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Safe Computing. Bill Weyrick www.thet.net/safecomputing/. Introduction. Open Discussion of Wild and Open Internet Bill Weyrick Manager of Computer User Support at DHMC Parent, School Volunteer, Thetford Technology Committee Member and Volunteer WebMaster of Thet.Net. Topics of Discussion.
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Safe Computing Bill Weyrick www.thet.net/safecomputing/
Introduction • Open Discussion of Wild and Open Internet • Bill Weyrick • Manager of Computer User Support at DHMC • Parent, School Volunteer, Thetford Technology Committee Member and Volunteer WebMaster of Thet.Net
Topics of Discussion • Risks • Know What’s Out There • Review Some of the More Common Internet Technologies • E-Mail • Browsing • Chat • News Groups • Multi-User Gaming • Filtering Technology • On-Line Strategies • It’s All About Education
Risks • Capturing information about you for target marketing • Steeling Credit Card Accounts to Entire Identities. • Exposure to Inappropriate Material • Sexual or Vilolent in Nature • Harrassment • Harrrassing or Demeaning Email, Sites or Postings • Physical Safety • A Child Might Arrange an Encounter that Risks the Safety of Themselves or a Family Member
Risk Factors • Age Groups • Peer Pressure • Supervision • Restrictions
Email • Thet.Net BlitzMail • Full Identity • Free E-Mail • Hot Mail, BigFoot, Yahoo Mail • False Identity • Problems • Mis-Representation • Spamming • Virus Infections
Email • The most common way of snooping is people getting access to your computer. • Be sure to always sign off and close the kerberose ticket. • Some email programs like Netscape and Outlook keep copies of your email on your computer even after you have logged of the email system • You would need to leave a copy on the server and delete the downloaded one.
Browsing • World Wide Web Site • Unregulated • Un-Moderated • From Very Useful ->Mis-leading, Violent and Pornographic • Often the First Step to More Interactive Experiences • Cache Files in the System Folder Hold a Copy of the Most Recent Pages and Images
What All WWW Sites You Visit Know About You • What browser you are using • What Operating System is on your computer (Mac, Windows ‘98 etc) • What page referred you to that site • The IP address of your computer (What domain or company you are coming from) • Free ISP services track even more information about you and have rights to resell that information
Sites can build a profile of your visit that includes: • Which pages you visited • How long you stayed there • Where you went from that site
Cookies • Sites can put a piece of information on your computer • Normally a unique ID for you on their site. • Mostly used for return visits in order to identify you and track your browsing patterns and interests. • Amazon.com uses cookies to make book recommendations when you return to their site • Yahoo will present you with your favorite news or stock information
More Cookies • Some sites allow a separate company to deliver cookies to your computer • These “Profilers” build comprehensive profile of your surfing habits in order to place individual adds that target your interests on partners sites. • The profiler “Double-Click” just bought a direct mail database (Abacus Direct) in order to merge your other buying habits with your web profile. • They now have access to billions of transactions at stores such as Bloomindales
Surf Anonymously • Some sites (Anonymizer.com) can use its server to mask your ID • They have a free service that delays your surfing some • They have a faster “premium service” for $5 /month
Control Your Cookies • Some Sites allow you to “Opt-Out” • Takes time to do this • Voluntary and not required • Center for Democracy & Technology (COT) has a site to assist • Opt-out.cdt.org/online • Newer versions of Netscape and Explorer allow you to turn off cookies • Can be limiting - some sites require cookies.
Be careful with Personal Information • Placing your child's name, picture, address, school, phone number, or other information on the Internet means that anyone visiting the site could easily identify your child and possibly locate them • Key information like address, DOB, place of birth, mother’s maiden name and SSN can be used to steal identities and apply for credit cards in your name. • With enough information to uniquely identify a person, their SSN can be purchased on line for about $25. • If you suspect a stolen ID -> Move Fast!!
Federal Trade Commission Privacy Guidelines for Children • Here are some important things to know about surfing, privacy and your personal information: • Never give out your last or family name, your home address or your phone number in chat rooms, on bulletin boards, or to online pen-pals. • Don’t tell other kids your screen name, user ID or password. • Look at a website’s Privacy Policy to see how the site uses the information you give them. • Surf the Internet with your parents. If they aren’t available, talk to them about the sites you’re visiting. • Talk about the site’s Privacy Policy with your parents so that you and your parents will know what information the site collects about you and what it does with the information. • Websites must get your parent’s permission before they collect many kinds of information from you. • If a website has information about you that you and your parents don’t want it to have, your parents can ask to see the information – and they can ask the website to delete or erase the information. • Sites are not supposed to collect more information than they need about you for the activity you want to participate in. You should be able to participate in many activities online without having to give any information about yourself. • If a site makes you uncomfortable or asks for more information than you want to share, leave the site.
Privacy Resources • Electronic Frontier Foundation • www.eff.org • Center for Democracy and Technology • www.cdt.org • Electronic Privacy Information Center • www.epic.org • The Federal Trade Commission • www.ftc.gov/menu-internet.html • Social Security Administration • www.ssa.gov/pubs/idtheft.htm • Hot Line - 800-269-0271
Chat • Simultaneous Conversation • Moderated -> Yahooligans • Freezone • HeadBone • KidsCom • Un-Supervised -> AOL Instant Messenger • ICQ • Chat Rooms vs. One on One • False Identities • Avitars, NickNames
Chat Message from Anonymous Sender • Yeah! I finally found your uin!!! Some days ago you asked me about good adult site, here it is: http://3x-files.rvx.net and best thing - they dont have annoying pop-ups! • At the site There was X rated Nudity and this: • Want to meet REAL woman or man? Join Adult Friend Finder - Membership is FREE!!!
More Chat • Chat also gives you the option of ignoring specific chatters, as well as using a language filterMost chat areas have clearly stated rules and guidelines for what is appropriate; failure to follow the rules may result in negative responses from other users and, ultimately, a loss of privileges. • Clubs allow people with similar interests to interact in focused online forums. Club members have the ability to post messages, take part in chats, send email messages to one another, and even post pictures. Clubs has an established set of rules that users must follow. • Message boards generally list the username of the person who posts a message. Therefore, we encourage you to create an alias for your child so that their true name is not visible on any posted message
News Groups • Email like “Threaded” Conversations • Moderated and UnModerated • From Very Useful -> Violence and Pornographic Fetishes • Many “alt.xxx” groups • Most of the Worst Computer Viruses were Introduced via News Groups
News Groups • All postings are archived in searchable for at @deja.com (DejaNews) • News Groups are frequently mined by “spammers” for email addresses • An alternative is to get an anonymous email account at sites like hotmail.com or yahoo.com
Multi-User Gaming • Many Gendres • First Person Shooters • Role Playing • Casino • Board Games • Card Games • Flight Simulation • Racing • Gambling • Can be Extremely Violent • Can be VERY addictive
Gaming Sites • The Zone -> Card and Board Games • there's usually about 25k People on any given weeknight and as many as 60-65k People on weekends • GameCenter
Supervision Strategies • Talk to Your Kids • Watch Them on the Internet • Restrict their Activities • Similar to Restricting Movies (R, X, XXX) and Discouraging them from Talking to Stangers on the Phone??
Rating Organizations • Adequate.com - rates web sites as appropriate for all children, older children, and by a G, PG, web14, or for mature audiences only standard. • Entertainment Software Rating Board - this independent board has developed a standardized rating system for Internet sites. Provides info on the age appropriateness of a site and the site's content. • Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS) http://www.w3.org/PICS/#Introduction - establishes the specifications on which many filtering and rating systems are based. • RSACi - independent, non-profit organization that provides information about the level of sex, nudity, violence, and offensive language in software games and Web sites. • SafeSurf - http://www.safesurf.com/ this organization is working to create an Internet Rating Standard which will allow web browsers to detect the content of web sites before displaying.
Filtering Programs • Restrictive Programs and Services • Inclusive Services • Comparison Table -http://www.safekids.com/filters.htm • Apple’s KidSafe • NetNanny • CyberPatrol • Cyber Sitter • Guard One • Surf Watch •
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Interactive Services Association On-line Rules • Never Give Out Personal Information (Telephone# , address, Parents Names, Location of School etc) • Inform Parents of any Information that Makes You Feel Uncomfortable • Never Agree to Getting Together with Someone you met On-Line without Involving Parents • Do not Send Pictures or Other Items to Someone you met On-Line without Involving Parents • Do not Respond to Messages that are Mean or Make You Feel Uncomfortable • Set On-Line Rules with Your Parents and Stick to Them
Federal Trade Commission - Safe Surfing On The Internet - hints for safe traveling on the Internet. • http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/online/sitesee/index.html • I can go online —________ (Time of day) for _________ (How long) • It's ___ OK ___ not OK for me to go online without a parent. • I understand which sites I can visit and which ones are off limits. • I won't give out information about myself or my family without permission from my parents. • My password is my secret. I won't give it to anyone. • I will never agree to meet an online pal, or send my picture, without permission from my parents. • I know an advertisement when I see one. I also know that animated or cartoon characters aren't real and may be trying to sell me something or to get information from me. • I will follow these same rules when I am at home, in school, or at the library or a friend's.
FBI's Safety Tips for Kids on the Internet • safety tips from the Federal Bureau of Investigations which all kids should know and follow while online. www.fbi.gov/kids/crimepre/internet/internet.htm • Never give out identifying information such as Name, Home Address, School Name, or Telephone Number in a public message such as at a chat room or on bulletin boards. Never send a person a picture of you without first checking with your parent or guardian. • Never respond to messages or bulletin board items that are: * Suggestive, Obscene, Belligerent, Threatening, Make You Feel Uncomfortable • Be careful when someone offers you something for nothing, such as gifts and money. Be very careful about any offers that involve your coming to a meeting or having someone visit your house. • Tell your parent or guardian right away if you come across any information that makes you feel uncomfortable. • Never arrange a face to face meeting without telling your parent or guardian. If your parent or guardian agree to the meeting, make sure that you meet in a public place and have a parent or guardian with you. • Remember that people online may not be who they seem. Because you can't see or even hear the person it would be easy for someone to misrepresent him- or herself. Thus, someone indicating that "she" is a "12-year-old-girl" could in reality be an older man. • Be sure that you are dealing with someone that you and your parents know and trust before giving out any personal information about yourself via E-mail. • Get to know your "online friends" just as you get to know all of your other friends.
Yahooligan’s Rules • * Time online: Discuss how much time they are allowed to spend online, and whether their computer use is dependent on conditions such as finishing their homework, doing chores, etc. • * Location/Supervision: Decide whether there are restrictions or guidelines on the physical location where the kids can go online. Can they go online at school? In the library? At a friend's house? Are they allowed to be online when no adult is around? • * Personal information: Kids should never give out personal information, such as their full name, address, phone number, school, or picture, to anyone they meet online. • * Web sites: Talk about which kinds of web sites are okay, and which ones are off-limits. Are they limited to sites related to their schoolwork? Sites that are designed especially for kids? Only sites that are listed in the Yahooligans! directory? • * Meeting online friends: Kids should never arrange to meet an online friend in person without an adult present. • * Chat rooms: Explore a few chat rooms together while discussing your guidelines. What is your comfort level with this method of communication? Do you want your children to chat in monitored chat rooms only? Are your children allowed to send personal messages to people they've only met online? Check out the "Chat" category on Yahooligans! for an up-to-date listing of links to moderated chats for kids.
More Yahooligan’s Rules • * Inappropriate material: Kids should never respond online when they feel uncomfortable or scared by something they've seen or read. If they have any doubts, they should find an adult immediately and show them the inappropriate material. • * The Golden Rule: Remind your kids to behave towards other kids as they would like people to behave towards them. Something that could hurt another child's feelings on the playground will still hurt when received by email or in a public chat. • * Web sites: Remind your child of the use of the "back" button. If they come upon a site that isn't what they'd expected, he/she should click "back" immediately and then come tell you what happened. If a web site is misrepresenting itself, complain to the creator of the site. • * Email: If your child receives an email message from an unfamiliar address, they shouldn't read it and should tell you about it. If it's something inappropriate and unsolicited, request of the message's source that they delete your child's email address from their database. If this becomes an ongoing problem, complain to your Internet service provider. • * Chat Rooms: We strongly recommend that you actively monitor your children while they participate in online chats (more so than any other online activity). Yahoo! Chat users have the ability to Ignore specific chatters, which helps to prevent any one chatter from becoming an ongoing problem for your child. Additionally, you can control the language your child sees with the Language Filter.
Other Resources • US Department of Education Parents' Guide to the Internet - learn about the Information Superhighway: what it is, how and why to get on, and what to do while you're there http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/internet/ • http://www.lebcity.com/government/police/ • http://www.yahooligans.com/Parents__Guide/Blocking_and_Filtering/ • FBI • http://www.fbi.gov/kids/crimepre/internet/internet.htm • Federal Trade Commission Privacy Policy Site • http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/kidzprivacy/ • Rules to Protect Children - Adults • http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/online/kidsprivacy.htm • The Law in English • http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/coppa.htm
Its all about Education • Interactive Learning -> Work with Your Teachers and Buy a CD • Educational Software Catalog • http://www.edsoft.com/
The Web is About Research • Natural Language Search Engine • Ask Jeeves • Paste that Picture • Drill down sites • http://www.excite.com/education/ • http://infoseek.go.com/WebDir/Education • http://www.netguide.com/Education/K12 • http://dmoz.org/Reference/Education/
The Web is about Communication • Yahooligans • Berits Best • http://www.beritsbest.com/ • Links to a number of monitored chat rooms, Interactive games and games about safe internet practices
The Web is about interaction • 10 cool sites: • http://www.exploratorium.edu/learning_studio/sciencesites.html • Bill Nye • http://nyelabs.kcts.org/flash_ie_mac.html • Mission to Mars • http://athena.cornell.edu/kids/ • http://www.eduweb.com/adventure.html • Subscription: • http://www.skewlsites.com/ • http://www.safexplorer.com/
The Web Does Have Educational Resources • http://www.eagle.ca/~matink/ • http://www.er.doe.gov/production/ober/bak2.html • http://sesd.sk.ca/teacherresource/educationalsites/educationalsites.htm • http://www.safesurf.com/serf.htm • http://www.usgs.gov/education.html • http://www.educationindex.com/ • http://www.startingpage.com/html/education.html • http://www.teachersweb.com/guide/