This lab will provide you with tools for keeping your computer secure:
The Internet can be an unpredictable, and sometimes unsafe, place. In the real world, you wouldn't leave your house unlocked, your car door open, or your wallet lying around. The same holds true with the Internet, and even a brand new computer is not impervious to worms and viruses. This lab will walk you through the basics of setting up your computer and safeguarding it against some of the uncertainties of the Internet. While it will not make you an instant computer security expert, it will give you a few tools that will help you protect yourself and your computer from some of the things that are out there.
You may run into these three common threats while online: viruses, hackers, and spyware. Viruses are malicious programs that can make your computer spam other computers, delete all of your files, or even give someone else complete control over your computer. Hackers are individuals who, for reasons ranging from boredom to working for organized crime to a yen for personal notoriety, write viruses and steal personal data on the Internet. Spyware is like a virus, but instead of deleting or modifying files, may report your personal information (things like your credit card number and your Social Security Number) to other people so that they may steal your identity. This lab will give you the tools to help prevent these three things from happening to you while you are online.
Note that all of the software used in this lab is either free from the provider or available as part of the UW Internet Connectivity Kit (UWICK) package. This software can be downloaded and used on your home computer or laptop to keep it safe from these threats. We highly recommend that you do so!
Open the Lab 12 WebQ and answer question 1. It's easiest if you keep the quiz open while completing this lab. Toggle back and forth between quiz and instructions with Alt-Tab.