N-Level Computer Applications (SEAB 7018) Digital Citizenship and Safety: copyright and plagiarism, digital footprint and netiquette, strong passwords and two-factor authentication, recognising scams and malware, and staying safe online

Why this module matters

Digital Citizenship and Safety teaches you to use technology responsibly, safely and within the law. It is assessed in the written Paper 1 and also shapes how you handle sourced images, audio and video in the lab-based practical papers, where crediting media correctly is part of good practice. The skills here matter beyond the exam too: they protect your accounts, your devices and your reputation.

This guide ties together the matching dot-point pages, each with its own worked detail and practice. The strands below move from using others' work fairly, through your own online presence, to keeping your accounts and devices secure.

Copyright and fair use

Start with using other people's work responsibly. See copyright and fair use for the rules and how to credit.

Copyright is the creator's legal right to control how their work is copied and used, so using a copyrighted image, song, video or piece of writing without permission can break the law. Plagiarism is passing off someone else's work or ideas as your own without crediting them. To stay on the right side of both, use licensed or free content (for example clearly labelled free-to-use or Creative Commons media), keep within whatever permission it carries, and credit the source.

Digital footprint and netiquette

Next, your own presence online. See digital footprint and netiquette for managing your reputation and behaving well.

A digital footprint is the lasting trail of information you leave online through posts, comments, photos, likes and the sites you use. It is hard to remove because once something is posted, others can copy, screenshot, share or save it, so old posts can resurface and affect a future place or job. Netiquette is good manners online: be polite and respectful, do not use all capitals (which reads as shouting), think before you post, and do not spread rumours or hurtful content.

Passwords and account security

Now protecting access to your accounts. See passwords and account security for strong passwords and extra protections.

A strong password is long, mixes character types and avoids obvious or personal choices. Every account should have its own unique password so one leak does not open them all. Keep passwords safe (a password manager helps), and add two-factor authentication (2FA), a second check such as a code sent to your phone, so a stolen password alone is not enough to get in.

Recognising scams and malware

Then spotting threats. See recognising scams and malware for phishing and protecting your devices.

Phishing is a scam that tricks you into giving away details or clicking a harmful link, often using urgency, a request for your password, a suspicious sender or errors. Malware is harmful software, such as viruses, worms, trojans, spyware and ransomware. Protect your devices with regular updates, antivirus software, caution about links and attachments, and backups so you can recover if something goes wrong.

Staying safe online

Finally, protecting yourself and others. See staying safe online for personal information, privacy and cyberbullying.

Be careful what personal information you share (full name, home address, phone number, school, date of birth, and photos that reveal your location or routine), because it can be used by strangers, for identity theft, or for targeted scams, and once posted it is hard to remove. Use privacy settings, think before posting, and if you face cyberbullying (repeated online hurt or threats), do not retaliate, keep evidence, block and report, and tell a trusted adult.

How this module is examined

• Paper 1 (written, 30%). Short-answer and multiple-choice questions on copyright and plagiarism, footprints and netiquette, password and account security, scams and malware, and online safety. Give clear, concrete examples.
• Practical papers (Papers 2 and 3, lab-based). Apply good citizenship by using permitted media and crediting sources in the documents and multimedia you produce.

Check your knowledge

Try these, then take the matching quiz for this module.

1. State the difference between copyright and plagiarism. (2 marks)
2. Give two reasons a digital footprint is hard to remove. (2 marks)
3. Explain why you should not reuse the same password across accounts. (2 marks)
4. State two warning signs of a phishing email. (2 marks)