The Monthly Security Awareness Newsletter for Computer users

OUCH! | April 2013

IN THIS ISSUE…

• Top Three Threats

• Protecting Your Children

• Resources

Protecting Your Kids Online

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GUEST EDITOR

Kevin Johnson is the guest editor for this issue of OUCH!

Kevin is the CEO at Secure Ideas, runs

MySecurityScanner.com and is a senior instructor with the

SANS Institute. You can find out more information at

www.secureideas.com.

BACKGROUND

We all want the best for our children, including the

ability to leverage technology. However, with

technology come risks, risks that our children are often

not aware of or prepared to deal with. As parents, it is

our responsibility to ensure our children understand

these risks and how to protect themselves. But this can

be challenging, as we ourselves did not grow up in the

same environment. In this newsletter, we explain the

top three online threats to your children and how you

can help them stay safe.

TOP THREE THREATS

To protect your children, you have to first understand the

dangers they face online.

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1. Strangers: This is one of the most common threats

parents think of when wanting to protect their kids online.

In this context, strangers are individuals (usually adults)

who establish online relationships with your children in

order to take advantage of them, such as sexual

predators. Often, these individuals pretend to be children

themselves.

2. Friends: These are people your children already know,

and are often other kids at school. Friends can pose a

serious threat as online bullies. Remember that bullying no

longer means just physical confrontation. In fact, the

Internet amplifies the issue, as bullies can post harassing

messages to the entire world or hijack your child’s identity

online. In addition, bullies can launch these attacks

anonymously, making them harder to track down and stop.

Finally, anonymity makes it easier for someone to become

a bully, since there is less chance of retribution.

3. Themselves: In today’s world of social networking

children can be their own worst enemy. Anything they

post is accessible not only to the entire world, but once

postings can impact their future. It is becoming a

standard practice for universities and employers to

review peoples’ social networking activities and Internet

presence. Anything embarrassing or illegal posted by

or about your children can negatively impact their future.

In addition, highly personal information can be used by

strangers-- or even by friends --to target or harm them

or your family.

PROTECTING YOUR CHILDREN

Now that you understand the key risks, here are steps you

can take to defend against them:

• Education: The most important step you can take is

education. Make sure your children understand these

threats and that you are always talking to them about

their online activities, staying current with what they are

doing. In addition, create an environment where your

children feel comfortable coming to you with questions

or problems they may have online.

• Dedicated Computer: Have a separate computer just

for your children. This helps ensure that if they do

accidentally infect their computer, your own accounts,

such as online banking, are not affected or

compromised. In addition, keep the children’s

computer in an open area in your home so that you

can monitor their online activities. Finally, make sure

each child has and uses their own, non-administrative

account on their computer. This will make it possible

© T he SANS Ins t i tute 201 3 http://www.securingthehuman.org

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for you to track and enforce what each child is doing on

the computer.

• Mobile Devices: Mobile devices can be more

challenging. For mobile devices, consider setting time

limits when your kids can use them; at all other times

they have to turn in their devices to you (perhaps create

a central family re-charging station). Also

consider

taking your kids' mobile devices at night so they are not

tempted go online when they should be sleeping.

• Social Networking: Track what your children are

doing online by creating your own accounts on social

networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter or sd

Instagram and then have your children invite you so you

can follow what they publish.

• Rules: Create a document that identifies the rules you

expect your children to follow when online. Rules can

include when they can use technology, for how long, what

games or apps they can and cannot play and what

information they can or cannot post online. Also, consider

posting how the rules will be enforced, and possible

consequences for violating the rules. Review the

document with your kids and then post it by their

computer so that your children will know and understand

your expectations.

• Technology: Finally, there are technologies you can use

that help filter and monitor your children’s online activities.

Most operating systems come with parental controls, and

there are additional free and commercial tools you can

use, such as OpenDNS. Security technologies are useful

for younger children; however, as children grow older,

technology becomes less effective. Not only do older

children need greater Internet access for school or work,

but they will also be using devices you do not control at

libraries, at a friend’s or relative’s house, or at school. In

addition, some mobile devices lack strong parental control

software, such as iPads or iPhones. This is why

education and the rules you create are far more effective

than depending on technology alone.

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RESOURCES

Some of the links have been shortened for greater

readability using the TinyURL service. To mitigate security

issues, OUCH! always uses TinyURL’s preview feature,

which shows you the ultimate destination of the link and

asks your permission before proceeding to it.

11 Security Tips for Online Social Networking:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/b28a525

FB Security:

https://www.facebook.com/safety

Your FB Security Settings:

https://www.facebook.com/settings?tab=security

Common Security Terms:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/6wkpae5

SANS Security Tip of the Day:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/6s2wrkp

BECOME A SECURITY PROFESSIONAL

Become a certified security professional from the largest

and most trusted security training organization in the world

at SANSFIRE. Over 40 security classes taught by the

world's leading experts. 14-23 June in Washington DC.

http://www.sans.org/event/sansfire-2013