Page 474 - Computer Science V2.0 Class 11

15.4.5 Adware
An adware is a software that displays advertisements to users of the Internet and mobile applications. Advertisements
can show up in different ways in an app, such as a static box, a banner, a full screen, a video, or a pop-up (Fig 15.6).
These advertisements generate revenue for developers. Adware may also record user activities and pass them on to
the relevant businesses for money. Adware may also act as spyware by collecting private and sensitive information.

Fig 15.6: Adware

15.4.6 Ransomware

It is a type of malicious software that holds data or devices hostage for a ransom. It threatens to share, block, or
change data if the victim does not meet the attacker’s demands. Generally, the payment of the ransom is done via
cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin. Once the payment is made, it sends the decryption key to the victim. Ransomware
may be distributed through phishing emails, adware, or social engineering.

Social engineering is the use of technology to manipulate users in order to gain unauthorised access to sensitive or
personal information.

15.5 Browsing the Web Safely

While we use the Internet, our personal information, such as usernames, passwords, date of birth, address, and health
records, may be exposed to malicious users. In order to protect personal information, the following methods can be
useful:
1. Incognito or Private Browsing: In this mode, the browser does not store your browsing history, cookies (discussed
later in this section), or information entered in forms. Fig 15.7 shows the incognito window in the chrome browser.

Fig 15.7: Incognito mode in Chrome Browser

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