Protect Your Computer - Oxford International Primary Computing

## 2.3 Protect your computer ### In this lesson - How to protect your computer against malware and hackers ### Anti-virus software - Prevent malware from doing damage by installing anti-virus software (AV software) on your computer. - AV software deals with all malware threats, not just viruses. -...

## 2.3 Protect your computer ### In this lesson - How to protect your computer against malware and hackers ### Anti-virus software - Prevent malware from doing damage by installing anti-virus software (AV software) on your computer. - AV software deals with all malware threats, not just viruses. - AV software sits on your computer, looking out for malware. ### How AV software works - Every piece of malware has a fingerprint. The fingerprint is a piece of programming code that is unique to the malware. This fingerprint is called a signature. - AV software contains a database of malware signatures. - AV software continually checks the files on your computer, looking for malware signatures. - If AV software finds a malware signature in a file, it puts the file in quarantine - this means that the computer cannot open the file. ### Modern AV software - Modern AV software protects your computer very well. - There may be times when AV software fails to detect malware. - If a new piece of malware is developed, your AV software will not recognise it because the signature of the malware will not be in the signature database. - AV software updates the signature database regularly. - There will always be times when your computer is vulnerable to new malware. ### Activity - Search the web for the names of other AV software packages. - Find reviews of different brands of AV software. - Make a note of the good and bad points in the reviews for each product. ### Firewall - AV software detects and quarantines files that contain malware. - Another type of software that protects your computer is a firewall. - A firewall surrounds and protects your computer like the walls of a castle. - A firewall checks all data before it allows the data to pass through the gates in the wall. - Only data that comes from a safe source can pass through the wall. - Your firewall and AV software work together to protect your computer from malware ### Using your computer safely - Behave responsibly and safely when you use your computer. - Never turn off the firewall or AV software on your computer. - Never change any of the settings in the software. If you do, your computer is open to malware. ### Use email safely - Malware can come from files attached to emails. - If you open an email attachment, you may be inviting a criminal onto your computer. - Criminals and hackers use misleading email titles to tempt you to open a mail. - Be wary of emails from people you do not know. - Even emails that look genuine can be clever fakes. - An honest email will never ask you to give away personal information or login details. ### Use the web safely - Only use sites that you trust. - Files that you download can contain malware. - Downloading apps and games is particularly risky. - If you are downloading software, always use an official site. - When browsing the web, you will sometimes see messages that tell you there is a problem with your computer. - The message will tell you that you need to download software to fix the problem. - Do not download the software. - Close the web page. ### Update your software - Keep the software on your computer up to date. - Software companies constantly check their software for errors. - Criminals and hackers use security errors to access computers. - If your software provider sends you an update message, update your software immediately. - The updated version will make it more difficult for criminals to install malware. - If you think an update message may be malicious, check with an adult before accepting it. ### Keep your password safe - Use a strong password that contains upper and lower case letters, numbers and other characters (for example, $). - A strong password should be at least eight characters long. - Change your password regularly. - That makes it more difficult for hackers to access your computer even if they do manage to steal your password. - If you think your password has been stolen, change it immediately. - Keep your password secret. Never share it and don't write it down. ### Activity - Write a guide for students on how to work safely online and avoid the risk of malware. ### Extra challenge - Search the web to find another method for creating a strong password. - Write down instructions with an example. - Add these to your guide on working safely online. ### Did you know? - Hackers use special software to crack passwords. - A weak password that is 7 characters long can be cracked in less than 1 second. - A strong password that is 12 characters long could take 200 years to crack. ### Test 1. Name two types of software you can use to protect your computer from malware. 2. Why is it important to update the software on your computer regularly? 3. Explain how AV software and a firewall work together. 4. Explain why you need to be careful when you open a file attached to an email.