Glossary
Avatar – A graphic alter ego you create to use online; can be a 3D character or a simple icon, human or whimsical.
Badware – Bad software; includes viruses and spyware that steal your personal information, send spam, and commit fraud. (See Malware.)
Backing up – Making copies of computer data in case something happens to your machine or operating system and the information is lost.
Blocking software – A program to filter content from the internet and restrict access to sites or content based on specific criteria.
Blog – Short for “web log”, a site where you regularly post personal observations.
Buddy list – A list of people who you can chat with through an instant messaging program.
Chat room – An online space where you can meet and exchange information through messages displayed on the screens of others who are in the “room.”
COPPA – The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act; it gives parents control over what information websites can collect from their kids under 13.
Cyberbullying – Bullying or harassment that takes place online; includes posting embarrassing pictures or unkind comments on a person’s profile or sending them via instant message or email.
Firewall – Hardware or software that blocks unauthorized communications to or from your computer; helps keep hackers from using your computer to send out your personal information without your permission.
GPS – “Global Positioning System,” a global navigation satellite system that is used in cars or phones to determine location and provide directions.
Hacking – Breaking into a computer or network by evading or disabling security measures.
Instant messaging (IM) – Enables two or more people to chat in real time, and notifies you when someone on your buddy list is online.
Intellectual property (IP) – Creative products that have commercial value, including copyrighted property like books, photos, and songs.
Limited user account – An online setting that grants someone access to some of the computer’s functions and programs, but allows only an administrator to make changes that affect the computer.
Malware – Short for “malicious software”; includes viruses and spyware that steal personal information, send spam, and commit fraud. (See Badware.)
Password – A secret word or phrase used with a user name to grant access to your computer or protect sensitive information online.
Patch – Software downloaded to fix or update a computer program.
Peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing – Allows you to share files online—like music, movies, or games—through an informal network of computers running the same sharing software.
PDA – “Personal Digital Assistant,” can be used as a mobile phone, web browser, or portable media player.
Personal information – Data that can be used to identify you, like your name, address, birth date, or Social Security number.
Phishing – When scam artists send spam, pop-ups, or text messages to trick you into disclosing personal, financial, or other sensitive information.
Privacy settings – Controls available on many social networking and other websites that you can set to limit who can access your profile and what information visitors can see.
Profile – A personal page you create on a social networking or other website to share information about yourself and communicate with others.
Security software – Identifies and protects against threats or vulnerabilities that may compromise your computer or your personal information; includes anti-virus and anti-spyware software and firewalls.
Sexting – Sending or forwarding sexually explicit pictures or messages from a mobile phone.
Smart phone – A mobile phone that offers advanced capabilities and features like a web connection and a portable media player.
SMS – “Short Messaging Service,” technology that allows text messages to be sent from one mobile phone to another.
Social networking site – A website that allows you to build a profile and connect with others.
Spyware – Software installed on your computer without your consent to monitor or control your computer use.
Texting – Sending short messages from one mobile phone to another.
Tween – A child between 8 and 12 years old.
User name – An alias used with a password to grant access to accounts and websites.
Video calling – Internet services that allow users to communicate using webcams.
Virtual world – A computer-simulated online “place” where people use avatars—graphic characters—to represent themselves.
Virus – Malware that sneaks onto your computer—often through an email attachment— and then makes copies of itself.
Webcam – A video camera that can stream live video on the web; may be built into the computer or purchased separately.
Encryption: The scrambling of data into a secret code that can be read only by software set to decode the information.
Extended Service Set Identifier (ESSID): The name a manufacturer assigns to a router. It may be a standard, default name assigned by the manufacturer to all hardware of that model. Users can improve security by changing to a unique name. Similar to a Service Set Identifier (SSID).
Firewall: Hardware or software designed to keep hackers from using your computer to send personal information without your permission. Firewalls watch for outside attempts to access your system and block communications to and from sources you don’t permit.
Media Access Control (MAC) Address: A unique number that the manufacturer assigns to each computer or other device in a network.
Router: A device that connects two or more networks. A router finds the best path for forwarding information across the networks.
Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP): A security protocol that encrypts data sent to and from wireless devices within a network. Not as strong as WPA encryption.
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA): A security protocol developed to fix flaws in WEP. Encrypts data sent to and from wireless devices within a network. WPA2 is the most effective.
Wireless Network: A method of accessing high speed internet without the computer being linked by cables.