Internet and Cyber Awareness
Internet fundamentals
The internet is a network of networks, while the web is a service running on it. Core ideas: IP addresses, domain names and DNS resolution, URL structure (protocol://host/path), HTTP and HTTPS, browsers, search engines, email fields (To, Cc, Bcc) and cloud storage.
- HTTPS encrypts traffic using TLS; the padlock proves a certificate exists, not that the site is honest.
- Common suffixes: .gov, .edu, .org, .com and country codes such as .in.
- In email, Cc is visible to all recipients while Bcc is hidden.
Cyber awareness
Threats include phishing, smishing (SMS), vishing (voice calls), malware, ransomware, keyloggers, social engineering and identity theft. In India, the IT Act 2000 and the DPDP Act 2023 govern cyber matters, and financial cyber fraud should be reported at cybercrime.gov.in or on helpline 1930.
Worked example
“An email from [email protected] asks you to confirm your PIN.” The domain is not the bank’s real domain, and no bank asks for a PIN. Mismatched domain, urgency and an embedded link are classic phishing markers. Correct action: do not click, report it, then delete.
Traps that cost marks
- Believing a padlock proves a site is genuine.
- Confusing a firewall (traffic filtering) with antivirus (malware scanning).
- Relying on a strong password alone without two-factor authentication.
- Reporting financial fraud late; the 1930 helpline works fastest within the golden hour.