Talk:Unit 4: Safeguarding your computer and personal information
-- JayChakravarthy 02:46, 10 May 2009 (EDT)
After completion of this course, read the following case studies and answer the questions.
- Case study 1 - Theft of confidential data
John Smith works as a manger in a corporation. One day he receives a neatly packed CD containing “security” updates from a company which has business associations with his company. Without thinking much, he installs the software on his computer which has sensitive data of the company and of all the employees. What he fails to notice is the software has installed (without his knowledge) a terrible virus program which has managed to steal the confidential data. He also notices later that the address of the company was fictitious. Now he has lost all the confidential information and additionally the “virus” has left his computer in an “infected” state.
Reflection:
- Where did John go wrong?
- What precautions he could have taken to avoid the above situation?
- Case study 2- Phishing
Jane Doe receives an email that seems to have been sent from her bank. The email urges Jane to click on a certain link in the email. Without verifying the authenticity of the email, Jane clicks on the link where she is taken to “a secure page on the bank’s website”. She believes the web page to be her bank’s web site and enters her username, password, social security number and other personal information as she is asked to do in the email. She fails to notice that the website was fake. Unfortunately Jane loses her personal information.
Reflection:
- Where did Jane go wrong?
- What could she have done to prevent this identity theft?