Digital Culture & Practices Course Summary PDF

# ISIC - Cours : Digital Culture & Practices ## 1ère Année LF Info-com ### Hatim BOUMHAOUAD #### S1 Année 2024-2025 ## Introduction *“It’s not a faith in technology. It’s faith in people.”* - Steve Jobs - In past days, everything was Manual Processing for mailing system and preparing reports, whi...

# ISIC - Cours : Digital Culture & Practices ## 1ère Année LF Info-com ### Hatim BOUMHAOUAD #### S1 Année 2024-2025 ## Introduction *“It’s not a faith in technology. It’s faith in people.”* - Steve Jobs - In past days, everything was Manual Processing for mailing system and preparing reports, which were carried without electronic machine - Now, everyone is using Information Technology (IT) Knowingly or unknowingly. It is growing rapidly. It covers many different and distinct fields like Movies, wireless phones or internet. IT is used everywhere in any field. - User can use IT, for creating multimedia, in Business or for creating different magazine or websites. It not only helps the organization or the societies, but it is helpful to the Individual persons. ## Globalization: - It has united the world and played a major role in Globalization. Today we can not only share information quickly and efficiently but also bring down barriers of language and geographical boundaries. ## Communication: - IT made the communication cheaper, quicker and efficient. We can communicate with anyone, anywhere in the world. ## Introduction - **communication** - **support** - **servers** - **network** - **applications** ↑ **hardware** **computer/database** **Information Technology** ↑ **internet** **security** **software** **design** ## IT discipline include: - Computing - Information Engineering - Telecommunication - Database Management - Software Engineering - Organizational Behavior (information system) - Ecommerce ## Introduction **THE SCIENCE OF TODAY IS THE TECHNOLOGY OF TOMORROW.** - Edward Teller ## What is information technology? - The term information technology in its modern sense first appeared in a 1958 article published in the *Harvard Business Review*; authors Harold J. Leavitt and Thomas L. ## What is information technology? - Information Technology is a concept. It is not a hardware part or a device. - IT (information technology) is a term that encompasses all forms of technology used to create, store, secure, encode, exchange, and use information in its various forms. - It is the technology that is driving what has often been called "The Information Revolution": the use of Computing with high-speed telecommunication networks (communication links) to spread the information from one place (source) to another (recipient). - Computer + information are a very important component of information technology. The world has become "global village" due to advancement in IT. ## What is information? - Information is data processed for some purpose. - Information meets certain criteria: - it must be communicated; - it must be a suitable form; - it must be in a language that is understood; - it must be relevant for achieving some purpose. - Information (a set of data): - Images - Sound - Text - Numbers - Text + Numbers = Alphanumeric Characters ## Information technology's timeline - **75,000 B.C.** Rock Carvings - **<4000 B.C.** Hieroglyphics - **1500 B.C.** Alphabetic Writing - **2200 B.C.** Papyrus - **1450 A.D.** Printing Press - **1835** Photography - **1840** Telegraph - **1876** Telephone - **1876** Phonograph - **1887** Flat Disk Gramophone - **1894** Wireless Telegraph - **1895** Silent Movies - **1922** Radio Broadcasts - **1940** Black and White TV - **1942** ABC - **1947** Transistor - **1965** Local Cable TV - **1970's** VCR - **1973** Fax Machines - **1977** Apple II Home Computers - **1977** Fiber Optics - **1980's** Cell Phones - **1981** IBM PC - **1983** CDs - **1984** Apple Mac - **1990** Digital Photography - **1991** World Wide Web - **1998** MP-3 ## Information technology's timeline ## Information Age and the Internet - The information age, made possible by the advent of electronic computers, is characterized by the shift from traditional industry to an economy based on information digitization. ## What is Network? - A Network is a collection of computers and devices connected together, often wirelessly, via communications devices and transmission media. ## What is Computer? - An electronic device that is programmed to accept data, process data into useful information and store it for later use. It processes the data according to a sequence of instructions provided in the form of a program. ### How computers process information - Computers accept inputs (data) - The input is translated into binary numbers and 'processed' - The process produces output (information) - This sequence can repeat endlessly: outputs can be inputs! Illustrating the the 'Black Box' model ## What is Computer? ### How computers process information - We can think of a computer as a “Black Box" [input 3+5] ----> [process] ----> [output 8] ## What is Computer? - Computer consists of **hardware** and **software** - Software is a set of instructions that tells a computer what to do - Hardware is the physical part of a computer Ex. keyboard, mouse... ### Types of Computers: - Analog computers - Digital computers ## What is Computer? - An analog computer recognizes data as a continuous measurement of a physical property. - Its output is usually displayed on a meter or graphs. - Ex. Analog clock, speed of a car, Analog Water Flow Meter, etc ## What is Computer? - A Digital Computer works with numbers. - It breaks all types of information into tiny units and uses numbers to represent those pieces of information. - Everything is described in two states : either ON (1) or OFF (0). ## Categories of Digital Computer? - Personal computers - Mobile computers and mobile devices - Game consoles - Servers - Mainframes - Supercomputers <start_of_image>## Categories of Digital Computer? ### Personal Computers (PC). - A Personal Computer can perform all of its input, processing, output, and storage activities by itself; - Two popular architectures are the PC and the Apple. ## Categories of Digital Computer? ### Mobile Computers & mobile devices. #### Mobile Computer: - A Personal computer that you can carry from place to place - Examples: notebook computers, laptop computers and Tablet. #### Mobile devices - A Computing device which is small enough to hold in your hand, - Examples: smartphones, e-book readers, handheld computers and portable media players. ## Categories of Digital Computer? ### Game consoles. - A game console is a mobile computing device designed for single-player or multiplayer video games ## Categories of Digital Computer? ### Servers. - A server controls access to the hardware, software, and other resources on a network; - It Provides a centralized storage area for programs, data and inform on. ## Categories of Digital Computer? ### Servers. #### PC and server: the differences #### PC (Personal Computer), Mac - For use by one person (also called microcomputer) - For small applications - Word processing, spreadsheet - Browser, Messaging - Games - Audio & video players - Some business programs #### Serveur - Much more powerful and faster than the PC (more memory, more powerful processor) - Professional use: stays on 24/7 - Large applications (example: website, database, management) - It is surrounded by strong security measures (data backup, 24/7 human monitoring, etc.) - A server is often specialized by application, for more speed ## Categories of Digital Computer? ### Mainframes - A Mainframe is a large, expensive, powerful computer that can handle hundreds or thousands of connected users simultaneously ## Categories of Digital Computer? ### Supercomputers - A supercomputer is the fastest, the most powerful computer. - It is capable of processing more than one quadrillion instructions in a single second. ## What is Computer? ### What is computer Hardware? - The components which we can see and touch_are called hardware. For eg: keybaord, Printers, Mouse, Headphone, Speakers and C.P.U (Central Processing Unit)... are called computer hardware. ## What is Computer? ### What is computer Hardware? - **Motherboard, mainboard, system board (Carte mère)** - It is the basic base on which the other components of the CPU and all peripherals are connected. It distributes information and coordinates the actions of all other components of the computer. - [Processor] - [Memory card] - [Network Interface Card] - [Sound card] - [Graphics card] = [Assembled in a case] ## What is Computer? ### What is computer Hardware? ### What is Processor (CPU)? - Types include Intel Pentium series, Celerion, ... - Chip at the heart of the computer : does the calculations; - Speed is very important - measured in megahertz (MHz) : the faster the processor the more calculations performed per second. ## What is Computer? ### What is computer's memory? - A computer uses several types of memory: [Memory] [Volatile Memory] [Random Access Memory (RAM)] [Non-Volatile Memory] [Read Only Memory (ROM)] ## What is Computer? ### What is computer's memory? ### Random Access Memory (RAM): - Used by the Computer as the working area - Holds the working program, the data being processed and the interim results - Volatile: contents are erased if power is cut - Can be accessed randomly: can get any piece of data directly. - Faster than permanent storage ## What is Computer? ### What is computer's memory? ### Read Only Memory (ROM): - Permanent Memory - Records and stores all programs and data - Larger than RAM - Slower than RAM : involves mechanical movement (revolving disk) ## What is Computer? ### What are units of memory? ### About Memory - There are various units which are used to measure computer memory - **Bit** - Smallest unit of computer memory - **Byte - 8 bit = 1 byte** - **Kilobyte - 1024 byte = 1 kb** - **Megabyte - 1024 kb = 1 mb** - **Gigabyte - 1024 mb = 1 gb** - **Terabyte 1024 gb = 1 tb** ## What is Computer? ### What is Software? - Software helps users to interact with the machine. - It allows users to enter data and to display outputs. For eg. MS-office, Games, Windows application software, Unix etc. are different types of software. - Whatever computer performs, it totally depends on software. - Software means a set of instructions that tells the计算机What to do. Software controls the operations of the computer. - Without software computer is just a dump machine. ### Software are of two types: - System software - Application software. ## What is Computer? ### What is System software? - System software (OS: Operating System) controls computer programming. It makes computer start or perform useful work or allows loading different softwares. Examples are Windows, MacOS, Unix, etc. - OS for Macs = MacOS - *Business model: a single supplier for the OS and hardware (Apple)* - OS for PCs = Windows. - *Business model: a single supplier for the OS (Microsoft), several suppliers for the hardware (Dell, Sony, Toshiba,...)Free* - OS = Linux (this OS works on PCs and Macs) - *Business model: several suppliers for the OS and hardware* ## What is Computer? ### What is System software? ### For microcomputers: - **PCs:** Windows (publisher Microsoft) - *Exists in different versions: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, ...* - **Macs:** MacOS (publisher Apple) - *Exists in different versions: Mac OS 9.x, 10.x* ### For servers: - Unix (publisher Sun) - Windows NT (publisher Microsoft) ### For all: - Linux (free software publisher) ## What is Computer? ### What is System software? ### Compatibility - Each OS generates its own set of different applications. - An application (word processing, messaging, game, etc.) that "runs" on Windows must be rewritten to run on Mac OS, Unix or Linux and vice versa. ## What is Computer? ### What is peripheral plug&play? - Before using some peripherals for the first time, you have to install a specific program on your computer : this type of program is called a driver. - The so-called "plug&play" devices (peripherals) don't need to install a special program to work. When you plug them in, even for the first time, even when they are running, the computer recognizes them and allows them to be used immediately. ## What is Computer? ### What is Application software? - Application Software is any program that process data. These are the software used for specific task. - Application system software is executed with the help of the operating system. It performs specific tasks like database manipulating or graphics presentations, etc. - E.g. Ms-Office, Google Chrome, etc. - Software uses data and processes it to give result. ## What is Data ? - Data is the information provided from the user or the software. - It is the output generated by the computer. - Computer is programmed to accept data, process it into useful information and store it for later use. - Different types of Data: characters, numbers, other symbols. Data may be in any form. It may be letters, photos, videos or sound... - Data is a raw material and final product also. - To compute this data, high power processor is used. ## What is Data ? ### The problem? - How to transform texts, numbers, calculation formulas, images, videos, sounds... Into "something" on a floppy disk, a hard disk... Usable/understandable/manipulable by a computer? - We need to find a basic unit of information, simple enough for a machine to understand it. ## What is Data ? ### The bit (binary digit): - Binary variable: which has only two possible values "Yes or no", "on or off"... - In computing, we use the values “0 or 1” - Any digital information (any of your content) is recorded in a file in the form of a succession of 0 and 1 - 1001010001101000110100101101001010011100 -------- ## What is Data ? ### The bit (binary digit): - To decrypt the meaning of this succession of 0 and 1, we group them into packets of 8 (this is a convention). - 100101000110100011010010|10100100011100......... - 1 byte = 1 packet of 8 bits - Each byte has a very specific meaning ## What is Data ? ### The bit (binary digit): ### How to decode bytes? - For each box, choice between two values: 0 or 1 - 10000000 = Possibility n°1 - 01000000 = Possibility n°2 - 00100000 = Possibility n° 3 - 11000000 = Possibility n° 9 - 10101000 = Possibility n°48 - etc ... - In total, 256 possible combinations - We find all the characters on a computer keyboard. In ASCII: 1 byte = 1 keyboard character ## What is Data ? ### The bit (binary digit): - There is a difference between the terms used in French and English - **Français** - Bit - Octet - KO - MO - GO - **Anglais** - Bit - Byte - KB - MB - GB *Bit et Byte: not to be confused!* ## What is file extension ? - The extension of a file indicates how a file was created and the decoding system (the software) to use to read the bytes. - It is indicated at the end of the file by letters after a dot. ### Examples: - **.jpeg, .gif:** read by image processing software (Photoshop, Gimp) - **.doc, .rtf:** read by word processing software (Microsoft Word, Open office) - **.pdf:** read by document publishing software (Acrobat Reader) - **.avi, .mov:** read by sound and video software (Quicktime, Audacity, VLC, Windows Media Player...) - **.html:** read by internet browsers (Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla) - **.exe (executable)** does not need any software to be read (under Windows), just click on it ## What is Data ? ### Analog vs. Digital - These are two different ways of recording information on a physical medium - **Digital =** the information is reduced to a series of binary information (series of 0 or 1) - **Analog =** the information can take continuous values (infinite) (like the sound of a violin). Examples of analog media: audio cassettes, vinyl records, video cassettes... ## Limitations of IT - **Literacy:** Trained persons are required to handle and use IT. Illiterate person can not use Technology properly. - **Backup:** Every back up is necessary. If computer data is lost, then everything is to be done again. - **Affects human relationships:** when everything (entertainment) is available at home, it makes humans being lazy. - **Unemployment:** Big organizations are changing their technologies and turning the new. Due to that, les manpower is required. This causes the increase of unemployment. - **Increases costs:** The use of new technologies, skilled persons are required. They have to be paid more salary. - **Violation of privacy.** - **Social isolation:** Social isolation is characterized by a lack of contact with other people in normal daily living, such as, the with friends and in social activities. We isolate ourselves walking around in our own little world, listening to our iPods or staring at the screen of the latest mobile device even when we are around other people. Studies have shown that people who are socially isolated will live lives. - **Lack of Social Skills:** The use of online social media outlets causes us to meet face-to-face with much less frequency resulting in a lack of much needed social skills. We lose the ability to read body language and social cues in other - **Poor Sleep Habits:** Some of the negative effects of technology can be linked to the it has on sleep habits. We get soacked into online activities that keep us up too late and the constant stream of information can make it difficult to turn off our brains. Also, the ambient glow from screens can affect the release of melatonin, the sleep chemical. Keeping technology out of the bedroom would be a very habit to acquire. ## Personal data protection ### What's personal data? - Personal data is basically any piece of information that helps someone to know who you are, like your full name, your birthday, your email address, your phone number, or your home address. - It's not only information that's written down, it can also be information about what you look like or sound like, for example photos or videos that you've posted online, or your voice recordings. - It can even be information about what you're interested in, like things you search for online, or the kinds of posts you click on the most on social media. ## Personal data protection ### What's personal data? - Personal data can also be information that you might not even know is being collected about you. For example, your image might be captured on a security camera in a shopping centre or information might be collected from your phone when you log on to a public Wi-Fi network, like the Wi-Fi in shops or cafes... - It's important to be aware that individuals can be identified: - Directly, if you are able to identify a specific individual solely through the data you're processing. Example: name, ID number, email address. - Indirectly, if different sets of data from different sources, when combined, could identify a specific person. Example: gender, birth date, licence plate number. ## Personal data protection ### Examples of personal data - Name and surname - ID card number - Online identifiers (e.g. usernames, IP addresses) - CCTV footage ## Personal data protection ### Examples of non-personal data - An organisation's corporate registration number - Mailboxes such as [email protected] ## Personal data protection ### What's sensitive data? - The following personal data is considered 'sensitive' and is subject to specific processing conditions: - Personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs; - Trade-union membership; - Genetic data, biometric data processed solely to identify a human being; - Health-related data; - Data concerning a person's sex life or sexual orientation; - Criminal record. ## Personal data protection ### What's sensitive data? - It's important to differentiate between personal data and sensitive personal data because the processing of sensitive personal data usually requires additional safeguards to be in place. ## Personal data protection ### What's data protection? - Data protection is about the rules that organisations&States have to follow and the rights you have when you share your personal data. - There are lots of rules that organisations have to follow when they use your data in any way, from collecting it to storing it, sharing it with someone else, or getting rid of it. - You have rights over your personal data, such as the right to ask for a copy of your own personal data or to have it deleted. - These rules and rights are called data protection and they are applied in the real world and the online world. - Children and young people have exactly the same rights as adults when it comes to their personal data. ## Personal data protection ### What's data protection? - The Law 09-08_was introduced on February 18, 2009. It is a set of data protection rules and rights that gives Moroccans more of a say about what happens to their personal data ; - We all share countless pieces of personal data every day, so data protection law is important for all of us. It makes sure that the organizations that collect this personal data keep it safe and use it fairly. ## Personal data protection ### What does the Data Protection Commission do? - It makes sure that organizations follow the data protection rules. - If organizations don't follow these rules, it can order them: - to stop collecting or using personal data, - to give better information to people about what they're doing with their personal data, - to delete the personal data, or - to give a copy of the personal data to the person it belongs to. - It can even fine organizations which don't follow the rules. - It also has other important tasks like dealing with people's complaints and investigating whether organizations are following data protection rules properly. ## Personal data protection ### Who collects personal data about you? - Lots of organizations collect your personal data in real life, for example your school, your local sports club where you're a member and your doctor. - They collect different information about you, like how you're doing at school and your grades, or information about your health and any illnesses you might have. ## Personal data protection ### Who collects personal data about you? - Your personal data is also collected by websites, social media platforms and apps that you use. In fact, a lot of personal data, that is collected about you, happens online. - When you use social media, you're sharing information about you and photos and videos of yourself : - When you use a route planner app on your phone, you're sharing information about your location and where you're going. - When you click on ads, fill in forms or play games online, it all involves sharing personal data. ## Personal data protection ### Who collects personal data about you? - Organizations use your personal data for lots of different reasons. For example, a school uses your data to provide you with an education and keep track of your grades. - A hospital collects your personal data to keep a record of when you've been sick and what treatments or medicine you were given. Your local sports club uses your data to tell you when training sessions and matches are taking place, or to contact your parents or guardians if you've had an accident or an injury during a game. ## Personal data protection ### Who collects personal data about you? - Online companies can also use your personal data to make their website, app or platform more relevant to what you're interested in. - An example of this is when you're watching a TV show on a streaming service, and it remembers what episode you're on or it tells you about a similar type of show you might be interested in. ## Personal data protection ### What's Data privacy? - Data privacy is far more than just the security and protection of personal data. - It all boils down to how organizations are using that personal data. Organizations need to process personal data in an ethical and legal manner. - That could mean : - not bombarding customers with unwanted SMS marketing messages - not sharing personal information with third parties without the customer's consent. - It doesn't mean that marketing is now forbidden under data privacy laws, but it does mean that organizations need to be transparent about what personal data they are capturing and how it's going to be used. ## Personal data protection ### Why is respecting data privacy important? - Companies that fail to protect personal data and comply with data privacy regulations aren't just risking financial penalties. They also risk operational inefficiencies, intervention by regulators and most importantly permanent loss of consumer trust. ## Personal data protection ### Why is respecting data privacy important? - There are seven key data privacy principles that form the fundamental conditions that organizations must follow when processing personal data : - **Transparency:** You should always process personal data in a fair, lawful and transparent manner. - **Purpose limitation:** You should only process personal data for a specified and lawful purpose. - **Accuracy:** You should ensure personal data is kept up to date, and that necessary measures are in place for correcting and updating inaccurate data. - **Storage limitation:** You must not keep personal data for longer than you need it. ## Personal data protection ### Why is respecting data privacy important? - There are seven key data privacy principles that form the fundamental conditions that organisations must follow when processing personal data : - **Data minimisation:** You must ensure you are only processing the personal data that you truly need and nothing more. - **Integrity and confidentiality:** You must implement adequate security controls to ensure that personal data is protected against loss, destruction or damage. - **Accountability:** You must have appropriate measures and records in place to be able to demonstrate your compliance. ## Personal data protection ### What about individuals' rights? - There are seven key data privacy principles that form the fundamental conditions that organizations must follow when processing personal data : - **Right to access personal data:** Individuals have the right to access and request copies of their personal data. - **Right to limit personal data processing:** Individuals have the right to request the restriction of the processing of their personal data. - **Rights related to automated decision making and profiling:** Individuals can object to decisions made about them based solely on automated and mechanical processing. - **Right to correct personal data:** Individuals can have their personal data rectified if inaccurate or, completed if it is incomplete. - **Right to transfer personal data:** Individuals have the ability to receive data in an organized, commonly used machine-readable form. - **Right to erasure:** Individuals can have their personal data deleted without undue delay. ## Personal data protection ### In search of digital notoriety - You don't have to be on social networks to be there: everything depends on the credibility and quality of your contacts and contributions. - E-reputation is the common opinion (information, opinions, exchanges, comments, rumors, etc.) of a person on the Web. ## Personal data protection ### Manage your content - Do not publish anything and on anyone, you are responsible for the content published on your own forum, blog, personal space. - Also limit the possibility of your audience to publish on your pages by authorizing publications only after proofreading. This approach allows moderation of published content. ## Personal data protection ### Minimize data propagation content - **Mandatory data:** Some data collection is mandatory, you can't object to everything. For example, to order online, you have to give your address so that the package is delivered. - **Optional data:** Forms often ask for a lot of information. Not all of it is mandatory, read the information at the bottom of the forms. - Beware of pre-checked boxes, which mention that you have given your agreement regarding specific conditions (installation of third-party software, recovery of personal data, credit card, etc.). ## Personal data protection ### Configure your digital device - A cookie is a file sent by the website that is consulted and saved on the user's digital device. - It can be used for authentication, a session or to store specific information about the user, such as the preferences of a site or the contents of an electronic shopping cart. - Be sure to configure your browser so that it provides a minimum of data. - Monitor cookies and more particularly third-party cookies. Indeed, a web page can be composed of elements (video, text, photo, ad) from other websites. - The content of third-party cookies are cookies that are defined by a website other than the one you are on. - Some advertisers use these types of cookies to track your visits to websites. ## Personal data protection ### Did you Google your name? - Type you first and last Name into Google and analyze your results: - Are you absent? - Are you Anonymous? - Are your personal networks open? - Do negative traces appear? ## Personal data protection ### Create alerts - Automatically receive an email when you are cited in a publication. ## Personal data protection ### Action plan - If the content is discriminatory, offensive, defamatory or if it violates your privacy: - Ask the site to remove the article. - Ask the author for immediate removal. - File a complaint with the authorities (police). - File a complaint with the CNDP. - In any case, react! You can also, depending on the urgency and severity: - Leave a comment to defend yourself against possible accusations. ## Personal data protection ### Advice - Do not write passwords in notepad - Keep your files in another medium (hard drive, USB flash drive, etc.) - Avoid sharing data with HTTP - Avoid Beta versions - Avoid apps outside googleplay - Pay attention to text messages and emails received asking you to open a file or a link - Pay attention to certain mobile applications: live football matches or movies - Use a VPN app if you call someone using a public wifi or to avoid evil twin Symptoms: your phone is hacked if : - your flash or Pop Up Camera are activated without you having done it - the battery drains quickly : some (spy) applications run in the background (in secret) - In length abruptly - foreign applications installed (check the list e.g. apps starting with service...) ## Personal data protection ### Advice - Fraudulent web pages or emails. - Malware (Logiciel malveillant) : like install (APK) an app like Netflix, out of Play Store or App Store. After that, it asks you to access to your contacts, or open your camera or permissions that have nothing to do with the purpose of the application (watching movies). ## Personal data protection ### Advice ### The evil twin : - During an Evil Twin attack, a hacker sets up a fake WiFi network that appears legitimate. As soon as an Internet user connects to it, their personal data and login are stolen. - The fake WiFi access point attracts users looking for an internet connection, in order to steal their information. - The hacker owns all the equipment used, and the victim therefore has no idea that sensitive operations such as banking transactions are being intercepted. - Once connected to the fake WiFi, the victim is oriented to a Phishing site where they enter their sensitive data. This information is transmitted directly to the hacker. ## Personal data protection ### Advice ### How does an Evil Twin attack work? - The key to an Evil Twin attack is to trick the victim into thinking they are connecting to a trustworthy WiFi network. In order to fool Internet users, the hacker usually follows several steps. - First, they choose a busy location with free WiFi. This could be an airport, a library, or a coffee shop. These locations often have multiple WiFi access points with the same name, allowing the hacker to put the fake network. - Next, the cybercriminal creates a new hotspot using the same SSID (Service Set Identifier) name as the real WiFi network. They can even clone its MAC address. Any device can be used to create this hotspot, such as a phone, laptop, tablet, or portable router. - He then creates a fake login portal page, demanding the user's credentials. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to distinguish a real login page from a fake one... - The hacker can then move his device or mobile router closer to potential victims. This allows him to increase the signal strength, in order to encourage passersby to choose this network. Some devices even automatically connect to the network if its signal is the strongest. - Alternatively, the hacker can also launch a DDoS attack (Distributed Denial of Service) on the real network to prevent it from working. All devices will be disconnected, and Internet users will probably choose the Evil Twin of the same name from the list of available networks. - Finally, like a fisherman waiting for a fish to bite, the hacker only has to wait for a victim to connect to his Evil Twin network. From then on, he will be able to monitor all of his online activity and collect his login details. ## Personal data protection ### Advice ### The evil twin : Example - Let's imagine that a customer of a coffee shop decides to connect to the establishment's public WiFi network. A regular customer of the establishment has already connected to this access point on numerous occasions and knows that it is reliable and trustworthy. - However, he is unaware that a hacker has set up an Evil Twin network with the same SSID name, and offering a stronger signal than the legitimate access point. Although this network is marked as "unsecured", the customer of the coffee shop chooses to connect to it to benefit from a stable speed. - He then goes to his bank's website to check his account balance. By entering his login details, he unknowingly transmits them to the hacker who can use them to connect to his account or to any other website for which the victim uses the same password. ## Personal data protection ### Advice ### The evil twin : How to protect yourself - First, avoid logging into your accounts from public WiFi. That way, even if you're unknowingly connected to an Evil Twin, the hacker won't be able to steal your credentials. - For all your sensitive web accounts, use two-factor authentication whenever possible. Even if the hacker gets your credentials, they won't be able to log into your accounts. - Only visit HTTPS websites, especially on open public networks. These sites offer end-to-end encryption, which prevents hackers from monitoring your activity when you visit them. - Avoid connecting to a WiFi hotspot if your device indicates that it is unsecured. Even a familiar name should not make you let your guard down! ## Personal data protection ### Advice ### The evil twin : How to protect yourself - If you connect to a public WiFi network, always use a VPN. This will encrypt the traffic before it leaves the device, preventing anyone from monitoring your web browsing. - Don't ignore notifications from your device, especially if you're being kicked off the network or if the device doesn't recognize a WiFi you think you know. That's a red flag.