Question 1

Question 8What should you do to protect your identity on Internet ?

Accepted Answer

We can protect our identity on the Internet by using the following solutions: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.Private browsing — We can use the following to safely browse internet:Incognito browsing — It opens up a version of the browser that will not track our activity.Proxy — It works by acting as a middleman between our computer and the website we want to access.Virtual Private Network — It is a method used to protect our system from hackers trying to access our sensitive information.

Question 2

Question 10What are cookies ? How are they used by websites to track you ?

Accepted Answer

Cookies are small text files on our computer storing small pieces of information related to our online habits.Cookies are of two types:First party cookies — These store our own login id, passwords, auto fill information etc. for some websites that we frequently visit. They can identify us and track our browsing activity across a website.Third party cookies — The websites store these cookies to know about our search history and web browsing history so as to place advertisements as per our interests. Third party cookies may result in many unwanted advertisements on our webpages.

Question 3

Question 11What is Private browsing ? Why is it considered a better way of browsing the Internet?

Accepted Answer

A type of browsing wherein browser opens in incognito mode or through proxy or VPN, and does not store cookies about our online activity, is called Private browsing.It is considered a better way of browsing the Internet as it allows the user to use the Internet without revealing his/her search history and sharing data.

Question 4

Question 12Why are passwords considered an important safety tool?

Accepted Answer

Passwords are considered an important safety tool as a password helps to :Keep our personal information safe.Protect our emails, files, and other content.Prevent someone from breaking into our account.

Question 5

Question 13What should you keep in mind while choosing an effective password?

Accepted Answer

We should keep the following things in mind while choosing an effective password:Use different passwords on different systems and accounts.Don't use passwords that are based on personal information that can be easily accessed or guessed.Use a combination of capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.Don't use words that can be found in any dictionary of any language.Develop mnemonics such as passphrases for remembering complex passwords.

Question 6

Question 14What is confidentiality of information ? How do you ensure it ?

Accepted Answer

Confidentiality of information ensures that only authorized users get access to sensitive and protected data.To ensure confidentiality of information, we must follow the following best practices:Use firewall wherever possible to ensure only authentic users connect to the computer.Control Browser settings to block tracking.Browse privately whenever possible to avoid tracking by websites by not storing cookies.Be careful while posting on Internet and avoid sharing personal information like address, mobile number, bank details, etc on public Internet sites.Ensure safe sites while entering crucial information by checking for https and padlock sign.Carefully handle emails by not opening attachments from unknown senders and avoid clicking on links contained in the email.Do not give sensitive information on wireless networks.Avoid using public computers while dealing with crucial data.

Question 7

Question 15What is a computer virus ? How can it affect your computer ?

Accepted Answer

A computer virus is a computer program that can infect other computer programs by modifying them in such a way as to include a copy of itself.Viruses can alter, corrupt and delete files, freeze the computer, flash unknown or unasked messages or display unwanted graphics on the computer screen, play unwanted music and interfere with the computer operation.

Question 8

Question 16Why are antivirus software considered important ?

Accepted Answer

An antivirus software is considered important because it scans our disk for viruses and removes them, if any virus is found. Moreover, some antivirus software remains present in memory all the time so that they can detect the viruses and counterattack them.

Question 9

Question 17What type of damages can be caused by viruses to your computer?

Accepted Answer

A virus can damage our computer in the following ways:Some viruses may delete or damage random documents or specific files that are crucial to the operating system.Viruses can run in the background, without being seen, and may cause the computer to run extremely slow.Some forms of viruses may infect the email program and spread themselves to the contacts in the address book.

Question 10

Question 18What are Malware ? What type of damages can they cause to your computer ?

Accepted Answer

Malware is a general term used to refer to viruses, worms, spyware, adware etc. It is unwanted software that someone else wants to run on our computer. Malware infects our computer, making it behave in a way, which we do not approve of.Malware can damage our computer in the following ways:Some viruses may delete or damage random documents or specific files that are crucial to the operating system.Viruses can run in the background, without being seen, and may cause our computer to run extremely slow.Some forms of viruses may infect the email program and spread themselves to the contacts in the address book.Spyware can monitor information about our computing habits which in the end can lead to identity theft.Some forms of spyware can also alter computer settings like our web browser home page setting or the placement of our desktop icons.Spyware can rob our PC or system speed and Internet access efficiency.Adware tracks information about our data and computing habits to produce targeted advertising, such as pop-up ads, on your computer screen.When infected with adware, we will likely see frequent pop-up ads appear out of nowhere.

Question 11

Question 19What is the significance of a firewall in a computer's security scheme ?

Accepted Answer

A firewall secures the computer such that only authentic users can connect to it. The significance of firewall lies in its ability to monitor, filter, and control incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predefined security rules. This helps prevent unauthorized access, data breaches, and malicious attacks, such as viruses, malware, and hacking attempts, from reaching the protected computer system.

Question 12

Question 20What is cyber crime ? How can you report it ?

Accepted Answer

Any criminal offence that is facilitated by, or involves the use of, electronic communications or information systems, including any electronic device, computer, or the Internet is referred to as Cyber crime.A cyber crime can be reported in the following ways:The local police stations can be approached for filing complaints with the cyber crime cells specially designated with the jurisdiction to register complaint.Provisions have now been made for filing of 'E-FIR' in most of the states.The Ministry of Home Affairs is also launching a website for registering crimes against women and children online including cyber crimes.

Question 13

Question 21What is cyber bullying and cyber stalking ?

Accepted Answer

Harassing, demeaning, embarrassing, defaming or intimidating someone using modern technologies like Internet, cell phones, instant messengers, social networks etc., is called 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.

Question 14

Question 1What do you mean by online identity? List some threats to your online identity.

Accepted Answer

Online identity is a social identity that an internet user establishes in online communities and websites.Some threats to our online identity are as follows:Phishing — It is the illegal acquisition of personal and sensitive information (such as, online banking details, credit card details, and other login details) through deceptive emails or fake web pages that mimic well-known organizations.Dumpster Diving — It is a method cybercriminals use to obtain personal information from discarded documents like bills, credit cards, and passwords, which they can then exploit to steal the online identity of the targetted person.Shoulder Surfing — It is obtaining personal information, such as a PIN at an ATM machine, personal details while filling up a form, or the lock code of a smartphone through direct observation by looking over a person's shoulder.Employment Scam — In this scam, job seekers are promised high-paying jobs in exchange for money and personal information, targeting them via email, leading to identity theft and financial losses.Pretexting — It is the practice of obtaining a person's personal information using a fake name or fake company and then selling that information to people who use it to steal that person's online identity.

Question 15

Question 2How can you safeguard your confidential information from getting hacked?

Accepted Answer

We can use the following measures to safeguard our confidential information from getting hacked:Build strong passwords — It is important to create strong passwords for all our online accounts. A strong password should contain both uppercase and lowercase characters, as well as digits and punctuation. It should be atleast eight characters long.Use multifactor authentication — Multifactor authentication is one of the simplest and the most effective ways to secure data, which adds an extra layer of protection.Be suspicious of unsolicited e-mail — Be aware of nuisance ads and unsolicited e-mails from unknown sources. Try not to open any attachments that are along with such messages and do not reply to such messages.Be Aware of Online Posting — One should never post any personal details or one's location online. Keep the mobile tracking or location tracking feature off, if possible.Protect our mobile devices — Updating the mobile software on a regular basis will mitigate the risk of a cyber­ criminal exploiting a hole in mobile system.Engage in safe web browsing — Do not open any link from unknown sources or any pop up that appears. Both could be spyware used to plant tracking cookies on our machine, which can steal our information, direct us to bogus phishing sites, and pound us with pop-ups.Use safe sites to surf the internet — Always use the sites that start with https:\. The letter 's' specifies that it is a safe site to be browsed.Use firewall — A firewall should be implemented to safeguard our computer system and data from any unauthorized external source.Avoid using computers in public — Avoid using public computers to access private data like e-mails or sharing the private information like credit/debit card details.

Question 16

Question 3What is the relevance of private browsing? Explain with the help of an example.

Accepted Answer

Private browsing is a means by which we can safeguard our identity and browsing details when online. By enabling incognito browsing mode in our web browsers, we can prevent:Saving of our details as in the autofill featureAccidental saving of username and passwordsSaving of browsing history when accessing the web from a public domainSaving of data in cookiesLocation trackingFor example, when we search for flights tickets or hotel rooms online, tracking cookies are generated through which websites remember our travel plans. If we don't do the booking in that browsing session, it can lead to higher prices when we return. In incognito mode, prices typically stay the same because the site can't track our previous visits.

Question 17

Question 4Mention any two ways by which websites can track you.

Accepted Answer

Two ways by which websites can track us are as follows:IP Address — Data transfer on a network happens through unique numerical addresses called IP addresses, similar to home or office addresses. When we visit a website, our device shares its IP address, allowing the website to roughly estimate our geographical location.Cookies — Cookies are small data files, which are sent by the website we visit and are generated by our browser. These are then stored on our device. Cookies are used to track our record of visit to a particular website/webpage. There are three types of Cookies —First Party Cookies — These kinds of cookies are generally used to store login id, password, autofill information etc. for the frequently visited websites.Third Party Cookies — These are the cookies that websites store to get details of one's search history and web browsing history. These are most often used by advertising companies to track users across multiple websites that they visit.Session Cookies — These are temporary cookies that are deleted after we close our browser.

Question 18

Question 5Explain the term malware and its types. What precautions should be taken to prevent the entry of malware?

Accepted Answer

Malware is a malicious program that enters into a computer and damages it without the user's knowledge. It not only interrupts the normal working of a computer, but also steals important information of a user.The different types of malware are:Adware — Adware are programs that send unwanted advertisements to the user's computer. These advertisements generally appear in the form of pop ups, which can disrupt user's working.Spyware — Spyware is malicious software that can collect various types of personal information, such as tracking the internet surfing habits and visiting web pages by the user or changing the configuration of our system.Virus — A virus is a contagious program or code that attacks the user's system and causes damage to data and files on a system.Worm — A worm is a program which can create multiple copies of itself and can consume large portion of system memory.Trojan Horse — Trojan Horse is a program that at first glance seems to be useful but once it is activated, it harms the system by deleting files or by modifying useful information.Denial-of-service attack — It is a harmful program meant to slow down a system. It can block a computer network and makes the software inaccessible to the user.Rootkit — A malware designed to remotely control our system without being noticed. Once installed it will remotely access and modify sensitive system information without being tracked by any security program.Backdoors — This software helps the other malware to enter our system and harm it.Keyloggers — These are software designed to capture keystrokes without being identified by the user or security program.Ransomware — It sends messages on a user's system that the system is locked and the user will not be able to work on it until one pays a certain amount.Some precautions that should be taken to prevent the entry of malware are:Security Programs — Reliable and updated anti-virus program should be installed on the computer. It should also be programmed to regularly scan and quarantine the system.Secure Internet access — Only secure sites should be used for financial transactions avoiding sharing of personal information. Installation and download from unauthorised sources should be avoided.Regular security updates — Always update your applications and OS and pay special attention to security patches and bulletins for each software.Avoid Spams — Delete and avoid opening emails from unwanted or suspicious sources. Never download or open any attachments from such emails.Scanning All Portable devices — All Portable devices should be scanned before use.Backups — Regular backups are essential for data protection and integrity restoration.Disable cookies, if possible — Cookies should be disabled on the browser to ensure safety of personal information.

Question 19

Question 6Explain any four types of Cybercrimes.

Accepted Answer

Four types of Cyber crimes are:Cyber stalking — It is a crime in which the attacker harasses a victim by using electronic communication, such as e-mail, instant messaging, or messages posted to a website or a discussion group for reason of anger, revenge, or control. A stalker may be an online stranger or a person whom the target knows.Cyber bullying — It is an act of harming or harassing using information technology in a deliberate manner. This includes insulting remarks and threatening messages sent by e-mail, spreading rumours about the person either by e-mails or social networking sites, posting embarrassing photos and videos to hurt the person, derogatory remarks against gender, race, religion, or nationality.Cyber espionage — It is the practice of using information technology to obtain secret information without permission from its owners or holders. Cyber espionage is most often used to gain strategic, economic, political, or military advantage, and is conducted using cracking techniques and malware.Cyber Extortion — It is a crime that involves an attack coupled with a demand for money to stop further attacks. Cyber Extortion may involve a DoS (Denial of Service) attack or installation of Ransomware to access and block the system resources of the victim.

Question 20

Question 7What is confidentiality of information? Mention any three practices to protect your confidential information.

Accepted Answer

Confidentiality of information means that only authorized users can access the personal and sensitive information of any person like their bank details, credit card numbers, aadhaar number, etc.Three practices to protect our confidential information are as follows:All our online accounts should be protected with strong passwords.An extra layer of protection should be added to our online accounts through multi-factor authentication.A firewall should be implemented to safeguard our computer system and data from any unauthorized external source.

Cyber Safety

Assignment Questions

Long Answer Type Questions