MODULE 3

SAFE USE OF COMPUTER

Virus and Antivirus

• A computer virus is a malware program that, when executed, replicates by inserting copies of itself (possibly modified) into other computer programs, data files, or the boot sector of the hard drive; when this replication succeeds, the affected areas are then said to be "infected".

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• Malware is short for malicious software.• They are specifically designed to damage or disrupt

a computer system.• Viruses often perform some type of harmful

activity on infected hosts, such as stealing hard disk space or CPU time, accessing private information, corrupting data, displaying political or humorous messages on the user's screen, spamming their contacts, or logging their keystrokes.

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• However, not all viruses carry a destructive payload or attempt to hide themselves—the defining characteristic of viruses is that they are self-replicating computer programs which install themselves without the user's consent.

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• Virus writers use social engineering and exploit detailed knowledge of security vulnerabilities to gain access to their hosts' computing resources.

• Social engineering, in the context of information security, refers to psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information.

• A type of confidence trick for the purpose of information gathering, fraud, or system access, it differs from a traditional "con" in that it is often one of many steps in a more complex fraud scheme.

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• The vast majority of viruses target systems running Microsoft Windows, employing a variety of mechanisms to infect new hosts,

and often using complex anti-detection/stealth strategies to evade antivirus software.

Antivirus

• There are several measures used to protect against viruses.

• Antivirus software is a program that will protect your computer system against computer viruses.

• The three best-know antivirus software are McAfee Office, Norton 360, and Kaspersky Antivirus 2014.

Ethical Consideration

• Ethics, as you may know, are standards of moral conduct.

• The essential element that controls how computers are used today is ethics.

• Computer ethics are guidelines for the morally acceptable use of computers in our society.

• Ethical treatment is critically important to us all, and we are all entitled to ethical treatment.

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• This includes the right to keep personal information, such as credit ratings and medical histories, from getting into unauthorized hands.

Copyright Issues

• Copyright is a legal concept that gives content creators the right to control, use and distribution of their work.

• Materials that can be copyrighted include paintings, books, music, films, and even video games.

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• Software piracy is the unauthorized copying and distribution of software.

• The Digital Millennium Copyright Act establishes the right of a program owner to make a backup copy of any program.

• The act also establishes that none of these copies may be legally resold or given away.

• It is also illegal to download copyright-protected music and videos from the Internet.

Plagiarism

• Plagiarism means representing some other person’s work and ideas as your own without giving credit to the original source.

• Although plagiarism was a problem long before the invention of computers, computer technology has made plagiarism easier.

Healthy and Safe Use of Computers

• Many people use computers or visual display units (VDUs) as part of their job and most suffer no ill-effects.

• VDUs don't give out harmful levels of radiation and rarely cause skin complaints.

• If you use one and suffer ill-effects it may be because of the way you're using the computer.

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• For example, you might suffer from strain in the back of the hand due to excessive mouse-clicking, or stress or neckache if you use a VDU without a break for a long time.

• Problems like these can be avoided by a well-designed workstation and job.

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cont• Adequate lighting • Adequate contrast, no glare or distracting reflections • Distracting noise minimized • Leg room and clearances to allow postural changes • Window covering if needed to minimize glare • Software: appropriate to task, adapted to user, providing feedback on

system n status, no undisclosed monitoring• Screen: stable image, adjustable, readable, glare/reflection-free • Keyboard: usable, adjustable, detachable, legible • Work surface: with space for flexible arrangement of equipment and n

documents; glare-free• Chair: stable and adjustable • Footrest if user needs one

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• Users of computers must have breaks of 5 minutes after every 60 minutes use of computer to vary their posture.

• Computer users must have regular eye and eyesight tests.

Best Sitting Position