Rule Of Law: How To Behave Online

Communicating online (how to behave on the web)

There is a law, communications Act 2003, that covers all forms of web communication when it comes to comments online such as trolling, as well as indecent or illegal communications. This law helps protect people online because it means that vulnerable and attacked people can report messages and the sender will get investigated and even charged.

Another law about behaving online is the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, this law is like the communications act 2003 however, this law is to do with harassment that has occurred repeatedly (more than two times). This law helps to protect people who are getting harassed, meaning if they report it to the police, they can take further action such as a restraining order.

How to professionalize an email

Your employer legally must inform you that your work email is being tacked by them (if they are tracking it). If your employer does not inform you about this, you have the right to take them to court. For example, in 2007 an employee at a Welsh College won a case against her employer, who had been monitoring her emails. She claimed they were intruding on her privacy, however, the employer claimed that they were trying to see if she was misusing work hours or not. But the woman won due to the employer not disclosing this information to her at any time.

How to respond to spam

The CASL laws state that you must follow a user’s request to opt-out request within 10 days and that you cannot charge a fee to opt them out or require the recipient to give you any personal information other than an email address. You must make sure that the only way to opt a user out is by them replying to an email, otherwise, the recipient can take you to court.

How to detect malware

Hackers normally infect computers by exploiting vulnerabilities in your software. The more up-to-date your software is, the less vulnerabilities your systems will have and the harder it will be for hackers to infect them. Make sure your operating systems, applications, browsers, and devices are always at the latest edition. The best way to do this is by enabling automatic updates whenever possible.

How to detect phishing and smishing

Scammers use email or text messages to trick you into giving them your personal information. They may try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or national insurance number. If they get that information, they could gain access to your email and bank account. To carry out this attack a scammer will compose an email pretending to be a trusted company asking for the information for security measures, these emails and texts will often contain a link as well. An example of who they could pretend to be is a bank or mobile phone provider.