Danger Online - Oxford International Primary Computing

## 2.2 Danger Online ### In this lesson, you will learn: * about the risks you face online from cybercriminals. ### Cybercrime One risk you face on the internet is cybercrime. A cybercriminal is someone who uses the internet to commit their crimes. Some cybercriminals sell illegally over the int...

## 2.2 Danger Online ### In this lesson, you will learn: * about the risks you face online from cybercriminals. ### Cybercrime One risk you face on the internet is cybercrime. A cybercriminal is someone who uses the internet to commit their crimes. Some cybercriminals sell illegally over the internet. Some cybercriminals attempt to steal money and other possessions from people. ### Cybercrime methods Criminals use several methods to steal people's money and identities: * **Identity theft** - A criminal steals personal information such as a person's name and address. They also steal official information such as social security numbers or passport numbers. Criminals can use a stolen identity to pretend they are someone else. They can open a bank account or a credit card account in someone else's name. They then use these fake accounts to buy goods or to steal money from banks. * **Phishing** - A criminal creates a fake website that looks like the official website of a real bank or internet shopping website. The criminal then writes a fake email that looks like it comes from the bank or shopping website. The email tells the person receiving the email that there is a problem with their account and they must log in to solve the problem. There is a link to the fake website. When the person logs in, the fake website records their username and password. The criminal can then use the person's login details to steal money. * **Scamming** - A criminal sends out an email that asks for money. Sometimes the email contains a threat that the victim owes money and will have to go to court if they do not pay the debt. Sometimes the email offers something for sale at a very low price or asks for a donation to a charity. Scammers also use social media sites. If the criminal emails enough victims, someone will be fooled and will send money to the criminal. * **Hacking** - A criminal breaks into a computer system, usually to steal files or personal information. Hackers usually try to break into computer systems that hold a lot of personal information. Bank systems are an example of the type of system that hackers attack. ### Did you know? Banks and other organisations sometimes employ hackers to attempt to break into their systems. This can reveal weak spots where the system is insecure. The organisation can then fix the weak spots before a malicious hacker finds them. ### Malware Malware is software that a criminal installs on a computer. Some types of malware are designed to steal personal information. Other malware is designed to damage files or stop a computer from working properly. Some types of malware are: * **Virus** - spreads and infects files that it meets. That makes a virus difficult to cure. Some viruses are relatively harmless - they make messages pop up on your screen, for example. Other viruses are more dangerous - they can destroy files and steal personal data. * **Trojan** - malware that is hidden inside another program, for example in a game. When someone uses the program, the malware is released and starts to work. Trojans are popular with cybercriminals because they are easy to write and spread. * **Ransomware** - encrypts all the data on a computer. That means that the data cannot be used. The victim of a ransomware attack receives a message demanding a payment to remove the encryption. * **Spyware** - sits on a computer and records what the user is typing. Criminals can use spyware to discover login details. * **Adware** - places unwanted adverts on a computer. The adverts are often displayed in another web page such as a social media or internet shopping site. Adware is not as damaging as other malware, but it can be annoying. If you have adware on your computer, it is a warning that your computer is vulnerable to other more dangerous malware. Criminals often use email to spread malware. They often send fake emails with subjects that encourage you to open them. For example, the email subject might say you have won a prize in a competition or warn you that your computer has a serious problem you need to deal with. The email encourages you to open or install a software application or open a document. The file contains malware, so when you open the file your computer is infected with the malware. ### Did you know? One of the most serious malware attacks was a ransomware attack called WannaCry. It affected over 200,000 computers in 150 countries. WannaCry closed important computer systems including some hospital systems, so the hospitals had to cancel operations. The cost of the attack was estimated at $4 to $8 million. ### Activity Read the Did you know? box. Search the internet to find out about other major malware attacks that have taken place. Choose one of the malware attacks that interests you. Write a brief description of the attack. Some things you can include in your description are: * the name of the malware * the type of malware * the effect of the malware * when the attack took place * how many people were affected * the cost of the attack * the person or people responsible for the attack. ### Extra challenge Trojan malware is sometimes called 'Trojan horse' malware. Its name comes from an Ancient Greek story. Search the internet to find out what the original Trojan horse was. Why is the name Trojan horse used for this type of malware? ### Test 1. Name three types of malware. 2. What is ransomware and why is it dangerous? 3. Explain why a stolen identity can be valuable to a criminal. 4. Describe how criminals use emails to spread malware.