Level B2 General English

Lesson 63

Internet Use And Privacy
インターネットの使用とプライバシー

It’s very common to download music from the internet these days. However, downloading things like music, games, movies and photos can sometimes cause you a lot of trouble. People who download things from the internet sometimes just don’t realize the dangers.

Some of the dangers include viruses, spyware, and malware. Malware is a combination of the words software and malicious. This type of software can allow someone to control your computer or steal information stored on you hard drive. Identity theft is also a growing problem. By stealing basic information such as your date of birth, your name and your address someone can pretend to be you. Also, your passwords and pin numbers are at risk.
Online credit card fraud is a growing problem these days too.

You are more at risk from these dangers, if you download illegally from file sharing websites. You can protect your computer from viruses by installing firewalls. This software can be expensive but it is designed to protect the information stored on your computer. You should always take basic precautions like changing your passwords regularly, installing firewalls and checking your bank statements for unusual payments.