Internet Security Quiz: Awareness Test!

An anti-virus program is a software designed to detect, prevent, and remove malware from a computer system. By regularly scanning the system, it can identify and eliminate any malicious programs that may be gathering sensitive information and compromising privacy. Therefore, having an anti-virus program installed and regularly updated on your computer can provide general protection against malware and help safeguard your privacy.

Identity theft causes problems for online users because it involves stealing social security numbers, locating personal information such as address, and stealing bank information. These actions can lead to financial loss, unauthorized access to personal accounts, and potential harm to one's reputation and privacy. It is important for online users to take precautions and safeguard their personal information to prevent falling victim to identity theft.

Phishing is a technique where attackers try to obtain sensitive information from users by pretending to be a trustworthy entity. They often use deceptive emails, messages, or websites that appear legitimate to trick users into revealing personal information such as credit card details, usernames, passwords, and home addresses. The user willingly provides this information, unaware that they are being scammed.

Spam can give tons and tons of junk through forums, messaging, and online gaming in addition to email. These methods involve sending unsolicited and unwanted messages or advertisements to a large number of users, overwhelming them with irrelevant content. This can disrupt the normal functioning of these platforms and cause inconvenience to users. Therefore, spam can be a problem across various online channels, not just limited to email.

Spyware can infect a computer through various means. Popups can be used to trick users into clicking on malicious links or downloading infected files. Theft of personal information refers to spyware collecting sensitive data such as passwords, credit card details, or social security numbers without the user's knowledge. Recording web information involves spyware monitoring and logging the user's browsing habits, including websites visited and search queries. Therefore, all the options mentioned above can be ways in which spyware infects a computer.

Hackers usually go for identity theft because personal information is valuable and can be used for various malicious activities. By obtaining someone's personal information, hackers can impersonate them, gain unauthorized access to their accounts, commit financial fraud, or even sell the information on the dark web. Personal information such as social security numbers, bank account details, and addresses can provide hackers with the means to carry out their illegal activities and exploit their victims. Therefore, identity theft is a common objective for hackers due to the potential financial gain and the ability to cause significant harm to individuals.

The correct answer is "Spam through email" because after giving his email to the stranger, Josh received thousands of emails from different sources, indicating that his email address was used to send unsolicited and unwanted messages, which is commonly referred to as spam.

Spyware is a type of software that is installed on computers without the user's consent and collects small pieces of information from users. It is designed to operate stealthily, making it difficult to detect. Unlike spam, which refers to unsolicited and unwanted emails, malware, which encompasses various types of malicious software, and phishing, which involves tricking users into revealing sensitive information, spyware specifically focuses on gathering user data without their knowledge.

Popups are a certain clue that you may have spyware on your computer. Spyware often generates unwanted popups, which can significantly slow down the performance of the computer. These popups can appear randomly and frequently, disrupting the user's experience and indicating the presence of malicious software.

To protect yourself from phishing, you can take the following measures: Get an Anti-Virus Program to detect and block any malicious software or links that may be present in phishing emails or websites. Additionally, changing passwords every 4-6 months helps prevent unauthorized access to your accounts, reducing the risk of falling victim to phishing attacks.