Egypt Primary 6 Communication Technology, Week 11: Malware and spoofing

Cyber security: staying safe online

Week 11 · Theme 2, Lesson 4 Cyber Security · 3 lessons

Malware and spoofing

ICT P6 Term 1, Theme 2: pp. 58–61

GoalTell malware and spoofing apart and spot scareware and fake messages.

New words

malware · harmful software made to damage a device or steal datascareware · a fake warning that frightens you into clicking a harmful linkspoofing · pretending to be a business or someone you know, to trick youpublic Wi-Fi · an internet connection that many people share in a public place

Explanation

Two threats are common. The first is malware, harmful software. Even careful people can be tricked. Scareware is malware that pretends to be a virus alert. A box suddenly says ‘Your device has a virus! Click here to remove it!’ But the link is the virus. Malware can also reach phones, and an unsafe public Wi-Fi connection that anyone can join can open a door for it. The second threat is spoofing. A criminal pretends to be a business or a person you know. The web address may look almost like a real one, or an e-mail may show the name of a service you trust, or even of a friend, but it is not from them. If you click, your information could be seen, money could be stolen, or a virus could be installed. Look for clues: you did not expect the message, it frightens you or hurries you, the address looks slightly wrong, or it asks for personal details. What to do: do not click, do not answer, do not forward it, and show a grown-up.

Threat	How it tricks	First move
scareware (a kind of malware)	a fake virus alert with a harmful link	do not click; tell a grown-up
spoofing	pretends to be a business or someone you know	do not answer; a grown-up checks another way
unsafe public Wi-Fi	anyone can join; harmful software may slip in	ask a grown-up before joining

Worked examples

pop-up: ‘Virus! Click now!’→do not click→tell a grown-up

A box on a paper screen says ‘Virus found! Click now!’ Youssef remembers: scareware. He does not click. He calls his mother, and she checks the device.

Real address	Address in the message
deltaparcels.example	deltaparcels-now.example

An invented parcel company uses the address deltaparcels.example. A message tells Karim to click deltaparcels-now.example to get a prize. The name is almost the same but not exactly: this is spoofing. A grown-up contacts the company in the usual way instead.

A message shows Youssef’s name and asks Seif for a password. Youssef did not write it. Seif does not answer. He tells his father, who asks Youssef’s family in another way.

Class activity

Spot the trick. Write four short pretend messages on paper strips: two harmless (a teacher reminds the class about a trip) and two tricks (a prize you never entered for, a fake virus alert). Mix them up. A partner sorts them into ‘safe’ and ‘trick’ and underlines the clue in each trick. Use no real names, numbers or addresses.

Practice

Which malware pretends to be a virus alert?

A message has your friend’s name, but you did not expect it and it asks for a password. What threat may it be?

Why can unsafe public Wi-Fi be risky?

Give two clues that a message is a trick.