Play it safe

The Internet is arguably the greatest wonder of the modern world, but it does come with certain downsides. A communication revolution and increased access to information are great, but not if the person doing the communicating is a con artist after your online banking details, or the information being accessed is yours - and private. Of course, there are threats to privacy and security in the real world, but on the Internet things are rather different, not least because the wrongdoer may take the form of a piece of software, entirely invisible to the victim: from a virus that wipes your hard-drive to a keylogger that attempts to keep a record of the usernames and passwords you type into web pages and then sends them to someone on the other side of the world. All of this is rather unsavoury, to say the least. But worry not: if you follow the advice in this chapter, you - and your data - should be fine.

The villains that threaten your files and privacy fall into two catego­ries: bad software - known as malware - and bad humans, known as hackers. Here's a quick look at each, followed by some tips for keeping them at bay.

" Malware" is short for " malicious software", which pretty well sums up what it is: computer code written with the express purpose of doing something harmful or shady. Though people often use the word " virus" to refer to all of them, there are actually a number of different types of malware out there.

Viruses are programs that infect other program files or floppy-disk boot sectors, so that they can spread from machine to machine. In order to catch a virus you must either run an infected program (possibly without your knowledge) or boot your machine with an infected floppy disk inserted fully into the drive. There are thousands of strains, most of which are no more than a nuisance, but some are capable of setting off a time bomb that could destroy the contents of your hard drive. A macro virus spreads by infecting Microsoft Word or Excel documents.

Worms, like viruses, are designed to spread. But rather than wait for an earthling to transfer the infected file or disk, they actively replicate themselves over a network such as the Internet. They might send themselves to all the contacts in your email address book, for example. That means worms can spread much faster than viruses. The " email viruses" that have made world news in recent years have, strictly speaking, been worms.

Trojans (short for Trojan horses) are programs with a hidden agenda. When you run the program it will do something unexpected, often without your knowledge. While viruses are designed to spread, Trojans are usually, though not always, designed to deliver a one-off pay packet. And a custom-built Trojan can be bound to any program, so that when you install it the Trojan will also install in the background. There are dozens of known Trojans circulating the Internet, most with the express purpose of opening a back door to your computer to allow in hackers while you're online.

Spyware, which may arrive via a Trojan, is software designed to snoop on your computing activity. Most commonly it's planted by some kind of

marketeer, who wants to find out about your online surfing and spending habits - usually to sell to someone else. But in theory it might also be someone with physical access to your computer who wants to keep an eye on you or even record the keystrokes when you log in to an Internet banking site.

Adware is any software designed to display advertisements. Some of it is perfectly legitimate - you accept a program with an ad banner, say, in return for getting it for free - but others may be installed without your consent and have the sole purpose of bombarding you with pop-ups.

The term " hacker" is somewhat fuzzy, as its original meaning - still in use among the computerati - is a legitimate computer programmer. But it’s the popular definition that concerns us here: someone who wants to break into, or meddle with, your computer. They may be a professional out to steal your secrets or a " script kiddy" playing with a prefab Trojan. They might be a vandal, a spy, a thief or simply just exploring. As far as you are concerned, it doesn't matter. You don't want them, or their handiwork, inside your computer.

/The Rough Guide to the Internet/

1. What is “malware”? What kinds of malware do you know?

2. What is the difference between Trojans and Worms? What other computer viruses do you know?

3. Who is a hacker? Can you provide some examples?

Exercise 20.Find English equivalents for the following:

- революция в области коммуникации

- расширенный доступ к информации

- безопасность

- вредитель

- программное обеспечение

- стереть содержимое жесткого диска

- имя пользователя

- пароль

- ярко выраженное преимущество

- подвергать пользователей меньшим рискам

- операционная система

- переносить вирус

- заражать программные файлы

- дискета

- распространяться от машины к машине

- заразиться

- запустить инфицированную программу

- привести в действие часовую бомбу

- содержания жесткого диска

- контакты в адресной книге на почте

- инсталлировать

- впускать хакеров

- присматривать за

- законный

Exercise 21.Find Russian equivalents for the following:

- threats to privacy

- keylogger

- platform

- malware

- to replicate

- to be bound to a program

- to circulate the Internet

- physical access to your computer

- to log in

- legitimate

- pop-up

- banner

Exercise 22. Explain the following:

Ÿ a Virus

Ÿ Worms

Ÿ Trojans

Ÿ Spyware

Ÿ Rabbit

Ÿ Animal

Ÿ Michelangelo

PRESENTATION ACTIVITIES

v Make a PowerPoint presentation illustrating different threats to computer well-being.

UNIT 3