As you get ready to put on your (or help your child put on their) costume – remember, you aren’t the only one out there pretending to be someone else.  There are many hackers, pretenders and “bad actors” pretending to be someone or something else.  The act of pretending to be someone or something you are not is a tactic many cyber criminals have used since the Internet began.  This can be called “spoofing” or sometimes called a “phishing attack” – with the with real and scary intention to get access to your personal information, or to do harm to a computer network.

What is it, and Why do I care?

Phishing and Spoofing are very similar, in that they are trying to get you to do something based on fake or forged documents or information.  “Spoofing is the dissemination of the email from a “spoofed” (or FAKE) email address, and phishing is often used in conjunction with a spoofed email. Phishing is the act of sending an email falsely claiming to be from an established legitimate business to trick the recipient into divulging personal, sensitive information such as passwords, credit card numbers, and bank account numbers.” (This description from the Department of Homeland Security, and you can learn more from the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3))

These types of attacks can be hard to detect – and in many cases, a “spoofed” email can look very real  So, how do you tell?

Watch for these warning signs

1. First, a bank will NEVER tell you to log in to a website to fix something. DO NOT click on that link in the email.
2. Do not reveal personal or financial information in email, (don’t send  and do not respond to email solicitations for this information. This includes following links sent in email.
3. Do not send sensitive information over the Internet without checking a website’s security (look for that “S” after the HTTP)
4. Pay close attention to the URL of a website (that’s the title at the TOP of your browser, starting with a HTTP). Malicious and fake websites may look identical to the real site, but the URL may use a variation in spelling or a different domain (e.g., .com vs. .net).

Help your Kids Be Safe

When I teach Internet Safety classes to teens, the kids are often surprised when I show up and start rattling off information I know about them that I have found by just trolling the Internet.  I point to each one, say their name, where they live, where they have gone on vacation or maybe mention their brothers or sisters or talk about their favorite sports.  There’s always a girl in the class that starts looking around from friend to friend with a look of sheer paranoia on her face.

I do my best to talk about the big items – like Cyber Bullying, Cyber Security, and the longevity of information on the Internet.  We talk about how a whisper on the internet is like a scream in a crowded mall – with an echo that lasts forever.

We also talk about the ramifications of “poor choices” on the Internet.  Some of those “poor choices” could even land them in jail!  More than 82% of parents say their children have been exposed to cyber-bullying. And North Carolina recently became the first state to make student cyberbullying of teachers a crime. Starting December 1st,  the School Violence Prevention Act of 2012 will take effect that will make it a Class Two Misdemeanor for any student posting online that cyberbully, intimidate, or torment a school employee or teacher. This new legislation will impose jail time or a $1,000 fine on anyone attempting to bully a teacher online.

Tips to Help With Your Technology Aware Kids

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• Be involved – and talk about the Web. What they see, what they search for, and how they use it for their homework. Show them how to be a “smart cyber citizen” – to not pass on Urban Legends and hoaxes that continue on the Internet.  Have them look up strange offers or hoaxes at www.snopes.com.
• Keep your computer in an open area – Keeping your computer in an area where you can see them, and what they are doing, is a great way to help them as they start out on the web.  If you see a behavior that’s inappropriate, you can correct and remediate it, immediately.
• Be clear with rules, and dangers out there – Kids need to know your expectations. What they can do, what they can’t, how long they can be on the computer, and what they need to be aware of.
• Talk about the ethical issues with downloading pirated music and videos (a common teen activity) and how it can increase their risk of downloading viruses and other malware. Make sure that teens are familiar with legitimate ways to stream or download music and videos online. (Check out Pandora, 8Tracks, iHeart, Spotify)  And finally, make sure they have security software on their devices.
• Watch them– Be aware of what your child is doing on the computer, by monitoring their computer activity – such as which websites she is visiting. If she is using email, instant messaging, or chat rooms, and make sure she knows who is on the other endBe open to questions  – Make sure they know they can come to you with ANY question, concern or problem.Think about parental controls and separate partitions– Most operating systems will allow you to create a different user account for each user. That makes it easy to give different access to different users on the same PC.  Parental controls are also available within your browser. In fact, Internet Explorer allows you to restrict or allow certain websites to be viewed on the computerCheck out this cool INFOGRAPHIC – on the “Spooky Side of Cyber Security” Perfect for Halloween!

Hope this information helps – and stay safe out there. 

Sorry to disappoint, but this post is all about Cyber Security. I know, boring stuff, but October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, and helping people use technology, and use it safely, has been my passion for a while now.

And, let’s face it, today so much of our lives are connected to some sort of digital device, as well as the information on them; it makes sense to put some protections in place to keep your information secret, and to keep it safe. That’s why I partnered with the Town of Cary Police Department to recognize and support October as Cyber Security Awareness Month, and also why our Police department works hard to protect you with an impressive Cyber Crime unit.

First, some chilling numbers

Whether you are at work, at home, school – every part of our lives now has a connection to the Internet.

Did you know that…

– Someone becomes a victim of cyber crime every 18 seconds
– Cyber crime costs an average of nearly $200 per victim
– Mobile device vulnerabilities doubled in 2011 from 2010
– 40% of social network users have been victims of cyber crime on a social networking site
– 1 in 4 people received notification by a business, online service provider, or organization that their personally identifiable information (password, credit card number, email addres, etc.) was lost or compromised because of a data breach
 (Source: Symantec and National Cyber Security Alliance)

What can you do?

1. STOP. THINK. CONNECT. This should really be your mantra. Think of it like “stop, drop and roll” as we learned from our firefighters when we were kids. In this case it’s a quick way for you to be aware of where you are “clicking” while surfing the web. Take a look at the Stop. Think. Connect. Website for more information.
2. Protect before you connect, keep your machine clean.
1. Make sure your software is up-to-date, including your operating system, security software and web-browsers. That’s your first defense against online threats and viruses. (Automate it, if you can!)
2.  Be careful of what you PLUG IN to your machine – if you don’t know where that USB device came from, don’t plug it into your machine. You never know what viruses or malware is lurking on a rogue USB key.
3. Keep it Secret & Safe — don’t use simple or lazy passwords– make them long and strong. Use CAPITAL and lowercase letters with numbers and special symbols. (Please, no dog, cat or child names)Use unique passwords for accounts: Don’t use the same password for different accounts. If they are hard to remember, try using a Password management program like 1Password, LastPass, KeePass or others.
4. Own your online reputation – make sure to review your privacy and security settings on social sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc. Know how, and with whom you are sharing information.
5. Connect Safely and when in doubt, throw it out.
   
1. Be careful of links – whether they are in email, tweets, posts and in ads – it is a common way for cyber criminals get into your computer.Know your hotspot – don’t jump on a hotspot just because it’s available. Make sure to adjust your security settings, and avoid sensitive transactions while on a network you don’t know.
2. Turn off file sharing and network discovery when you are on a public wirless network, these can put your device at risk. (This is under the Control Panel>Network and Internet> Network and Sharing Center on Windows, and under System Preferences>Sharing on Mac OSX)
3. Shopping online? Always check for SECURE services – a little gold lock at the bottom of the page shows you that you are on a secure site. The site should have URL that starts with https:// instead of just http://)
6. Back, Back, Back it up:  Protect your valuables by having a backup, that includes your music, pictures, and other documents. Make sure to store it separately.

Be careful

With more than 50% of Cary citizens owning Smartphones, and a quarter of American adults on Tablet computers , the need for being vigilant about your online safety has truly gone mobile.  Make sure to keep these safety ideas in mind as you surf and shop online.

For more information check out some of these great websites:

• FTC OnGuardOnline.gov
• Stay Safe Online (National Cyber Security Alliance)
• Stop. Think. Connect. 
• Family Online Safety Institute
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Featured photo by Elhombredenegro