Murchison Middle School PTA

Online Privacy

What I learned at the Round Rock
Cyber Safety Presentation
February 20, 2006
By Cheri' Crozier

Cyber Crimes - national problem that includes:

Inappropriate material being exposed to children - porno (Note: there are currently 4.2 million porno sites on the web 02/06)
Sex solicitation:
(Sexual predators are running the show - they are grooming victims, violating trusts and have opened doors they could not before through the use of the Internet. - Of the 5 officer's working the Cyber Crimes unit -In a 45 min. period on line in chat rooms, posing as kids, playing games on line, on average all will get some type of sexual solicitation or the beginning of a conversation leading to such. WITHIN 45 MINUTES!)
Harassment & bullying
(Kids have taken it beyond the classroom and hallways and are going on line - less chance of getting caught. Also sexual predators are using harassment & bullying to groom victims. - Comments on 'social sites and in chat rooms are not monitored - a victim might not even know that someone has created a site in their name - giving out all sorts of info and one ploy is using a head shot of a girl and then cropping a naked body picture from somewhere on the Internet and then sending around the school - all of this goes on without the victim even being aware until it's too late. A principal at a school might not even know that a MySpace.com site or other site is set up in their name - do you?)
Theft of Personal Identity
(Growing way to steal credit card information and make plans in fheft rings - people posting personal blogs including phone number the thief types in number; find address, blog might state when going on vacation or if parents are working . . . what good information if you're a criminal. Use of Web Cams and Trojan Horses - was mentioned: Houston, Texas - family had a web cam, child in kitchen on IM (Instant Messaging) with a friend all the sudden the friend's comments seemed rude or weird so girl picks up phone and calls friend - is told, "I got off IM about 20 mins. ago" - goes back to computer and types in who is this - a Hacker had taken over the home computer through a Trojan horse - (might have been brought in through email or music download) - now the hacker tells the girl 'I like the red sweater your wearing, what is your mother cooking in the back ground?' - child turns and sees Mom back there cooking - when ask ' how can you see I don't have the Web camera on' - hacker replies - 'I have control off your computer, I have the camera and microphone on, I know your mother made stock trades today and called for a doctors appointment.' - This hacker was caught - but who is watching inside your home?

The focus of the discussion was on social web sites and child sexual predators and their use of the Internet to gather information and groom victims.

There is a whole slue of these social web sites - MySpace.com is one of the most popular. Facebook.com is the one-college students are using - because you have to have an email address that ends in .edu to get on. But again - college students are at risk too - meeting people on line and talking in chat rooms does not constitute 'knowing' someone. Several people have been victims of rape & theft linked through their Internet social web site usage.

As of 01/04 MySpace.com had 47.3 million members - how many today? Listings for Anderson High School, Austin, Texas - ages 16 - 100 they showed 693 profiles of current students (I have not seen very many walkers around AHS have you?) if you put it in for Alumni of AHS the profiles increase to 863.

Tips the agent gave to teens:

DON'T USE PICTURES - they can be copied and manipulated to put your face in the hands of sexual predators (several arrests made men will have pictures on their walls they copied off these sites because they thought the girl was cute - when ask her name they say they don't even know her.)
Select a site that is age appropriate - if it's supposed to be for college kids - stay off. Even then remember people are not always who they say they are on line.
Read the privacy statements - read it to see what will happen to information you post - will they be sharing your likes, dislikes, email address with other companies? You might be setting yourself up for scams and spam email.
Look for and write down support number and e-mail's for help with the site - if people post negative information or you start getting harassed by other users - go to your parents and report to the site management - also call REPORT A CREEP 1-877-5Cyber3.
If there is a cost involved - beware - giving a credit card - even for verification is what is leading to identity theft.
Always use a password protected Blog - make sure it is password protected - learn how to do this for your safety and only share your password with your parents.
Disconnect Web Cams - no one needs one in their home for any reason.
If you play computer games on line - or go to look for cheat sheets on line - beware of the game chat rooms - if people are talking about weird or uncomfortable things - sign off - get out and tell your parents.
Be Safe - remember there is no way for you to 'just know' someone is not a sexual predator - chances are that if you spend time on line, if you have sexually provocative pictures on your Blog, if you are naturally curious and 'chat' with people - you will be solicited for sex on line. Be prepared to pull the plug. Remember the longer you 'chat' with these people the more information they are gaining about you. About where you live, about what you like to do and you might be setting yourself up to be a victim.

Suggestions for Parents:

Be Proactive - just like you taught your child about 'stranger danger' and how to walk across the street - teach them about on line sexual predators. Remind them over and over and over again that NOTHING IN LIFE IS FREE. If someone is offering to send them gifts of web cams, cloths, PSP's any thing - they are not gifts - they have strings attached. It could be the ploy to lure them into a relationship or it could be a ploy to get them to give up Dad's credit card number.

Learn about the latest Internet trends - know where your kids go on line. Check your History on your computer if your child is erasing before you can check - this should be a BIG RED FLAG.
Learn the lingo - it is called 'leetspeak' - go to www.cybertipline.com
Post your rules of computer use:
- What sites can they visit?
- Who can they talk to?
- How much time can they spend on the computer
Keep computer in a common room - kitchen, living room, den - somewhere that there will be traffic coming and going. (If walking by kids, minimize screens, end conversations etc... - this should be your BIG RED FLAG - they are doing something they know you would not approve.)
Establish punishment in advance - don't fly off the handle if they are pushing the rules - remember you want to make sure they feel they can come to you if something gets out of hand. (1 in 5 kids will experience something on line that they can't handle - so who do you want them to get advice from you or a classmate?)
If your child has a Blog or social web site - check it often - know your child's password - know their email addresses and passwords. Explain that this is not meant to be an invasion of their privacy but a safety measure for the whole family. Pictures of the family with all your possessions on their MySpace account could be setting you up for a home invasion.
Explain that IM is for chatting with school and family - people you know face to face - go over your child's buddy list with them.
Remind them not to say any thing in a chat room they would not say in public.
Reinforce that people are not always who they say they are on line.
Be sensitive to any changes in your child's behavior or attitude. - Be on the look out for unknown telephone numbers on your bill or child's cell phone bill - watch for any unexplained 'gifts' your child has received. - Show concern and listen - Please stay calm, if your child shares information don't judge your children, threaten to remove their computers etc... - remember they are being pried upon - REPORT any disturbing incidents by giving the screen name or E-mail address and any other information known about the online sexual predator to your Internet Service Provider, local law enforcement, and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's CyberTipline.com

The Speakers contact information:

Sergeant Paul Aleman, Investigator
Cyber Crime Unit
Office of the Attorney General for State of Texas
Paul.aleman@oag.state.tx.us
512-936-7954

A list of some of the "Social Networking" sites:

Blurty
Dead Journal
Dogster
Friends of Friends
Friendster
FriendSurfer.com
Friendzy
G Mail
Impersonals
Linkedln.com
*Livejournal.com
LunchPartners
MeetUp.com
*MySpace.com
Multiply.com
Orkut.com
PeepsNation.com
Ryze.com
Spaces.msn.com
Squiby.com
ThreeDegrees.com
Tickle.com
Tribe.net
*Xanga.com
ZeroDegrees.com

Newest Net Speak:

9 - adult has entered room
99 - adult has left room

Standards are always changing but here are some common ones:

LOL laughing out loud
BRB be right back
MUSM miss you so much
A/S/L age, sex, location
BFN bye for now
BF boyfriend
TAW teachers are watching
IPN I'm posting naked
WTGP want to go private?
LMIRL Let's meet in real life

There are so many more - teachers were advised if you see notes with Leet Speak - or flyers for a party - don't throw away as trash - you might learn something.

There was SO MUCH information - over 300 people there. It was amazing to me - and the investigator asked the teens to decode something they had just come across this week - and they all shouted it out. I came away with a healthy respect for technology and another warning sign that I need to stay on top of this just to make sure that I'm not surprised by it. For instance I did not know that Xbox 360's have web cams and their hard drives can act as wireless internet signals - they can send pictures of a child playing a game as well as getting on line to play against others - there are some things you have to do to set up but if an online buddy in a chat room about the games they play says - 'hey look at this' - is it really another kid or some pervert setting my child up to be 'watched'. PSP's not only have mp3 players they have an IR device with-wireless internet access cards - and child predators are sending as 'gifts' to the children they are 'grooming' then communicating with them through it - so no parental blocking on internet access. The ideal victim is a naturally curious child, easily lead by adults, needs attention or affection, or has a need to defy parents. The speaker did not say all of these must be present - one of these traits is the mark of an ideal victim. Sounds like adolescence to me. The number one thing that got through to me: talk to your child about the dangers of the Internet as well as the benefits and do it often. Banning Internet usage is not the answer - education is.