The internet has created a society which uses email, chat rooms, electronic messaging and a range of online social sharing platforms as a way to communicate.
Unfortunately these tools provided via the internet are often taken advantage of and used as a medium to commit a range of criminal activity. A substantial amount of this criminal behaviour revolves around adult offenders identifying and grooming young people to meet and commit offences against them in the physical world.
Parents and responsible adults can decrease the risk of children falling victim to a range of unwanted online behaviour. Young people have access to the internet through many mediums, including computers at home, schools, libraries, internet cafes, friends’ houses and even via mobile phones.
Parents and responsible adults should educate young people about the benefits of the internet, but should also make them aware of the dangers and pitfalls, including inappropriate and offensive material which exists on the web. Children need assistance in making choices which will ensure their internet experiences remain positive and rewarding.
Protect your PC
- Install and properly configure a firewall;
- Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software;
- Get the latest Windows updates;
- Make regular backups of your data; and
- Use email filtering software.
What can Parents/Responsible Adults do?
- If you are not an internet user, learn about the internet and discover what information is available for your child to see;
- Parents and children should agree on an acceptable usage policy for the internet, including length of time online, time of day and what sorts of sites they can access;
- Install and configure an internet content filter;
- Remain vigilant when young people are online and keep an active interest in what they are doing;
- Place the computer the child is using in a public area, such as the living room rather than a bedroom;
- Encourage children to tell you if they find any content which makes them feel uneasy or disturbing; and
- Use these tips to assist your own online activity to be safe and enjoyable.
Personal Privacy
- It is important to use real world sensibilities whilst operating in the online environment;
- Help young people choose user name and email addresses which don’t reveal their identity, or suggest location, age or gender;
- Remind children that individuals on the internet are not always who they say they are;
- Children should never post a picture of themselves of their friends in public areas of the internet and should never send these pictures to someone they don’t know; and
- Use strong passwords which are not easily guessed and use a combination of letters, numbers and symbols.
Personal Safety
- Periodically observe the conversations if your children have met a new friend online;
- If a child wishes to meet an online friend in person, ask them to discuss it with you first and never allow them to go to a meeting alone; and
- If a young person encounters someone or something online, for example in a chat room, they should terminate the session and find another location where they feel more comfortable.
Incident Response
The most effective means of preventing unauthorised access to computer systems is the development of effective security measures. However, should such a breach occur, a comprehensive response plan is needed.
Many organisations rely on computer systems and related technology to conduct their day to day business, particularly those involved in e-commerce.
If you have suffered a cyber crime incident, eSecurity may be able to provide advice on responding to the event. For more information please contact us via ir@esecurity.net.au
