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Police probe school cyber bullying

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Posted on 18 May 2012 by Simon Lang

GEELONG police are being called to investigate cases of cyber bullying among school-aged children just months after the term became a chargeable offence.

Inspector Gary Thompson confirmed police were currently investigating “several” online bullying cases.

It follows news Geelong police are being called to schools weekly to educate children as young as five on the dangers of cyber bullying.

Leading Senior Constable Robbie Noggler said he had visited more than 20 schools this year in an attempt to tell kids how to avoid trouble online.

He said students at both primary and secondary schools needed to know the legal implications now involved in cyber crime.

“In June 2011 legislation came in to put cyber bullying under stalking provisions so it’s now a chargeable offence. That means any form of online bullying or impersonation can come to our attention,” he said.

“We’re trying to enlighten kids that something they may see as silly is actually an offence. It’s not just the immediate slap on the wrist these offences can affect job opportunities and the ability to travel when kids are older.”

Sen-Constable Noggler said online threats became more specific in older kids and adults but young children weren’t immune.

“You hear these tragic stories about people taking their owns lives because nothing’s been done to help them out, so for young kids to be exposed to this sort of mental trauma is definitely a concern,” he said.

“The message I leave with kids is if they only remember one point they must tell someone what’s going on, be it a parent or teacher or friend, because we can’t do anything to help unless we are aware.”

Fyans Park Primary School teacher Carolyn Whitmore said the school would now offer the program to children from prep to grade 4 following successful sessions in the older grades.

She said the school would also investigate running a talk for parents to help protect students in cyber space.

“Robbie was referred to us from another school who loved the program and it’s been used to further help students understand the implications of not being cyber-safe,” Ms Whitmore said.

“Children are aware of these things because it’s very current and brought to their attention through the media so they want to ask questions.”

State Parliament has also announced a public inquiry into sexting. The law reform committee will consider the suitability of current penalties around the creation and sharing of sexually explicit messages and images via the internet, mobile phone and other electronic devices.

Police probe school cyber bullying | Geelong, VIC, Australia.

Child ID theft epidemic continues to spread

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Posted on 18 May 2012 by Simon Lang

The epidemic of child identity theft revealed last year is continuing to grow. 10.7% of the nearly 27,000 children in the study are victims of identity theft, 35 times higher than adults in the same population, according to AllClear ID.

The new data also showed that identity theft is increasing most quickly in young children. In fact, identity theft among children ages 5 and under grew 105% since last year – the highest growth rate of any age group – while 26% of children targeted were between the ages of six and ten, a 34% increase.

Young children are optimal targets for criminals, because they have yet to apply for anything to establish a credit history, so their identities are clean slates and thieves can use their information without being detected for many years. Thieves can easily attach a different name to a child’s Social Security number and use it to buy houses and cars, take out credit cards and lines of credit.

When the child, as a young adult, attempts to use his or her Social Security number for the first time to get a loan or job, the thief’s bogus information and negative credit history will show up and cause serious problems.

Based on extensive scans for nearly 27,000 children, the reported titled Child Identity Theft 2012, is a quantitative analysis of the results. There are no survey results included, as this report reflects the actual theft that children and their families have experienced.

The report includes a detailed analysis along with stories of real victims and the serious financial and emotional impact child identity theft has had on their families. Key takeaways from the report include:

Criminals are targeting the youngest children. 15% of victims were five years old and younger, an increase of 105% over the 2011 findings.
26% of victims were six to ten years old, a growth of 34% from the 2011 report. This stands in sharp contrast to the rates for children over eleven that remained flat or decreased.
10.7% (2,875) of the minors included in the report had someone else using their Social Security numbers. This is an increase of .5% from the 10.2% rate reported in the 2011 report.
The rate of identity theft for children was 35 times higher than the rate for adults in the same population.
$1.5 million was the largest fraud committed. This was against a 19 year old girl whose Social Security number had been used since she was nine years old.
The overall number of suspects fraudulently using Social Security numbers per child increased by 15% this year over the previous year’s report. One child had six suspects using her Social Security number.

“It’s important for parents to understand that child ID theft is a real and growing trend,” said Bo Holland, CEO of AllClear ID. “Rather than letting this trend continue, consumers – parents especially – should take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their child’s livelihood. We have the technology, at AllClear ID, to help parents do just that.”

There are steps that parents can take to ensure their child’s information is not being used fraudulently, including:

Use free solutions designed specifically to detect child identity theft
Guard their Social Security number
Start scanning your child’s Social Security number when they are young
Go beyond the credit report. Our data showed that 41% of the fraudulent activity was occurring at sources other than the credit bureaus
Talk to your child about online privacy and information security
Use social media with caution.

Child ID theft epidemic continues to spread.

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Spammers using social media instead of email

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Posted on 18 May 2012 by Simon Lang

According to security experts, social networking sites, rather than email, are now the most favored platform for spammers to peddle their unsolicited links, as reported by Bloomberg.

This is partially due to the fact that email spam filters have become so effective that tens of billions of spam messages are now being diverted to social media sites instead, according to Dan Olds of Gabriel Consulting Group.

Mark Risher, chief executive officer of anti-spam software provider Impermium, said, “Social spam can be a lot more effective than e-mail spam. We see a lot of it, and we see it increasing. The bad guys are taking to this with great abandon.”

According to Risher, as many as 40% of the accounts on social networking sites are actually owned as spammers, and approximately 8% of all messages sent via those sites are spam. This is approximately twice the volume of spam messages sent just six months ago.

Facebook and Twitter have even resorted to suing advertising networks that are accused of running scams on fraudulent pages, which can lead to users canceling their accounts after poor experiences with the social networks.

And while bigger social networks like Facebook and Twitter have the experience and resources to detect and combat spammers more effectively, newer sites like Pinterest might not be quite so prepared. On Pinterest, spam links can be hidden in the embedded links attached to photos, which can be difficult for users to notice. The links could then potentially take users to pornography websites or a virus download. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be an easy solution in the endless battle against spam.

Spammers using social media instead of email – Neowin.

Kentucky ICAC Task Force Works to Protect Children Online

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Posted on 2 May 2012 by Simon Lang

As technology grows, so does the opportunity for child pornographers to exploit it. Social networking sites, chat rooms, file-sharing programs, message boards and forums now make it easier for offenders to connect with children and record and trade child pornography. While computers and cell phones remain the primary means of communication, gaming systems that can connect to the Internet give predators yet another way to gain access to children electronically.

To counter this growing trend, dozens of local, state and federal law enforcement and investigative agencies throughout the commonwealth are working together as part of the Kentucky Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Administered by the Kentucky State Police Electronic Crime Branch (ECB), the group is one of 61 coordinated task forces nationwide which work to combat the problem of child sexual exploitation cases in which technology plays a key role.

According to Lt. Shane Bates, commander of the KSP ECB, as the number of digital devices with picture capabilities dramatically increases, it is now far easier for an offender to capture the abuse of a child in pictures and videos. Images can now be re-lived by the offender over and over at will for their own sexual gratification. The images can also be easily traded all over the world, in effect reoffending the victim each time they are traded, possibly over a period of years. Victims continue to be traumatized knowing that those images are still out there, somewhere, being traded from person to person possibly forever.

“The Internet is great in that you can find an answer for just about any question you may have. One of the unfortunate side effects is that once something is ‘on the net,’ it is nearly impossible to completely remove it,” says Bates.

Much like other areas of law enforcement, ICAC Task Force officers spend a lot of time reacting to Internet complaints received from the public. Beyond that, many of the investigators dedicate countless hours patrolling the web for suspicious activity. The goal is to locate and arrest offenders before they have the opportunity to harm a child.

Many leads are received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline, a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week means of reporting incidents of child sexual exploitation.

“CyberTips for Kentucky have increased dramatically,” says Sgt. Mike Bowling assistant commander of the KSP ECB. “Last year, we averaged maybe 60 to 70 tips a month. Now it’s not uncommon for us to have more than 100 complaints each month.”

Last year, Kentucky’s ICAC Task Force investigated 699 documented complaints. Fifty-nine percent of those were proactive cases, or cases in which officers were actively seeking suspects in the process of committing a crime, hopefully before a child was victimized. Forty-one percent were reactive, or complaints in which the police responded after an alleged crime had occurred. These investigations include online enticement, obscenity directed toward minors, child prostitution, along with the possession, distribution and manufacture of child pornography. Of the documented complaints, 57 have already led to arrest, and several others are pending.

The KSP ECB operates a digital forensic lab that processes requests for digital evidence for agencies throughout the state. As digital evidence is becoming increasingly prevalent in police work, some agencies are training their own staff to handle this type of evidence. Absent that local resource, agencies can submit digital evidence for examination to KSP or the Kentucky Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory in Louisville.

Digital evidence comes in a wide variety of types and sizes. Complexity and capacity determine the amount of time required to process evidence.

“What has changed the most over the years is the sheer size of the media we deal with,” says Det. Chris Frazier, a forensic examiner with the KSP ECB. “When I started working at the branch, a 50-gigabyte hard drive was huge. Now it’s not unusual to find one terabyte drives during exam requests. Another significant change involves the rapid advancement in cell phone technology. Cell phones are becoming more and more like mini computers.”

In 2011, the lab examined roughly 29 terabytes of data. To put that into perspective, just one megabyte of data is about 1,000 sheets of paper with each page completely filled front and back. If information from the 29 terabytes examined last year alone were printed front and back, it would produce a stack more than 900 miles high.

There are several misconceptions about child pornography. Some believe child pornography refers to photographs or videos of babies in the bathtub. Others think of teenagers in pigtails and schoolgirl uniforms. The child pornography faced by ICAC Task Force officers is far darker and more grotesque than many could imagine. It involves pictures and videos of young children, often in diapers, being violently molested.

During a National Juvenile Online Victimization Study in 2005, it was discovered that more than 80 percent of the people arrested for child pornography had saved images of prepubescent children and 80 percent had images of minors being sexually penetrated. As far as age, 83 percent had images of children between the ages of six and 12 years.

A decade ago, parents worried about the chat rooms their children visited on a desktop computer. Today, it’s much easier to contact children now that everyone can have the Internet in their pocket.

Most parents have become more aware of the basics, such as keeping the computer in the family room, but more needs to be done. One goal of the task force is to promote community awareness and prevent victimization. Last year alone, Kentucky’s task force conducted 85 presentations in schools and at community groups – reaching nearly 6,000 people.

“Technology is both a blessing and curse,” says Bates. “It makes our daily lives easier. However, it can also leave our children exposed to predators. We must teach our children to use technology wisely and be aware of the dangers lurking on the Internet.”

Tips For Keeping Kids Safe Online

Browsing the Internet

●Keep the computer in a high-traffic area of your home.

●Establish limits for which online sites children may visit and for how long.

●Remember that Internet technology can be mobile, and make sure to monitor cell phones, gaming devices, and laptops.

●Surf the Internet with your children and let them show you what they like to do online.

●Know who is connecting with your children online and set rules for social networking, instant messaging, e-mailing, online gaming, and using webcams.

●Continually talk with your children about online safety.

●Choose an Internet browser with safety options appropriate for your family. There are browsers that are specifically designed for kids, as well as browsers that offer safer and age-appropriate filtering options. Many electronic service providers (ESPs) offer free filters to help prevent kids from accessing inappropriate websites. Contact your ESP to learn what Internet-safety options are available.

●Teach your kids that if they see any material which makes them feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused to immediately tell you or another trusted adult. A trusted adult is a person you have come to rely on and with whom you and your kids feel comfortable.

●Help your kids find information online. By searching the Internet together you can help them find reliable sources of information and distinguish fact from fiction.

Cell Phones/Wireless Devices and Texting

●Review cell phone records for any unknown numbers and late night phone calls and texts.

●Remind your child that texting is viral—anything sent in a text can be easily forwarded and shared.

●Teach your child never to reveal cell phone numbers or passwords online.

●Talk to your child about the possible consequences of sending sexually explicit or provocative images or text messages.

●When shopping for a cell phone for your child, research the security settings that are available.

Social Networking

●Instruct your kids to use privacy settings to restrict access to profiles so only the individuals on their contact lists are able to view their profiles.

●Remind kids to only add people they know in real life to their contact lists.

●Encourage kids to choose appropriate screen names or nicknames. Talk to your kids about creating strong passwords, such as those that use the first letter of each word of a phrase or an easy-to-remember acronym.

●Visit social-networking websites with your kids, and exchange ideas about OK versus potentially risky websites.

●Ask your kids about the people they are communicating with online.

●Make it a rule with your kids that they can never give out personal information or meet anyone in person without your prior knowledge and consent.

●Encourage your kids to think “Is this message harmful, dangerous, hurtful, or rude?” before posting or sending anything online. Teach your kids not to respond to any rude or harassing remarks or messages that make them feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused and to show you these messages instead.

●Check your child’s friend lists to see who has access to his or her profile. Make sure your child knows all friends in person.

●Teach your child to set profiles to private–but be aware that privacy settings do not guarantee complete privacy.

●Have your child remove any inappropriate content and photos and delete any personal information.

●Check the profiles of your child’s friends to see if there is revealing information or photos about your child.

●Report inappropriate or criminal behavior to the appropriate authority. Most sites have a reporting mechanism for non-criminal behavior. Criminal behavior should be reported through law-enforcement agencies and the CyberTipline® by clicking the link here.

For more information, visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by clicking the link here.

Kentucky ICAC Task Force Works to Protect Children Online | SurfKY.com.

Sexting Puts Young Schoolgirls In Danger As Child Safety Experts Warn Of Growing Problem In Schools

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Posted on 25 April 2012 by Simon Lang

Young school girls are putting themselves in danger of bullying and sexual abuse by sending explicit photographs of themselves by text message.

“Sexting” will be debated by MPs later as child safety experts warn the practice is a growing problem in Britain’s schools.

Jon Brown, the head of the NSPCC’s Sexual Abuse programme says sexting is putting children at risk.

“We have unearthed a lot of evidence that girls as young as 12 are being pressured into sending explicit photographs to boyfriends,” he said.

“Once they have given someone a ‘sexy’ picture of themselves, they have no control over it.”

Two students at Darlington College told Sky News they had sent what they now know to be inappropriate pictures of themselves to their boyfriends when they were 14.

Hayley Pritchard, now 18, says she escaped lightly, but regrets doing it.

“I haven’t had people sending them around or anything, but I’ve seen it from a friend’s perspective where she’s had pictures sent around,” she explained.

21-year-old Danielle Wheller sent explicit photos to her boyfriend seven years ago.

“I knew the dangers, I knew what was going on, I never really got bullied so I didn’t really think nothing of it,” she said.

With what she knows now, Danielle would advise any younger girl not to do it.

We have unearthed a lot of evidence that girls as young as 12 are being pressured into sending explicit photographs to boyfriends. Once they have given someone a ‘sexy’ picture of themselves, they have no control over it.

Jon Brown, the head of the NSPCC’s Sexual Abuse programme

“You get ridiculed, you get yourself a bad name, you get inappropriate comments,” she said.

“People don’t know you but because they’ve seen that certain picture they’re just judgemental and you get a wrong name.”

According to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, 38% of 11-17 year olds said they had received a sexually explicit text or email and 70% of them knew the sender.

MP Ann Coffey, who is raising the dangers of sexting in an adjournment debate, said she is being asked for help from up to two schools a week.

“The most important thing is for young people themselves to be aware of the dangers,” she said.

“I am asking the phone companies to provide finance so that at the point of sale they will get a leaflet saying you need to be aware if you upload images this is what can happen.”

Sexting Puts Young Schoolgirls In Danger As Child Safety Experts Warn Of Growing Problem In Schools | UK News | Sky News.

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Young school girls are putting themselves in danger of bullying and sexual abuse by sending explicit photographs of themselves by text message.