Be careful out there
Filed under: cyber safety, online security
Cyber-safety and the protection of personal identity
Did you know there is no global definition of cyber-safety? It is one of those new ‘buzz’ terms used a lot in the media, but one that is still not properly understood by a lot of people – at least that’s what I have found.
The term covers so much ground. Does cyber-safety mean having the latest anti-virus software loaded on your PC, or is it making sure you know what the kids are doing on the family computer, or is it about not giving away personal details to someone you met online?
It can be all this and more. Cyber-safety, as I relate to it, is about making sure that everyone can safely access information and expertise to allow them to get the most from their online experience. It’s about acknowledging that there can be risks online, but it’s also about understanding how you can safely integrate wireless communication to live, work and relate to other people in this technological age.
An analogy I often compare cyber-safety to is driving a car. You don’t throw the keys of your car to your 16 year old and get them to work it out for themself. You make sure that before they get behind the wheel of the car you teach them how to drive, the different hazards they may encounter and what road laws need to be obeyed. I’m not saying that driving a mouse or keyboard can be as dangerous as driving a car, but I am saying it is important that all users of the internet appreciate that some risks exist if you don’t take appropriate precautions.
Like all parents, I am concerned about my kids online and work hard to educate them around the possibilities of being cyber-bullied, cyber-stalked, and becoming the victims of identity theft and even escalating mobile phone bills.
A recent Telstra survey showed that three out of four Australian children spend extra time online and use mobile phones during the school holidays. So as we start to think about Christmas and school holidays, I thought it was timely to share with you some tips to help us all protect our kids online.
Tips to protect kids online
- Keep the family computer in an open area where it can be monitored.
- Treat a mobile as you would the internet – online is online.
- Keep private information private – make sure your kids know not to give out personal details online without parental knowledge.
- Keep online friendships online – never let them go to meetings without parental supervision.
- Make sure your kids know what to do and where to go if they encounter cyber-bullying.
- Reinforce positive behaviour and values in the cyber world.
Related links
- Cybersmart
Cybersmart is a national cybersafety education program managed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
Great blog Darren. Good see Telstra leadership on this. Looking forward to seeing more on this topic.
Turlough
http://au.linkedin.com/in/turloughguerin
Thanks Turlough. I agree it’s an important topic, and has been an ongoing focus for Telstra for a while. There are so many different areas that fall under this topic and I hope you enjoy reading more about them in the future.
Darren, Interestingly. I received two E-mail messages from face book on my bigpond address but with a different recipient name.
The message read……. “please confirm that (name of a friend) is your friend” most weird, I could not figure out how this happened but just read an article, titled… World Breaking News … ‘Control Your Info’ activists hijack Facebook groups
From correspondents in San Francisco
Agence France-Presse
November 11, 2009 11:07am
ACTIVISTS claimed to have seized control of nearly 300 Facebook community groups in a self-proclaimed effort to expose how vulnerable online reputations are to tampering.
A contingent that identified itself as Control Your Info (CYI) claimed credit for commandeering 289 Facebook Groups, saying it was simple to get into poorly protected administrative settings at the website.
“This is just one example that really shows the vulnerabilities of social media,” said a blog post at controlyour.info…… continued Courtesy:http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26335072-23109,00.html
Is there a connection? I deleted both E-mail’s.
Thanks mate.
Thanks for your question Vasso. I have had the team here look at this for you and can tell you that Facebook have issued a statement explaining this which you can read at http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/11/facebook_group_takeover_stunt/
You did the right thing in deleting these emails. Look out for a blog on this topic.
My son is in his early teens and needing a mobile. My concern is how to monitor the internet access via the mobile. Is there some way to be able to go back on the sites he has visited using his mobile without having to have a specific phone that suits that spy software. Ideally I just wanted it to be listed on the itemised billing if we ever wanted to check.
thanks