Glossary

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A

Anti-virus software
Software which seeks and removes viruses and potential threats from your computer.

Authentication
The process we use to verify the identity of individuals signing in to the online service.

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B

Browser
Software which allows you to view websites as words and pictures on your screen.

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C

Cookie
Small pieces of information which can be placed into your internet browser by a website you have visited.

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D

Dialogue box
These are similar to pop-up windows but are more like a grey box you might see when using Microsoft Windows. They appear on screen to prompt you for a response.

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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 system used to protect your computer from unauthorized access by third parties.

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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.

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I

Internet Service Provider (ISP)
The company who supplies you with your internet connection, for example, BT Openworld, Tiscali.

Identity Theft (ID Theft)
A criminal activity where a thief steals and uses vital information such as your name, birth date, Social Security number, or credit card number without your knowledge to commit fraud or other crimes.

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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.

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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 (OS)
A program, such as Microsoft Windows XP, that enables your computer to operate software e.g. Microsoft Outlook Express.

Opt-in
Giving permission for an organization to use information in a specific way.

Opt-out
Withdrawing permission for an organization to use information in a specific way.

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P

Patch
An update required to correct a fault within the software overlooked at the time it was released. Also called a fix.

Pharming
The criminal process of electronically gathering and selling the personal and financial information for multiple users through the use of 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.

Pop-up window or Pop-up ads (pop-ups)
Information that appears in a new browser window and is not voluntarily activated by the PC user. Pop-ups are sometimes used by genuine companies to advertise their products.

Pop-up blocker (pop-up ad blocker)
A utility that prevents web site pop-up windows from displaying. The challenge with this software is to distinguish a valid pop-up from an advertisement. There are an enormous number of Web pages that launch legitimate browser windows to display additional information, and a popup is a small browser window. See popup.

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) Certificate
SSL signifies Secure Sockets Layer and is an encryption technique for scrambling information (such as bank account details) as it is passed from the sender to the receiver. For a secure transaction to take place, both sides must supply a valid SSL certificate. A web address beginning with https signifies that SSL is in place and therefore that the website is secure.

Service Pack
A software program that corrects known bugs or problems, or adds new features to a software program already installed on your computer.

Spam
Unwanted "junk" e-mails offering products and services of dubious benefit. Various types of anti-spam software are available, but the first line of defense may be your own Internet Service Provider, many of whom offer spam-filtering services.

Spoofing
An online identity theft scam. Typically, criminal send emails that look like they're from legitimate sources, but are not (phishing). The fake messages generally include a link to a phony, or spoofed, websites, where victims are asked to provide sensitive personal information. The information goes to criminals, rather than the legitimate business.

Spyware
Software that sends information about your Web surfing habits to its Web site. Often quickly installed in your computer in combination with a free download you purposely selected from the Web, spyware transmits information in the background to an unknown sour as you move around the Web. Also known as "parasite software," "scumware," "junkware" and "thiefware, spyware is occasionally installed just by visiting a Web site .

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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 you computer.

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V

Virus
A virus is a malicious program which aims to harm your computer.

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W

Worm
A destructive program that replicates itself throughout disk and memory, using up the computer's resources and eventually taking the system down. See virus, logic bomb, Worm.ExploreZip virus and Morris worm.

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