StopSign Internet Security Blog

On the Internet nobody knows you’re a dog.

You’ve heard that saying before, right? Well, nobody may know you’re a dog on the Internet, but through the magic of GPS-enabled gadgets, they may know where you’re located.

With today’s advances in technology and all of the swanky new things we can do with our gadgets, the dangers of geolocation are something many people don’t realize. Slowly but surely, more creeps and criminals are using technology to find victims, and GPS-enabled devices are helping them out in a big way.

Here are a few prime places where geolocation information can creep up, and why you don’t want it to show itself:

• Your Cell Phone or Digital Camera:

  If possible, turn off any location-aware abilities, especially for pictures or any media that’s made publicly available. Exif information (which can include GPS data) can be included in pictures in some of the new/popular smartphones (iPhone and Android people, I’m talking to you), and that’s a prime example of geolocation danger waiting to happen.

  It’s not a big deal to geocode (e.g. add the GPS data) a picture you take in a store, or a restaurant, but if you’re hanging around the house or taking a picture of your kids at school, the last thing you want is to let strangers have the GPS location of those places.

• Your Social Networks:

  Just say no to showing where you are. If you want to let people know how much fun you’re having someplace, do it after the fact. For example, if you’re going on vacation, don’t announce it on Facebook or Twitter before you go; wait until you’re back. The plus side is that you’ll be able to show off your pictures and videos, too.

  For the same reason you don’t want your geolocation revealed publicly to strangers through your pictures, you don’t want to do it on your social networks. Keep personally identifiable information safe from prying eyes.

By the way, the EFF has a great article and PDF download on living with, but not being hampered by, geolocation services and tools.

For most kids summer vacation is fast approaching, so now is a great time to talk about online safety with them. More time at home means more time on the computer for many, and whether or not you’ve had a talk about online safety with them before, it’s never a bad thing to cover the ground rules of staying safe on the Internet.

We’re not suggesting you suffocate kids with rules; just teach them that with a few common sense tips they’ll stay out of trouble. (Not to mention keep their Internet privileges intact) If you don’t know where to start with a talk about online safety, give these six tips a try:

1. Talk to your kids about expectations:

   Every household is different with regard to what is acceptable to view online and what isn’t. Be sure to let your kids know what the rules are so they can make good decisions. Online safety starts at home with a talk.

2. Educate yourself & your kids:

   Every generation has their own slang. You had it, I had it, your kids have it and there’s definitely a new way of talking when it comes to texting on cell phones or chatting on the Internet. Go to places like Urban Dictionary or our blog post on common cell phone & texting acronyms if you see something you don’t get, daddy-o. Can ya dig it?

3. No F2F or IRL meetings with strangers:

   There’s your first 2 definitions: F2F means Face to Face and IRL means In Real Life. If talking with strangers online is bad, setting up a meeting with them is even worse! Be clear with your kids: no one will be arranging to meet anyone, child or adult, who they don’t know already. Classmates, neighborhood friends, Cousin Tommy from Portland… they’re probably OK. But not UltraSuperHotGirl1954 (any similarities with a real username is purely coincidental & unintended) from that one website, who is probably a 56 year old dude looking for trouble.

4. Limit time on the Internet:

   It’s summer time and the livin’s easy! Encourage your kids to step away from the computer and work on a real tan outside (with sunscreen, of course) instead of a monitor tan inside. Get them involved in a summer sport, take them hiking, or just get them out mowing the lawn. Whatever it is they do outside, fresh air = good and all day on the computer = bad.

5. Check out your kids social profiles:

   Don’t be afraid to get up in their business. It’s your responsibility to make sure that they’re not getting themselves into trouble. (Whether they know it or not) Keeping tabs on who they’re talking to and what they’re up to isn’t snooping, it’s good parenting and an integral part of your kids online safety.

6. Personal info stays private:

   So much of your kids online safety is in their hands every time they type. Where they live, their email address, the name of their school: these are all things an online predator can use against them. Teach them that any personally identifiable information is an online safety no-no.

Having a fun, safe summer is easy; it just takes a little nudge in the right direction from a loving hand. Enjoy your summer!

As parents, the topic of Internet safety isn’t always one that’s always easy to navigate, but it’s certainly one of the most important things to integrate into our lives. For many of us, computers and the Internet aren’t things that were ever-present while growing up; at least not like they are today. These days it seems like every kid in Kindergarten knows how to access the web, and most teens have some kind of Facebook or MySpace account.

Because it’s tough to know where to start, we’ve got a few suggestions to help make the process of making the Internet a safe place to visit (at least in your home) an easier task. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, it’s a good starting point to use or modify to fit the needs of your family.

• Keep Internet-enabled computers out in the open:

  Allowing a computer to be used in private isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s not necessarily a good thing, either. Whether or not your kids are viewing inappropriate websites or their chat/email conversations are getting out of hand, keeping computers in an open space allows you to periodically check up on your children to make sure they’re handling the responsibility of Internet usage properly.

  We suggest that you keep any computers that can access the Internet to be in plain view of everyone. Bringing a laptop to the kitchen table, setting up a desk in the living room, or anything else that will keep the screen of the computer easily visible are all good starts.

• Set times limits for casual Internet usage:

  It’s a good idea to set time limits for children to be able to check their email, IM with friends, or update their Facebook pages. Time limits ensure that your kids get to have a bit of fun, but not get so wrapped up in the Internet that things like homework or family time get pushed aside.

  Whether you set up limits on daily usage (e.g. no more than 2 hours per day), or whether you set up a specific block of time (e.g. between 7:00PM and 9:00PM), a schedule helps everyone understand when the appropriate time to surf the web is, and to schedule other events around it. It also ensures that you know when you’ll be able to check your Facebook page, too. :)

• Verify browser settings and check their history:

  Setting up an appropriate browsing environment is especially important for younger children, but even teens and young adults can benefit from some added safety settings. Make sure that the security settings on your browser aren’t set too low, making it easier for malicious software (“malware”) to get onto your computer. Also make sure that the browser history is left intact so that you can periodically review where your kids have been browsing.

• Know who your kids are chatting with online:

  Just like you want to know who your kids are friends with in real life, the same should go for their online friends. Who they are and what they talk about are important pieces of information for a parent to know.

  More than likely their friends are other family members or kids from school, but the Internet is a big place, and not everyone is who they say they are. Things to check for should include sending photos of themselves to strangers, arranging to meet anyone they don’t know in real life, and inappropriate chat/email conversations.

• Talk to your kids about Internet safety:

  Above all, make sure that you sit down and talk with your kids about Internet safety, your expectations, and what is appropriate and inappropriate for your kids and your family to view or search for online. Curiosity or accidentally clicking on a bad link are one thing, but actively searching for illicit materials or engaging in dangerous or inappropriate behaviors are another. Set firm boundaries so that there are no questions regarding what’s OK and what’s not OK.

If you have any additional tips or suggestions, or even how you’ve set up a safe Internet environment in your home, we’d love to hear from you. Just leave us a comment below and share your story.

If you’re a parent, you’ve undoubtedly heard about cyberbullying in the media. If you’re a student, there’s a good chance you’ve not only heard about it, you may have been the victim of a cyberbully, or maybe one of your friends has been the target of an attack. The fact is, with the explosive growth the Internet has had since the early 1990′s, cyberbullying has become more and more prevalent and no one seems to be immune.

Just like bullies in the real world, cyberbullies get pleasure from tormenting their victims and the feeling of power from doing it. The reasons for their actions vary, but the end result is almost always the same for the victim: pain, hurt, revulsion, broken confidence, and in the worst cases, death. There’s no guarantee that you, a friend, or a loved one won’t be bullied online, but there are steps that you can take to help lessen their effect and maybe even get them to stop altogether.

Keeping in mind that every case is different, here are some tips that parents, students, and anyone else who may be dealing with a bully can use to help diffuse the situation. With any luck the days of dealing with threatening and/or harassing people will be short lived.

• Block any cyberbully you meet online:

  If they can’t contact you, it’s much harder to annoy you. Most services and/or social networking websites have a way to block another user, and if you or someone you know is being bothered, don’t be afraid of blocking them.

• Remember that cyberbullying is a big deal:

  It’s never OK for anyone to harass you, belittle you, or threaten to harm you. If you’re dealing with a bully, make sure to tell a trusted person like a parent, guardian, or teacher. The quicker a responsible adult knows about the situation, the quicker it can be resolved.

• Don’t delete any threatening or harassing messages:

  In many cases bullying comes down to a “he said/she said” scenario. If you’ve been bullied and you have hard evidence, keep it to prove your case. Without it, you’ll have a hard time convincing anyone else otherwise.

• Don’t pass along cyberbullying messages:

  If a friend or relative asks you to forward anything harassing to someone else, or if they ask you to join in harassing someone, just say no. Don’t be a part of the problem, be part of the solution.

• Don’t open or read messages from a cyberbully:

  It may be hard to do, but if someone continually sends you emails, instant messages, or phone calls that threaten or harass you, don’t respond. Most bullies thrive on your reaction, and not letting them get to you lessens the likelihood that they’ll continue.

• Report cyberbullying to a trusted adult:

  Friends, parents, teachers, law enforcement officials… any of these people can help you if you’re being cyberbullied. And if you’re threatened with physical harm, inform the local police immediately.

Keeping safe from cyberbullies is often a matter of removing their ability to bother you and/or just ignoring them. If that doesn’t work, it’s time to get other people involved. Don’t be a victim, stand up for your rights, and be safe!

If you’re looking for a site that really puts the “social” in social media then look no further than Twitter. In our experience the majority of people on Twitter are super friendly, but every now and again you’ll run into a creep who feels it’s his or her mission in life to make you miserable, whether it’s harassing your or sending you spam. It’s usually enough to block unwanted Twitter followers, but some people step over a line and you might need to do more than just block them from your account.

We’ve come up with a list of 10 Twitter safety tips to help you avoid the less-than-scrupulous people and navigate around some of the other hassles that come with social media.

• Keep personal info personal.

  Don’t share any personal information like telephone, email address, the location of your home, etc. The more you give out, the more likely you’ll find yourself with a cyberstalker, and we feel that this is an especially important Twitter safety tip. Also, be careful with any geolocation service you use (even Twitter’s own), and never tweet your location from home!

• Careful who you follow.

  It’s not necessary to follow everyone who follows you. First off it’ll start to clog up your Twitter feed when you have hundreds or thousands of followers, but secondly you’ll open the door to people who are looking for an easy mark instead of a new friend. Follow, and be followed, with caution.

• Beware of phishing.

  Phishing attacks make their rounds through DMs (or “Direct Messages”) all the time. Before you respond to a DM, make sure it’s legit.

• Only use trusted Twitter apps.

  Limit which Twitter applications you use, and try to only use those which use the OAuth method of connecting to Twitter. And before you give a Twitter application a thumbs up to connect to your account, do some quick research and make sure that any app you use is reputable.

• Strong password, secure account.

  Change your password regularly and use a strong password. This is probably the easiest, as well as one of the most effective, Twitter safety tips we can give.

• What did you click on?

  Shortened URLs are great for keeping in the 140 characters, but that makes it harder to tell where the link takes you. Some Twitter clients, like TweetDeck, allow you to preview the destination URL before you click through. There are also several Firefox addons that will reveal the final destination of a shortened URL. And if worse comes to worse, you can always add a “+” to the end of any bit.ly URL to see its information page.

• Don’t believe everything you read.

  Mama always said there’s no such thing as a free lunch, and it goes doubly so on Twitter and other social media sites. Scammers and spammers abound, and they’d love to get their hooks on you, so be wary of any offers, contests, or messages that promise the world.

• Parental guidance suggested.

  Parents need to educate themselves about Twitter and pass that knowledge to their children. We recommend that parents set limits on when their children can use Twitter, as well as appropriate ages to use social media without parental supervision.

• Report threats and cyberbullying.

  If you receive a threatening message on Twitter, contact your local law enforcement agencies as well as Twitter support. Cyberbullying and harassment is a growing problem online, and there’s no good reason to stand for it.

• Don’t go it alone.

  A tweetup is a great way to meet local tweeps, but do it smart. Never arrange to meet someone alone in real life through Twitter. Always go with a friend, and in a public place.

Using these Twitter safety tips should help keep you less likely to be bothered with the down side of social media and enjoy the great things that Twitter has to offer.