Topic 10 – Communication
Objective
Know and understand the risks of using the Internet, including exposure to inappropriate and criminal material, and the ways data can be restricted through parental, educational and ISP controls.
1. Risks of Using the Internet
Inappropriate Content
Violent or graphic material
Adult/sexual content
Extremist or hate‑speech material
Criminal Activity
Online fraud and scams (e.g., phishing, fake shopping sites)
Identity theft and data harvesting
Hacking, malware distribution and ransomware
Cyber‑bullying and harassment
Privacy Risks
Unintended sharing of personal information
Tracking through cookies and third‑party services
Location data exposure
Technical Risks
Viruses, worms and trojan horses
Denial‑of‑service attacks (DoS) affecting services
Unreliable or insecure Wi‑Fi networks
2. Impact of Risks
Legal consequences for individuals and organisations.
Financial loss through fraud, ransomware payments or data breach remediation.
Emotional and psychological harm, especially for young users.
Damage to reputation and loss of trust.
3. Controlling Access to Internet Content
3.1 Parental Controls
Software filters installed on home computers or mobile devices.
Router‑level blocking of categories (e.g., adult, gambling).
Time‑based access restrictions (e.g., no internet after 9 pm).
Monitoring tools that log visited sites and usage duration.
3.2 Educational Controls (Schools & Colleges)
Network firewalls with content‑filtering policies.
Whitelist/blacklist of URLs relevant to the curriculum.
Safe browsing settings on browsers (e.g., Google SafeSearch).
Acceptable Use Policies (AUP) signed by students and parents.
Regular digital‑citizenship lessons and awareness campaigns.
3.3 ISP Controls
Default safe‑search and content‑blocking for under‑18 accounts.
Age‑verification gateways for adult‑content sites.
National or regional filtering schemes (e.g., UK’s “Family Filter”).
Provision of parental‑control tools as part of the service package.
4. Summary Table – Risks vs. Controls
Risk Category
Typical Examples
Control Method
Responsible Party
Inappropriate Content
Adult sites, violent videos, extremist propaganda
Content‑filtering software, DNS blocking, age‑verification
Parents, Schools, ISP
Online Fraud & Phishing
Fake bank emails, counterfeit online stores
Email spam filters, anti‑phishing toolbars, user education
Users, Educational staff, ISP security services
Malware & Ransomware
Trojan downloads, malicious attachments
Antivirus programs, regular updates, restricted admin rights
Parents, School IT department, ISP (network monitoring)
Privacy Breaches
Data harvesting via cookies, location tracking
Browser privacy settings, VPN use, cookie consent management
Users, Educational policy makers, ISP (transparent data policies)
Cyber‑bullying
Harassing messages, social‑media abuse
Monitoring tools, reporting mechanisms, digital‑citizenship lessons
Parents, School staff, Platform providers
5. Legal and Ethical Frameworks (Brief Overview)
UK: Digital Economy Act 2017 – age‑verification for adult content.
USA: Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) – parental consent for data collection.
International: General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – rights to data access and erasure.
School policies often reference the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child regarding safe online environments.
6. Practical Activities for Learners
Research and present a short report on a recent high‑profile cyber‑crime case.
Set up a parental‑control filter on a home router and document the steps.
Create an “Acceptable Use Policy” draft for a school computer lab.
Simulate a phishing email and discuss how to identify red flags.
Suggested diagram: Flowchart showing how parental, educational and ISP controls interact to filter internet content.