Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 366 Chapter 15 Digital Citizenship One way to protect yourself online is to ensure that you are transmitting data over secure web pages. When transmitting private information to a website, check that the site is secure. Recall that a secure URL begins with https. This is not 100 percent foolproof, but generally is a sign of protection. Secure websites may also display an icon somewhere in the browser to indicate that the communication is secure. Be wary of uploading personal information to sites that do not display the protection icon. Public Wi-Fi hotspots should be avoided. While convenient, these networks are generally not secure and put your devices at risk of inadvertently exposing data. Hackers can also create illicit hotspots in locations where free or paid public Wi-Fi exists. Users unknowingly connect to the incorrect network, which allows the hacker access to any data being transmitted over that connection. The signal with the best strength may not always be the legitimate hotspot. An easy way to avoid illicit hotspots is to check with an employee of the business providing it. Ask the employee for the name of the network and the access key. If a Wi-Fi authentication screen asks for credit card information, confi rm that the Wi-Fi connection is legit imate. Cookies Cookies are bits of data stored on your computer that record information about the websites you have visited. Cookies may also contain the personal information you enter on a website. Most cookies are from legitimate websites and will not harm your computer. Some advertisers place them onto your computer without your knowledge or consent. Marketers use the information for research and selling purposes. If a hacker gains access to your cookies, you are at risk. The cookies can be used to steal personal information you have entered on a website. Cookies also can be used to target you for a scam based on your Internet history. As a precaution, there are ways to protect your computer from cookies. One way is to prevent them from being accepted by the browser. Most Internet browsers allow you to set a preference to never Ethical Leadership Social Media Spam Social media is commonly used by organizations to reach customers and fi nd new ones. Because it is so available and easy to use, those who are writing communications for the organization must be prudent when using sites such as Facebook or Twitter for business purposes. Remember that it is unethical to spam customers who have not requested to be on an organization’s mailing list. Keep your messages honest and return messages from those who have taken time to respond to your communication. Use good judgment and represent the organization in a professional manner.