Technology In The Classroom Series

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Technology In The Classroom Series

• Web Basics

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Topics

• How the web works
• Getting around the web
• Search engines
• Spiders
• Cookies
• Firewalls
• How to avoid viruses
• How to avoid spam
• Wikis
• Blogs
• VoIP
• In Conclusion

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How the Web Works
ISP Internet Service Provider A company that
provides the connection to the internet. LAN
Local Area Network Computers connected in a
local environment including homes, schools and
businesses, but not necessarily to the
internet. POP Point of Presence An access
point to the internet. The physical location of
the server and router. NAP Network Access
Point Points of access between the major
backbones of the world wide web. Routers The
switchboards between network backbones Backbones
Large core networks comprising the internet.
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• Internet
• Publicly accessible worldwide system of
  interconnected computer networks that transmit
  data by packet switching using a standardized
  Internet Protocol (IP). It is made up of
  thousands of smaller commercial, academic,
  domestic and government networks. It carries
  various information and services, such as
  electronic mail, online chat, and the
  interlinked web pages and other documents of the
  World Wide Web.
• Domain Names
• The name of a web site entered registered with
  the Domain Name System (DNS).
• WWW World Wide Web
• The WWW is a global information space which
  people can read and write via computers
  connected to the Internet. The term is often
  mistakenly used as a synonym for the Internet
  itself, but the Web is actually a service that
  operates over the Internet, just like e-mail.

All definitions Used in this Presentation Come
from Wikipedia.org
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Getting Around the Web
Search Engines A search engine is a program
designed to help find information stored on a
computer system such as the World Wide Web, or a
personal computer. The search engine allows one
to ask for content meeting specific criteria
(typically those containing a given word or
phrase) and retrieves a list of references that
match those criteria. Search engines use
regularly updated indexes to operate quickly and
efficiently. Some search engines also mine data
available in newsgroups, large databases, or open
directories like DMOZ.org. Unlike Web
directories, which are maintained by human
editors, search engines operate algorithmically.
Spiders A spider is a computer program that
searches web sites and records key words used to
find that site in future searches. Cookies A
cookie is not a program, but rather information
stored on your computer by a web site for later
retrieval. This may allow for the site to
personalize your next visit.
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How To Avoid Viruses
A virus is a self-replicating program that
spreads by inserting copies of itself into other
executable code or documents. A computer virus
behaves in a way similar to a biological virus,
which spreads by inserting itself into living
cells. Extending the analogy, the insertion of a
virus into the program is termed as an
infection, and the infected file (or executable
code that is not part of a file) is called a
host. Viruses are one of the several types of
malicious software or malware. In a common
parlance, the term virus is often extended to
refer to worms, trojan horses and other sorts of
malware, however, this can confuse computer
users, since viruses in the narrow sense of the
word are less common than they used to be,
compared to other forms of malware.
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Virus Protection SoftwareConsists of computer
programs that attempt to identify, thwart and
eliminate computer viruses and other malicious
software (malware). Anti-virus software
typically uses two different techniques to
accomplish this Examining (scanning) files to
look for known viruses matching definitions in a
virus dictionary Identifying suspicious behavior
from any computer program which might indicate
infection. Such analysis may include data
captures, port monitoring and other
methods.Popular Examples IncludeMcAfeeNort
onMore
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Tips and Suggestions

• Do not open any files attached to an email from
  an unknown, suspicious or untrustworthy source.
• Do not open any files attached to an email
  unless you know what it is, even if it appears to
  come from a dear friend or someone you know. Some
  viruses can replicate themselves and spread
  through email. Better be safe than sorry and
  confirm that they really sent it. Do not open
  any files attached to an email if the subject
  line is questionable or unexpected. If the need
  to do so is there always save the file to your
  hard drive before doing so. Delete chain emails
  and junk email. Do not forward or reply to any to
  them. These types of email are considered spam,
  which is unsolicited, intrusive mail that clogs
  up the network. Do not download any files from
  strangers. Exercise caution when downloading
  files from the Internet. Ensure that the source
  is a legitimate and reputable one. Verify that an
  anti-virus program checks the files on the
  download site. If you're uncertain, don't
  download the file at all or download the file to
  a floppy and test it with your own anti-virus
  software. Update your anti-virus software
  regularly. Over 500 viruses are discovered each
  month, so you'll want to be protected. These
  updates should be at the least the products virus
  signature files. You may also need to update the
  product's scanning engine as well. Back up your
  files on a regular basis. If a virus destroys
  your files, at least you can replace them with
  your back-up copy. You should store your backup
  copy in a separate location from your work files,
  one that is preferably not on your computer.
  When in doubt, always err on the side of
  caution and do not open, download, or execute any
  files or email attachments. Not executing is the
  more important of these caveats. Check with your
  product vendors for updates which include those
  for your operating system web browser, and email.

These tips are brought to you by McAfee.com
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How To Avoid Spam
Spyware Is a broad category of malicious
software designed to intercept or take partial
control of a computer's operation without the
informed consent of that machine's owner or
legitimate user. While the term taken literally
suggests software that surreptitiously monitors
the user, it has come to refer more broadly to
software that subverts the computer's operation
for the benefit of a third party. Spyware
differs from viruses and worms in that it does
not usually self-replicate. Like many recent
viruses, however, spyware is designed to exploit
infected computers for commercial gain. Typical
tactics furthering this goal include delivery of
unsolicited pop-up advertisements theft of
personal information (including financial
information such as credit card numbers)
monitoring of Web-browsing activity for marketing
purposes or routing of HTTP requests to
advertising sites.
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Tips and Suggestions

• Know the symptoms of spyware
• Sluggish computer If you've noticed that your
  PC has had a serious drop in its responsiveness
  lately, it could mean that spyware is draining
  its computing power.
• New "favorites" Spyware will often add
  "favorites" of its own to your browser's
  favorites' folder. If you notice an unusual
  number of new favorites and are not sure how they
  got there, spyware may be to blame.
• Fishy pop-up ads Pop-up ads from spyware
  software are designed to look like they've been
  served up by the legitimate Web site you're
  visiting. As a result, you may not recognize them
  as a symptom of infection. There's no way to be
  sure, but if the contents of the ads seem strange
  -- or if you're getting pop-up ads when you're
  not even surfing the Internet -- it's very likely
  that they are being served up by spyware
  software.
• Change of your default home page One of the
  oldest spyware tricks is to automatically change
  your Web browser's default or start-up home page.
  This is the Web page that appears when you start
  your browser or click the "home" button.
• Unauthorized 1-900 number charges If your phone
  bill charges you for 1-900 phone calls you didn't
  make, you may have fallen victim to a
  particularly devious form of spyware. These
  programs will hang-up your normal Internet
  connection and instruct your computer to dial a
  1-900 number -- silently.

These tips are brought to you by GetNetWise.com
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Learn about examples of the most devious programs

• The trickiest part of spyware is that there is
  not one clear-cut type. Here are some examples
• A computer user may see an Internet
  advertisement for SomeProgram. She clicks on the
  ad and is sent to a page that pops up a window
  asking if she wants to download SomeProgram. The
  user clicks "no," but SomeProgram is
  surreptitiously downloaded and installed anyway.
• A computer user sees an ad for AnotherProgram,
  and clicks on it. She is sent to a page that
  immediately pops up a window asking if she wants
  to download AnotherProgram. The user clicks "no."
  An identical window pops up as soon as she
  declines, however, and repeats until the user
  gets frustrated and clicks "yes."
• A computer user goes to a Web page,
  www.acompany.com. The page then opens another
  page running a java script When the user closes
  www.acompany.com, the java script remains and
  covertly resets the user's home page. The java
  script is written such that any time the user
  attempts to reset his home page, the program
  automatically resets it again so the user cannot
  reset his home page to what it was before the
  hijacking took place.
• A computer user downloads a software package,
  Footloose 3.1, that will allow her to share files
  over the Internet using a peer-to-peer sharing
  site. Among the programs in the software package
  is a hidden dialer application, GreatCharges.exe,
  that was not mentioned in any advertisements,
  software licenses, or consumer notices associated
  with the package. The dialer application is not
  an integral part of the file-sharing software
  package, but is included anyway. (This tactic is
  sometimes referred to as bundling.) When the user
  opens her Web browser after installation of
  software package, the dialer opens in a hidden
  window, turns off the sound of the user's
  computer, and calls a phone number without her
  permission. The charges for the calls made by the
  hidden dialer appear on the user's phone bill at
  the end of the month.

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• A computer user has downloaded "New Game Return
  to Hades" from the Internet, but now wants to
  remove the game program from the computer because
  he fears it might be spyware. "New Game" does not
  have an uninstall program or instructions and
  does not show up in the standard feature in the
  user's operating system that removes unwanted
  programs. The user's attempts to otherwise delete
  it are met by confusing prompts from "New Game"
  with misrepresentative statements that deleting
  the program will make all future operations
  unstable.
• A computer user has downloaded Program 2.0. He
  thought it would be a helpful program, but it has
  turned out to be spyware. Now he wants to remove
  Program 2.0 from the computer. Program 2.0
  appears in the standard feature in the user's
  operating system that removes unwanted programs,
  but when he utilizes the "remove" option, a
  component of Program 2.0 remains behind. The next
  time the user connects to the Internet, this
  component re-downloads the remainder of Program
  2.0 and reinstalls it.

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Explore steps you can take to prevent spyware

• Prevention is the key to a safe and secure
  computer. The tips to help you prevent spyware
  will also help keep viruses and hackers from
  taking advantage of your computer.
• Be skeptical about installing strange or free
  software Make sure you know what EXACTLY is
  being installed onto your computer when you
  download applications off the Internet. Use the
  custom install option to see the programs that
  will be placed on your computer with the
  downloaded application. Sypware is often bundled
  with many free software downloads. Many of the
  file sharing or peer-to-peer programs include
  spyware in the installation package.
• Pay attention to security warnings "Security
  Warning" screens alert users to new software
  being installed from Web pages they visit. This
  software can include ActiveX controls and other
  executable files. You should not blindly accept
  such "Active-X" software installations and be
  sure you trust the company installing the
  software. Just because the company's "identity"
  is verified, it does not mean that you should
  blindly trust content from them. Carefully read
  the license agreement or privacy disclosure if
  one is provided (clicking on the software name
  may cause these to be displayed). Also, make sure
  the "Security Warning" screen links to an end
  user license agreement or other description of
  what you're getting.
• Read the end user licensing agreement Almost
  all legitimate software installations will
  include an end user licensing agreement (EULA)
  that includes a lot of information. You should
  make a habit of reading these EULAs. Ideally,
  they should tell you exactly what they intend to
  install on your machine and the limitations to
  your use of the software. If the EULA is hard to
  find, or if the documentation is unreasonably
  difficult to read and understand, then you should
  think twice before agreeing to install the
  software.

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• Practice basic computer security hygiene
• Following the three security tips below will
  help prevent all manner of programs from
  infecting your computer.
• Always use anti-virus software And keep the
  software up to date. Over 500 new viruses are
  discovered each month.
• Always use a firewall A firewall is an
  "internal lock" for information on your computer.
  Many computer operating systems already have
  firewalls installed, you just have to turn them
  on. There are many other firewalls available to
  download or buy that help you secure your
  computer.
• Keep your software up to date You should always
  make sure that the software on your computer is
  up to date with the latest security patches. The
  makers of your software probably offer security
  updates to your Web browser program, your e-mail
  client and your operating system. Learn how to
  automatically update this software.
• Read the Web site privacy policy Although
  sometimes very lengthy, the privacy policy
  describes what information the business collects
  about you and how it is used.
• Use Tools to Remove Spyware, popular examples
  are
• Microsoft Anti-spyware
• Lavasoft Ad-Aware
• Spybot

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WikisA wiki is a type of website that allows
users to easily add and edit content and is
especially suited for collaborative writing.The
term wiki also sometimes refers to the
collaborative software itself (wiki engine) that
facilitates the operation of such a website.A
wiki system may also provide various tools that
allow the user community to easily monitor the
constantly changing state of the wiki and discuss
the issues that emerge in trying to achieve a
general consensus about the wiki content.Some
wikis allow completely unrestricted access so
that people are able to contribute to the site
without necessarily having to undergo a process
of 'registration' as had usually been required by
various other types of interactive websites such
as Internet forums or chat sites.BlogsA blog
is a website in which journal entries are posted
on a regular basis and displayed in reverse
chronological order. The term blog is a shortened
form of weblog or web log. Authoring a blog,
maintaining a blog or adding an article to an
existing blog is called "blogging". A person who
posts these entries is called a "blogger". Often
blogs focus on a particular "area of interest",
such as HUNBlog.
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• Streaming Audio and Video
• Streaming media is any content that is consumed
  (read, heard, viewed) while it is being
  delivered. Although it is generally used in the
  context of certain content types ("streaming
  audio", "streaming video", etc), streaming is
  more a property of the delivery systems employed
  to distribute that content.
• The distinction is usually applied to media that
  are distributed over computer networks most
  other delivery systems are either inherently
  streaming (radio, television) or inherently
  non-streaming (books, video cassettes, audio
  CDs).
• The word "stream" is also used as a verb,
  meaning to deliver streaming media.
• Podcasting
• A podcast is a web feed of audio or video files
  placed on the Internet for anyone to subscribe
  to. Podcasters' websites also may offer direct
  download of their files, but the subscription
  feed of automatically delivered new content is
  what distinguishes a podcast from a simple
  download or real-time streaming.
• Voice over Internet Protocol (also called VoIP)
• The routing of voice conversations over the
  Internet or any other IP-based network. Voice
  over IP traffic might be deployed on any IP
  network, including ones lacking a connection to
  the rest of the Internet, for instance on a
  private building-wide LAN.

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In Conclusion

• The internet is an amazing tool for finding
  information and sharing ideas.
• The technology and software that allows the
  internet to be so dynamic is growing every day.
• As the internet grows, however, so do
  unscrupulous practices.
• You need to protect yourself.
• But, dont let it stop you. Theres too much to
  gain by surfing the web.