Identity theft is a crime where cyber criminals steal your private information and pretend to be you online. They can buy items with your money, and then use your name if they get in trouble. It’s one of the fastest growing crimes in the world.
All digital devices have software that helps them run and stay protected. That software gets updated regularly. Have you ever been on a digital device and had a window pop up telling you it’s time to install a new update? Software updates add new features and remove old features, but their most important job is …
Codes protect information. Tons of companies need people with strong computer skills to help protect information against cyber-attacks. From banks and hospitals to aerospace, pharmaceutical, military, and engineering organizations, any business that has classified or private information needs help keeping it safe. With computers controlling more and more—from powering up cities, flying planes, and running …
Computers use codes as their language. It’s how computers communicate. And people who code computers, known as programmers, are always looking for ways to send coded information to protect private information, such as emails and bank accounts. It’s called encryption. Codes are a great way to change a message so it can’t easily be understood. …
It’s easy for someone to pretend to be someone else online. Why? Because no one can see them. For example, an imposter could send you an email that says you can win a prize if you click on a link. This may sound like a good deal, but clicking on the link could help the …
You can help keep your family computers safe. Here’s a checklist you and your family can go through together to be cyber savvy. ★★Make sure you have anti-virus software in place. ★★Turn on spam filters—this protects you from ads, scams, and unwanted emails that might carry viruses. ★★Ask your parents to use computer settings to …
Being online is like real life. There are people who you know and trust. You can share information with them. But there are also people you don’t know, so you don’t know if you can trust them. You should also beware of Hackers. A hacker is a person who uses computer skills to solve a …
You can never really take back what you say or show online. If you send a message, post a photo, or share something online, it never really goes away. You may decide later that you want to delete it, but most information is stored on a server (sometimes called “the cloud”). That information stays in …
In real life, you wouldn’t give someone you don’t know private information, such as where you live or where you go to school. You should follow that rule online too. Just remember: if you wouldn’t do it in real life, you shouldn’t do it online either.
Passwords are used to verify you are who you say you are. Explore what makes a good password. Don’t use a short password. Make sure your password has at least 12 characters. Use at least one number, one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, and one special symbol. Don’t use numbers that are personal, such as …
