Safe ComputingBill 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 ThereReview 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

RisksCapturing information about you for target marketingSteeling Credit Card Accounts to Entire Identities.Exposure to Inappropriate Material

Sexual or Vilolent in Nature

HarrassmentHarrrassing or Demeaning Email, Sites or Postings

Physical SafetyA 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 BlitzMailFull Identity

Free E-MailHot Mail, BigFoot, Yahoo MailFalse Identity

ProblemsMis-RepresentationSpammingVirus 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.

BrowsingWorld Wide Web SiteUnregulatedUn-ModeratedFrom Very Useful ->Mis-leading, Violent and PornographicOften the First Step to More Interactive ExperiencesCache 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 usingWhat Operating System is on your computer (Mac, Windows ‘98 etc)What page referred you to that siteThe 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

CookiesSites 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 siteYahoo will present you with your favorite news or stock information

More CookiesSome sites allow a separate company to deliver cookies to your computerThese “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 CookiesSome Sites allow you to “Opt-Out”

Takes time to do thisVoluntary 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.

Internet Explorer’s Cookie Controls

Be careful with Personal InformationPlacing 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 themKey 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 ChildrenHere 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 ResourcesElectronic 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 ConversationModerated -> Yahooligans • Freezone • HeadBone • KidsComUn-Supervised -> AOL Instant Messenger • ICQChat Rooms vs. One on OneFalse Identities

Avitars, NickNames

Chat Windows

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 ChatChat 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 GendresFirst 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 Gamesthere's usually about 25k People on any given weeknight and as many as 60-65k People on weekends

GameCenter

Game Center Spades Listing

Other Game Sites

Supervision Strategies

Talk to Your Kids

Watch Them on the Internet

Restrict their ActivitiesSimilar to Restricting Movies (R, X, XXX) and Discouraging them from Talking to Stangers on the Phone??

Rating OrganizationsAdequate.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 ServicesComparison Table -http://www.safekids.com/filters.htm

Apple’s KidSafe • NetNanny • CyberPatrol • Cyber Sitter • Guard One • Surf Watch •

Internet Explorer Ratings - Mac

Internet Explorer Internet Options - Windows

Apple’s KidSafe

Apple’s KidSafe

Internet Explorer - Cache

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 UncomfortableNever Agree to Getting Together with Someone you met On-Line without Involving ParentsDo not Send Pictures or Other Items to Someone you met On-Line without Involving ParentsDo not Respond to Messages that are Mean or Make You Feel UncomfortableSet 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.htmNever 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 UncomfortableBe 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.htmFederal 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.htmThe 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 CDEducational Software Catalog

http://www.edsoft.com/

The Web is About Research

Natural Language Search EngineAsk Jeeves

Paste that Picture

Drill down siteshttp://www.excite.com/education/http://infoseek.go.com/WebDir/Educationhttp://www.netguide.com/Education/K12http://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/