Internet Use
(Safety Thoughts…)
What Can We Do?
A LOT!
Scott Baty
CCCGC
Jan 2015
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.
-
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_safety
eHow: http://www.ehow.com/about_6577504_definition-internet-safety.html
Personal Protection From…
•
•
•
•
•
Internet Predators
Coffee-Shop-Unsecure WIFI
“Script-Kiddies”
(what you might think of as “hackers”)
Viruses / Trojans / Malware
Those who take advantage of children & teens
•
Phishing
•
–
–
–
–
Use “Social Engineering” to manipulate victim
Sexual Intentions
Murderous Intentions
Other Malicious Intent
(Posing as a trustworthy entity while attempting to
acquire sensitive information)
Scam Artists
–
–
Email scams are meant to take your money
Scams on Craigslist that are using you to commit
fraudulent activities
Coffee-Shop-Data-Collectors
(Using Unsecure Wireless Networks)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Most public wireless connections are NOT
secure
It’s easy to capture your data
Don’t log into websites that reveal your
sensitive credentials (email, 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)
Coffee Shop Scenario
Typical unsecured wireless connection.
This is what you think that you are logging into…
Man In The Middle Attack
The Man-In-The-Middle grabs and/or modifies data that is
sent/received.
http://www.interlinknetworks.com/whitepapers/Link_Layer_Security.htm
VPN – Virtual Private Network
Protect your traffic by encrypting it.
 http://myvpnreviews.com/
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_private_network
 http://www.interlinknetworks.com/whitepapers/Link_Layer_Security.htm
Whats to be Gained?
• 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 of identity, property theft
Youth Online Safety
•
•
The definition of “youth online safety” has
broadened and become more complex in the past
10 years, as has the role of the online user. The
inter-connected devices allow us great freedom
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)
Statistics
•
•
•
•
•
•
75% of children and teens report sharing personal
information about them and their families to complete
strangers in chat rooms1
93% of American teens (ages 12-to-17) use the
Internet2
73% of American teens use social network sites2
75% of American teens own cell phones2
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
know2
43% of teens have been victims of cyberbullying3
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,
Instagram, MySpace, Orkut,
email, Skype, Twitter,
Identica, Craigslist, forums,
text messages, etc….
Kids and The
Dangers of The Social Web
 Public profiles put kids at a much greater risk to:
 Receive a message from a stranger
 Meet with a stranger
 Be harassed by peers
 Other concerns of social networking sites:
 Lack of age-verification mechanisms
 Posting provocative pictures and videos
 Easy access for predators and cyberbullies
 Excessive or addictive access
 Access to unhealthy “groups”
SAFEBOOK MAN
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
(and US!)
 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
ALL OF US!!

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 email 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
As Parents and Gaurdians
Simple Steps We Can Do
•
•
•
•
•
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 email 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
Content Filtering




Commercial Software for Content Filtering:









Cyber Patrol: http://www.cyberpatrol.com
CyberSitter: http://www.cybersitter.com
InternetSafety: http://www.internetsafety.com/safe-eyes-parental-control-software.php
ContentWatch: http://www.contentwatch.com
NetNanny: http://www.netnanny.com (powered by ContentWatch - also works on mobile devices)
Panda Internet Security: http://www.pandasecurity.com/security-promotion/usa/panda-internet-security
PC TattleTale Parental Control: http://www.pctattletale.com
Aobo Porn Filter - Website Blocker: http://aobo.cc/aobo-porn-filter.html
Sentry Parental Controls: http://www.sentryparentalcontrols.com
Free Software for Content Filtering




OpenDNS - FamilyShield: http://www.opendns.com/familyshield
Parental Filter: http://www.softpedia.com/get/Security/Lockdown/Parental-Filter.shtml
K9 Web Protection: http://www1.k9webprotection.com
ProCon Latte: http://procon.mozdev.org (read interesting related article)
Content Filtering for Firefox



KidZui - a safe browser and online playground for kids 3-12
FoxFilter Add-on for Firefox
Interesting article on using manual proxy configurations
Filtering Content with IE's Content Advisor
Cyberbullying
What is it?



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 emails to everyone
in your address book. When your friends or
family open the email, they would think that it
came from you! They could feel very hurt and
upset.
Source: http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/01158/home.html
Cyberbullying
Possible warning signs of children being bullied or bullying other
children
 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:
http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/missing/i_safety/mediafiles/isafety_parents6.ppt
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, email 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:
http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/missing/i_safety/mediafiles/isafety_parents6.ppt
Cyberbullying
Dealing with Cyberbullying
Some links worth looking at:
 http://wiki.ucalgary.ca/page/Cyberbullying
 http://www.stopcyberbullying.org
 http://www.wiredsafety.org/
 http://www.wiredsafety.org/fbprivacy/index.h
tm
“Sexting”





20% of 16 year olds and 30% of 17 year olds have recieved a sext (a
sexualy implicit text) (Pew Internet & American Life Project. "Teens
and sexting: How and Why Minor Teens are Sending Sexually
Suggestive Nude images Via Text Messaging." A pew Internet Guide
to Teens, Mobile Phones and Social Media. M Communications
Studies, Lehnart Amanda, December 2009)
By 2015, Mobile adult content revenues are expected to reach $2.8
billion and mobile adult subscriptions will reach $1 billion. (Juniper
Research. "Videochat and Subscription services to drive mobile adult
revenues to $2.8bn by 2015" October, 2010)
95% of teens use the internet (Pew Internet & American Life Project,
2013)
The Average Age for a Person's first Cell Phone is now 13 (Pew
Internet & American Life Project, 2010)
3 in 10 teens text more than 100 times a day (Pew Internet &
American Life Project, 2012)
“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: http://www.themonitor.com/articles/palmview-38189school-charge.html
Viruses / Trojans / Ad-Ware
• Don’t open email attachments
•
•
•
unless you know for certain what
they are
Use Virus Software: Windows
Defender, MSE, Avira, etc
Regular Windows Updates
(weekly)
Use Web Browser Alternatives:
Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari…
Best browser for speed
Browsers don't generally feel
sluggish any more, but there are
still crucial differences in the
way they do things, especially
web apps. The venerable
Sunspider benchmark is a good
indication of how well a browser
performs under pressure, and
the lower the score the faster the
browser.
At the risk of sounding like an Upworthy
headline here: we tested all the major
browsers in Sunspider. Their scores may
surprise you.
Safari 197.9ms
Opera 174.4ms
Chrome165.2ms
Firefox 157.9ms
Internet Explorer (desktop)94.7ms
Internet Explorer (modern)93.1ms
As you can see, Internet Explorer (both the
desktop and modern incarnations) isn't just
ahead, but ahead by a significant amount.
Most Popular Browser
According to the Secunia
Vulnerability Review 2014
Browser
Vulnerabilities Discovered % Unpatched Users
Mozilla Firefox
Microsoft IE
Google Chrome
Apple Safari
Opera
270
126
245
75
11
33%
12%
17%
14%
39%
However, Secunia’s figures don’t account for vulnerability
severity, open and closed source browsers, or-the most crucial
factor in determining security-patch response times.
According to Pwn2Own statistics, Chrome has the fastest
response to threats of all browsers: 15 days.
Which Browser to Use?
You Decide!
Passwords a thought or two….
Perfect Passwords? If there is such a thing!
GRC's Ultra High Security Gibson Research Corp. (www.grc.com)
Password Generator
27,359 sets of passwords generated per day
Strong Passwords:
 Phrases, mixed case, special characters, and long:
- 5db10mw! (Slow Down Buddy I’m On My Way!)
- w@yD0wny0nd3r#% (Way Down Yonder #%)
 Change the letters to the numbers they look like!
welcomehomeBen! --------
w3lc0meh0m3B3n!
welcomehomeBen!
Thank You!
This presentation will be located online at:
http://www.cccgc.info
References from Slide #10
1. The Safe Surfin' Foundation
2. OSTWG Article, "Youth Safety on a Living Internet"
3. Internet Safety PowerPoint - A Parent's Guide to the Internet:
http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/missing/i_safety/mediafiles/isa
fety_parents6.ppt
Resources, Articles, Videos, &
More Information About Internet
Safety






Internet Safety – Keeping it Real: http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/01158/home.html



Internet Safety PowerPoint - A Parent's Guide to the Internet: http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/missing/i_safety/mediafiles/isafety_parents6.ppt

Teaching Teenagers About The Danger of Internet Predators: http://parenting.families.com/blog/teaching-children-about-the-danger-of-internetpredators








Video: Tracking Teresa: http://www.netsmartz.org/stories/teresa.htm
Dateline NBC Online Safety Kit: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15162866/
The Online Safety and Technology Working Group (OSTWG): http://www.ntia.doc.gov/advisory/onlinesafety
OSTWG Article, "Youth Safety on a Living Internet: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/2010/OSTWG_Final_Report_060410.pdf
Some guidelines for protection: http://www.ehow.com/how_4542712_protect-children-online-sexual-predators.html
Division of Criminal Justice Services - Internet Safety Presentations & Resources:
http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/missing/i_safety/videos_presentations.htm
The Safe Surfin' Foundation: http://www.safesurfincentral.org
eHow.com - How to Protect Children From Online Sexual Predators: http://www.ehow.com/how_4542712_protect-children-online-sexualpredators.html
Video: CBS News - Finding Internet Predators - The Alicia Kozakiewicz Story: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=3379194n
Dateline NBC - To Catch A Predator: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10912603
Net Smartz: http://www.netsmartz.org/index.aspx
Net Smartz Teens: http://www.NSTeens.org
Kideos: http://www.kideos.com
Online Safety and Technology Working Group: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/advisory/onlinesafety
Additional resources: http://www.ncjrs.gov/internetsafety/children.html