Misuses of ICT Malpractice and crime © Folens 2008
Malpractice and crime Malpractice means improper or careless practice or misconduct. Crime means all those acts which are against the law. Both malpractice and crime cause problems for ICT users. © Folens 2008
Examples of malpractice Not logging off – meaning others cannot use your computer. Giving passwords and user-IDs to others. Viewing inappropriate material (e.g., pornographic websites). Using social networking sites in the firm’s time. Using the ICT facilities for non-authorised work. © Folens 2008
Examples of crime Downloading copyright music, video, programs, etc., without permission. Hacking – unauthorised access to ICT systems. Introducing viruses onto ICT systems. Identity theft – using banking details to commit fraud. Stealing hardware. Deliberately damaging ICT systems. Transferring personal details to others without the permission of the person whom the data is about. © Folens 2008
Here is an e-mail. Read it carefully. Is it genuine? Identity theft Here is an e-mail. Read it carefully. Is it genuine? © Folens 2008
No the e-mail is not genuine So how can we tell? Did you spot the following? A proper logo (note it is easy to scan one in so this does not make it genuine). A genuine e-mail from a bank would address you by name and include part of your account number. Often your postcode is included in the e-mail. There are grammatical errors in this e-mail. The Nationwide is not a bank – it is a building society! © Folens 2008
Phishing ‘Phishing’ means fishing for personal information using e-mails such as this one. If you follow the link you are taken to a website where you will be asked to part with personal and banking information. The whole process is called identity theft. © Folens 2008
Clicking on the link in the e-mail https://olb2.nationet.com/Update/Verify/default2.asp? You were taken to a website Here you were asked to enter account details The URL had changed to this: http://www.immortalityguild.com/files/data/index.html © Folens 2008
The site that will steal your identity © Folens 2008
What would happen if you were a Nationwide customer and you entered these details? They could log into your on-line account. They can transfer all your money to their own account. Usually this will be done in another country. They could use the information to commit further frauds. Identity theft is a crime. © Folens 2008
An example of malpractice Using image editing packages such as Photoshop you can alter images. When celebrities are photographed the image is often edited to remove spots, wrinkles, etc. This means people can no longer believe what they see. © Folens 2008
Faked photo A government minister was late for a photo shoot. A photograph was taken of the people who were there and a photograph of the minister on his own was used to add him to the picture. © Folens 2008
Scams A scam is a scheme to con you out of your money. People who think up scams, called scammers, use ICT to help them. Scammers use: text messages e-mail websites © Folens 2008
Examples of scams E-mails saying you have won money or goods as a prize. You have to send money before the prize can be released. On-line flirting in chat rooms or dating sites. You make friends with someone who is a criminal who will extract money from you. Bogus health claims – drugs which promise cures for all ailments. Flirting text messages – you get a message saying you have a secret admirer. You have to dial a premium rate number to find out they do not exist. © Folens 2008
Bogus sites Some sites contain bogus information. They are set up as a joke. Young people may think they are true. Young people may rely on the information or include the incorrect information in project work. Sometimes it is hard to spot they are bogus. © Folens 2008
Examples of bogus sites © Folens 2008
Another bogus site © Folens 2008
Spam Spam is abuse of ICT systems to send unsolicited bulk messages. Messages can be instant messages, text messages or e-mail. Spam is a nuisance because: Time is spent reading/deleting messages. Internet service providers have to provide more capacity to cope with it and some of this cost is passed to us. © Folens 2008
How to prevent spam Do not reply to spam. Never buy anything from a spammer. Use your e-mail spam blocking features. Use a dedicated anti-spam program – these filter your e-mail by blocking those e-mails identified as spam. Most ISPs (Internet service providers) block spam before it reaches you. © Folens 2008
Hacking Is illegal access to ICT systems. Can be an internal or external threat. Is illegal under the Misuse of Computers Act 1990. Hackers often use keyboard loggers which fit in the cable between the keyboard and the computer. Loggers record passwords and user-ids as they are entered using the keyboard. Organisations use firewalls to prevent illegal access to their ICT systems using the Internet. © Folens 2008
Viruses Virus programs are written by malicious people and are designed to cause harm to ICT systems or cause annoyance to users. They spread quickly by copying themselves onto new computers. They vary in their payload – some simply display annoying messages while others will delete files. Viruses can be prevented and removed by the use of anti-virus software. © Folens 2008