Chapter overview

This chapter covers understanding the benefits and risks involved with digital participation, primarily in relation to one’s health and wellbeing.

Topics include:

Balancing work and life: How to support yourself and others to develop safe and responsible digital practices when using technology.

Digital presence and managing your digital reputation: Advice on maintaining a positive digital identity by communicating with respect, displaying critical thinking, and maintaining confidence and good judgment in a digital environment.

Ethical digital data and information: How to collect, evaluate and manage information in a digital landscape; learn how algorithms work; how personal data may be collected; and how digital media can be used as a social, political and educational tool.

Overview

To effectively work, study and live in a digitally-connected world we regularly need to use platforms and software that require password-protected logins. The proliferation of these logins raises two important issues for passwords:

• The reuse of passwords across logins for different platforms

• The use of insufficiently complex passwords that are therefore vulnerable to unauthorised access

Password management software aims to overcome both of these problems by creating complex passwords and storing login details. This means you no longer need to think of (and remember) multiple passwords, you just need to remember the main password for your password manager and then use it when you come to login to a particular platform.

In short, the benefits of using password managers include:

• No longer having to remember which password goes with which login

• Greater security through the use of complex passwords which are hard to guess and resistant to ‘brute force’ hacking attempts

• Time savings through the use of password manager’s automatic or copy and paste password filling capabilities

• Being able to access all your passwords via one strong main password that you decide for yourself

Sounds simple, right? Well, with a little bit of work, you can have a password manager set up and running across multiple devices, keeping your passwords for your personal and professional life at hand as you need them.

This short, entertaining video from ABC TV’s The Checkout in 2017 explains more about why password managers are such a great idea.

Getting started

There are many different password management software options available, including:

The main thing to remember is that using a password manager will keep your important personal login details more secure while making your life easier. While there is a time investment in transitioning to a password manager, it is well worth the cost for the peace of mind and convenience.

Making a password

Key points:

Using a password manager means you can make very long and complex passwords and not worry about forgetting them. Long and complex passwords are more secure. It is therefore a good idea to update any existing short or simple passwords that you bring into the password manager. Your password manager software will likely indicate how weak or strong a password is; take its advice and update your password as required.

Using multifactor authentication with a password manager

Activating multifactor authentication is a highly recommended step to make your passwords more secure

The most common multifactor authentication method is SMS, but this can commonly be hacked. Authenticator apps such as Google Authenticator can also generate passwords that will only work for a short period of time, but these can also be hacked. Mobile apps that send a verification prompt can also be used, but require a working phone with Internet access. The most secure method is a physical security key, although they have not been widely adopted. (Nanda et al., 2022)

The following password managers all have options for additional authentication beyond just the main password: There are many different password management software options available, including:

References

Phishing

Phishing is a type of scam where criminals will try to trick you into giving away personal information like credit card details, passwords or bank account numbers. The most common method of contact for phishing scams is phone, email and text message but they can also come through the mail, mobile apps, social media or webpages. Phishing scams may claim to come from a bank, telecommunications company, delivery company or other organisation you deal with regularly. They can look real and be difficult to tell apart from genuine communication. Signs to look for:

• The email, text message or caller does not address you by name

• Email addresses or URLs are slightly different from what you would expect

• There is a sense of urgency, e.g. “Click this link within 24 hours or your account will be shut down”

• Insecure websites will begin with http:// rather than https://

If you are not sure if something is a scam you can contact the organisation directly and ask them to confirm the details. Scams may also be identified by an internet search for the names, phone numbers or exact wording used.

If you think you have given away personal information to the wrong person contact your financial institution immediately.

Identity theft

Phishing can lead to identity theft but your identity can also be stolen by hacking, malware, document theft or fake online profiles. Criminals may use your identity to:

• Steal money from your bank account or superannuation

• Apply for loans or lines of credit

• Take out phone plans or other contracts

• Purchase expensive goods

• Access social media or email accounts to scam your friends and family

These are some of the signs that your identity may have been stolen:

• Purchases or withdrawals that you did not make

• You can’t log into email or social media accounts, or you are notified you logged in from a location you do not recognise

• You are refused credit because of outstanding debts you did not accrue

• You are contacted by debt collectors

Spear phishing

Spear phishing (also known as whaling) is a more sophisticated type of phishing scam. Criminals will use genuine information about people or organisations to target them specifically. The information they use may be publicly available or may have been stolen. They will spend a lot of time and effort into engineering messages to make them seem legitimate and manipulate people to act.

Protect yourself

Some of the ways you can help protect yourself from phishing scams and identity theft are:

• Do not click links or open attachments unless you are certain who they came from

• If you are seemingly contacted by an institution you have a business relationship with, look up their usual contact details online (independently of the suspicious message) and contact them through there to confirm if the message is genuine or not. Do not engage with the suspicious message, but seek confirmation directly from the institution.

• Discuss suspicious messages with a friend or family member

• Keep informed of common types of scams

• Beware of offers that seem too good to be true

• Use strong passwords and update them regularly

• Do not use the same password for all accounts

• Secure computers, phones and wifi networks with password protection

• Do not use wifi hotspots to access online banking

• Review your social media privacy and security settings

Overview

When we use the Internet, we leave a trail of where we’ve been, what we’ve said, how we feel. You can leave a positive impression of yourself just as easily as you can leave a negative one.

In this article we look at:

• Why it’s good to have a positive digital presence

• How to build a positive digital presence

• Tips for staying safe and respectful

Developing

Having a positive digital presence, online presence or digital identity, is part of being a good digital citizen. It includes what you write and share, websites you visit, the usernames and profile pictures you use, and your behaviour toward others.

You should think about how you appear to others online as early as possible. A photo of you getting drunk when you’re 18 could be found by a potential employer years later. Even if you delete something you’ve posted, there will be a digital footprint (it will be archived somewhere) and others might have clicked 'share' or taken a screenshot.

When you create an account, such as for a social media platform, think about your username. BoofHead might seem funny now, but you may regret it later. Usernames are usually not able to be changed. Think about your profile picture – if you don’t want your face shown, that’s ok.

Respect others – don’t make your profile picture one with you and your friends, or you and your children. Likewise, don’t tag someone – they might not want their family or friends knowing they were at the pub or at a concert. Make sure when you post, only your friends can see it. People surfing the Internet shouldn’t be able to see what you’ve been up to.

Skilled

You should occasionally check the settings of your online accounts. The owners of online platforms often change how the platform works, and you might have no idea your settings now give them permission to give your details to advertisers, or that the platform now owns the photos you shared.

Be aware of copyright. Much of what you see or read online is covered by copyright. Get to know about Creative Commons – images, words and more for which the copyright owner has given users certain permissions.

Treat others courteously. You wouldn’t abuse someone in the street, and neither should you be rude or bullying to someone online. If you see a flame-war online, walk away or report it to the owners of the platform.

Adept

Your digital presence can be your brand. On sites you use professionally, such as Twitter and LinkedIn, use a single profile image. Keep information up to date when you change workplaces, finish courses or if your Interests change.

Network with others, sharing their posts and making a thoughtful comment. Read anything before you share. For example, if you’re sharing a news headline, go to the news site and read or skim the article before sharing.

Know how to use online platforms for conferences. Know how hashtags and tagging people work.

Before signing up for paired sign-ins, where you give one site permission to access one of your other accounts, think about what they could learn about you. It might be better to create an account on each site and not link them for the convenience of not having to sign up or login as much.

Helpful resources