ICT 8

Module 4: Safe and Responsible Use of Digital Technology

After going through this module, you are expected to:

 Explain different terminologies in safe and responsible use of digital technology
Lesson Objectives:
 Demonstrate an understanding different terminology in safe and responsible use of
digital technology
 Provide meaningful acronym by supplying phrases from the word WELLNESS
 Give ways on how to be safe in using internet

Lesson 1: Cyber Ethics

Cyber ethics is the study of ethics pertaining to computers, covering user behavior and
what computers are programmed to do, and how this affects individuals and society. For years,
various governments have enacted regulations while organizations have explained policies
about cyber ethics.
With the increase of young children using the internet, it is now very essential than ever to tell
children about how to properly operate the internet and its dangers. It is especially hard to talk
to teens because they do not want to be lectured about what is right and wrong. They seem to
think they have it all sorts out. That is why is it is important to instill appropriate cyber etiquette
at an early age but if you haven’t there is still time to tell to your child.
Responsible Behaviors on the Internet
Cyber ethics concerns to the code of responsible behavior on the Internet. Just as we
are taught to act responsibly in everyday life. The responsible behavior on the internet in many
ways aligns with all the right behavior in everyday life, but the results can be significantly
different.
Some people try to hide behind a false sense of obscurity on the internet, believing that it does
not matter if they behave badly online because no one knows who they are or how to search
them. That is not all the time true; browsers, computers and internet service providers may keep
logs of their activities which can be used to spot illegal or inappropriate behavior.
The Government has taken a positive role in making resources for parents and children to learn
about cyber ethics. This is a growing problem and without parents and teachers using the
resources available nothing can be done to prepare future generations of internet users from
being safe online.
Crime and Punishment
Children do not believe that they will get into any real problem from neglecting the use of
cyber ethics. It has become easy to track the origin of wrong activity over the internet to an
individual user. There is not much anonymity as a child may trust. The United States
Department of Justice has a recent list of Federal Computer Crime Cases teens this is a best
way to show children the costly consequences of their internet actions.
Internet Hacking
Hacking done by stealing classified information, stealing passwords to get into a site and
also recasting a website without permission. Since the world is run on computers it is important
that hackers are stopped. They could create viruses that could shut down important websites or
computer systems. So we have to make our children aware by telling its importance.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is increasing and people are becoming aware of its effects on
children. Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place carrying electronic technology. Electronic
technology carried by devices and equipment such as cell phones, computers, and tablets as
well as communication tools including social media sites, text messages, website and chat.
When a child encounters cyber bullying that they should:
 Tell a trusted adult, and keep telling them until they take action.
 Avoid to open, read or respond to messages from cyber bullies.
 Always keep messages from bullies. They may be needed to take corrective action
 Use software to block bullies if they encounter them through chat or IM.
Use of technology by students is globally accepted as it facilitates the searching and
retrieval of information needed for their academics and consequently the successful completion
of their education programs. They need to be aware and knowledgeable about the ethics
surrounding the use of ICT is therefore, important. Students must be aware and possess the
knowledge about cyber ethics. Therefore, cyber ethics education must be provided to students
by the school and colleges.
Understanding the importance of cyber ethics in daily life has become essential than ever
before. Similarly, it is crucial to know how to tackle the situation if you or your kid is being
victimized. Here are a few precautionary safety tips for using the internet, which you can apply
to save your children from cyber threats.
Rules in Cyber Ethics
“The basic rule is "Do not do something in cyberspace that you would consider wrong or
illegal in everyday life."
 Do not use rude or offensive language.
 Do not cyberbully.
 Do not plagiarize.
 Do not break into someone else's computer.
 Do not use someone else's password.
 Do not attempt to infect or in any way try to make someone else's computer unusable.
 Adhere to copyright restrictions when downloading material from the Internet, including
software, games, movies, or music.
Lesson 2: Cyber Safety
What is cyber safety?
Being safe and responsible when using information and communication technology.
Some examples of being cybersafe are:
 keeping personal information safe and secure (e.g. name, address, school, credit card,
password)
 being respectful of other people online
 learning about identifying good and bad behaviour online
The 3Cs of Safety in the Online World:
Contact:
 Think who you are sharing information with
 Being careful of who you trust online
Conduct:
 Thinking before you post or download
 Being positive and respectful online
 Not joining in cyber bullying
Content:
 Thinking about the personal and private information online
 Leaving a positive digital footprint
 Being original online (e.g. Copyright/plagiarism)
 Being alert online (e.g. to scams, pop-ups, ads)
Forms of Cyber Bullying
Whether it's posting public pictures, social statuses, or personal messages, cyber
bullying takes many forms. The most popular cyber bullying tactics are:
1. FLAMING
Online fights using electronic messages with angry and vulgar language.
 Joe and Alec's online exchange got angrier and angrier. Insults were flying. Joe warned
Alec to watch his back in school the next day.
2. HARASSMENT
Repeatedly sending nasty, mean, and insulting messages.
 Sara reported to the principal that Kayla was bullying another student. When Sara got
home, she had 35 angry messages in her e-mail box. The anonymous cruel messages
kept coming - some from complete strangers.

3. DENIGRATION
"Dissing" someone online. Sending or posting gossip or rumors about a person to damage
his or her reputation or friendships.
 Some boys created a "We Hate Joe" Web site where they posted jokes, cartoons,
gossip, and rumors, all dissing Joe.
4. IMPERSONATION
Pretending to be someone else and sending or posting material to get that person in trouble
or danger or to damage that person's reputation or friendships.
 Laura watched closely as Emma logged on to her account and discovered her
password. Later, Laura logged on to Emma's account and sent a hurtful message to
Emma's boyfriend, Adam.
5. OUTING
Sharing someone's secrets or embarrassing information or images online.
 Greg, an obese high school student, was changing in the locker room after gym class.
Matt took a picture of him with his cell phone camera. Within seconds, the picture was
flying around the phones at school.
6. TRICKERY
Talking someone into revealing secrets or embarrassing information, then sharing it online.
 Katie sent a message to Jessica pretending to be her friend and asking lots of questions.
Jessica responded, sharing really personal information. Katie forwarded the message to
lots of other people with her own comment, "Jessica is a loser."
7. EXCLUSION
Intentionally and cruelly excluding someone from an online group.
 Millie tries hard to fit in with a group of girls at school. She recently got on the "outs" with
a leader in this group. Now Millie has been blocked from the friendship links of all of the
girls.
8. CYBERSTALKING
Repeated, intense harassment and denigration that includes threats or creates significant
fear.
 When Annie broke up with Sam, he sent her many angry, threatening, pleading
messages. He spread nasty rumors about her to her friends and posted a sexually
suggestive picture she had given him in a sex-oriented discussion group, along with her
e-mail address and cell phone number.
Lesson 3: Cyber Wellness
What is Cyber Wellness?
 Cyber Wellness (CW) refers to the positive well-being of Internet users. It involves an
understanding of online behavior and awareness of how to protect oneself in cyberspace.
The focus of CW is about helping students to become responsible digital learners. When
navigating cyberspace, students should demonstrate respect for self and others and practice safe and
responsible use. Students should also be a positive peer influence by harnessing technology for
collaboration, learning and productivity, as well as advocating positive use of technology for the good of
the community.

To complement the CW curriculum in schools, parents can set a good example at home
in the use of technology and play an active role in guiding our children to navigate in
cyberspace. To ensure that their children are safe and have positive experiences online,
parents can:

Lesson 4: Cyber Security

What is cybersecurity?
 Cybersecurity is the art of protecting networks, devices, and data from unauthorized
access or criminal use and the practice of ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability of
information. It seems that everything relies on computers and the internet now—communication
(e.g., email, smartphones, tablets), entertainment (e.g., interactive video games, social media,
apps ), transportation (e.g., navigation systems), shopping (e.g., online shopping, credit cards),
medicine (e.g., medical equipment, medical records), and the list goes on. How much of your
daily life relies on technology? How much of your personal information is stored either on your
own computer, smartphone, tablet or on someone else's system?
What are the risks to having poor cybersecurity?
There are many risks, some more serious than others. Among these dangers are
malware erasing your entire system, an attacker breaking into your system and altering files, an
attacker using your computer to attack others, or an attacker stealing your credit card
information and making unauthorized purchases. There is no guarantee that even with the best
precautions some of these things won't happen to you, but there are steps you can take to
minimize the chances.
What can you do to improve your cybersecurity?
The first step in protecting yourself is to recognize the risks. Familiarize yourself with the
following terms to better understand the risks:
Hacker, attacker, or intruder – These terms are applied to the people who seek to exploit
weaknesses in software and computer systems for their own gain. Although their intentions are
sometimes benign and motivated by curiosity, their actions are typically in violation of the
intended use of the systems they are exploiting. The results can range from mere mischief
(creating a virus with no intentionally negative impact) to malicious activity (stealing or altering
information).
Malicious code – Malicious code (also called malware) is unwanted files or programs that can
cause harm to a computer or compromise data stored on a computer. Various classifications of
malicious code include viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. code may have the following
characteristics:
It might require you to actually do something before it infects your computer. This action could
be opening an email attachment or going to a particular webpage.
Some forms of malware propagate without user intervention and typically start by exploiting a
software vulnerability. Once the victim computer has been infected, the malware will attempt to
find and infect other computers. This malware can also propagate via email, websites, or
network-based software.
Some malware claims to be one thing, while in fact doing something different behind the
scenes. For example, a program that claims it will speed up your computer may actually be
sending confidential information to a remote intruder.
Vulnerabilities – Vulnerabilities are flaws in software, firmware, or hardware that can be
exploited by an attacker to perform unauthorized actions in a system. They can be caused by
software programming errors. Attackers take advantage of these errors to infect computers with
malware or perform other malicious activity.
To minimize the risks of cyberattacks, follow basic cybersecurity best practices:
Keep software up to date. Install software patches so that attackers cannot take advantage of
known problems or vulnerabilities. Many operating systems offer automatic updates. If this
option is available, you should enable it.
Run up-to-date antivirus software. A reputable antivirus software application is an important
protective measure against known malicious threats. It can automatically detect, quarantine,
and remove various types of malware. Be sure to enable automatic virus definition updates to
ensure maximum protection against the latest threats. Note: Because detection relies on
signatures—known patterns that can identify code as malware—even the best antivirus will not
provide adequate protections against new and advanced threats, such as zero-day exploits and
polymorphic viruses.
Use strong passwords. Select passwords that will be difficult for attackers to guess, and use
different passwords for different programs and devices. It is best to use long, strong
passphrases or passwords that consist of at least 16 characters.
Change default usernames and passwords. Default usernames and passwords are readily
available to malicious actors. Change default passwords, as soon as possible, to a sufficiently
strong and unique password.
Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA). Authentication is a process used to validate a
user’s identity. Attackers commonly exploit weak authentication processes. MFA uses at least
two identity components to authenticate a user’s identity, minimizing the risk of a cyberattacker
gaining access to an account if they know the username and password.
Install a firewall. Firewalls may be able to prevent some types of attack vectors by blocking
malicious traffic before it can enter a computer system, and by restricting unnecessary outbound
communications. Some device operating systems include a firewall. Enable and properly
configure the firewall as specified in the device or system owner’s manual.
Be suspicious of unexpected emails. Phishing emails are currently one of the most prevalent
risks to the average user. The goal of a phishing email is to gain information about you, steal
money from you, or install malware on your device. Be suspicious of all unexpected emails.