Setting up an online account Ian Ramsey C of E School GCSE ICT Smart working Setting up an online account

Starter: 3-2-1 Lift off! If you were setting up an account for an online shop, what information would you reasonably expect to provide about yourself? List each item of information in the table below. E.g. first name E-Mail Post Code Phone number Address Country Age

Lesson Objectives: By the end of this lesson you will be able to: Explain how online forms are used and what information is required Explain how the data is verified and validated

Internet forms: Here is part of a form for registering with an online shop. Each item of information you are required to enter is called a “Field”. Some of the fields have an asterisk(*). What does this mean? This means it is a required field. Why do companies use these? They use them so people cannot skip important points.

Internet forms: Here is another part of the same form. Some of the fields – those for title and date of birth – have drop-down or combo boxes. The user can select an answer rather than typing it in. Why do you think drop-down boxes are used for some fields? Cuts down on the amount of mistakes made for companies. It makes it easier to fill out for customers. Suggest another field where information could be selected from a drop down list. Country // County

Validation: Choosing data from a drop-down list is a type of validation. Validation is the process of checking that the data entered is reasonable or one of the expected options. This part of the form shows 2 examples of data validation. 1. The user must choose either male or female by clicking on one choice. This prevents silly answers e.g. Question - What is your gender? Answer - Carrot 2. The user must choose one title from the drop down list. This ensures that the user enters a valid title.

Verification: The user is instructed to enter their e-mail address twice. This is a type of verification. Verification is the process of checking that the data entered is accurate. The data entered could be valid but still inaccurate. E.g. someone could enter their age as 81 when they are actually 18. Entering the e-mail address twice is to check that the user typed it correctly. If the 2 entries do not match perfectly the user will be instructed to try again. New passwords are always entered twice for the same reason.

Secret answers: When setting up an online account users are sometimes asked to supply a secret answer to a question that can be used to identify (or verify) the user if they forget their password. Pick a secret question * What is the name of the place where you were born? Your secret answer * Stockton-On-Tees If you forget your password, we’ll verify your identity with your secret question What other secret questions might be in the list?

Captcha tests: Online forms often include a ‘captcha test’ (sometimes known as a ‘challenge test’). This is used to prevent automated software from filling in the form i.e. to check that the user is human! Captcha tests can be used to protect systems that are vulnerable to email spam. Sometimes even a human finds the letters difficult to read, so they can request a new sequence of letters or even ask for a n audio test. Other types of challenge response test: Choose numbers from a memorable date PIN code Passcode User ID Choose a memorable image Choose a memorable sound Biometric (e.g. fingerprint)

Activating the account: Online companies use another type of security check to do with the user’s e-mail address. To ensure that the e-mail address given is valid and has not already been registered by someone else, the company send an e-mail message to the address provided. The user must click on a link in the e-mail message to confirm their details and finally activate the account. Sometimes a user will need to enter an activation code shown in the message.

Choosing a password There are clear guidelines for choosing a strong password. By this we mean a password that other people are unlikely to guess. List as many do’s and don’ts as you can think of below: Do Don’t Long Anything from your name Numbers Simple Capitals Short Complicated Date of Birth Click on this link to test the strength of your passwords.

Remember my password: Many online accounts ask users if they want the site to remember their password for them. This is also called ‘auto-complete’. Microsoft Windows has the ability to keep track of your user names and passwords as you visit different websites. With more and more websites asking you to create a user name and password, it is tempting to allow Windows to remember your passwords for you. Is it a good idea to allow the computer to remember your passwords? Not if you are on a shared computer, but if it’s a private computer then its ok. What problems might arise through doing this? If it’s on a shared computer than somebody else can go onto your account. How could people find out these passwords?

Exam questions: Sometimes, when Stevie logs on to an online account the site asks her to change her password.   The site says that the password should be at least six characters long, with no spaces. Identify two other features of a strong password. (2) 1. A mixture of letters and numbers. 2. A mixture of upper case and lower case letters.

Exam questions: List two things Stevie must do to keep her password secure. (2) 1. Not share it with anyone. 2. Not click ‘remember password’ on shared computers.

Exam questions: When Ryan creates an online account he is asked to choose a password. He sees this: FASTFLIGHTS.COM Password Re-type password OK (i) State why Ryan needs to enter his password twice. (1) In case he makes a mistake the first time and therefore can’t log on, it minimises the risk of mistakes being made and verifies the first password. (ii) Ryan is also asked for a memorable phrase. This will be used in a challenge response test to control access to his online account. Give one other example of the type of information that could be used in a challenge response test. (1) User ID

Exam questions: Ryan sees this window: Confirm Do you want the browser to remember this password? Not now Remember Never Which one of these could store Ryan’s password information? (1) A Filter B Certificate C Bookmark D Cookie (ii) Give one disadvantage to Ryan of the browser remembering his password (1) If it is on a shared computer than other people could log on to his account and potentially use his payment details.