the source of the information and see if it is credible.

- The more credible sources are scientific, journals, established news and magazine websites,
online encyclopedia, and scholarly databases.

- You can also check the URL of a website if it ends with a .org, .gov, and .edu. A website that ends
with .com is intended to be a commercial website and may be slanted to promoting a product or
service. You should consider the intent of the information on the web page. In most cases, .edu
websites are best for research as government and organization websites may have a tendency to
make information favorable for them.

- Unfortunately, not all websites follow the standards in domain name conventions. Some sites use
the suffixes like .com loosely; some sites are not credible even though they use a .edu suffix.

- Another tip to validate if the information is correct is to have multiple sources of information.
Having two or more websites will you whether the information is reliable or not.

5. Give credit. If you are going to use the information from a source for educational purposes, give
credit to the original author of the page or information. To properly cite a reference, you may use the
format below: