IT Security Blog

How Parents Can Protect Their Children from Cyberbullying

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When bullying entered the online scene, it just made the act easier to do. Bullying of this kind often slips unnoticed by parents and school authorities  because  it leaves no physical mark  of abuse. However, the emotional mark is definitely there.

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What Parents Can Do

1. Place the computer in a public place in your home.

Discouraging computer use inside the private bedroom of a child will allow parents to check on their children without being extraordinarily snoopy and and in violation of privacy. This will also make it easier for parents to detect any sign of distress when using the computer.

2. Look for signs of distress that can be associated with computer use.

Sudden stoppage of using a computer is a sign that something is wrong and so is too frequent use. Anything out of the ordinary is suspect. The reason behind unusual behavior must be checked discreetly.

3. Talk with the child.

Talking with a child about his life in general is something that should be done with or without any special concerns.Many children are willing to tell their parents when asked especially those who feel that their parents can understand their situation. This is the reason why trust should have been established early on.

4. Observe for any signs of fear related to school or the neighborhood.

Cyberbullies are usually found where the victims spend much time in like school and the neighborhood. Observing and taking the time to speak with people who spend much time with the child can provide important information. It always pays to know friends and “enemies” of the child.

5. Listen and help the child.

Many bullied children fail to directly say what’s troubling them for fear of retaliation but are doing so in their own way. It is the responsibility of parents to help a child going through this. They should not ignore it and dismiss it as childish fights.

Cyberbullying is Serious

Cyberbullying is one of the undesirable effects of technology since bullies can now follow their intended victims wherever there is Internet connection. The computer which used to be a source of fun and easy-going communication with family and friends can become an instrument of fear and hatred. It need not be this way for anyone.

Cyberbullying is serious and parents should make sure that they know what is happening to their children before technology is used to destroy their lives.

Staying Clear of Online Stalkers

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One of the biggest possible nightmares in participating in online activities is being harassed by online stalkers. People who know what’s best for them should stay clear of these people. In the online world however, it is very difficult to determine if someone is actually doing the stalking since there is seldom any physical intimidation similar to the real world where the target would see  the stalker’s presence everywhere he or she goes.

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Forms of Online Stalking

Online or cyber stalking can take many forms but they all boil down to the great discomfort and anxiety of the target. Online stalkers can be someone known to the target or a complete stranger. If one thinks about it, a known perpetrator tend to be more dangerous because they already have access to certain personal information which a stranger may find difficult to obtain.

Some of the more common forms of cyber stalking include monitoring of online activities of the target and gathering personal information from social media accounts of relatives and friends of the target.  It can also be in the form of making false accusations , encouraging other people to join in the harassment activities, posing as the target specifically in online purchases and transactions, and  sending a virus to the target’s computer. Whatever form the stalking takes, the end result is distress to the target.

How to Avoid Online Stalkers

Protection is always the first step in avoiding something potentially dangerous. In the online world, it makes sense to protect the personal information of users. Posting very personal information in social media platforms makes possible targets very vulnerable to online stalking attacks. It is best to keep private things private and share only those that can be safely seen by anyone.

Online users must always be cautious in their dealings since the cyber-world has made it possible for  stalkers to hide behind a made up name and profile image. If any form of online communication makes a person uncomfortable in some way, it would be best not to react but rather report the questionable behavior or communication to the people who can handle it better such as the online community moderator and the like.

Know the Current Risks

Online users who know the current risks will always be one step ahead of potential stalkers. Awareness allows people to create their own safety measures applicable to their situation. By observing the usual decorum in human communication even in the online world, users can help themselves stay clear of online stalkers.

Cyberstalking

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Image: cyberpaths

Of all the deliberate offenses committed by certain elements on legitimate Internet users, cyberstalking is probably the most personal.  The act has varying aspects connected to it.   It can consist of harassing an individual or an organization in a way that will cause distress to the subject of harassment.  Cyberstalking requires the use of electronic means, typically the Internet, to do the act although it is highly possible that it can be done in conjunction with offline stalking.

Cyberstalking can come in the form of constant monitoring of online activities, making threats or false accusations, unauthorized gathering of personal information which will be used for online harassment or embarrassment, solicitation of sex specifically of minors, and identity theft.  The motivating factor of cyberstalking is to control the subject in whatever way possible.  A cyberstalker can be a stranger or a known person although the latter can be more dangerous because of the possible access to more personal information.  A stranger however, has the advantage of anonymity which can be quite unnerving to the subject of stalking.

Stalking is not a single action but rather a series of actions intended to achieve the desired goal.  It is quite disruptive and invasive since a cyberstalked person cannot feel comfort even in one’s house since he or she knows that someone will be watching the moment he or she goes online.  The effect can be such as to prevent someone from going online even at the expense of work and family communication.

Many celebrities are known to have their own cyberstalkers but ordinary people can go through the same thing when targeted by online stalkers.  Women and children are the most vulnerable, although men have had their fair share.

Fraudsters’ Opportunities in New Products

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For every product that creates much public excitement, fraudsters get equally excited as they spot opportunities for defrauding unsuspecting consumers.  A much awaited product like the iPhone 5 is expected to create a long queue of customers waiting to get their hands on the first delivery.  It is quite common therefore for many eager-beavers to try to find a back-door to have one if purchasing from established points is difficult.

There is much pride in being one of the firsts to be seen in public using a highly-desired product.  Although the hype does not necessarily translate to product excellence, this fact rarely dampens the excitement for a new product especially if it is being raved about from all quarters.  This is exactly the attitude of consumers that fraudsters are looking out for to carry out their plans.

Fraudsters are on the look-out for deal seekers who intend to get their hands on a desired product at all cost.  These are the people who are more often willing to put caution to the wind and enter into deals that they believe will help them achieve their objective.  It is quite unfortunate that many people who want to be the first owners of a much-coveted product end up being the first victims by virtue of the desire to have such product.

A little patience goes a long way in ensuring that an excited consumer will not be tricked into entering a fraudulent transaction.  Many fraudsters will promise quick delivery and disappear forever after getting the money of unsuspecting buyers.  Others will opt for online scams by attracting consumers with emails containing hard-to-ignore deal offers for products, only to turn out to be phishing scams that effectively extract financial information from credit cards or bank accounts.

 

Opening Doors to Cybercrime

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Many people are not aware that they are making it very easy for cyber criminals to invade their privacy.  This typically happens when convenience is prioritized over the more critical matter of security.  People relax their guard as they choose the easiest path to go about their online transactions.  Let’s face it, the use of the Internet is a risk in itself but we multiply that risk when we fail to consider the factors that make us susceptible to fraud and theft.

Protecting our most basic online defenses is a primary concern.  User names and passwords are our first line of defense but they tend to be compromised by the tendency to use the same names and passwords for all online transactions.  The main problem here is that we make it easy for cyber criminals  to penetrate our transactions in the same manner as we give easy access to ourselves.  The practice can admittedly save time during the initial stage but the probable resulting loss requires more time and effort to correct.  Identity theft can be a traumatic experience both in the physical and emotional aspects.

Cyber criminals are at their work without people realizing it.  They are constantly trying to discover passwords by fishing for personal information such as names and dates related to family or work.  They can also try to steal passwords saved from memory. They can even be looking into various word and number permutations that will provide them the key to the doors of your private world.

A little effort towards making yourself less predictable to cyber thieves goes a long way.  It can be readily understood why some people persist on unsafe online practices especially if they don’t have prior bad experience in transacting online.  Due to the sheer amount of information we are encouraged not to put in writing for our own protection,  we try to help our memory by choosing letters and numbers that we can easily recall.  That is the very weakness which cyber criminals are looking out for.

Telecommuting Woes???

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telecommute.jpgResearch has shown that a survey conducted within a large company shows that although telecommuting is very much productive for many firms it tends to be on the downside for those employees who do stay within the physical office itself. This can be in the areas of personal assistants/secretaries and other office workers who are left to run the office in the absence of their counterparts/coworkers. This leads to dissatisfaction in the workplace hence lowering productivity and encouraging home-bodies to engage in dangerous liaisons from within and outside of the office.

The hatred felt is seen in the rising occurrences of these same people becoming the entry point for attacks on corporate networks when they visit social sites to pass on the otherwise boring day. This is also counterproductive for their attention to work and the other nuances such as physical security and IT security is so much a threat that it is under study on how to improve the working conditions for these people. They are distracted and left to do almost anything they please which is where the security gap seems to be, using the corporate network to access social sites to which they are members of. Even the installation of hardware and software security measures cannot guarantee security coverage at all angles for the main security risk is still the human behind the keyboard who does the typing and not on the structure of the system itself. It might be helpful to get them out more often to allow their facilities more practice letting the steam and pressures/boredom to dissipate. Role rotation may be a key but is not always feasible for there are certain knowledge associated issues that have to be addressed to be able to do that. Training and re-training people allows them to sharpen skills and add new knowledge to their already bored lives.