Windows Security Checklist - Part 23: CastleCops Keeps Kids Safe: Internet Basics

by Larry Stevenson, aka Prince_Serendip, CastleCops Staff Writer
May 1, 2005

Raising today's Internet generation can be daunting to parents. Kids use the Internet differently from adults and may know more about technology, so many parents may feel at a disadvantage.

Even so, it is essential for parents to be involved in their kids' online process. Kids may be miles ahead technically, but they still need adults to help them develop good judgement and critical thinking skills to deal with situations, information and the people they encounter online.

Parents can start by becoming familiar with how their kids are using the Internet. Many do not have a clue what their kids are up to when multiple windows are open on the computer screen and their hands are flying over the keyboard. This article will help you take the first step towards becoming more aware and involved by explaining the different technologies kids use and the activities that they like online.

Websites

The Web (short for World Wide Web) is a popular place for kids to visit on the Internet. Websites usually consist of a collection of pages, containing text, pictures, links for downloading games, music, software, sound or video clips. Millions of sites are on the Web, accessed using software on your computer called a "Web Browser," aka Internet Explorer, Opera, Mozilla, Netscape, FireFox etc.

The Web offers kids the ability to create their own content. Young people use the Web to explore and display their creativity in exciting ways, creating online art, movies, music, Websites, e-zines (magazines), blogs or diaries and by participating in forums.

The Web, however, has a darkside. When surfing it's easy to come across sites containing pornography, hate, violence, illegal or dangerous content and activities. The privacy of both children and parents can be at risk from commercial sites that ask for personal information, and when they themselves post contact information or photos on their own Websites and blogs.

With millions of pages already published, and many more being posted every day, finding accurate online information can be an arduous task. Since anyone can publish their views online, the Web contains a great deal of inaccurate and misleading information. Some studies have shown that young people tend to believe that "if it's on a computer, then it must be true," (reminds me of the same thing with books years ago) so it's important to teach your kids to question what they read online.

Check the Privacy Policies of the websites you and your kids visit. Help your kids understand what the Privacy Policy is and what it means. If a website does not have a Privacy Policy or an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), do not share information with them.

For more Web and Browser Security Info see my article Safe at Any Speed Online.

E-mail

Sending and receiving e-mail (electronic mail) is the number one use of the Internet. E-mail is a fast, efficient and low-cost way for kids to stay in touch with friends and family. They can even establish pen pals (e-pals) around the world.

Despite the benefits, anyone who uses e-mail is aware of the explosion of spam, or junk e-mail, which floods into inboxes each day, much of it offensive, obscene or containing malwares (trojan horses, worms and viruses). It has been estimated that junk e-mail makes up over half of all e-mail travelling over the Internet. Kids, who may not think critically about the messages they receive, are particularly vulnerable to the ads, phishing scams and disturbing messages that can show up in their accounts.

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) generally supply their customers with free e-mail accounts. If your kids are young, ask your ISP about setting up a shared e-mail account for them so you can monitor their messages. To protect young children from receiving unwanted messages, teach them to never share their e-mail address with anyone they do not know.

If your kids are older, they probably have their own free accounts through sites such as Hotmail and Yahoo! Help them set up filters on these accounts to avoid unwanted messages and make sure that in the registration process they choose not to receive promotions from advertisers or to be included in an Internet directory. Encourage them to protect their e-mail address and never give it out over the Internet.

For E-mail Security Info see Part 1 - Windows Security Checklist
To Do and Do Not
The Checklist Review
Please also refer to our Phishing, Fraud and Dastardly Deeds Forum.

Instant Messaging

For today's Net generation, instant messaging (IM) has replaced the telephone as the most popular way of talking with friends. Kids rush home from school, log on and continue schoolyard conversations, often staying online for hours.

To use instant messaging, you need to download software from the Internet and register with an instant messaging service. One of the most popular IM services with kids is MSN Messenger, so many kids refer to instant messaging as "MSNing." Instant messaging is a great cost-free tool that kids use for talking to friends, keeping in touch with people in faraway places and for coordinating school projects. AOL (AIM) and Yahoo! also provide IM softwares.

Many parents confuse instant messaging with chat rooms when their kids say they are chatting online. While both technologies involve talking in realtime, there are important differences that have safety implications.

A chat room is a place on the Internet where you can talk to anyone in the world. Imagine opening up a global telephone book, picking out random strangers and calling them. Instant messaging is a safer environment because it permits users to select the people they want to talk with. Users create contact lists of friends to chat with and can block people they don't know or don't want to communicate with.

While kids have some control over who they talk to, it's still possible to talk with strangers using IM. The peer-prestige associated with a large IM contact list means some kids have over 100 IM contacts, many of whom they have never met. Sit with your kids and review their instant messaging contact list to make sure they know everyone on it.

Kids feel free to say things online that they would never say face-to-face, so instant messaging can be used to spread rumours, gossip and bullying. For many kids, this means home is no longer a refuge from the peer pressures of school. Some IM softwares allow for logging of conversations. Check the advanced options of the software and enable logging so you can review the chats.

Most IM programs encourage users to fill out a "personal profile," which includes detailed personal information. Many kids take special pride in providing their information. But, this profile is available to anyone on the Internet who wants to pull it up and read it. Kids need to learn to never fill out these kinds of profiles online. (If the information is "required" then make something up.)

For more info on Instant Message Security read my article IM Insecure.

Chat Rooms

Chat rooms are places on the Internet where you can have live, real-time conversations with many people at the same time. It's like a telephone party line, except you usually type rather than talk. However, some softwares now allow voice communications as well. Everyone in the chat room can see what everyone else writes, but you can still be as anonymous as you want.

While chat rooms can be dynamic meeting places for people with similar interests, they can also be cruising grounds for predators trying to make contact with young people. Kids should never be in chat rooms. We teach young children not to talk to strangers in the street, so they should not be talking with strangers online. When they become older or more mature they can participate in monitored kids' chat rooms, but only with the close supervision of an adult.

Chat rooms are monitored in several ways. Some sites run software that automatically shuts people out for using abusive or vulgar language, while others use real live monitors. Keep in mind that even in monitored chat rooms, there is nothing to stop an adult from joining in and pretending to be a child. Though most chat room monitors are reputeable people, even they can be predators (according to news reports). Predators are attracted to positions which allow them access to young people.

Young teens are particularly vulnerable with regard to chat rooms. They are exploring themselves, trying new roles, moving away from parental control, seeking to establish new relationships outside the family. In the anonymous atmosphere of chat rooms, they feel free to be more open and honest. Conversations can quickly become intimate, making them vulnerable to online predators, who are often very charming and smooth.

Parents can encourage teens to only use monitored teen chat rooms, to protect their personal information when chatting online and to always stay in the chat rooms' public areas. Some chat rooms offer users the option of going into private rooms, or sharing private messages, that no one else can see or monitor.

Be sure to have a firewall, antivirus, and anti-spyware applications running whenever you use chat rooms. For more info see my articles:
PC Pesticides
Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft.

File-Sharing

File-sharing, also known as "peer-to-peer" (P2P) technology, allows users to search for and download files from other users' computers. Young people use this technology to swap music and video files of TV shows and movies. Kids have embraced the downloading culture from the start, and are usually way ahead of parents in this area.

The sharing of copyrighted files over the Internet is illegal but that hasn't stopped file-sharers from downloading and swapping millions of files on a monthly basis. The recording industry blames file-sharing for a 25-percent decline in compact disc sales and is fighting back by suing individuals who have downloaded copyrighted files on a large scale.

Parents need to discuss the ethics of file-sharing with their children. It is a complex topic, with many people, including parents, downloading files and some musicians speaking out in support of the practice. You can help your kids think about this issue by asking if they are aware that file-sharing of copyrighted works is illegal? Ask them to think about the artists who created the work. Are they to be compensated when their songs are exchanged online?

To access a file-sharing network, users need to download special software. While these programs are available free online, they come at a cost. Some of the most popular programs are bundled with additional software known as scumware, malwares or thiefware. Once installed on your computer, this software automatically creates links on Web pages that send users to advertising and pornographic sites. Many people use file-sharing networks to trade pornographic images and videos, making it easy for kids to stumble across obscene material.

The best security for file-sharing is to uninstall the softwares that provide it. However, Add/Remove Programs may not be enough so follow the instructions in this article
CastleCops Gives Help When You Need It.
Further help is at this article Securing Your Network Configuration.
Then please join CastleCops and post about it as a New Topic at the General Computer Problems Forum.

Thank you for reading this. More articles are on the way on how CastleCops can help you keep you and your kids safe online using Microsoft Windows computers. For previous articles in this column see the Windows Security Checklist Archive.

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Best regards and always take care of your family's security.