Internet Safety Made Simple May 12, 2009

Welcome! Being here is the first step – it shows you care! Free or low-cost ways to protect your child and their online presence Handouts also online @ CHHS website Facebook presentation available

About me… BS in Elementary Education Taught 2nd grade IBM – 10 years MSEd in Educational Technology, K-12 certified First year at CHHS, Technology Teacher/Staff Developer Mother to 2 boys, ages 8 & 4

Tonight’s Schedule Basic safety review for parent and child Limits you set with your system controls What you can do if your child is doing something you don’t approve of

Some Statistics… (Cox Communications and NCMEC3 , 2005) Over half (51%) of parents either do not have or do not know if they have software on their computer(s) that monitors where their teenager(s) go online and with whom they interact. 30% of parents allow their teenagers to use the computer in private areas of the house such as a bedroom or a home office. Parents say they are more vigilant about where their teen(s) go online if the computer is in a public area of the household.

Computer Safety Basics Talk to your child! Know what they are doing online Do NOT allow computers in private areas (bedroom) – public spaces only Privacy is a privilege, not a right! Know your child’s passwords for email, IM Check to make sure they work! Ask them about the sites they visit – what site is their favorite; why?

Internet Safety Basics Let them know how you feel about online privacy and safety Remind them not to share: Passwords Personal information (age, school, address, etc) Tell an adult if someone makes them feel uncomfortable They are still protected under the law as a child, like it or not!

Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Passed by Congress in 1998 Defines the term "child" as an individual under the age of thirteen Applies only to websites that collect personal information from children. Under this act, sites that collect info (usually with parental consent) must disclose via a privacy policy: What information they are gathering Purpose of gathering information According to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), Web sites that knowingly collect information from children under 13 must disclose what information they're gathering and how it's being used. In many cases the Web site must obtain parental consent before collecting, using, or disclosing personal information about a child. Read privacy statements carefully before deciding whether to give your consent. Related to people trying to take advantage of your child – what they should be aware of and what you should be aware of. Later on I’ll speak about if your child is doing something they shouldn’t

Safety – Real Life and Online Networking requires the same common-sense, online or offline Strangers exist online and in person! Would you tell this information to a stranger down at the deli? Be mindful of what you reveal Photos School name on sweatshirts, etc. User names Graduation year, age, location (kimmy2009, joe16, LizNYC) Follow the Four Ps Don't let your child post anything publicly that parents, principals, predators or the police shouldn't see," she said. Everyone is looking. And what you post on the Internet stays there forever. Let your children know that it may affect whether they get into college or get a job, she said. It's amazing how many pictures there are of children showing themselves drunk or doing drugs or at a party when they were supposed to be at home because they had a big game the next day or a curfew, Aftab said.

Just because you say you are a teenage boy doesn’t mean you really

Keeping Your Children Safe Online OS Level Security Vista, XP Web Filtering programs NetNanny is a popular name Monitoring programs Parental controls in Vista Keylogger programs Will tell you everything – every keystroke!

Operating System Safety Most basic controls Start – Control Panel Make sure every user has their own, password-protected account Children should not be able to access parent’s accounts Parents should have the password to child’s account

XP vs. Vista XP SteadyState– free download that can help protect your family from inappropriate content and contact Windows Live Vista Parental Controls allow for setting Time limits Receiving activity reports Block or allow programs

Parental Controls – Windows Vista from http://www.GetGameSmart.com To access Windows Vista Parental Controls: Click on the Windows Vista "Start" button at the lower left to open the "Start" menu. Click on the "Instant Search" field and enter "par" to search for Parental Controls. Click "Parental Controls" to open the settings. Click "Create a new user account." Click the test field to enter a username. Click "Create Account."

Parental Controls – continued from http://www.GetGameSmart.com Windows Vista Parental Controls provide multiple options for managing computer use for every member of the family including: Web Restrictions Determine the Web sites your children can access and which programs they can download by choosing Windows Vista Web Filter under the Windows Settings menu. Computer Games Allow or block video games based on their ratings or select specific titles to allow or block by choosing Games under the Windows Settings menu. Time Limits To set the times when your child can use the computer, click Time Limits under Windows Settings menu. Use the grid to set blocks of time when your child can use the computer. Activity Reports If you want a report on the sites your kids visit, the games and programs they play and download, and when they are online, make sure to select On under Activity Reporting. Click View Activity Reports to see the report for the child's account.

New Forms of Communication Teens are more likely to chat or text than email (Pew, 2005) Twitter & Facebook vs, Yahoo! & Hotmail Texting and IM’ing at the same time – multimodal Communication is changing IM, chat, texting – all temporary forms of communication

Social Networking - Overview More popular for current generation of HS students than personal email! Facebook Must be 13 to have a profile; if child is younger, you can have their profile shut down Privacy controls and profile versions 150 million members as of January 2009 MySpace Music oriented, more open to the public, not as safe as Facebook Facebook – started in 2004 Independent ownership Average of 374,000 people per day sign up! MySpace – started mid-2003 Personal design element Owned by news corp (murdoch)

Social Networking Tips Friend your child! If they won’t friend you, have them friend a trusted adult – cousin, aunt or uncle, family friend – and check on them through this channel! Review their friends, photos, postings with them Privacy is a privilege, not a right! Be careful about installing 3rd party applications Identity theft Viruses & worms Understand privacy settings Keep your information HIGHLY private!

Facebook for Parents http://www.commonsensemedia.org/facebook-parents http://www.facebookforparents.org If your child is under 13 and has created a Facebook page, you can have it deleted Help children understand that social networks are public places Facebook is a map of your child’s peer group – use it intelligently!

Online Safety Look into safeguarding programs or options your online service provider might offer. These may include monitoring or filtering capabilities. Windows Live ID Child will need to login using parent-controlled LiveID Better for younger children – older may get around these controls

Free or Low Cost Parental Monitors ParentalControl Bar – free http://download.cnet.com/ParentalControl-Bar/3000-2162_4-10539075.html Big Mother – free to try, $29 to buy Allows you observe internet traffic (“sniffer”)and open certain types of webmail http://download.cnet.com/Big-Mother/3000-2162_4-10590213.html Sentry Total Family Protection – free to try, $2.99 a month to buy User can block, monitor, time limit access This is helpful if you don’t have the parental controls of Windows Vista http://download.cnet.com/Sentry-Total-Family-Protection/3000-2162_4-10850491.html http://www.sentryparentalcontrols.com/products/TotalProtection.aspx FriendFeed - FREE http://friendfeed.com/ Monitors Twitter, flickr, YouTube Create an “imaginary friend” to monitor your child

Internet Usage Review your child’s history in a web browser Child may be deleting history – if so, set up monitoring software that records and emails history Internet Explorer Latest version is IE 8, free upgrade Mozilla Firefox Latest version is 3 Works with Windows or Mac Add-ons for safety (Kidzui, Parental control bar, AdBlock Plus) Comes with a built-in popup window blocker http://www.kidzui.com/

It’s not just computers! Cell phone safety 85% of U.S. kids under 17 have a cell phone (22% of kids 10-11 and 39% of kids 12-13). Children, 12 and under, are one of the fastest growing segments of mobile technology users in the U.S. 33% of teens have been victims of a cyberbully through online tools, including cell phones.

Cell Phone Safety “Sexting” Harassment Sharing nude or sexual photos via cell phone Considered child pornography if either party is under age Harassment When does Talking become Stalking? What you can do about it Set Limits Review calls, texts, photos Make sure children understand they lose control of an image once it has been sent to someone else! There have been some high profile cases of sexting -- including High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens, who sent a nude picture to her co-star/boyfriend, Zac Efron, that ended up all over the Internet and made headlines. And in July 2008, Cincinnati teen Jesse Logan committed suicide after a nude photo she’d sent to a boyfriend was circulated widely around her high school, resulting in harassment from her classmates. Furthermore, sending sexual images to minors is against the law, and some states have begun prosecuting kids for child pornography or felony obscenity. FOR SENDING PICTURES OF THEMSELVES Kids "sext" to show off, to entice someone, to show interest in someone, or to prove commitment. The problem with that, is that the moment the relationship ends (and most of them do) someone is in possession of a highly compromising image that can be easily posted on a social networking site or sent around via email or text. Advice for Parents Don't wait for an incident to happen to your child or your child’s friend before you talk to your kids about the consequences of sexting. Sure, talking about sex or dating with teens can be really uncomfortable, but better to have the talk before the fact. Remind them that once an image is sent, it can never be retrieved -- and they will lose control of it. Ask teens how they would feel if their teachers, parents, or the entire school saw the picture, because it happens all the time. Talk about pressures to send revealing photos. Let teens know that you understand that they can be pushed or dared into sending something. Tell them that no matter how big the social pressure is, the potential social humiliation will be hundreds of times worse. The buck stops with them. If someone sends them a photo, have them delete it immediately. Better to be part of the solution than the problem. Besides, if they do send it on, they're distributing pornography -- and that’s against the law. If you can’t deal with this, have your kids go to ThatsNotCool.com (and you should go yourself). It’s a fabulous site that gives kids the language and support to take texting and cell phone power back into their own hands. http://www.commonsensemedia.org/talking-about-sexting

Cell Phone Safety Suggestions Turn cell phones off at a certain time & turn them in for the night No sleeping with your cell phone under the pillow! Examine the bill Who are they communicating with? WHEN? Talk with your kids about the consequences for sexting and cyberbullying Regularly review your child’s pictures on their cell phones Set a good example! No texting and driving! In Massachusetts, three junior high school students were arrested for allegedly distributing a sex video with their cell phones, and in New Jersey, a 14-year-old girl was charged with distribution and possession of child pornography after posting nude photos of herself on Myspace.com. Phillip Alpert discovered just how real the consequences of sexting could be after he was branded as a sex offender and kicked out of college when he distributed compromising photos of his ex-girlfriend. "I was the stupid kid that sent the pictures across e-mail," said Alpert, who had dated his girlfriend for about two-and-a-half years. "I was very upset. I wasn't thinking. I had sent a few of the pictures that she had sent to me. She'd taken of herself and sent to me. I sent them through -- to the recipients in her e-mail address." Alpert, 19, was convicted of sending child pornography and served several days in jail. He is now out on probation, but he was thrown out of college, and as a consequence of his conviction on child pornography charges, his name was added to Florida's sex offender registry. http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=7337547&page=1

CELL PHONE SAFETY TIPS FOR PARENTS from WebWiseKids.org DO speak with your child about their cell phone habits and your safety concerns DO set limits on what your child can do on their cell phones (i.e. who they can talk to, when they can be on their phones, the number of text messages they can send and what they are allowed to post online) DO access your cell phone carrier’s parental control settings and decide the settings that will work best for you DO talk with your kids about the consequences for sexting and cyberbullying DO NOT overact or take away your child’s cell phones if they tell you about something bad that they experienced online or with their cell phones. Cell phones are important for emergency situations and staying connected DO encourage your child to teach you what they can do with their cell phones DO NOT hesitate to get help from school and law enforcement authorities if you think a bully or predator may be targeting your child. Save copies of all messages and report the misuse to your service provider DO regularly review your child’s pictures on their cell phones DO get to know your child’s online friends as you would their real-life friends

CELL PHONE SAFETY TIPS FOR TEENS from WebWiseKids.org DO use your cell phone for fun & to communicate & stay connected with your friends and family DO remember that what you post or text message about others can be out there in cyberspace forever DO say NO to Bullying – don’t let ANYONE get bullied and don’t be the bully. DO talk to an adult you trust if you have sent or received any messages that were harmful or made you feel uncomfortable. DO NOT take or forward nude pictures to ANYONE. Once you send or post a picture, you can never get it back. These pictures could be illegal and consequences include, expulsion from school, jail, and registering as a sex offender. DO report any nude pictures you receive on your phone to an adult you trust DO NOT drive while talking on your cell phone or text messaging. It is illegal in many states. DO NOT give your number out to people you do not know in real life. DO try just talking with your friends the old fashion way (on the phone) instead of just text messaging all the time. IT's YOUR CALL - YOUR CHOICES -- YOUR CONSEQUENCES

Instant Messaging Safety Don’t download files or photos from people if you know them or NOT– safety & security Don’t share your screen name in public places Chat with only people on your buddy list No sensitive info (credit card #, passwords) Away messages – don’t reveal too much Downloading files may be porn or viruses - both are bad. Not a good idea to share sensitive info – IM windows are not secure If someone finds your screenname, they can pretend to know you – not what you want! Don’t share “out to lunch” or “playing softball in Yorktown” – gives too much away

INTERNET SAFETY TIPS FOR TEENS from WebWiseKids.org DO spend more time with real-life friends than virtual friends DO tell an adult if someone online harasses you or wants to talk about sex DO cut off contact with anyone who pressures you for your personal information (name, age, size, photo, address, family information) DO be careful of strangers who try to turn you against your family while promising to be your best friend (they may send you gifts and give you lots of compliments, but at the same time, they are possessive of your time and critical of your parents.) DO NOT exchange pictures with strangers through the Internet DO NOT open e-mails/instant messages or download attachments from people you don’t know DO NOT fill out your information to win free stuff DO NOT go to meet someone you don’t already know in real life DO NOT post personal information, of any kind, on a personal website or blog Just because someone says they are someone, doesn’t mean they ARE – Email spoofing -

Resources Web Wise Kids - https://www.webwisekids.org/index.asp That’s Not Cool - http://www.thatsnotcool.com/ Common Sense Media - http://www.commonsensemedia.org/ Microsoft Online Safety: Age Based Guidelines http://www.microsoft.com/protect/family/age/stages.mspx FBI Publications – Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety http://www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide/pguidee.htm Facebook Tips for Parents - http://www.commonsensemedia.org/facebook-parents LMK (Girl Scouts) site on Internet Safety - http://lmk.girlscouts.org/Online-Safety-Topics.aspx American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Safety Links http://safetynet.aap.org/

FAQ What is Twitter? Microblogging, 140 characters @ a time Can be useful, but remember safety rules Can I find out if my child has a secret email account? Not unless you use keylogger software and they access the email account from that computer. What is YouTube? User-submitted videos Many good, but many are inappropriate Use good judgment – as with any video site

FAQ Avoiding identity theft Shred! Make strong passwords Don’t share passwords with anyone Keep them in a safe place, not written on a post-it Log out completely from shared computers