A message pops up on the mission control screen just after dinner.
It reads: "URGENT from Greenhouse Help Desk. Your Beacon sign-in stops working in ten minutes. Tap the link and type your password to keep it."
Comet reaches for the screen. "Better do it fast."
Wren catches his sleeve. "What do you notice? We never set up a help desk. And it wants your password."
Nova hovers in front of the link. "Pause," she says. "Ask who really sent this, and check another way."
Comet pulls her hand back. "So hurrying was part of the trick."
Phishing is a technique that tries to trick a person into giving personal information.
A harmful link can be disguised inside a web page or an email message.
Unexpected emails, attachments, links and forms can be used to harm the security of a computing system.
They can come from unknown senders, or from known senders whose own security has been compromised.
Malware is software meant to damage a computing system or take partial control of it.
Virus and malware scanning software can help protect a system against infection.
Regular software updates help fix errors that could weaken a system's security.
Users should review the permission settings of programs to protect their privacy.
| Beacon permission request | Does a plant app need it? |
|---|---|
| Read the greenhouse water sensors | Yes |
| Use the greenhouse camera | Yes, aimed at the beds |
| Read every crew member's location | No |
| Read crew medical notes | No |
| Statement | True or false? |
|---|---|
| Phishing tries to trick people into giving personal information. | ? |
| Malware scanning software can help protect a system. | ? |
| Skipping updates makes a system safer. | ? |
| A message from a known sender is always safe. | ? |
| Reviewing permissions helps protect privacy. | ? |
Sharp eyes, developer. Tomorrow is Impact Friday: is Beacon fair for everyone?