LEARNING PACK: EMPOWERMENT TECHNOLOGIES 1

1ST SEMESTER, S.Y. 2024-2025

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First Quarter

CULMINATING ACTIVITY: CYBER NEWS REPORT

Goal: You will produce a 5- minute news broadcast. In the process of planning
the segments, you will study news broadcasts; learn how to create a
script for your audio and visuals and utilize production and film techniques
such as setting, presentation, props, camera angles, and editing.

Role: Newscaster, Writer, Video Editor, Cameraman

Audience: The audience are the social media users

Situation: Most teenagers spend their time online. It is vital to consider what
information you share because the Internet is a public place. You are
tasked to research news and events related to cybercrime. Using your
cellular phone or any video-recording device, report it as if you were a
newscaster. Present a 5-7 minutes video recording. The output will show
several cybercrime and Internet threats include malwares, spam, and
phishing, ways to stay safe online and the essentiality of knowing and
applying them.

Product/
Performance: You need to create a cyber-news video report

Standard: The output will be based on the following rubrics.

Rubric for evaluating CYBER-NEWS VIDEO REPORT

EXCELLENT GOOD ADEQUATE INADEQUATE

CATEGORY
(10-9) (8-7) (6-5) (4-2)

Clearly, quickly Established Audience had an Little or no intro,

established the focus by the end idea of what was such that
focus of the of the intro, but coming, but the audience did not
Opening & intro presentation. went off on a intro did not know the
Gained audience tangent or two. clarify the main speaker’s main
Attention. Gained attention. focus. focus.

Main points Presentation

Main points fairly Main points must
clearly stated jumps among
Clarity & clear; some be inferred by
and explained; random topics.
Organization missing links or audience; holes
logical, smooth Main points
transitions. are evident.
organization. unclear.

Evidence clearly
presented. Evidence
Thorough, perhaps not quite Evidence, Lacks key
Knowledgeable, clearly separated assumptions, observations.
interesting, from and interpretation Evidence
Content logical. assumptions and difficult to unclear. Appears
Assumptions and interpretation of untangle from largely opinion-
interpretations evidence, but one another. based.
clear, and clearly story is logical.
identified.
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Speakers spoke
Audience could Audience could Audience could to the screen or
see & hear see & hear mostly see & mostly to one
speakers clearly. speakers clearly, hear speakers. person in the
Style & Delivery Effective pauses Most pauses & Speakers show audience. Poorly
and verbal verbal intonation some hesitation timed. Appears
intonation. were effective. or uncertainty. to have not
practiced.

Well-selected, Reasonable Some chosen

well- placed images and text, images Chosen images
images and text. not always well- extraneous to and text
Figures clearly placed. Figures presentation or marginally useful.
Visual Aids support ideas clearly support marginally Too much/little
presented ideas presented. support extra detail. Lack
without May have some presentation. Too of connection to
extraneous extra/missing much/little extra topic.
information. information detail.

Conclusions
clearly stated. Conclusions Summary shown
Summary stated. Summary but poorly
Summary non-
integrated main perhaps not quite explained by
existent or very
Summary points and fully supported speaker.
abrupt. Lack of
brought the by evidence Audience has to
synthesis.
presentation to a shown, but main summarize for
logical & effective points clear. themselves.
closure.
Total
60 Points

.
As the saying goes, “Love makes the world go around.” But before you start your
quest for romance, consider this: the web has been spinning the world for quite some time
now. Just like in our warm-up activity, the Internet has likely played a central role in your
life. In this lesson, we'll explore how Information and Communication Technologies have
revolutionized our lives in such a short span of time.
Empowerment Technology helps us use tools like phones, computers, and other
devices to find, save, share information, and communicate. It's important because it makes
our daily lives easier and supports our country’s modernization. There are three main
reasons why Empowerment Technology is important: it helps with communication,
simplifies our lives, and contributes to national progress.

INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION AND

COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

First, we have to define what ICT means. It stands for Information and
Communication Technology. It is the collection or set of tools which are used to
communicate, create, distribute, store and process information. Some of the technologies,
specifically telecommunications techniques involves in this set include computers,
internet, broad-casting, telephony and other technologies which can be used to handle
communication of information.

Many people consider it the same as with Information Technology or IT, but ICT is
on a bigger scope. It touches not only the principles of technology but science and
engineering as well with the aim to transmit information with men and machines.

Computers and the internet have been crucial in the global growth of Information
and Communication Technology (ICT). Today, computers are used in many ways,
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including in different industries and sectors. They help implement ICT in various fields,
such as education, healthcare, business, and entertainment. This widespread use has
transformed how we work, learn, and connect with each other.

ICT is important because it facilitates communication. Over time, many gadgets

and devices have advanced significantly. For example, early cell phones were only used
for texting, calling, and playing simple games. Today, thanks to technological
advancements and the concept of convergence—where technology evolves and
integrates new features—cell phones have become much more versatile. They now allow
us to communicate with people around the world through the internet and various apps or
software.

One of the main goals of ICT is to create a unified and efficient way to
communicate. This means having tools and systems that work well together and
streamline communication. In terms of economics, ICT has been very beneficial for
companies. By using modern communication technologies, businesses can save a lot of
time and money. For example, efficient email systems, video conferencing, and
collaborative tools help companies operate more smoothly and reduce costs associated
with traditional communication methods.

Similarly, ICT helps us save money. For example, sending a text message (SMS)
used to cost around a peso each time. With the internet, however, we can send many
messages through apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, often at a much lower
cost or even for free. This reduction in cost is due to the efficiency and affordability of
internet-based communication compared to traditional methods.

ICT in the Philippines

With computers, smartphones, and the internet, sharing information has become
much faster and easier. Instead of relying only on television or radio for news and updates,
we now have many online platforms where we can access this information. We are no
longer restricted to specific times or places to get updates; we can check news and
information anytime and anywhere thanks to the convenience of modern technology.

The easy exchange of information has significant effects on the Philippines. One
major benefit is that it helps the country stay up-to-date with global developments.
Information that other countries use for their governments and citizens is now also
accessible to people in the Philippines. This means that technology and knowledge are
more within reach for Filipinos thanks to ICT.

However, there are still some challenges. Despite the increased access to
information, the Philippines sometimes lags behind in fully utilizing advanced technology
compared to first-world countries. This is often due to differences in the availability of high-
end resources and infrastructure. While ICT has made significant strides, there is still a
gap in how effectively these technologies are used compared to more developed nations.

Source: https://dict.gov.ph/ph-internet-speed-rankings-continue-to-climb-upward-in-may-2021/
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Philippine ICT Access.

Based on the data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), ICT
access in the country is much more advanced in mobile cellular phones than in fixed
telephones and the Internet.

With 111.12 subscriptions per 100 persons in 2014, it is assumed that on

average, every Filipino owns more than one cellular phone.

Fixed telephone line subscriptions actually declined from a high of 4.51 per 100
persons in 2008 to 3.09 per 100 persons in 2014. Meanwhile, the number of Internet
users jumped by 387.6% from an average of 5.13 users per 100 persons in 2000-2009
to 25 per 100 persons in 2010.

In 2014, the number of Internet users increased by 7.3% to 39.7 per 100 persons
from 37 per 100 persons in 2013.

Several international companies refer to the Philippines as the “ICT hub of Asia”
because of its growing prominence in the field of Information and Communication
Technology. This reputation is based on several factors:

 Skilled Workforce: The Philippines has a large pool of skilled

professionals in ICT and related fields. Many Filipinos are proficient in
English and have strong technical skills, which attract global companies.

 Growing IT Infrastructure: The country has been investing in improving

its IT infrastructure, including better internet connectivity and advanced
technology, making it an attractive location for ICT businesses.

 Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Industry: The Philippines is a

leading destination for BPO services, which includes customer support, IT
services, and other technology-driven operations. This has boosted the
country’s profile as a key player in the ICT sector.

 Government Support: The Philippine government has been promoting

ICT development through various initiatives and policies aimed at
fostering growth in the technology sector.

These factors combined have contributed to the Philippines being recognized as a major
hub for ICT in Asia, where technology and digital services thrive.

*According to the 2013 edition of Measuring the Information Society by the

International Telecommunication Union, there are 106.8 cellphones per 100 Filipinos
in the year 2012.
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In a data gathered by the Annual Survey of the Philippine Business and

Industries, NSO, in 2010, the ICT industry shared 19.3% of the total employment
population here in Philippines.

Makati: Selfie Capital of the World

A part of the Manila metropolitan area that’s generally known as the financial
center of Manila, ended up on top- Makati City.

Makati City and Pasig had 258 selfie-takers per 100,000 people according to
TIME’s analysis.

To compile the rankings, TIME created a database of more than 400,000

Instagram photos that were tagged with the hashtag “#selfie” and included geographic
coordinates. 459 worldwide cities were ranked according to how many selfies were
taken there between Jan. 28 and Feb. 2 or between March 3 and 7.

Top 10 Cities for Selfies:

1. Makati City
2. New York City
3. Miami
4. Anaheim and Santa Ana, Calif.
5. Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
6. Tel Aviv, Israel
7. Manchester, England
8. Milan, Italy
9. Cebu City, Phil.
10. George Town, Malaysia

Technology has definitely changed the way we lived and enjoy life for many
years already. ICT as part of the general idea of technology played a significant role not
only to first word countries but also to developing countries like the Philippines. This only
shows that investment in devices related to ICT like smartphones, desktop computers
and laptops have lots of benefits of offer.

FEATURES OF WEB
“The internet has been vital tool to our modern lives that is why it is also
important to make the best of the internet.”

Tim Berners-Lee, a British scientist at CERN, invented the World Wide Web
(WWW) in 1989. The web was originally conceived and developed to meet the demand
for automatic information-sharing between scientists in universities and institutes around
the world.

Web 1.0

Web 1.0 refers to the first stage in the World Wide Web, which was entirely made
up of web pages connected by hyperlinks. Although the exact definition of Web 1.0 is a
source of debate, it is generally believed to refer to the web when it was a set of static
websites that were not yet providing interactive content.

The World Wide Web was invented, most pages were static.

Static – known as flat page or stationary page.

– The contents is the same for all users.
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Examples:
www.jekyllrb.com
www.middlemanapp.com
www.gitbook.com
Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is the name used to describe the second generation of the World Wide
Web, where it moved static HTML pages to a more interactive and dynamic web
experience. Web 2.0 is focused on the ability for people to collaborate and share
information online via social media, blogging and Web-based communities. Most
websites that we visit today are Web 2.0.

A term coined by Darcy DiNucci on January 1999, in her article titled,

“Fragment Future” she wrote:

The Web we know now, which loads into a browser window in

essentially static screenfuls, is only an embryo of the Web to come.
The first glimmerings of Web 2.0 are beginning to appear, and we are
just starting to see how that embryo might develop.

The evolution of Web 1.0 by adding dynamic web pages.

Dynamic – the user is able to see the website differently than others.

Allows users to interact with the page and use web browsers instead of just using
their OS. Browsers can be used as user interface, application software and file storage.

Examples:
Social networking sites
Blogs
Wikis
Video sharing sited
Hosted services
Web applications

FEATURES OF WEB 2.0

1. Folksonomy – allows users to categorized and classify/arrange information using

freely chosen keywords (e.g., tagging). Popular social networking sites such as
Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc. use tags that start with the pound sign (#).

2. Rich User Experience – content is dynamic and is responsive to user’s input. An

example would be a website that shows local content. In the case of social
networking sites, when logged on, the account is used to modify what user see in the
websites.

3. User Participation – the owner of the website is not only one who is able to put
content. Others are able to place a content of their own by means of comments,
reviews, and evaluation. Some websites allow readers to comment on the article,
participate in a poll, or review a specific product. (e.g., Amazon.com, online stores)
4. Long Tail – services that are offered on demand rather than on a one-time
purchase. In certain cases, time-based pricing is better than file size-based pricing or
vice versa. This is synonymous to subscribing to a data plan that charges for the
amount of time spent in the internet, or a data plan that charges for the amount of
bandwidth used by user.
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5. Software as a Service – users will subscribe to a software only when needed rather
than purchasing them. This is a cheaper option if the user do not always need to use
a software. For instance, Google Docs is a free web-based application that allows
user to create and edit word processing and spreadsheet documents online. When
user need a software, like word processor, the user can purchase it for a one-time
huge amount and install it in their computer and it is forever. Software as a service
allows you to “rent” software for a minimal fee.

6. Mass Participation – diverse information sharing through universal web access.

Since most users can use the internet, Web 2.0’s content is based on people from
various cultures.

Web 3.0 and the Semantic Web

“The Semantic Web is an extension of the current web in which information is given
well-defined meaning, better enabling computers and people to work in cooperation."
- May 2001 Scientific American article "The Semantic Web" (Berners-Lee et al.)

Semantic Web – is a movement led by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
– The term was coined by the inventor of the World Wide Web,
Tim Berners-Lee.
– One of the components of Web 3.0.

According to the W3C, “The Semantic Web provides a common framework that
allows data to be shared and reused across application, enterprise, and community
boundaries.”

The aim of Web 3.0 is to have machines (or servers) understand the user’s
preferences to be able to deliver web content specifically targeting the target.

Web 3.0 is yet to be fully realized because of several problems:

1. Compatibility – HTML files and current web browsers could not support Web 3.0.

2. Security – the user’s security is also in question since the machine is saving his or her
preferences.

3. Vastness – The World Wide Web already contains billions of web pages.
4. Vagueness – Certain words are imprecise. The words “old” and “small” would depend
on the user.

5. Logic – Since machines use logic, there are certain limitations for a computer to be
able to predict what the user is referring to at a given time.

TRENDS IN ICT

The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry is experiencing

profound change across a broad range of areas. As the world of ICT continues to grow,
the industry has focused on several innovations. These innovations cater to the needs of
the people that benefit most out of ICT. Whether it is for business or personal use, these
trends are the current front runners in the innovation of ICT.

1. CONVERGENCE

In general, convergence is a coming together of two or more distinct entities or

phenomena. Technological convergence is increasingly prevalent in the information
technology world; in this context, the term refers to the combination of two or more
different technologies in a single device.
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*Technological convergence – is the synergy of technological advancements to

work on a similar goal or task. Two of the most common examples of convergence are
taking pictures with a cell phone -- which combines the functionality of a camera and a
telephone -- and surfing the web on a television, which brings a task normally
associated with a computer to a TV. The technological convergence is using several
technologies to accomplish a task conveniently.

2. SOCIAL MEDIA

Rather than define the term using a bunch of boring jargon that would probably only
complicate things further, perhaps the best way to get a clearer understanding of it is to
break it down into simpler terms. To start, let's look at each word individually.

*The "social" part: refers to interacting with other people by sharing information with
them and receiving information from them.

*The "media" part: refers to an instrument of communication, like the internet (while
TV, radio, and newspapers are examples of more traditional forms of media).

From these two separate terms, we can pull a basic definition together:
Social media are web-based communication tools that enable people to interact with
each other by both sharing and consuming information. Social Media also is a website,
application, or online channel that enables web users to create, co-create, discuss,
modify and exchange user-generated content.

Internet users spend more time in social media sites that in any other type
of site. -Nielsen (a global information and measurement company)

SIX TYPES OF SOCIAL MEDIA:

A. Social Networks – these are sites that allow users to connect with other people
with the same interests or background. Once a user creates an account, the user can
set up a profile, add people, create groups and share content.
Examples: Facebook and Google+

B. Bookmarking Sites – These are sites that allow users to store and manage links
to various websites and resources. Most of these sites allow user to create a tag that
allows user and others to easily search or share them.
Examples: StumbleUpon and Pinterest

C. Social News – These are sites that allow users to post their own news items or
links to other news sources. The users can also comment on the post and comments
may also be ranked. They are also capable of voting on these news articles of the
websites. Those who get the most amount of votes are shown most prominently.
Examples: Reddit and Digg

D. Media Sharing – These are sites that allow users to upload and share media
content like images, music, and video. Most of these sites have additional social
features like liking, commenting, and having user profiles.
Examples: Flicker, Youtube and Instagram

E. Microblogging – These are sites that focus on short updates from the user.
Those subscribed to the user will be able to receive these updates.
Examples: Twitter and Plurk

F. Blogs and Forums – These websites allow users to post their content. Other
users are able to comment on the said topic. There are several free blogging platforms
like Blogger, Wordpress, and Tumblr. On the other hand, forums are typically part of a
certain website or web service.
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3. MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES

Nowadays, the global network type includes GSM (Global System for Mobile
Communication), CDMA , 3G, 4G, 5G. Ever since the inception of mobile phone, network
type has gone through the first generation analog cellular networks (1G), the second
generation GSM, TDMA digital mobile phones (2G), the 2.5 generation mobile
communication technology CDMA, and the third generation mobile communication
technology 3G. 4G is wildly used, 5G is on the way quickly.

The popularity of smartphones and tablets has taken a major rise over the years. This
is largely because of the device’s capability to do tasks that were originally found in
personal computer. Today, the latest mobile devices use 4G Networking (LTE), which is
currently the fastest mobile networks.

GSM stands for Global System for Mobile Communication, is a standard developed by
the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to describe the protocols
for second-generation (2G) digital cellular networks used by mobile phones, first
deployed in Finland in July 1991. Is is developed based on cellular system and it has
several frequency bands, including GSM900MHz, GSM1800MHz, and GSM1900MHz,
etc.
As of 2014, it has become the de facto global standard for mobile communications, and
it is widely used by over 200 countries and territories and over 1 billion people all over
the world.

3G is short for 3GPP, with its full name is the 3rd Generation Partner Project, so it is
also referred to as the third generation. 3G refers to a set of standards used for mobile
devices and mobile telecommunications use services and networks that comply with the
International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) specifications. The third
generation, as the name suggests, follows two earlier generations.

Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) is a digital technology for transmitting data. It
is a new and mature wireless communication technology developed from spread
spectrum technology.

4G is the short name for fourth-generation wireless, the stage of broadband mobile
communications that will supercede the third generation (3G).

5G networks are the next generation of mobile internet connectivity, offering faster speeds and
more reliable connections on smartphones and other devices than ever before.

Combining cutting-edge network technology and the very latest research, 5G should offer
connections that are multitudes faster than current connections, with average download speeds
of around 1GBps expected to soon be the norm.

The networks will help power a huge rise in Internet of Things technology, providing the
infrastructure needed to carry huge amounts of data, allowing for a smarter and more
connected world.

With development well underway, 5G networks are expected to launch across the world by
2020, working alongside existing 3G and 4G technology to provide speedier connections that
stay online no matter where you are.
Source: https://www.gearbest.com/blog/how-to/global-network-types-2g-3g-4g-5g-2843
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Mobile Devices
A mobile operating system, also called a mobile OS, is an operating system that is
specifically designed to run on mobile devices such as mobile phones, smartphones,
PDAs, tablet computers and other handheld devices.

Types of Mobile Operating Systems

When purchasing a mobile device, the operating system is pre-selected by the

manufacturer, so it's crucial to review the OS beforehand to ensure it meets your app
compatibility and support needs.

9 Popular Mobile Operating Systems

1. Android OS (Google Inc.)

The Android mobile operating system is Google’s open-source software stack,
comprising the OS itself, middleware, and key applications for mobile devices like
smartphones. Updates to Android have traditionally followed "dessert-inspired" names
(such as Cupcake, Donut, and Eclair), with each new version arriving in alphabetical
order, bringing various enhancements and improvements.

2. BlackBerry OS (Research In Motion)

The BlackBerry OS is a proprietary mobile operating system created by Research
In Motion for use on its well-known BlackBerry handheld devices. It is especially favored
by corporate users for its seamless integration with business software, including
Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino, and Novell GroupWise email, when used in
conjunction with the BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

3. iPhone OS / iOS (Apple)

Apple's iPhone OS was initially designed for its iPhone devices but is now known as
iOS. This mobile operating system supports various Apple devices, including the iPhone,
iPad, iPad 2, and iPod Touch. iOS is exclusive to Apple’s own devices, as Apple does
not license it for use on third-party hardware. The iOS operating system is based on
Apple's Mac OS X.

4. Symbian OS (Nokia)
Symbian is a mobile operating system designed for mobile phones, featuring
strong integration with communication and personal information management (PIM)
functions. It combines middleware with wireless communication through an integrated
mailbox and supports Java and PIM features such as calendars and contacts. Nokia has
offered Symbian under an alternative model, collaborating with OEMs and a small group
of developers, but does not manage it as an open-source project.

5. webOS (Palm/HP)
WebOS is a mobile operating system that runs on the Linux kernel. WebOS was
initially developed by Palm as the successor to its Palm OS mobile operating system.
It is a proprietary Mobile OS which was eventually acquired by HP and now referred to
as webOS (lower-case w) in HP literature. HP uses webOS in a number of devices
including several smartphones and HP TouchPads. HP has pushed its webOS into the
enterprise mobile market by focusing on improving security features and management
with the release of webOS 3.x. HP has also announced plans for a version of webOS
to run within the Microsoft Windows operating system and to be installed on all HP
desktop and notebook computers in 2012.

6. Windows Mobile (Windows Phone)

Windows Mobile is Microsoft's mobile operating system used in smartphones and
mobile devices – with or without touchscreens. The Mobile OS is based on the
Windows CE 5.2 kernel. In 2010 Microsoft announced a new smartphone platform
called Windows Phone 7.
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Did You Know...?

According to data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) worldwide

smartphone shipments declined 0.5% in 2017, the first year-over-year decline the
market has experienced since the introduction of what we now know as
smartphones. Smartphone companies shipped a total of 1.46 billion devices in
2017 with nearly all of that volume running either the Android or iOS platforms.
Source: https://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Hardware_Software/mobile-operating-systems-mobile-os-explained.html

Southeast Asia – Rank of Countries with Fastest (and Slowest) Internet in The World 2019 | Seasia.co

4. ASSISTIVE MEDIA

Assistive Media is an internet delivered audio reading service for people with visual
or perceptual reading impairments. Assistive Media also was the first internet-based
audio reading service for persons with print reading barriers thereby opening a unique
avenue of accessibility for many individuals with cognitive, physical, and
communication disabilities. The mission of this media is to heighten educational,
cultural, and quality-of-living standards through the pure enjoyment of reading via the
good and useful of not-for-profit service.

The best example of a site is http://www. Assistivemedia.org/ with several audio

recordings.
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Rules of Netiquette
How many hours do you spend on the Internet per day? Can you live without the
Internet for a week? How many aspects of your life depend on the Internet? How many
times have you complained about your Internet connected speed?

As teenagers, you are all exposed to many things powered by the Internet.
Whether it is socializing, playing games, reading sports news, shopping, etc., the
Internet has given you one of the most powerful tools that your parents, during their
teenage years, did not have. Because of this, do you not think that it is also important to
wield this powerful tool properly? Without proper training, a swordsman can easily injure
himself when wielding a sword; the same could be said for you whenever you use the
Internet.

Online Safety and Security

The Internet, truly, is a powerful tool. It can be used to promote your business, gain
new friends, and stay in touch with the old ones. It is also a source of entertainment through
games, online communities, and everything in between. But like most things in the world, there
is always the “other side of the coin.” The internet is one of the most dangerous places,
especially if you do not know what you are doing with it.
Let us go back to the “How Safe Are You?” test. Let us visit each item and see how
risky it is to share them.
Type of Information Risks
There is a risk in sharing your first name. Chances are, a hacker may already
1. First name know plenty of stuff about you even if you only give out your first name. Likewise,
you cannot just walk in a room and start introducing yourself to everyone. You do
not know whom you can come across with.
If sharing your first name is a small risk, having both your first and last is more
2. Last name risky. You will be vulnerable to being searched for using search engines, which
include image search. Matching a name with a face is a modus to several
cybercrimes like identity theft.
Sharing your middle name alone is probably not the most risky of these shared
3. Middle name information, but sharing your full name would be.
Most people who steal identities study their subject. They can use this
4. Current and previous information for verification purposes.
school(s)
Your cellular phone number should never be posted over the Internet. The
5. Your cellphone number / Internet is a public place. It is the same as posting your number on a billboard.
cellphone number You would not want random strangers to text or call you, or worse, pretend that
they are someone else.
Risky, yet not as risky as posting their full names, especially your mother's
6. The name of your maiden name. In fact, you may have already encountered many websites that
mother and father require your mother's maiden name as an answer to a secret question whenever
you lose your password.

Disclosing this is a huge risk. Strangers may pretend or use their identity to dupe
7. The name of your you.
siblings
Hopefully, you answered "no" to this one. Giving the Internet your number is one
8. Your address thing; giving them your address is a whole other level. It would be much easier
for criminals to find you.
This shared information is more risky than sharing your personal phone number.
9. Your home phone Scams usually use this information to deceive you, one of which is when a
number stranger pretends to know your parents or pretends to be you.
Letting people know your birthday is probably a must if you want to get as many
10. Your birthday gifts as possible. But having it in your profile makes you vulnerable to identity
theft.

The Internet is defined as the information superhighway. This means that anyone has
access to this highway, can place information, and can grab that information. Any information,
even things that you have set privately, can be accessed one way or another. This is why social
networking sites like Facebook continue to improve their security features. The treat of cybercrime
is very real. While you may not experience the threat now, whether information we share today
could affect our future.
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TIPS TO STAY SAFE ONLINE

The Internet is a public place and it is up to you to protect yourself. Here are some
tips to help you stay safe when using the Internet.
1. Be mindful of what you share online and what site you share it to.
2. Do not just accept terms and conditions; read it.
3. Check out the privacy policy page of a website to learn how the website handles the
information you share.
4. Know the security features of the social networking site you use. By keeping your profile
private, search engines will not be able to scan your profile.
5. Do not share your password with anyone.
6. Avoid logging in to public networks/Wi-Fi. Browsing in “incognito (or private) mode.” A
feature of the browser, will not protect you from hackers.
7. Do not talk to strangers whether online or face-to-face.
8. Never post anything about a future vacation. It is similar to posting, “Rob my house at
this date”.
9. Add friends you know in real life.
10. Avoid visiting untrusted websites.
11. Install and update an antivirus software on your computer. Use only one antivirus
software to avoid conflicts.
12. If you have a Wi-Fi at home, make it a private network by adding a password.
13. Avoid downloading anything from untrusted websites. You are most vulnerable in peer-
to-peer downloads (torrents) as the download is most likely not monitored by the site
owner.
14. Buy the software; do not use pirated ones.
15. Do not reply or click links from suspicious emails.

Most people would dispute that there is no such thing as private over the internet and
they may be right. There are hackers who can find a backdoor even of you profile is already set
to private. You have no control of whoever is looking at your friend’s screen whenever they
open your profile or chat with you. You have no control over the people getting access to your
friend’s account and seeing your private stuff.

INTERNET THREATS
When using the internet, it’s important to be aware of several potential threats. Here are some of
the threats you should be aware of when using the internet:

1. Malware – stands for MALICIOUS SOFTWARE

 is any software intentionally designed to cause damage to a computer, server, client,
or computer network. Malware does the damage after it is implanted or introduced in
some way into a target's computer and can take the form of executable code, scripts,
active content, and other software.

Types of Malware
a. Virus – a malicious program designed to replicate itself and transfer from one computer
to another either through the Internet and local networks or data storage like flash drives
and CDs

b. Worm – a malicious program that transfers from one computer to another by any type
of means. Often, it uses a computer network to spread itself. For example the
ILOVEYOU worm (Love Bug Worm) created by a Filipino.
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c. Trojan – a malicious program that is disguised as a useful program but once

downloaded or installed, leaves your PC unprotected and allows hackers to get your
information.
o Rogue security software – tricks the user into posing that is a security
software. It asks the user to pay to improve his/her security but in reality, they
are not protected at all.

d. Spyware – a program that runs in the background without you knowing it (thus called
“spy”). It has the ability to monitor what you are currently doing and typing through
keylogging.
o Keyloggers – used to record the keystroke done by the users. This is done to
steal their password or any other sensitive information. It can record email,
messages, or any information you type using your keyboard.

e. Adware – a program designed to send you advertisements, mostly as pop-ups

2. Spam – unwanted email mostly from bots or advertisers. It can be used to send malware.

3. Phishing – its goal is to acquire sensitive personal information like passwords and credit
card details. This is done be sending you an email that will direct the user to visit a website
and be asked to update his/her username, password, credit card, or personal information.

 Pharming – a more complicated way of phishing where it exploits the DNS (Domain
Name Service) system.

PROTECTING REPUTATIONS ONLINE

In the past, doing something embarrassing was not much of a big deal. It happened;
people would laugh at it, and they would move on. Nowadays, embarrassing moments are
captured using any device you could imagine. What is worse is that people can easily upload it
to the Internet, where it can be stored forever. This could impact not only your reputation but
also the people around you. What is worse is that people tend to ignore this fact, and suffer from
it later in their life. Once you post something over the Internet, search engines keep them in
their archives for search results. This makes anything you post to last forever even if you delete
it in your page. Something you and your friends find funny today may be something that could
harm someone's reputation later.

Before hiring, companies do a background check on the applicant, and the easiest
way to check your background is to visit pages that are related to you. Thus, if they find
disreputable information about you, it may harm your reputation even if this information has
been discarded.

THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK

1. Before you post something on the web, ask these questions your yourself:
A. Would you want your parents or grandparents to see it?
B. Would you want your future boss to see it?

Once you post something on the web, you have no control of who sees your posts.

2. Your friends depend on you to protect their reputation online. Talk to your friends about
this serious responsibility.

3. Set your post to “private”. In this way, search engines will not be able to scan that post.

4. Avoid using names. Names are easy for search engines to scan.

5. If you feel that a post can affect you or other’s reputation, ask the one who posted it to
pull it down or report it as inappropriate.
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COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT
Copyright infringement involves any violation of the exclusive rights of the
copyright owner. It may be unintentional or intentional. When unintentional, it is called
innocent infringement.

Copyright is distinct from other forms of creator protection such as Patents, which
give inventors exclusive rights over use of their inventions, and Trademarks, which are
legally protected words or symbols or certain other distinguishing features that represent
products or services. Similarly, whereas a patent protects the application of an idea, and
a trademark protects a device that indicates the provider of particular services or goods,
copyright protects the expression of an idea. Whereas the operative notion in patents is
novelty, so that a patent represents some invention that is new and has never been
made before, the basic concept behind copyright is originality, so that a copyright
represents something that has originated from a particular author and not from another.
Copyrights, patents, and trademarks are all examples of what is known in the law as
Intellectual Property.

As the media on which artistic and intellectual works are recorded have changed
with time, copyright protection has been extended from the printing of text to many other
means of recording original expressions. Besides books, stories, periodicals, poems,
and other printed literary works, copyright may protect computer programs; musical
compositions; song lyrics; dramas; dramatico-musical compositions; pictorial, graphic,
and sculptural works; architectural works; written directions for pantomimes and
choreographic works; motion pictures and other audiovisual works; and sound
recordings.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
If you create something --- an idea, an invention, a form of literary work, or a
research, you have the right as to how it should be used by others.

Intangible rights protecting the products of human intelligence and creation, such
as copyrightable works, patented inventions, Trademarks, and trade secrets. Although
largely governed by federal law, state law also governs some aspects of intellectual
property.

Intellectual property describes a wide variety of property created by musicians,

authors, artists, and inventors. The law of intellectual property typically encompasses the
areas of Copyright, Patents, and trademark law. It is intended largely to encourage the
development of art, science, and information by granting certain property rights to all
artists, which include inventors in the arts and the sciences. These rights allow artists to
protect themselves from infringement, or the unauthorized use and misuse of their
creations. Trademarks and service marks protect distinguishing features (such as names
or package designs) that are associated with particular products or services and that
indicate commercial source.

Tips to avoid copyright infringement:

1. Understand. Copyright protects literary works, photographs, paintings, drawings, films,

music (and lyrics), choreography, and sculptures, but it generally does NOT protect
underlying ideas and facts. This means that you can express something using your own
words, but you should give credit to the source.

2. Be responsible. Even if a material does not say that it is copyrighted, it is not a valid
defense against copyright. Be responsible enough to know if something has a copyright.
 LEARNING PACK: EMPOWERMENT TECHNOLOGIES 17

3. Be creative. Ask yourself whether what you are making is something that came from
you or something made from somebody else’s creativity. It is important to add your own
creative genius in everything that will be credited to you.

4. Know the law. There are some limitations to copyright laws. For instance in the
Philippines, copyrights only last a lifetime (of the author) plus 50 years. There are also
provisions for "fair use" which mean that an intellectual property may be used without a
consent as long as it is used in commentaries, criticisms, search engines, parodies,
news reports, research, library archiving, teaching, and education. If you have doubts
that what you are doing does not fall under the policy of fair use, seek permission first.

Figure 1. Fair Use Logo

Fair Use – means that an intellectual property may be used without a consent
as long as it is used in commentaries, critisms, search engines, parodies,
news reports, research, library archiving, teaching, and education

ONLINE RESEARCH
The purpose of doing an online survey is to collect data, as with any traditional
survey. If you stumble across a topic that you want to do research on — whether it's market
research for your product or survey, or research into industry trends — you've found an
opportunity to conduct a survey.
Have you ever searched the Internet for certain information where the search
engine returned a different result? For example, if you were to search for "The Madonna"
as the representation of Mary in the form of an art, you would probably use the keyword
“Madonna" to search for it on the net. But if you use that same keyword nowadays, you
are more likely to stumble upon "Madonna, “the music artist instead. And if you used "The
Madonna “to search for "The Madonna" in the first place, you will be directed in the right
place.

Figure 2. Google Search results when you use “Madonna” as the keyword

Figure 3. Google Search results when you use “The Madonna” as the keyword
 LEARNING PACK: EMPOWERMENT TECHNOLOGIES 18

The information that we need is more likely already in the Internet. It is just a matter of how to
look for it and how to use information from the most credible source.

Tips in conducting online research:

1. Have a question in mind. Focus on a single question first. If you have multiple
questions, handle them one at a time rather than searching for everything all at once.

2. Narrow it down. Search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo use various filters to
provide the most relevant results based on your search history and geographic location.
For example, if you search for "weather," most search engines will show the weather
conditions for your current location. If these filters don’t give you the desired results, try
refining your search. For instance, if you’re looking for the animation series *Tom
Sawyer*, use the keywords "Tom Sawyer animation" instead of just "Tom Sawyer."
Similarly, if you need information on science research experiments, specify the branch of
science or the type of study to get more accurate results.

3. Advanced Search. The best way to filter information you get from search engines is by
using the advanced search. This will allow you to filter out information you do not need.

In Google, simply search a word like you would normally do, then click the advanced
search option on the options button located at the upper right corner of the page.

In Microsoft® search engine, Bing, you can use certain keywords and symbols for your
advanced search:

SYMBOLS FUNCTIONS
+ Finds web pages that contain all the terms that are preceded by
the + symbol; allows you to include terms that are usually
ignored
““ Finds the exact words in a phrase
() Finds or excludes web pages that contain a group of words
AND or & Finds web pages that contain all the terms or phrases
NOT or - Excludes web pages that contain a term or phrase
OR or | Finds web pages that contain either of the terms or phrases

• By default, all searches are AND searches.

• You must capitalize the NOT and OR functions. Otherwise, Bing will ignore them as
stop words, which are commonly occurring words and numbers that are omitted to
speed a full-text search.

• Stop words and all punctuation marks, except for the symbols noted in this topic, are
ignored unless they are surrounded by quotation marks or preceded by the ± symbol.

• Only the first ten terms are used to get search results.
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• Similar to the MDAS, whenever you solve an arithmetic problem (where multiplication
is computed first over division, addition, and subtraction), term grouping and Boolean
functions are supported in the following preferred order.
1. parentheses ( )
2. quotation marks"
3. NOT
4. AND &
5. OR

• Because OR is the function with the lowest precedence, enclose OR terms in

parentheses when combined with other operators in a search.

Source: Miaosoft.com

4. Look for a credible source. While wikis can provide updated information, they may lack
credibility since anyone can edit their content. Always check the links to cited sources (marked
by superscript numbers) to verify their reliability. Click on these sources to assess their credibility.

Reliable sources typically include scientific journals, reputable news and magazine websites,
online encyclopedias, and scholarly databases.

You can also assess a website's reliability by its domain suffix: .org, .gov, and .edu are generally
more trustworthy, while .com sites may be commercial and potentially biased. However, be
aware that some sites may misuse these suffixes, so not all .edu sites are necessarily credible.

To ensure the information is accurate, compare it across multiple reputable sources. If several
trusted sources provide the same information, it is more likely to be reliable.

5. Give Credit. If you are going to use the information from a source for educational purposes,
give credit to the original author of the page or information. To properly cite a reference, you
may use the format below:

Name of the person or organization (the author of the information). Title of

the home page in italics (title is shown in title bar but is sometimes missing or
unrelated). URL. Date last seen.

Example:

Lapiz, Adrian Harold L. “Oleander's Fun Facts about Bananas:” http://oleander.

penz.com/random/bananalove.htm. Viewed on September 7, 2015.

"Accounting: What you should know." Jargon Online Network. http://www.

jargononline.com/accounting101.html. Viewed on April 13, 2015.