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FAQs
General Internet Questions
- What is an ISP?
- What is a URL?
- What is a web browser?
- What does broadband mean?
- What is the difference between HTTPS and HTTP?
General Security Questions
- What is a firewall?
- What is phishing?
- What are viruses?
- What are worms?
- What is spyware?
- What is a trojan horse?
- What is email spoofing?
General Internet Questions
What is an ISP?
An ISP, or internet service provider, is a company that provides its
customers access to the internet and other web services. In
Hawaii, most likely your ISP is Time Warner, Hawaiian Telcom, or
Clearwire. For problems with your internet, please contact your
ISP.
What is a URL?
A URL, or Uniform Resource Locator, is the location of a file on the
Web. When you type the address of a Web page into your browser, you are
typing a URL.
What is a web
browser?
A web browser is a software application which enables a user to display
and interact with text, images, videos, music, games and other
information typically located on a Web page. The most popular web
browsers are Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Mozilla's firefox, and
Apple's Safari.
What does broadband
mean?
"Broadband" is the general term used to refer to high-speed network
connections. In this context, Internet connections via cable modem and
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) are frequently referred to as broadband
Internet connections. Click to read Broadband Security for Home Users.
What is the difference between
HTTPS and HTTP?
HTTPS is a secure HTTP connection. HTTPS provide authentication and
encrypted communication and is widely used on the World Wide Web for
security-sensitive communication such as payment transactions and
corporate information systems.
General Security Questions
What is a firewall?
A firewall is a dedicated appliance, or software running on your
computer, which inspects network traffic passing through it, and denies
or permits passage based on a set of rules.
What is phishing?
Phishing is a scam in which an email message directs the email
recipient to click on a link that takes them to a web site where they
are prompted for personal information such as a PIN number, social
security number, bank account number or credit card number. Click here for security tips to protect
yourself from phishing attempts.
What are viruses?
Computer viruses are programs that spread or self-replicate. They
usually require interaction from someone to be activated. The virus may
arrive in an email message as an attachment or be activated by simply
opening a message or visiting a malicious website. Click here for security tips to protect
yourself from viruses.
What are worms?
Worms are similar to viruses because they self-replicate, however they
do not require any user interaction to be activated. Worms spread
because vulnerabilities or “holes” in software. Click here for security tips to protect
yourself from worms.
What is spyware?
Spyware and related “adware,” are software sometimes downloaded from a
web page, by following a link in an email or are installed with
freeware or shareware software without the user’s knowledge. Spyware is
used to track your internet activity, redirect your browser to certain
web sites or monitor sites you visit. Spyware may also record your
passwords and personal information to send to malicious web sites.
Click here for security tips to
protect yourself from spyware.
What is a trojan
horse?
Trojans are malicious code hidden in a legitimate program that, when
executed, performs some unauthorized activity or function. This can
range from stealing your password and credit card information to
allowing someone to take control of your computer. Click here for security tips to protect
yourself from trojan horses.
What is email
spoofing?
Email “spoofing” is when an email message appears to have originated
from one source when it actually was sent from another source. Email
spoofing is often an attempt to trick the user into making a damaging
statement or releasing sensitive information (such as passwords).