Cyber Security Notes — Modules 3
CYBER SECURITY NOTES
Study Notes — Modules 3
Beginner Phase
Module 3 — Internet Safety & Cyber Hygiene
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Cyber Security Notes — Modules 3
MODULE 3 — Internet Safety & Cyber Hygiene
Sessions 26–40 | Duration: 22.5 hours | Phase: Beginner
3.1 Safe Browsing Habits & Recognizing Suspicious Websites
Safe browsing means recognising the warning signs of a malicious or fraudulent website before interacting with
it.
Red Flags of a Suspicious Website
• Misspelled or lookalike domain names (e.g., '[Link]' instead of '[Link]').
• No HTTPS/padlock icon, or a certificate warning shown by the browser.
• Excessive pop-ups, forced redirects, or urgent 'you have won!' banners.
• Requests for unnecessary personal or payment information.
• Poor design, broken links, or inconsistent branding.
Quick check:
Hover over a link (without clicking) to preview the real destination URL shown in the browser's status bar —
this reveals many disguised/malicious links.
3.2 Social Media Privacy
Social media platforms collect and expose large amounts of personal data by default. Privacy settings determine
who can see your posts, profile, and activity.
Key Concepts
• Default privacy settings on most platforms are broad ('Public') — they must be manually tightened.
• Metadata (location tags, timestamps) attached to photos can reveal more than the photo itself.
• Friend/follower lists, tagged photos, and check-ins can expose your routine and location patterns.
• Third-party apps linked to a social account often request broad data-access permissions.
Good Practice
12. Set profiles to private/friends-only where possible.
13. Review and remove old, unused connected apps periodically.
14. Turn off location tagging for posts unless necessary.
15. Think before posting — assume anything shared could become permanently public.
3.3 Cyberbullying: Recognition, Impact & Prevention
What Is Cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying is the use of digital technology (messaging, social media, gaming platforms) to repeatedly harass,
threaten, humiliate, or target another person.
Common Forms
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Cyber Security Notes — Modules 3
• Harassment — repeated offensive messages or comments.
• Exclusion — deliberately leaving someone out of online groups/chats.
• Impersonation — creating fake accounts to damage someone's reputation.
• Outing/Doxxing — publicly sharing private information without consent.
• Cyberstalking — persistent monitoring or unwanted contact.
Impact
Cyberbullying can cause anxiety, depression, social withdrawal, and academic decline. Unlike in -person bullying,
it can follow a victim beyond school hours and be witnessed by a large audience, which can intensify its effect.
Prevention & Reporting Mechanisms
16. Do not respond or retaliate — this often escalates the situation.
17. Save evidence: screenshots, timestamps, usernames.
18. Block and report the account through the platform's built-in reporting tool.
19. Inform a trusted adult, teacher, or school counsellor.
20. Escalate to the platform provider or, where laws apply, to local authorities for serious/persistent cases.
3.4 Safe Online Gaming & App Permissions
Online games and mobile apps often request access to contacts, camera, microphone, location, and storage —
sometimes beyond what the app actually needs to function.
Safe Gaming Practices
• Use a gamer tag/username, never your real name, in public games.
• Avoid voice chat with strangers where possible; disable it by default.
• Never share account credentials, even with people claiming to be 'support staff'.
• Be cautious of in-game links/offers promising free currency or items — a classic phishing/malware vector.
App Permissions — The Principle of Least Privilege
A user (or an app) should only be granted the minimum access needed to perform its function — nothing more.
App Type Permission That Makes Sense Permission That Is a Red Flag
Calculator app None required Camera, contacts, or location access
Messaging app Contacts, camera, microphone Access to unrelated files or call logs
without reason
Flashlight app Camera (for the LED flash) Location, contacts, or microphone
access
3.5 Public Wi-Fi Risks
Public Wi-Fi (cafés, airports, libraries) is often unencrypted or shared with unknown users, making it a prime
location for interception attacks.
Key Risks
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Cyber Security Notes — Modules 3
• Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks — an attacker intercepts traffic between your device and the access
point.
• Evil twin networks — a fake hotspot named to look like the legitimate one (e.g., 'Airport_WiFi_Free').
• Packet sniffing — capturing unencrypted data travelling over the network.
Safe Practices on Public Wi-Fi
21. Avoid logging into banking or sensitive accounts on public networks.
22. Only visit sites using HTTPS (see Module 2, Section 2.5).
23. Use a reputable VPN to encrypt traffic when public Wi-Fi is unavoidable.
24. Turn off auto-connect to open/unknown Wi-Fi networks in device settings.
3.6 Device Hygiene: Updates, Antivirus & Backups
Updates & Patching
Software updates ('patches') fix known security vulnerabilities. Delaying updates leaves a device exposed to
publicly known exploits — this was the exact cause of the WannaCry incident referenced in Module 1.
Windows Update check: Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates
macOS update check: Apple menu > System Settings > General > Software Update
Android update check: Settings > System > System update
iOS update check: Settings > General > Software Update
Antivirus / Anti-Malware
• Detects and removes known malicious software using signature and behaviour-based scanning.
• Should be kept updated, since new malware signatures are released constantly.
• Real-time protection scans files as they are opened/downloaded, not just on manual scans.
Backups
A backup is a separate copy of important data, kept so it can be restored after loss, corruption, or a ransomware
attack.
Backup Strategy Description
3-2-1 Rule Keep 3 copies of data, on 2 different media types, with 1 copy stored
off-site/off-line
Full Backup Complete copy of all selected data every time
Incremental Backup Only backs up data changed since the last backup — faster, smaller
Cloud Backup Automatic off-site storage (e.g., Google Drive, iCloud, OneDrive)
Why backups matter:
A reliable backup is the single most effective defence against ransomware — if your files are encrypted by an
attacker, a clean backup lets you recover without paying.
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Cyber Security Notes — Modules 3
3.7 Hands-On Labs & Activities — Module 3
🧪 Hands-On Lab Activities
• Privacy-Settings Audit: Review and tighten the privacy settings on a personal or demo social media
account.
• App Permissions Review: Go through installed apps on a mobile device and identify any permission that
doesn't match the app's purpose.
• Set up a safe-browsing tool or browser extension that flags malicious/suspicious sites.
• Hands-on backup exercise: back up a set of sample files using at least two different methods (e.g., local
drive + cloud).
• Identify suspicious websites from a provided sample list, explaining the red flags spotted in each.
• Role-play: practise responding appropriately to a cyberbullying scenario, including reporting steps.
Module 3 — Key Takeaways
• Suspicious websites can usually be identified by domain spelling, missing HTTPS, and manipulative urgency
tactics.
• Social media privacy settings default to broad sharing and must be actively managed.
• Cyberbullying should be documented, reported, and escalated to a trusted adult — never ignored or
retaliated against.
• Apply the principle of least privilege when granting app permissions.
• Public Wi-Fi requires HTTPS and/or a VPN; device hygiene (updates, antivirus, 3-2-1 backups) is the
baseline defence against most common threats.
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