Protecting Your Familys Soul and Safety Online Ernest Staats Technology Director MS Information Assurance, CISSP, MCSE, CNA, CWNA, CCNA, Security+, I-Net+, Network+, Server+, A+ Resources

Outline Golden Rules Cyber Predators Factors That Increase Risk Online Cyber Bullying Identity Theft Securing Your Online Connections Social Networking What Is Posted About Your Family Online Common Chat Terms to Know Bypass Internet Filters Resources

Golden Rules for Parents 1.Keep Internet in public space as much as possible 2.Spend cybertime with your child 3.Teach Internet rules & consequencesparent your values online 4.Limit timekeep kids busy beyond screens 5.Talk to your child about what they are doing 6.Stay involved

Golden Rules to Teach 1.Rules from real life apply: courtesy, kindness, modesty, dignity, respect for the law and for others, etc. 2.Dont talk to strangers 3.Keep your private information private 4.Never agree to meet an online friend without your parents 5.There are no guarantees that what you say or post on the Internet is private

Golden Rules to Teach 6.Information (including photos, videos, etc.) posted on the Internet can last forever 7.Tell your parents if you encounter something uncomfortable 8.Dont reply to unknown screen names on IM 9.Never open from strangers or click on any attachments 10.Find the good online – good friends, good Web sites, good games – and enjoy

Cyber Predators Befriend Lure Make contact- that is their goal MySpace the worryMySpace the worry. Easily trackedEasily tracked

Cyber Predators Statistics …A child goes missing every 40 seconds in the U.S, over 2,100 per day (OJJDP) In ,196 children were reported lost, runaway, or kidnapped (ncmec) 2/3 of all missing children reports were for youths aged (ncmec) 2/5 missing children ages are abducted due to Internet activity (ICAC) Do the math--over 2 million teens age are abducted due to Internet activity

Befriending Techniques Chat room, IM, networking sites, blogs Portrays same age, same likes, same dislikes Portrays age-typical awkwardness Begins to share some secrets Telephone (which can be faked) Webcamming (which can be faked) Verbal chat on Internet (which can be faked) Are patient when developing a relationship

Six Steps to Luring Based loosely on the Missing Game available online at Just like you – befriending offer attention and affection 2.Develops trust –sympathizes, while reinforcing feelings of alienation 3.Establishes secrecy -- obtain incriminating evidence

Six Steps to Luring 4.Erodes barriers -- the honeymoon phase 5.Direct intimidation -- guilt and threats used as coercion to meet them or give more information 6.Face-to-face meeting --the truth emerges

Eluding Internet Predators Keep usernames and profiles generic and anonymous –Discuss your childs online screen name(s), profile(s), and activities. Many provide too much personal information. Ensure all screen names and profiles are non-specific, non-suggestive, and purposely vague. Avoid posting personal photos –Pictures can be altered to embarrass or humiliate. They also provide personal information that can help an Internet predator pretend to know you, your children, and/or their friends. Always keep private information private –With just three pieces of personal information, specialized Internet search engines can be used to locate someone anywhere. Internet conversations should never include any personal information.

Eluding Internet Predators Keep the computer in an open area –A responsible adult should always accompany minors while they access the Internet to provide support and direction should they be confronted with an aggressive solicitation or inappropriate materials. Respect childrens privacy –Respect your childs privacy, but make certain they personally know everyone on their buddy list. Work to generate parent-child trust that supports open and honest Internet use. Ripping out the computer once they tell you they came across porn will destroy the lines of communication. Be part of your childs online experience –It can be a fun journey to explore the wonders of the Internet as a family. As computer-savvy as kids and teens are today, they will certainly teach you a thing or two!

Revealing Too Much Personal information that can lead a predator to your doorstep Name Age BirthdayPhone Number ScheduleSchoolLocation Photos and videos should never be posted online if they show –Backgrounds that reveal identifying information –Sexually provocative poses –Too much skin

Indicators of High Risk More technical knowledge than parents Teens who feel they are not listened to Do not feel like they are getting enough attention Do not communicate about who or what they are doing online Deleting computers Internet history Minimize screen or switch to another screen quickly when someone comes in the room Unexplained phone calls Unexplained absences Unexpected gifts

Risky Behavior Posting photos online Meeting people online that you do not know in the real world Online accounts with suggestive names Talking about parties online Having blogs and other public online discussions (HR and college acceptance boards are now using these to screen people) Expressing heated/strong opinions

Understand Risk Factors 30% of teenage girls polled by the Girl Scout Research Institute said they had been sexually harassed in a chat room Only 7 %, however, told their mothers or fathers about the harassment, as they were worried that their parents would ban them from going online (Girl Scout Research Institute 2002) 47% of children have received s with links to pornographic websites (Symantec market research report, June 2005)

Understand Risk Factors, cont. Online teens admit that they frequently communicate with people they have never met: 54% have instant messaged a stranger, 50% have ed a stranger, and 45% have participated in a chat room discussion with a stranger (Teen Research Unlimited, Topline Findings from Omnibuss Research, October 2005). 28% of teens said they use code words on a daily basis to hide their online conversations from their parents – example: PIR means parent in room, P9, P911, or 911(Teen Research Unlimited, Topline Findings from Omnibuss Research, October 2005.). WW Kids

Things to Think About What personal information is your child placing on blogs and personal WebPages?

Cyber Bullying Often has a stronger impact on teenagers as they have turned to the Internet because they need social affirmation Can be done by anyone speaking harshly to someone else online Often follows online chatting while angry

Identity Theft Any request for information that comes in is to be suspect. Call your bank or credit card company first, and do not click on the link. Do not use the phone number sent in the . Any phone request for more info is also suspect. So question them first and hang up. Then call the institution to make sure they were calling (be careful of any information given out). Check the website before you do business with them. Make sure the SSL connection is good.

Identity Theft Protection Monitor you and your childs credit report regularly –Obtain your credit report at least once a year by phoning either Equifax, Experian, or Trans Union, and look carefully for any unusual or fraudulent activity. Their contact information is on the Internet. Check for FREE at –Child ID theft is a large and growing market. CNN September 14, 2006 Beware of all requests for your personal information online –Criminals copy logos perfectly to trick you. Legitimate companies never send unsolicited requests for personal information. Never give out personal information unless you initiate the correspondence. Shred documents before putting them in the trash –Bank statements, credit card offers, utility bills, and documents with Social Security or account numbers can be retrieved from your trash by ID thieves, so make a habit of tearing them up before tossing them.

Identity Theft Protection Install a locking mailbox or use the post office –Criminals often obtain the information they need by intercepting mail in unlocked street mailboxes. Only send and receive bills, checks, or other personal correspondence from a secure location. Limit the amount of personal information you carry in your purse or wallet Protect your information online by using a firewall, virus protection, and secure Internet browser Place a fraud alert on your credit –If you have lost your wallet, purse, Social Security card, or passport, or suspect you are a potential victim of ID theft, contact each of the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union) for assistance.

Securing Your Online Connections 1. Protect your personal information -- Dont reply to or click on links in any asking for your personal information 2. Know who youre dealing with -- When shopping online, look for a sellers physical address and a working telephone number. Before downloading free software, read the fine print some downloads come with spyware 3. Use anti-virus software and a firewall, and check for updates daily 4. Be sure to set up your operating system, applications and Web browser software properly, and update them regularly (configure windows/Linux/MACs to run automatic updates)

Securing Your Online Connections 5. Protect your passwords. Keep your passwords in a secure place, and dont share them on the Internet, over , or on the phone (use long passwords) (put one on your administrator account) 6. Back up and consider encrypting important files. If you have important files stored on your computer, copy them onto a removable disc and store it in a safe place. 7. Remember, being online is the same as being in the worst high crime neighborhood, so be street smart when online. 8. Secure your wireless connections; see more info at Turn off unnecessary services 10. Turn off file and print sharing if you do not need them

Securing your Online connections Install and keep up-to-date anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall –Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool 75B8EB148356&displaylang=en 75B8EB148356&displaylang=en –CCleaner (Free) –Anti-Spyware – A-Squared (free) –AVG Free Use Commercial Web Filtering Software –Free –Net Nanny (2007 best) Check internet cache (free) Spector Pro to track everything done on a PC

Check Files on Computer Look at the online handout on how to check computer history files to find what has been surfed. Also check the settings and documents in My documents to see what is on their account.online handout Undelete files with Restoration or PC Inspector File recovery to find out what your child has deleted. Look for files in the recycle bin and ones that have been deleted.RestorationPC Inspector File recovery

File-sharing Download and share media with P2P MusicMoviesVideosPhotos Its illegal to share copyrighted materials without permission Its easy to unknowingly download or distribute viruses and illegal material

File-Sharing Programs

What is Social Networking?

Social Networking Sites Enhance communication skills –Improve writing skills –Spark creativity –Help teens develop a personal identity and express themselves –Keep in touch with friends and family

Networking Sites MySpace has twice the number of views Google gets a day, for a total of almost 13 million a day. To put that in perspective, thats 4,475 views a second. 5 MySpace gets 150,000 new users a day, the vast majority of whom (90%) are people claiming to be between years old. 5

Safer Social Networking Make our own profile and add your children as friends Learn the sites safety features Have children use privacy settings Examine their list of friends and browse their friends pages

Real-Life Consequences Profiles and blogs are not only viewed by your friends, but also by –Parents and relatives –Teachers and principals –Colleges and universities –Employers –ONLINE PREDATORES-- when a predator starts grooming a child, he looks for vulnerability, and with a diary or blog right there, he's already gotten past the first stage. 13 If is on the Internet. IT IS NOT PRIVATE

MySpace Tracking BeNetSafe 12 Features Include: –Automated technology tracks your children's activities online. –Red flags activities that may be dangerous. Compatible with popular teen sites such as MySpace and Xanga. –Nothing to download. Simply sign in online! –24/7 monitoring to chaperone your children when you can't. Works with any computer or operating system.

MySpaceWatch.com 12 MySpaceWatch.com is a service that allows you to monitor login activity, track profile changes, and keep a running history of up to 5 myspace.com profiles. Are you a parent who banned your child from myspace only to see that they keep logging on, or are keeping multiple accounts? Free Account Sign-Up Now –Monitor 1 profile –Profile is crawled twice daily –View up to 25 of a profile's friends Pro Account Sign-Up Now –Monitor up to 5 profiles –Profile is crawled every 6 hours –View up to 100 of a profile's friends

SafeSpacers.com 12 They offer anonymous monitoring of your childs MySpace profile The kids will have no idea someone is watching and reporting on their profile Receive periodic reports rating critical areas of potential dangers In the report, the parent will be informed of the concerns found on the profile (i.e. sex, drugs, smoking, drinking, inappropriate pictures, too much information, possible pedophile contact, etc.) Immediate alerts to parents if a pedophile is in contact with your child Know what your child is doing on MySpace without being a snoop We use a method of positive peer pressure to push your kids to be safer! We contact them with our own personal MySpace profiles. That way, its coming from a peer and not an adult or company.

Data Mining with Google Google search string –site:myspace.com SSN –site:myspace.com birthday –site:myspace.com Hate my parents 31,100 hits –site:myspace.com "phone number –Place name in quotation marks (use variations) First (Jon) Last Legal First (Jonathan) Last First MI Last Use groups.google.com and google.com/alerts to look for your child's name in newsgroups (address, phone number and other personal information) Go to my website for a Google search tutorial –

Common Chat Terms POS --Parents are looking over my shoulder POTS -- Parents over the shoulder (my parents are watching; I can't really talk) P My parents are in the room. P = Parents, and 911 = emergency; in other words, either drop the subject or watch the language WTGP-- Want to go private? (move to a private chat room) a/s/l or asl - - Age/Sex/Location -- (used to ask a chatter their personal information) GGOH --Gotta get outta here OLL --Online love GTR --Got to run TNT --'Til next time LMIRL -- Let's meet in real life

Bypassing Filters –Go to AltaVistas BabbleFish site Key in the URL of a porn site and ask BabbleFish to translate it into English (even though the site is already in English). –Changing their browsers proxy Using an anonymizer: Use Google to find CGI proxies which are harder to control than common php proxies; highschoolproxy.com, and too many others –Use software to find and destroy filtering software on local PCs –Turn off filtering software on local PC –Conducting picture searches at Google, AltaVista, or other search engines including UK version of the search engine –THE TRUTH IS THAT FILTERING SOFTWARE KIND OF WORKS AND KIND OF DOESNT

To get around your blocking software: 1. First, try a circumvention site like 2. If that doesn't work, you can join our list where we mail out new circumventor sites every 3 or 4 days. list 3. If you have a computer with an uncensored Internet connection, you can follow these easy steps to set up your own circumventor site.follow these easy steps to set up your own circumventor site 4. If you're trying to get around blocking software that's installed on the local computer and not on the network, use these instructions to boot from the Ubuntu Live CD.these instructions Bypassing Filters PeaceFire

Carbon: –Open the lines of communication Hardware: –USB Trackers- –Phone Trackers- Extreme Measures

Software: –Spector Pro is used for monitoring and recording every detail of PC and Internet activity – in your home or in your office –Selected as the Editors Choice by the experts at PC Magazine, Spector Pro records every detail of what they do on the computer – their chats, instant messages, s, the web sites they visit, what they search for, what they do on MySpace, the pictures they post and look at, the keystrokes they type, the programs they run –Its advanced surveillance screen snapshot features, you get to see not only WHAT they do, but the EXACT order in which they do it, step by step

Resources All resources and more at my website (bottom of page) –Chat Abbreviation -PDF- Download Download –Cleaning Your Windows Computer -PDF- Download Download –Free Software for Home Users -PDF- Download Download –How to Check Your Computers History -PDF- Download Download –I-Educator -PDF- Download Download –Internet Safety for Kids -PDF- Download Download –Internet terms -PDF- Download Download –Internet Safety Plan -PDF- Download Download –Internet Safety Tips for Parents -PDF- Download Download –Secure Mac step by Step -PDF- Download Download –Tracking People around town -PDF- Download Download Internet Safety for Kids link list – is very graphicwww.packet-level.com/Kids – has excellent resources for parentswww.webwisekids.com

Good Resources Quality and current nonprofit news service for kid-tech news. Based on the premise that informal, engaged parenting is essential to kids constructive use of technology and the Net. Provides information on how media can shape your childs development and what you can do to create a media-literate household. Provides a guide to making the Internet and Technology fun, safe, and productive. Advice and information about Internet safety for parents and teachers, plus opportunities to discuss problems and share solutions.

Good Resources GetNetWise is a public service created by Internet industry corporations and public interest groups with the goal of having Internet users be only one click away from the resources they need to make informed decisions about their and their family's use of the Internet. Created by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the NetSmartz Workshop is an interactive, educational safety resource to teach kids and teens how to stay safer on the Internet. Kids.us is an Internet domain where affiliated sites are regularly screened and monitored so that parents and children can trust the sites to provide educational and appropriate online fun.

Good Resources Provides family-friendly reviews of media (TV, film, music, Web sites, games, and books) and parent tips on healthy media diets for families. Run by the author of Net-mom's Internet Kids & Family Yellow Pages, a family-friendly directory to 3,500 of the best children's resources the Internet has to offer, this site highlights good sites for kids and provides safety tips for parents

Software Recommendation Sites The Safe Side – Stranger Safety Video – Darkness to Light – 7 Steps to Protecting Our Children – Cyberbully Resources – – Google Alerts – National Center for Missing and Exploited Children – Son, Call Me Big Brother – Warning: Adults Only – Family Watchdog – National Sex Offender Search –

Software Recommendation Sites Search for your local FBI field office – A Parent's Guide to Internet Safety – Kidz Privacy – CyberTip Line, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children – Safe Surfing with your Family, Safe Surfing Checklist – Safeguards, Computer safety tips for your home and child – Tips for Parents to Protect Children from Internet Predators, Guidelines for Parents – Kids Rules for Online Safety – Rules in Cyberspace – Cyberbullying – Chat Slang – NetLingo –

Bibliography 1.Tapscott, The N Generation, 1998: World Youth Report The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Study, 3/05 4.Kaiser Family Foundation 5.Numsum Myspace Stats 6.Media Central The Buzz The National Youth Agency 9.The Search Agency Internet Addiction by Wendi Kannenberg Internet Safety for Kids US News and World Report – Special Report- September 18, 'Predator's Playground? Decoding MySpace