COMPUTERS PART OF YOUR LIFE GRADE 11 THE

COMPUTERS, PART OF YOUR LIFE – GRADE 11

THE DARK SIDE OF COMPUTING Module 1. 6 “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people”

CONTENT Human and social aspects Information accuracy Data protection The criminal side of things Social engineering Computer misuse Invasion of privacy Malware Test and Improve

HUMAN AND SOCIAL ASPECTS – the technical aspects of protecting ourselves from human errors in computing

INFORMATION ACCURACY Errors and failures of computer systems can be caused by. . . Bad programming • logic errors • missing data validation techniques Poor training • make mistakes • lose trust in system Poor procedures • poor procedures for capturing data or generating reports • poorly designed forms that people fill in • poorly designed data flow

Errors and failures lead to inaccurate information and have negative consequences Breakdown in user trust Incorrect or delayed decision-making Decreased product quality

Breakdown in user trust • People make excuses not to use it • They run manual backup systems • Increased workload – less efficient

Incorrect or delayed decision-making ? People do not trust the information ? They delay making decisions / make wrong decision ? It can cost money or even lives ?

Decreased product quality • Poor information accuracy leads to decreased product quality • People who use information (= ourselves) must learn how to analyse / interpret / judge the quality of information

DATA PROTECTION Control access to physical data Control access to computers Limit and control use of portable storage

THE CRIMINAL SIDE OF THINGS

SOCIAL ENGINEERING The use of deception to manipulate or ‘con’ someone into giving out confidential information or into giving access to their computer or premises This can be used to impersonate them, to install malware, or for other fraudulent purposes

Typical examples of social engineering are when you get emails. . . telling you that you have won the lottery offering you a job or a business opportunity telling you of an unexpected inheritance telling you there is a problem with your online banking details

Best protection against social engineering Remember – ‘if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is’ Know the people you work with and don’t trust strangers around data Be sceptical of offers that need something from you THINK before you act

COMPUTER MISUSE Where computer resources are used without permission or for tasks not authorised by the owner of the computer Cuts productivity and ‘steals’ both computer time and work time

INVASION OF PRIVACY Looking at your boyfriend’s/girlfriend’s SMS messages on their phone without their knowing . . it invades their privacy as much as any company that tracks what you do on the internet

Consequences of invasion of privacy Loss of productivity Identity theft Your online view of reality is ‘customised’ to match what companies think you will like

MALWARE Malware takes many forms – ransomware, viruses, spyware, keyloggers, Trojans Ransomware Viruses Spyware Keyloggers Trojans

The social consequences of malware Financial cost • Cost to prevent infection • Ransomware – direct financial cost Lost productivity • Time wasted on recovery • Pay people to remove malware • Costs passed on to consumer Personal implications • • Less trust in others Possibility of fraud Life more complicated – passwords for everything Time wasted – dealing with spam, etc.

TEST AND IMPROVE USE SUMMARY FOR REVISION

WRITTEN MODULE ACTIVITY