Digital Security

Video Transcription

Hi there, everybody, and welcome to today's tutorial. My name is Gino Sangiuliano, and the topic we'll be covering today is digital security. As always, let's get started by reviewing the nine elements of digital citizenship. Digital access, digital commerce, digital literacy, digital etiquette, digital law, digital rights, digital responsibilities, digital health, and the topic of today's lesson, digital security.

I learned about digital security the hard way. A few years ago, I was online and suddenly and large warning flashed on my screen. The text informed me that my computer was in immediate and dangerous risk. Believe it or not, I didn't panic. Not yet, anyway. I knew my computer had some measures of virus protection in place that would undoubtedly resolve the issue.

As I looked at the warning, I noticed there were instructions on what to do next. It said something to the effect of, click here to activate your scanning side, and the icon was very similar to the four colored Microsoft symbol. So I clicked it. Sure enough, that was when I let in the real virus and caused a lot of damage. I'm hoping that this tutorial on digital security will prevent something like that from happening to you.

Now let's get started. Digital security means taking precautions to protect yourself, and your devices, from harmful threats. It's a lot easier to explain real world threats to children. However, we must now acknowledge that the digital world is the real world, and that the threats we face are indeed serious.

So what exactly are these threats? They include stolen information, which can lead to unauthorized financial transactions, defacing of your content that you possess, illegal or unethical activities using your name, damage to your reputation that can have horrible repercussions, and a general disruption of your daily life. There are also physical threats to your device as well.

For example, damage to your monitor or keypad can be extremely expensive to repair or replace. Internal damage can be caused by electrical surges. And as more and more devices are portable, your device is always at risk of being stolen. There are some steps you can take to protect yourself. For example, you can create stronger passwords.

Some tips include adding capital letters, or using the digit 3 instead of the letter E. Secondly, you'll have to use caution when giving out your personal information. Always check the site and make sure that it's reputable. Investing in a virus protection program is also recommend. You'll want to turn off your monitor and computer when not in use.

You'll want to monitor your online activity by checking statements, and back everything up. This can mean doing it externally, with disks, or cloud storage.

There are also some steps that you can take to protect your physical device as well. For example, use surge protectors. This will help in the event that you suddenly lose power due to a lightning strike or something else. Shut down your device properly.

Always use a padded case or bag when transporting your device. Prevent it from being exposed to extreme temperatures. This is a problem that happens often now that most devices are portable. Develop strong maintenance habits by keeping your keyboard and your monitor clean, and power your computer off immediately if you suspect something is wrong.

Let's go ahead and summarize what we learned today. We began by reviewing the nine elements of digital citizenship. We went into detail and defined digital security. We discussed the threats to you that exist, and the threats to your device. We talked about ways to protect both yourself and your device.

I'll leave you with this food for thought. If something unexpectedly happen to your primary device, what would you lose, and what would you pay to get it all back?

For more information on how to apply what you learned in this video, please view the additional resources section that accompanies this presentation. The additional resources sections include hyperlinks, useful for applications of the course material, including brief descriptions of each resource. Thanks again for watching. Have a great day.