Chapter 5

THE INTERNET AND ITS USES

The internet is a global network of interconnected
computer networks that use the TCP/IP protocol to
connect devices worldwide.
The World Wide Web or WWW refers to online
content that is formatted in HTML and accessible via
the HTTP/HTTPS protocol.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INTERNET & WWW

Internet World Wide Web (WWW)

• • users can send and receive • it is a collection of multimedia
emails web pages and other info
• allows online chatting (via • http(s) protocols are written
text, audio and video) using hypertext mark-up
language (HTML) information
on websites
• it is a worldwide collection
of interconnected networks • uses the internet to access
and devices information from web servers
Uniform resource locators (URLs) are text addresses used to
access websites. A URL is typed into a browser address bar
using the following format:
protocol://website address/path/file name
The protocol is usually either http or https.
The website address is:
• domain host (www),
• domain name (website name),
• domain type (example - .com, .org, .net, .gov,)
Key terms
HTTP Hypertext transfer protocol (http) is a set of rules that
must be obeyed when transferring files across the internet.
HTTPS – only secured is added at the end
Web browsers, browsers are software that allow a user to
access and display web pages on their device screens.
Browsers interpret (translate) the HTML from websites and
show the result of the translation; for example, videos,
images/text and audio.
The Domain Name Server (DNS) (also known as domain name
system) is a system for finding IP addresses for a domain name
given in a URL.
Cookies
Cookies are small files or code stored on a user's
computer. They are sent by a web server to a
browser on a user's computer.
There are two types of cookies
1. Session
2. persistent
What is digital currency?
Digital currency exists purely in a digital format. It has
no physical form unlike conventional fiat currency
(for example- $, £ etc).
BLockchaining
Blockchain is a decentralised database. All the transactions of
networked members are stored on this database. Essentially, the
blockchain consists of a number of interconnected computers
but they are not connected to a central server. All transaction
data is stored on all computers in the blockchain network
Cyber security
The following list shows the cyber threats which will be considered in
this section:
• brute force attacks
• data interception
• distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks
• hacking
• malware (viruses, worms, Trojan horse, spyware, adware and
ransomware)
• phishing
• pharming
• social engineering.
Brute force attacks - If a hacker wants to 'crack' your password,
they can systematically try all the different combinations of Letters,
numbers and other symbols until eventually they find your password.
This is known as a brute force attack
Data interception
Data interception is a form of stealing data by tapping into a wired or
wireless communication link. The intent is to compromise privacy or
to obtain confidential information.
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks
it is a cybercrime in which the attacker floods a server with internet traffic
to prevent users from accessing connected online services and sites.
The attacker may be able to prevent a user from:
• accessing their emails
• accessing websites/web pages
• accessing online services (such as banking).
Hacking is generally the act of gaining illegal access to a
computer system without the user's permission.

Malware is one of the biggest risks to the integrity and

security of data on a computer system
 TYPES OF MALWARE
Viruses are programs or program code that replicate (copies
themselves) with the intention of deleting or corrupting files, or
causing a computer to malfunction (for example, by deleting .exe
files, filling up the hard drive with 'useless' data, and so on).

Worms are a type of stand-alone malware that can self-replicate.

Their intention is to spread to other computers and corrupt whole
networks

A Trojan horse replaces all or part of the legitimate software

with the intent of carrying out some harm to the user's computer
system
 TYPES OF MALWARE
Spyware is software that gathers information by monitoring a user's
activities carried out on their computer. The gathered information is
sent back to the cybercriminal who originally sent the spyware.

Adware is a type of malware. At its least dangerous it will attempt

to flood an end-user with unwanted advertising.

Ransomware are programs that encrypt data on a user's computer

and 'hold the data hostage'. The cybercriminal waits until the
ransom money is paid and, sometimes, the decryption key is then
sent to the user.
Phishing occurs when a cybercriminal sends out legitimate-looking
emails to users. The emails may contain links or attachments that, when
initiated, take the user to a fake website; or they may trick the user into
responding with personal data (for example, bank account details or
credit/debit card details).

Pharming is malicious code installed on a user's computer or on an

infected website. The code redirects the user's browser to a fake website
without the user's knowledge.
Biometrics
Biometrics can be used in much the same way as passwords as
a way of identifying a user. Biometrics relies on certain unique
characteristics of human beings;
examples include:
• fingerprint scans
• retina scans
• face recognition
• voice recognition.
Fingerprint scans Images of fingerprints are compared against
previously scanned fingerprint images stored in a database; if they
match, then a user has been correctly recognized.

Retina scans
Retina scans use infrared light to scan the unique pattern of blood
vessels in the retina (at the back of the eye)

Two-step verification
requires two methods of authentication to verify who a user is. It is
used predominantly when a user makes an online purchase using a
credit/debit card as payment method
Firewalls
A firewall can be either software or hardware. It sits between
the user's computer and an external network (for example, the
internet) and filters information in and out of the computer.
Secure sockets layer (SSL)
It is a type of protocol - a set of rules used by computers to
communicate with each other across a network. This allows data
to be sent and received securely over the internet.

Examples of where SSL would be used:

• online banking and all online financial
transactions
• online shopping/commerce
• sending and receiving emails
• using cloud storage facilities
• Voice over Internet Protocols (VoIP) when carrying
out video chatting and/or audio chatting over the