Final Freebie!

This project has forced me to look into many different areas regarding online security and digital privacy. I have learned a lot about the ways I can protect myself. I have also decided that I don't think anything other than your own thoughts can ever truly be private. Since we have been adapting new ways to store data and promote synergy throughout every aspect of our lives we have all but given up our right to full privacy. No matter what you do, where you go, what you say, more than likely you're being identified or watched by someone or something online. (Who?) When we use a smart phone, an ATM, a gas pump, or go to the doctor, a computer is relaying little digital messages throughout space that we can never have full control of again. (To who?) We have to trust that every little bit of data that we spit out will not be used maliciously. (Trust who?) However, we have no idea who, what, or why we are trusting. We have moved into an age of comfortability with technology to the point where many of us are too complacent. We have the resources to protect ourselves but are much too consumed with day to day routines to take the proper precautions. If you're anything like me, you don't learn anything until you learn it the hard way. In this case though I think I'll go ahead and take the precautionary measures to keep me safe online while the rest of the world trusts...........(Who?)

Nobody is against me!

After searching and searching, I was unable to locate one article arguing against the importance of online security. If there were an argument against the importance of online security, I don't think it would be hard to refute. First, if there were no importance then why are there billion dollar online security firms thriving in today's market. The reason is that because today's online goer is more succeptable than ever to hackers and criminals. With the economy in the gutter and the rising cost of living, more and more people are turning crooked just to feed their families. The use of the internet has made it easy for these average people to become crooks. Though the hard code and hacking is still mostly run underground, the simple scams and viruses are no hard feat. With the knowledge of how simple it is to be taken advantage of, I beg of anyone to convince me otherwise of the importance of online security.

Fired by Facebook!

Let me tell you a story about a friend of mine that we will call "Jody". I see Jody the other day and after exchanging hello's and whatnot he asked me how everything was going. I told him everything was going well and that I was about to start writing a paper about online security. I mentioned things like facebook and online banking being targets for hackers and thieves. He then proceeded to tell me how he had a little facebook fallout of his own. His fallout wasn't from thieves or hackers, but by one of his own friends! See, Jody recently started a new job with a company that didn't really need him; but Jody had a friend of a friend who got him on. Jody made some new buddies, including the boss' daughter who works in the office. As it is in this day and age, Jody befriended these people on facebook and allowed them access to his digital life. That past weekend Jody had come into town to hang out with all of us and told us that he was off Monday so he was going to stay a few days. Jody told us that his boss had made the schedule with him off before he realized that they had gotten more work and he was going to need Jody. After telling Jody of the mistake and asking him to come in on Monday, Jody proceeded to tell him that he had scheduled dental work for 8am that morning. Well, Jody had a great time over the weekend and on through Sunday. So much fun that he posted all about the fun he had in College Station on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and MONDAY! So Jody is unemployed and you all have been warned that sometimes it's the people we do know about that will get ya!!

Visual Rhetoric

http://smallbiztechnology.com/media/computersecurity.jpg
This picture of chain wrapped around a computer with a padlock on it originally appeared in an article involving online security on a small business website. From what I could gather, the website is designed to display the latest and greatest in small business technologies. The website would most likely appeal to small business owners, entrepenuers, or techies. The visual appears to express extreme security of a computer system. Though not many would take the visual in a literal sense, it does portray the importance of online security. The visual may also appeal to humor since a reader would be drawn to read an article that shows something impracticle but understandable. The use of the chain and lock on the computer could evoke many emotions such as urgency or humor as mentioned above; or it could possible envoke fear into some viewers. The visual doesn't seem to mock anyone, and was used mostly for over-exaggerated affect to potential readers. The picture has a very sterile look to it. The picture is up front and in focus with the main focus being on the lighted lock in the center. The affect that the picture portrays to me is that of an asylum, and the lock and chain are providing utmost protection to a computer gone awry!

What is Antivirus?

Since I've been looking around at all different aspects of security and safety online; I decided to check out something that we all have, but probably don't know much about. Antivirus software is something we all have on our computers and something that we know we require to stay safe. If you're anything like me you trust that it does it's job and keeps you safe on your travels through cyberspace. After looking deeper into what antivirus software actually does, I thought you all might like to see what I found at http://www.ehow.com/about_5086907_antivirus-software.html . Here is where I learned that a virus is a code that enters your files and plants very specific patterns of code into them. Once the virus is in your files it has access to do whatever it was designed to do. Some viruses are designed to gather data from files, some have memory, and some will record keystrokes to relay passwords back to hackers. Antivirus software runs a scan either automatically or manually and identifies oddities within the code of your files. Once identified, most antivirus softwares will quarantine the virus into an empty file and altert the user to delete it. Now that you know the basics of how antivirus works maybe you'll up that subscription or run that scan a little more often

Pedophiles

One thing that I hear about that absolutely sickens me is the constant fight against online pedophiles. These creeps prey on young boys and girls who legitimately have no idea what is going on. I've heard of men posing as young people and sharing pictures of "themselves" as that young person to lure their prey somewhere. Many times you hear of a "young man" offering to meet up with a young woman somewhere public and describe what he will be wearing. The problem with that is that they can make up something and the prey will actually describe what he/she is wearing and the kidnap/molestation has been set up. Another one I hear of is young people sharing revealing photos of themselves with someone of their same age while that person they're sharing with is actually a pervert. The Children's Protection Campaign has developed a website for parents to visit in order to find ways to protect their children from creeps like these. For more information please visit that site at http://www.thecpac.com/protect.html and learn what you can do to fight the pedophiles of the world.

Online Security:

Staying "safe" online is relative to each person. However, each person is some sort of posable risk every time they get online. For those of us who have been raised digital we have grown more concious of, and can identify something fishy before getting too involved in it. For others like the older generation and the youngsters coming up online the odds are swayed in the favor of the net. Between scammers, phishers, and viruses there are a ton of ways to get yourself in trouble or have your computer crashed for you. On http://www.staysafeonline.org/ there are several suggestions given to help protect yourself from all of the above mentioned threats. Some people think that a standard anti-virus software will keep you safe. On the contrary though, each anti-virus company will tell you that the cyber threat is always expanding and changing, and that they cannot always update fast enough to protect you. Though eventually most viruses to get caught there are those that will take over your computer or your life for that matter if you're exposed. Please consider the advice from this site before you download your next virus.