Year 8 Computing - Cyber Crime

A phishing email is one which:

• requests a payment for goods you have not received

• offers you products in which you may have no interest

• encourages you to click on a link to a fraudulent website

• contains abusive and threatening language

If you receive an email from a well-known company, but its name is misspelt in the sender’s address, you should:

• click on the link in the email to check if it’s genuine

• reply, pointing out the error

• report it as a possible phishing scam

• forward the email to a friend to check

Hacking is illegal under:

• The Data Protection Act

• The Computer Misuse Act

• Copyright Law

• Health and Safety Law

You receive a desperate plea for help from a friend who says they are stuck overseas and all their money has been stolen. You should:

• reply to the email

• delete the email

• send some money

• forward the email to a mutual friend

Gaining unauthorised access to someone else’s computer files is known as:

• copyright infringement

• hacking

• virus attack

• data theft

You can protect yourself against spam or fraudulent emails by:

• using a spam filter

• never clicking on links that you are suspicious of

• being aware of different types of fraudulent email

• all of the above

Under the Computer Misuse Act, it is illegal to:

• look at someone else’s computer files without permission

• look at someone else’s computer files without permission with intent to commit further criminal offences

• change data on someone else’s computer files without permission

• all of the above

Hackers:

• will destroy your computer hardware

• are rarely able to steal personal data

• sometimes steal passwords so they can access your online account

• can only steal one password at a time

You can protect your files from unauthorised access by:

• only allowing your friends and family to know your passwords

• making frequent backups

• choosing a strong password and changing it regularly

• never using computers in a public place such as a library

A computer virus is a small program which:

• will destroy your computer hardware

• you may unintentionally transmit to other computers and infect them

• can only be transmitted via email

• cannot be removed from your computer