Where am I going?

Its been a long year and a lot of new knowledge that has been brought forth to me, I came into this course thinking that oh hey its just another computer class nothing that I don't know. Well believe it or not I knew very little when it came to learning everything. There is a lot more to computer security and hackers then meets the eye.

There is war going on and at first you'll probably think oh like men shooting guns and things of that nature, well in fact there's a new a far more advance warfare going on and it is the world of computers and the Internet. We have people today that need to become more knowledgeable with the new world and threats of the Internet, if we all think that some point in our lives we aren't going to make a mistake over the Internet than that' just plan wrong. The Internet is a very safe place when you have the right security on your computer to protect you from the hackers and fakes out there. It can happen to anyone at any given time that someone has some sort of very dangerous threat that comes from the Internet.

I believe that the real threat on the Internet is not having enough knowledge, if everyone thinks that there always going to be safe over the Internet than what is it we are doing wrong? After learning about all these different types on viruses, Trojans, malware, spyware, ransomware, the list goes on and on, and how these things are very dangerous I have a new look on the Internet. I look at the Internet as a place of good with a hidden bad behind it, that bad is what everyone need to learn and understand that sometimes its not okay to go on any website to find security program because Google searched it for you. We need to teach everyone how to stay safe and what to look for I know I will understand the Internet a lot better after learning all of this I will know what these threats are, how they work, what they can do, and how to prevent it I have the knowledge and understanding it now time to give everyone the same thing!!

So after all said and done where am I going? I am going to take everything that was taught to me and apply it to the best place where I am on almost everyday and that's the Internet, I thought I knew everything about the Internet and what could happen, I thought ehh just a basic security system is all I need, I thought that I was never gonna come across an issue over the Internet because that only happens outside of the Internet. I was wrong on everything I thought was right and now I will take what was brought forth and taught to me and apply it with not only myself but to other because the best way I'm safe and others are is informing them on what you already know!

Security Awareness

     Security awareness is on the rise as the world becomes more advanced with technology and with these advances comes a great risk and power to have the everyday person not know what could be going on with there computer if in fact something terrible happens to it. People need to understand what the tell tail signs are when there computers are givings warnings or lying with fake look alike warnings! People should really keep there computers up-to-date and not leave their computer unprotected, those types of computers are the easier ones to gain access to faster and unnoticeable.

The contest by educause wants people to develop either a 2 minute video, a 30 second service announcement, or a poster talking about how people can secure there self's better when it come to crime watching. My impression of this contest would be that it is a great way to get people to explore more to show the average person that really doesn't know to much about computer security and simply easy ways to protect themselves from potential harmful users! The cyber watch people have been around since 2005 and work to provide people knowledge on either becoming a instructor, or just helping and showing people the wide verity that cyber watch has to offer!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx2Xis3ztcM&list=PL44A766A8A3E0C2DA
Here is a short 7 minute video a little about cyberwatch

In the group project for the class my group is doing cyber safety.

There is a real question in this photo is the computer really safe and is the Internet as a hole safe too?? There are people and programs out there designed to ruin and destroy people with taking their personal information and taking over there computer knowingly and sometime not knowingly. The computers and Internet today is very far advanced people have gotten more clever with what and how they can hack or steal things!! This is where people need to bring there safety up while using the Internet because you never who or what can be taken at any given moment while using the computers!

this pie chart shows how people think they are ALWAYS safe when in fact that is simply not true! there is a low chance that you are always safe online, mostly with proper protection and watching what it is you are doing then yes because if you pay attention it is you are doing then you can keep yourself safe most of the time. This is where people need more information because we cant have everyone thinking they are always safe because that when people don't worry about what "could" happen to them because there not worried about it.

Is the Internet safe for the most part yes it is, when you apply the proper protection and don't fall for fake look alike then yes you can keep yourself safe, but don't let your guard down because at any point in one day something could happen to you!

Risky Business

     When it comes to learning about the Internet there are things that are common for people to know. In today's  day and age it more notable that the older users of computer are behind with the Internet while the younger people are able to find new and improved ways to get there wants and satisfy there needs for free, yes I said FREE! Back when the Internet wasn't as advanced as it was today people still did try to get things for free, the most common things were music movies and basically any form of entertainment. The difference from then to now is that there are hundreds of way to find anything you want for free, but still the more common use for this method is for music and movies. now that the Internet is to the point it is today you kind basically find anything that used for computers now the list can go on and on. When it come to committing these forms of acts they really are not so "FREE" when people understand the punishments for now what it called an illegal downloadable purchase or stealing. These were first discovered and investigated  among people having a P2P which is peer to peer sharing, which was at first determined legal until they found out people were stealing and sharing it to anyone for free. The highest punishment for downloading music is 5 year in prison or the other punishments of a fine of $250,000, and the last punishment is $750 per 1 song illegally downloaded music. imagine if your son or daughter downloaded say 9575 song over a time span of 2 years and they end up getting caught because they downloaded those last 25 songs she/he wanted. Now after court and the judge give the punishment of $750 per 1 song, now total that up your son or daughter will have to pay a grand total of $7,181,250. Now does a song for $0.99 sound so bad? I think not!

Here is a link of kid rock explaining what stealing music is like.
https://www.youtube.com/v/KUgB0hNf0bs?fs=1&hl=en_US

     What I have personal learned from this module is looking back on the time I've done these action I personal do not do them anymore. I downloaded music all the time ever since finding out about the fine, penalties and punishments I've gone back to my main computer were it was hold all the music and completely whipped out any and all music. It's really not worth it after find out what can happen to someone who is caught doing these acts. Like I said the Internet has come a long way and things are easily hack able and people can access your WIFI if not protected. That's the worst thing someone could come up to a random house without a locked wifi password, someone could come use it download who knows what and then end up with a knock on your door because the internet is in you're name.

This image here is the SSID where it shows was the name of my router and what Internet I have connected my computer too. The name of my router is the Motorola and yes this wifi is protected with a very confusing password that I created that even my family has a hard time understanding when they type the password in. The company did give us a default password but after finding out that its best to change the default password in this module that's what I did! I also changed many setting to make the Internet options from the default setting to what I showed everyone would be the safest settings!

Personal computer security

Throughout this module I have learn a great deal of protection scamming and many other types of viruses work on the computer system. I can remember going back to when I was younger and going on game sites and music video sites and having the website ask me all the time you need this in order for something to work something along the lines of that. How I was able to remember so quickly was in one of the video lectures showing how viruses and some sites have "fake" security protection and would easily trick a non familiar person that doesn't know about security and scamming of that nature. The video showed in the computer option on all computers how it was running a fake security scan and that reminded me of a time when I younger and did something like that as well. People should really have a better understand of these potential threats, because most people think oh hey I need this because the site is telling me I do, when in fake that is not true on all terms. Also the big thing I think take as a false hope is there email and it being linked with spam. We have so much spam that spam will never end. Here is a information video on a little background of what spam is and what you should and shouldn't do with spam. But everyone need to understand technology has came a long way and there are even more things to watch out for then just spam now. The other viruses or threat to be on alert for would be spyware, malware, worms, and I believe to be the worse of all Trojan Horses. The new term that I learned is called your computer being ZOMBIE?? I've never heard of this before but now that I know I hope this never happens to me or anyone of that matter! So when your computer becomes a zombie its frozen or anything like that what in fact happens is a hacker secretly  takes control of your computer without the actual user knowing it. The hacker is able to make easy short cuts back into the computer and allowing the hacker to take any information they want.     http://computer.howstuffworks.com/hacker.htm/printable
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMLYwfSy8YE
The youtube video provide is what back up what I am calming in my short discussing above.

This is not my own computer this is our family desktop and AVG is the security system on this computer. I preferably use windows essentials, its a free windows program and it never ask you to buy anything, that is what I like about it the most it does what its suppose to and work very good!

Here is a little tutorial on how to do a system restore on a Gateway Desktop.
http://screencast.com/t/nbgitT9RTbKd

This module has taught me a lot about how people are easily scammed or tricked into getting something that is told they need when in fact they don't. People really need to watch very carefully what it is they think is the right thing to do.

Crime & Punishment

When it comes to online victimization it happens to more people than we know it. Now why is it that people have these online crimes? most of the time people don't know the sign or tricks where they get sucked into being scammed and end up with the question "why me?" Personally I've never been scammed or fell for and tricks whether its my email or websites with ads that pop up. There was only one time I thought one of my emails were something I knew. The website called pch.com or as everyone knows public clearing house that gives you a chance to win small or large amounts of money. One summer day I was going through my emails and I saw what I believed to be a regular email from the clearing house but as I discover it was nothing but one of those emails you open and instantly the computer crashes. I was so upset and angry that the pch didn't send any type of warning so I thought. It just so happens they did but it look almost identical as the one that crashed my computer and infected it. The only difference was the harm email was in all caps and the pch email only had "WARNING" in all caps. I only wish I open the non harm file that was sent from the actual people that way I would of never ran into that problem.

Here is a video to show how to check for Fake emails, scams, and virus and how to view them safely
http://youtu.be/74DsIrReELk

How Does Computer Security Affect You?

three digital elements that have affected me or even another person or even society  its self.

1) Digital Communication- has come a far way in the many years, some people could say that its taking over the world and people as we know it. I would say since growing up with all this technology it really would affect me if not any or at all. The only problem I get would be the phone calls from these people that pass around my number, even though I'm on a do not call list and it got very annoying one year where I was getting forty to seventy calls a day. My answer to all of them would be I am on a do not call list, if you keep calling me I will have someone from New York State to track you down and file a law suite on you, Threatening these people was the only way to get them to stop calling me. Today I only get one call every so often. Communication has come a very long way to the point where it has left the people from the mid 90's with many question and the best way they understand is people they have grew up with the technology and understand it very well.

2) Digital Commerce- Purchasing and marketing on the Internet has come a far way, but it also has made it for people to find thing for free or cheaper. When it come to buying and selling things on the Internet if someone is going to buy some music there not going to want to pay for it there going to find any way possible to get it for free. The biggest thing people have to realize is everything on the Internet is not always the safes, there a tons of hackers out there looking to steal peoples information. In fact that what recently happened to me with target millions of people got there information stolen from hackers and it affected not only buyers from going back to shop there but target its self because now people think twice before shopping again.

3) Digital Security (Self-Protection)- Everyone has to understand that anyone that knows how to steal information will do anything it takes to have it if your security is slipping up. People that do hacking for a living know what it takes to steal the general public information and they can easily find any little hole we leave for them to slip in and steal the information and use it without you even knowing till your notified even then you could not know for more than a couple of days. The best way to keep your information safe is to update everything you have and keep it safe.

When it comes to Facebook and employers people should use common sense when it come to the job there in and what they post or publish on Facebook. There is almost any way to find an employer on Facebook one way or another, people think if you make everything private you can never see them well that's very wrong from the get go. The only way you can make sure your job cant find you is to block them. The thing people need to understand is just don't post random dumb things on your Facebook because the job you work for can look and see your smoking, partying, drinking, all of the thing they look for to fire you. In the class reading of "Employers, Get Outta My Facebook" (http://www.businessweek.com/debateroom/archives/2008/03/employers_get_outta_my_facebook.html)
They also say the similar statement as I do such as "But the bottom line is that a public Facebook page is just that: public. People are responsible for what they post. It’s unreasonable to make personal information available to the whole world and not expect employers to look at it." Basically what they are saying is if your going to make Facebook public dont expect someone your trying to get a job for go look through it so they know who there really are trying to employ.

This class will teach me a lot.

CIS205

What will I be expecting from CIS 205 I really don't know but I am hoping to take everything that is being taught to me and use it in my everyday life. I discussed in my class discussion how I was affect in the target hacking, and while I was reading through classes to pick up in the last week or so to sign up I came across this course and thought to myself this could be very helpful in my everyday life. I'm hoping to take everything here and not only apply it to myself but to others showing my friends and family what I've taken from this course and show them as well how to protect there information as well.