Milestone 8: Network Privacy
For this milestone, you will review the basic operation of networks and the Internet. You will also see some of the network-level privacy issues that arise when you (or a device somehow connected to you) use these communications systems.
Milestone Worksheet
Please download the following worksheet for Milestone 8. To be sure your browser downloads the file instead of trying to open it, right-click the following link and choose “Save As,” “Save Link As,” or similar language from the menu. (Each browser is a little different in what wording it uses.)
Reading Material
To complete this worksheet, you will read through the following Open Educational Resource (OER) materials I’ve created. The answers to all the questions in the worksheet may be found in the reading material, though you may need to think about some of them for a few minutes. For this Milestone, please read the following:
- Networks - Read all sections
Determining Your ISP
You might already know which Internet Service Provider (ISP) you’re using, since you might be paying a bill to them each month. However, if you get your Internet service through your apartment, live on campus, or your parents are paying the bill, you might not know which company is providing your Internet access. In this case, you can use a site like Spyber.com to look up both your ISP and your public IP address.
Hints and Tips
The questions in the worksheet are in the same order as the sections of the OER linked above. For efficient use of time, I suggest downloading and opening the worksheet first. As you read through the material, fill in the answers to the worksheet. You can increase your efficiency even further if you have access to a second monitor or TV to which you can connect your computer, allowing your browser window and word processor window to be displayed side-by-side.
Do not try to rush through the worksheet! If you rush, you’re likely going to need to go back and make revisions. Please note that the reflection process at the end of the course will require you to document your revisions. Leaving incorrect answers in unrevised worksheets at the end of the Discovery Phase may prove detrimental at the end of the course. Take your time and work steadily and diligently.
As a reminder, here are the instructions for editing the worksheet in either LibreOffice or Word Online:
Submitting the Milestone
After you’ve finished editing the Milestone Worksheet, save your work, and then export the completed worksheet to a PDF file. Instructions for exporting to PDF are provided under Hints and Tips above. Upload the PDF file as the submission to the Moodle assignment activity for Milestone 8.
To stay on track in this course, be sure that you submit your work before the published due date for Milestone 8. Use the extra time available before the end of the Discovery Phase to make any revisions you need to make after I give you feedback.
ABET Assessment
This activity supports the following ABET performance indicators:
- 1.1 - Define requirements and/or specifications for a computing problem.
- IT 6.3 - Select systems appropriate for different user and environment requirements.