Safe Practices for Internet Usage (Internet Safety…) Darrin Goodman Web Systems Coordinator Colorado State University Extension

What is Internet Safety? Internet safety or online safety is the security of people and their information when using the Internet. Internet safety means protecting your personal information while online. Details such as your address, full name, telephone number, birth date and/or social security number can potentially be used by on-line criminals. Adapted from: -Wikipedia: -eHow:

Personal Protection From… Internet Predators Coffee-Shop-Data-Collectors “Script-Kiddies” (what you might think of as “hackers”) Viruses / Trojans / Ad-Ware Those who take advantage of children & teens – Use “Social Engineering” to manipulate victim – Sexual Intentions – Murderous Intentions – Other Malicious Intent Phishing Attempts (Masquerading as a trustworthy entity while attempting to acquire sensitive information) Phishing Scam Artists – scams are meant to take your money – Scams on Craigslist that are using you to commit fraudulent activities

Coffee-Shop-Data-Collectors Most public wireless connections are NOT secure It’s easy to capture your data Don’t log into websites that reveal your sensitive credentials ( , bank account, etc.) Use onboard firewall software Lock your screen before leaving your seat Don’t store sensitive information on your computer Use an encrypted VPN (Virtual Private Network)

Youth Online Safety It is clear, then, that the definition of “youth online safety” has broadened and become more complex in the past 10 years, as have the role of the online user and the inter-connected devices today’s user takes advantage of when consuming, socializing, producing, and connecting. In addition to cyberbullying, inappropriate content, and predation, other risks have emerged, including “sexting” and the risks related to geolocation technology in online applications and on mobile phones. Source: OSTWG Article, "Youth Safety on a Living Internet“ Online Safety and Technology Working Group (OSTWG)Youth Safety on a Living Internet

Desired Outcomes Physical Safety – freedom from physical harm Psychological Safety – freedom from cruelty, harassment, and exposure to potentially disturbing material Reputational and Legal Safety – freedom from unwanted social, academic, professional, and legal consequences that could affect users for a lifetime Identity, Property, and Community Safety – freedom from theft of identity & property

Statistics 75% of children and teens report sharing personal information about them and their families to complete strangers in chat rooms 1 93% of American teens (ages 12-to-17) use the Internet 2 73% of American teens use social network sites 2 75% of American teens own cell phones 2 4% of American teens have sent sexually suggestive images or videos of themselves via cell phone, and 15% have received such images from someone they know 2 43% of teens have been victims of cyberbullying 3 Sources are referenced in Resources slide near the end of this presentation

Avenues for Online Communication Avenues for online child communication: blogs, chat rooms, irc, IM, Facebook, Facebook chat, MySpace, Orkut, , Skype, Twitter, Identica, Craigslist, forums, text messages, etc….

Protection Methods for Youth (& you!) Educate your child about the dangers that exist on the Internet Studies show that: – Fear-based scare-tactics are not effective – Use the "norms" approach - suggest that [insert behavior here] is not a “norm” among youth's peers and that people who engage in such activity are abnormal and may need help

Protection Methods for Youth (& you!) Educate you child about safe Internet practices Use strong passwords (including numbers, special characters, and combination of upper/lower case) Never give password to anyone Don't communicate online with people you don't know Enable & elevate privacy settings in Facebook Disable Facebook Chat Do not allow Skype calls from anyone who is not on your contact list Teach kids about responsible communication

Protection Methods for Youth (& you!) Do not share specific information about yourself, such as family info, where you live, photos of yourself or your home, etc. Use an alias for Web communications, not your real name / also use avatar that is different from your actual photo Don't say anything online to someone that you would not be willing to say directly to their face in person Don't open attachments unless you know for certain what it is Be aware that actions have consequences - ex: nude photos, bad language, inappropriate conduct, etc. - could have legal impacts, embarrassment, or affect future job opportunities Inform you (the parent or another authority figure) if the child has experienced anything online that makes him/her feel creepy or uncomfortable

Protection Methods for Youth (& you!) Use Internet Content Filters – Software that filters out unwanted websites, such as pornography – IP Addresses can be filtered using your router or your Web browser Place computer in living room or other "common" area within your home Regulate length of time child spends on Internet as well as determine a window of time for usage Request list of and social networking sites being used and username/password for each account Perform random checks on your teenager's cell phone to view text messages sent/received

Passwords Strong Passwords: – Phrases, mixed case, special characters, and long: - 5db10mw! (Slow Down Buddy I’m On My Way!) - (Way Down Yonder #%)

Passwords Password Card: –

Content Filtering Commercial Software for Content Filtering: – Cyber Patrol: – CyberSitter: – InternetSafety: – ContentWatch: – NetNanny: (powered by ContentWatch - also works on mobile devices) – Panda Internet Security: – PC TattleTale Parental Control: – Aobo Porn Filter - Website Blocker: – Sentry Parental Controls: Free Software for Content Filtering – OpenDNS - FamilyShield: – Parental Filter: – K9 Web Protection: – ProCon Latte: (read interesting related article) interesting related article Content Filtering for Firefox – KidZui - a safe browser and online playground for kids 3-12 KidZui – FoxFilter Add-on for Firefox FoxFilter – Interesting article on using manual proxy configurations Interesting article on using manual proxy configurations Filtering Content with IE's Content AdvisorContent Advisor

Cyber Bullying occurs when people send or post mean or threatening text or pictures on the Internet. Examples: A kid could post stories about another kid online. They could show the website to all of their friends. When the victim goes back to school, he/she gets teased about something they don’t know about. If a friend had your password, and you got into a fight, they could send mean s to everyone in your address book. When your friends or family open the , they would think that it came from you! They could feel very hurt and upset. Source: Cyberbullying What is it?

Complaining that other children or a group of children do not like them. Preoccupation with friendship concerns. Poor self-esteem. Feeling they are not as good as others. Not wanting to go to school or other activities. Spending a great deal of time on the computer. Being secretive about online activities. Source: Internet Safety PowerPoint - A Parent's Guide to the Internet: Cyberbullying Possible warning signs of children being bullied or bullying other children

Cyberbullying Dealing with Cyberbullying Preserve evidence – this is crucial for identifying the bully and making a case. Attempt to enlist assistance from the service provider. If able to identify the bully, contact him or her and/or parents. Use available blocking technology (i.e., block the user on IM, and chat.) In serious cases, seek assistance from the police (i.e., threats of physical harm, unrelenting or unable to stop.) Source: Internet Safety PowerPoint - A Parent's Guide to the Internet:

“Sexting” A recent study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project “found that 4% of cell- owning teens ages say they have sent sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude images or videos of themselves to someone else via text messaging.” Fifteen percent of young respondents “say they have received such images of someone they know via text message.” Source: OSTWG Article, "Youth Safety on a Living Internet""Youth Safety on a Living Internet"

“Sexting” - Consequences Photos sent to boy/girlfriend could potentially be distributed over school, especially after a breakup One could suffer legal consequences after distributing nude photos of an underage minor – criminal charges – listed as registered sex offender Criminal charges could result in... – permanent expulsion from school – loss of job opportunities (due to lack of education and/or sex- offender job regulations & limitations) – can't reside near school areas Example:

Viruses / Trojans / Ad-Ware Internet Explorer uses Active-X controls for easy software installation – not safe Use Web Browser Alternatives: Firefox, Opera, Safari Use Virus Software: Symantec, McAffee, ClamWin, etc Regular Windows Updates (weekly) Don’t open attachments unless you know for certain what they are

Thank You! Darrin Goodman phone: This presentation is located online at:

References from Slide #7 1.The Safe Surfin' FoundationThe Safe Surfin' Foundation 2.OSTWG Article, "Youth Safety on a Living Internet""Youth Safety on a Living Internet" 3.Internet Safety PowerPoint - A Parent's Guide to the Internet: ents6.ppt ents6.ppt

Resources, Articles, Videos, & More Information About Internet Safety Internet Safety – Keeping it Real: Dateline NBC Online Safety Kit: The Online Safety and Technology Working Group (OSTWG): OSTWG Article, "Youth Safety on a Living Internet: Some guidelines for protection: Division of Criminal Justice Services - Internet Safety Presentations & Resources: Internet Safety PowerPoint - A Parent's Guide to the Internet: The Safe Surfin' Foundation: eHow.com - How to Protect Children From Online Sexual Predators: sexual-predators.htmlhttp:// sexual-predators.html Teaching Teenagers About The Danger of Internet Predators: of-internet-predatorshttp://parenting.families.com/blog/teaching-children-about-the-danger- of-internet-predators Video: Tracking Teresa: Video: CBS News - Finding Internet Predators - The Alicia Kozakiewicz Story: Dateline NBC - To Catch A Predator: Net Smartz: Net Smartz Teens: Kideos: Online Safety and Technology Working Group: Additional resources: