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Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983

Test your knowledge of Internet security


Jan. 2, 2002


By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2002, Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2002, The Post-Standard

   The beginning of the new year is a perfect time to take stock of your safety and privacy on the Internet. Take my Personal Protection Quiz and see how many questions you get right. I'll have the answers next week, along with an explanation of each one.
   1. There are at least 58,000 Widows viruses.
   True or false: You're safe from computer viruses if you don't open attachments.
   
   2. Cookies are stored by your Web browser to track what you do on the Web.
   True or false: You don't need to worry about cookies because they disappear on their own in a few days.
   
   3. Junk mail sometimes arrives with a note that says you can get off the mailing list by sending a reply. When you reply to mail such as this:
   (A) You're doing a smart thing.
   (B) You're helping keep junk-mail companies honest.
   (C) You're getting yourself deeper into a junk-mail hole.
   
   4. E-mail can come from anywhere.
   True or false: E-mail that comes from strangers is protected by federal law. You're not allowed to delete it.
   
   5. Walt Disney gets a lot of mention in e-mail. If you get a letter from your sister-in-law telling you Walt Disney will send you $35 if you forward the mail to everyone you know, you should:
   (A) Send the note to 123 others.
   (B) Send the note to 270 others.
   (C) Ask your pastor, priest or rabbi how a dead person could possibly send you money.
   
   6. A firewall is something that blocks unauthorized access over a network or the Internet to your PC.
   True or false: A firewall is not needed if you have a dial-up connection.
   
   7. If you wake up in the middle of the night and notice that your Windows PC is doing something on the Internet on its own, you might be worried. You suspect:
   (A) A hacker is breaking into your PC.
   (B) Your kids are doing too many instant messages.
   (C) Your Web browser is doing a little catch-up work.
   
   8. Spyware is planted on your PC by hackers.
   True or false: Legitimate companies never sneak spyware onto your computer.
   
   9. Microsoft provided free software to fix Windows 2000 and Windows NT to prevent damage from the Code Red virus. As a result:
   (A) Everyone patched their computers and Code Red did no damage at all.
   (B) Some people were out to lunch when Microsoft provided the fix and didn't patch their computers, resulting in $650,000 in total damage worldwide.
   (C) People who should have known better ignored the problem, leading to $2.2 billion in damage worldwide.
   
   10. Apple's Macintosh and the Linux operating system aren't affected by Windows viruses, but that's not important because:
   (A) Windows is used in offices, so you have to use it at home no matter what.
   (B) Microsoft reached a settlement with the federal government that requires schools and homes to use Windows.
   (C) Mac and Linux users don't do any real work on their computers anyway.
   (D) none of the above.