| A |
AntiVirus Software
Software that detects and removes computer viruses.
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| B |
Browser
A
program that allows a user to find, view, hear and interact with
material on the World Wide Web. Netscape Navigator and Microsoft
Internet Explorer are examples of popular browsers.
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| E |
Encryption
A
way to make data unreadable to everyone except the recipient of a
message. Encryption is often used to make the transmission of credit
card numbers secure for those who are shopping on the Internet.
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| F |
Firewall
A
firewall is hardware or software that enforces security on your
computer or system. It's like a locked door, preventing dangerous
material from getting into the room.
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| H |
Hacker
Someone who tries to get access to a computer system without authorization.
Hardware
The
mechanical devices that make up a computer system, such as the central
processing unit, monitor, keyboard, and mouse, as well as other
equipment like printers and speakers.
Home Page
The first page on a website, which introduces the site.
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| I |
ISP (Internet Service Provider)
A company that sells direct access to the internet, most often through dialing a local phone number.
IdentityTheft( ID Theft)
A
criminal activity where a thief appropriates vital information such as
your name, birth date, account number, or credit card number without
your knowledge.
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| K |
Keystroke logger
Hardware
device or a software program that records each keystroke made on a
particular computer. Marketed as a way for parents to monitor their
children's activities on a computer, keystroke loggers are sometimes
downloaded unwittingly by users. The keystroke logger then records the
keystrokes and periodically uploads the information over the Internet.
See also Spyware , Trojan horse.
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| L |
Link
A
word, phrase, or image highlighted in a document to get someone from
one place to another, typically on the Internet, but also within a
document.
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| O |
Operating System
The
main program that runs on a computer. An operating system allows other
software to run and prevents unauthorized users from accessing the
system. Major operating systems include UNIX , Windows and Linux.
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| P |
Patch
A
software update meant to fix problems with a computer program. This can
range from fixing bugs, to replacing graphics, to improving the
usability or performance of a previous version.
Pharming
The
criminal process of electronically gathering and selling the personal
and financial information for multiple users through the use of
phishing. See also Phishing.
Phishing
An
online identity theft scam. Typically, criminals send emails that look
like they're from legitimate sources, but are not. The fake messages
generally include a link to phony, or spoofed, websites , where victims
are asked to provide sensitive personal information. The information
goes to criminals, rather than the legitimate business. See also Spoofing.
Pop-up ads (Pop-ups)
Unsolicited
advertising that appears as a " pop-up" window on a computer screen.
Sometimes these can be created to look like a financial institution's
request for personal information.
Privacy Policy
The policy under which a company operating a website handles personal information collected about visitors to the site.
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| S |
Secure Socket Layer (SSL)
SSL
technology encodes information that is sent over the Internet between
your computer and your Bank's website, helping to ensure that the
information remains confidential.
Service Pack
A
software program that corrects known bugs or problems, or adds new
features to a software program already installed on your computer.
Software
A computer program that enables computer hardware to work.
Software Update
A software install that is performed to enhance or repair a previously installed computer program.
Spam
Unsolicited "junk" email sent to large numbers of people to promote products or service.
Spoofing
An
online identity theft scam. Typically, criminals send emails that look
like they're from legitimate sources, but are not (phishing'). The fake
messages generally include a link to phony, or spoofed, websites, where
victims are asked to provide sensitive personal information. The
information goes to criminals, rather than the legitimate business. See
also Phishing.
Spyware
A
program that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge. These
programs gather information from your computer activities and send them
to an unknown source. These programs are especially dangerous when
capturing financial information that can be used to commit fraud.
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| T |
Trojan Horse
An
apparently legitimate software that carries an unwanted payload that is
typically used by hackers to gain unauthorized access to your computer.
See also Spyware.
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| V |
Virus
A
program that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge.
Viruses can make copies of themselves, quickly using up all available
memory. Some viruses can transmit themselves across networks.
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| W |
Worm
Typically, a malicious program that reproduces itself over a network and uses up computer resources or shuts down the system.
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