Computer safety

Learning Intentions

Understand how to use computers safely and effectively online

I can explain how to use, and use, computers safely when online

Success criteria

What do you think digital literacy means?

Digital Literacy

Online safety

Computer safety is a very important part of every day life these days.
Computer safety is no longer just about using a PC to browse the web but it is also about how you use a smartphone or tablet.

We all probably know about how to stay safe online from using devices that we use, but perhaps you don't know about all of the risks online.

Security breaches

A security breach is an incident in which private data may have been viewed or stolen (compromised)
Many financial institutions and companies have experienced security breaches
Millions of people could be affected by a security breach

Don't give away your password

Whether online or in person, you should never give away your password, including your password.
Risks include:
- Accessing your social media
- Sending messages pretending to be you
- Stealing your personal information
This could lead to:
- Reputational damage
- Theft of personal information – identity theft
- Money lost – bank details stolen

These guys are happy to share their password with each other.

Never use one password for everything

You should never use one password for everything!
If you do and one account gets compromised, all of your accounts using the password will also be compromised.

Sick of creating a password for everything?

Password manager software such as LastPass or NordPass keep all your passwords safe.
They allow you to create a unique and complicated password for each and every website you visit and you just need to remember your master password.
LastPass also tells you if you are using a password on multiple websites.

Online footprint

Your online footprint is a record of anything you do online.
Much like trudging through the snow or walking in the mud, whenever you login to a website or buy something online, you leave some form of trace. This is called your online or digital footprint.
This information can be used by big companies to both sell or use to advertise or find out more about you.

What kinds of things have passwords and what do we use them for?
Why are passwords important?
What might happen if someone else gets hold (or knows) your password?
Who should you tell if someone gets hold of your password?

Passwords

The worst passwords

Thinking about what you already know about passwords, try to list at least 10 of the worst passwords.

https://www.tomsguide.com/news/worst-passwords-2022

123456

123456789

qwerty

password

12345

111111

12345678

abc123

qwerty123

1q2w3e

1234567890

000000

DEFAULT

iloveyou

654321

123321

qwertyuiop

666666

123123

how secure is my password?

HOWSECUREISMYPASSWORD

Complete the worksheet on Google Classroom on password security.

In this worksheet, you need to specify whether a password is strong or not. If not, explain how it could be improved.

Activity

Strong passwords

In your pairs, discuss what makes a strong password.

Strong passwords

A a password can be consider as strong if
- It uses letters and numbers
- It uses special symbols such as $, %, £, *, !
- It uses a length of at least 12 characters (2019)
- It uses combinations of letters and numbers not from the dicitionary
A password could actually be considered as weak if the password contains multiple words from the dictionary, even if it is a certain length. For example, the password ilovecomputerscience is weak, even though it features a good length of 20 characters.

Which passwords are strong?

ababab

c1%3$1

qwerty9

p$ssw0rd59713

13901ag45

No - uses only letters and is only 6 characters long

No - only 6 characters long but does include numbers and symbols

No - only 7 characters long and only uses characters and numbers

Yes - uses a combination of letters, numbers and symbols and finally ends with a random sequence

No - although it uses a random combination of numbers and letters, it uses no symbols and is still short

INTERLANDTOWERLINK

Create a presentation for someone who is coming up to high school next year.

Your presentation will describe how to create a good password and how to stay safe online. Remember, the presentation is aimed at P7 pupils.

Task

Lesson review

I can explain what the risks are associated with using technology

I can explain what the risks are and I can suggest ways to stay safe when using a computer system

I can explain the risks and how to stay safe when using a computer system, I can effectively communicate this with another person