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How to protect your family from online threats
New Hampshire Department of Justice
Presenters
Jacqueline Rompre
Internet Crimes Unit Prosecutor
Allison Vachon
Internet Crimes Unit Investigator
Topics of Presentation
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What kids are exposed to on the net
Online Predators
Online identity
Social Networking
Cyber bullying
Misuse of Digital Images
What can you do?
87% of students are online everyday ...
What can Internet searching find?
A search for “toys” using Google image search
Reveals sex toy ads
What can Internet searching find?
A search for “toys” using Google image search
Reveals sex toy ads
Google SafeSearch
• “screens for sites that contain explicit sexual
content and removes them from your search
results”
• 3 Settings
– Moderate (default)
– Strict
– No filtering
• Lockable
http://www.whitehouse.gov
http://www.whitehouse.com/
Registered sex offenders
Over 704,777 in the United States
2300 in NH
Home computers can be a predator’s
gateway to your kids
• Predators “groom” potential victims
o Over long periods of time
• Use sophisticated approaches
o Act like kids
o Try to be a “best friend”
• Send gifts
• Use secrets to blackmail
Update
• Recent studies have shown that many online
sex crime victims are teenagers who are well
aware of the age and sexual intentions of the
offender
• In 80 percent of the crimes, the adults were
explicit about their sexual intentions
Update (continued)
• Let your teens know that discussing sex topics
with strangers is extremely dangerous
• Any sex talk online can lead to more graphic
sex talk
Your Online Identity
• Do not put information
online that could help a
dangerous person
• No first or last names
• No names of schools
• No local sports teams
What are these?
Threats from Social Networking Sites
No Age Verification
Access to profile is usually restricted by default
Exposure to Inappropriate Material/Predators
People often share too much personal
information in their profile (example on next slide)
• Information is not verified for accuracy –
truthfulness
• Kids often have a false sense of privacy
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Screen shot of bad example of personal
website for kids
Threats from Social Networking
Sites
Threats from Social Networking Sites
Example: Derek Boisvert
Threats from Social Networking Sites
Threats from Social Networking Sites
Example: Danny – Age 25 from AZ
I like pottery, plants and
flowers, and my perfect
night would be cuddling by
the fireplace and watching a
movie.
Threats from Social Networking Sites
Danny is really Keith Wilkins – Age 33
A convicted sex offender in AZ
Threats from Social Networking Sites
• Trend: Employers are checking Social
Networking Sites for negative activities
• Predators use social networking sites to search
for potential victims that match their
preferences
FACEBOOK PRIVACY CONTROLS
major revision to privacy controls May 26,
2010
• one-click controls for restricting or sharing
user information
•2 Categories
• Facebook Recommended
• Custom
• granular controls still in place
• user can control which friends can see
wall posts, pictures, etc.
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Location-Based Social Networking
– What is it?
• In general, social networking that uses
geographic services and technologies
allowing users to communicate and find
people with similar interests
Location-Based Social Networking
• How does it work?
– On mobile devices, applications utilize the mobile
network and GPS to identify the location of the
mobile device
– Mobile social networks often rely on texted
information or enabling of phone tracking
Location-Based Social Networking
• Popular Services and Mobile Applications
– Gowalla
– Foursquare
– Loopt
– Google Latitude
– Whrrl
– Twitter
– Brightkite
Location-Based Social Networking
• Terminology
– Location-tagging or geo-tagging
– Check-ins
– Location-Aware
Location-Based Social Networking
• Dangers
– Please Rob Me
• Website displayed, in real-time, status updates from
Foursquare users posting on their Twitter accounts
• Purpose of the website was not malicious, but to
educate people on the dangers of broadcasting their
personal lives
Threats from Chat
• Chat rooms
o Anonymous meeting
places
o Generally not filtered /
monitored
o May contain
inappropriate topics and
language
Threats from Chat
• Chat participants can
o “Go private”
o Integrate webcams
• Predators use Chat to make
contact with potential victims
• One in 25 youth Internet users
received a request for a sexual
picture of themselves during
the last year
Actual Chat Recorded by a Law
Enforcement Investigator in a
“Study group” chat room
Child (10:59:37 AM): hi
Bad Guy (10:59:44 AM): asl
Child (10:59:50 AM): 11/f/nm u?
Bad Guy (10:59:59 AM): 21/m that ok sweety
What does “asl” mean?
What does “11/f/nm” mean?
They are IM acronyms (examples
on next slide)
Examples of Chat Acronyms
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ASL: Age/Sex/Location
POS: Parent over shoulder
PIR: Parent in room
PAW: Parents are watching
PAL: Parents are listening
• KPC: Keeping parents clueless
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WYCM?: Will you call me
LMIRL: Let's meet in real life
KFY: Kiss for you
TDTM: Talk dirty to me
IWSN: I want sex now
NIFOC: Nude in front of
computer
AOL Online Acronym finder:
http://www.aim.com/acronyms.adp?aolp=0
NETLINGO.COM
Child (10:59:37 AM): hi
Bad Guy (10:59:44 AM): asl
Child (10:59:50 AM): 11/f/nm u?
Bad Guy (10:59:59 AM): 21/m that ok sweety
Child (11:00:19 AM): ya r u a dad?
Bad Guy (11:00:29 AM): yup u single?
Child (11:00:55 AM): ya
Bad Guy (11:01:02 AM): age matter to u
Child (11:01:10 AM): for wut?
Bad Guy (11:01:26 AM): for dating and mabey
sex
Child (11:01:46 AM): i guess not
Bad Guy (11:01:55 AM): would u date a dad?
Child (11:02:23 AM): r u nice?
Bad Guy (11:02:26 AM): yes
Bad Guy (11:02:46 AM): what u look like?
Child (11:03:26 AM): kinda brown blond hair
Bad Guy (11:03:33 AM): tan?
Child (11:04:05 AM): not yet in the summer
probly
Bad Guy (11:04:10 AM): u virgin?
Child (11:04:19 AM): yes
Bad Guy (11:04:29 AM): want to try sex
Child (11:04:39 AM): how?
Bad Guy (11:04:48 AM): ill visit u an f*** u
IM – another source of
communication
Gaming – yet another avenue
Online gaming a new tool for
child predators
The PlayStation, the Xbox 360 and now, the Wii, are all
games that can be played not just in your living room
but with people across the country though the internet.
VIDEO GAMES & INTERNET
CAPABLE CONSOLES
• Xbox, Xbox 360
•Xbox Live internet service
•Playstation 3
• Playstation Network
•Wii
•Wii + Internet
• PC, Mac, and internet-based
games
Online Gaming Case Study
Online Gaming: Parental Controls
• Parental Controls
– What games kids can play on & offline
– Who your kids can communicate with online
– Who can see friends lists and user profile
– Passwords or PIN numbers to lock parental
controls
– Restrictions on DVD & Blu-Ray playback, web
browsing, e-mail
Online Gaming: Resources
• Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)
• http://www.esrb.org/index-js.jsp
• Xbox
• www.xbox.com/en-US/support/familysettings/defualt.htm
• Playstation
• http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/3_15/basicoperati
ons/parentallock.html
• Wii
• http://www.nintendo.com/corp/parents.jsp
• World of Warcraft
• http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/faq/parentalcontrols.xml
Bullying
It’s not just on the school bus anymore
CYBER BULLYING …
What is Cyber-Bullying?
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A minor – but not always
Uses modern communications technology
To threaten, torment, intimidate, or
otherwise harass
Another minor
How Does Cyber-bullying Take
Place?
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Any communication medium can
be used
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Cell phones - texting
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Computers
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IMs
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Chat rooms
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Emails
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Social Networking websites
How Does Cyber-Bullying Take
Place?
What Makes Cyber-Bullying
Different?
Cyber-bullies can either conceal their identity or
pose as someone else altogether
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Kids often exchange passwords, making it
possible for the bully to be identified as someone
else
o Send emails, IMs, etc., with someone else’s
name in the “From” field
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Access another’s MySpace
What Makes Cyber-Bullying
Different?
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Cyber-Bullying is not face-to-face
bullying
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Can happen behind closed
doors - both the bully’s and
the victim’s
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Teachers, parents may never
know it has happened
unless the victim tells
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They don’t tell.
How Common is Cyber-Bullying?
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Recent phenomenon, figures are unclear
One study found that 32% of males and 36%
of females reported experiencing cyberbullying
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Of these, 5% feared for their safety
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Hinduja and Patchin, 2005 www.cyberbullying.us
Effects of Cyber-Bullying
Can be severe on the victim
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Withdrawal
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Depression
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Feeling of isolation
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Frustration
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Has been linked to violent
behavior, including
suicides
New Legislation HB 1523
 Pupil Safety & Violence Prevention Act
 Status:
 Passed by Senate: May 12, 2010
 Passed by House: May 15, 2010
 Requires schools to have policies in place against bullying,
cyber-bullying, harassment, intimidation, and retaliation
 Protects against cyber-bullying on and off school property, if
the conduct interferes with the student’s education or
substantially disrupts school operations
What Can You Do ?
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Don’t respond
Save messages
Notify Internet Provider
Block future messages
Notify parents
Report to school and law
enforcement
Real Life Cases of Cyber-Bullying
Real Life Cases of Cyber-Bullying
• In a case that sparked a massive outpouring of
anger and grief in South Hadley, MA, charges
have been brought against nine teenagers
believed to have bullied Irish native Phoebe
Prince, who committed suicide in January, just
prior to her death.
Real Life Cases of Cyber-Bullying
Real Life Cases of Cyber-Bullying
• Nine Massachusetts teens were recently
charged for driving a pretty 15-year-old "new
girl" from Ireland to suicide in a case that has
become a symbol of high school bullying.
Real Life Cases of Cyber-Bullying
• The sweeping charges - which came after
months of complaints that the bullies weren't
being punished - include statutory rape,
violation of civil rights with bodily injury,
criminal harassment and stalking.
Misuse of Digital Images
Cell phones, where you…
Text – Pictures – Internet – Music - Games
• Cell phones can give children portable,
unsupervised access to virtually unlimited
media, and to strangers.
o BIG PROBLEM: Many kids are taking
inappropriate pictures/videos of themselves
and sending to friends.
Video
What can you do?
• Some service providers offer parental controls, for example:
o The ability to set hours when phones can be used.
o The ability to disable text and picture messaging
o Block, limit, and/or monitor phone-based purchases.
• Monitor the monthly phone bill and online sites to view activity on
your child’s phone.
– Check out the time of day text and photos are sent and received.
• Ask your child to show you how pictures, video, and text messages
are created and accessed on their phone
Think before you hit send …
• Does the picture or video contain anything illegal,
dangerous, or embarrassing?
o Nude and embarrassing pictures sent to one
person have been forwarded to everyone in a
school and posted online.
o Fighting videos -- Teens have been convicted from
videos they posted
o Does it identify you?
o Check for revealing details such as a wide shot of
your home, a curb address, a license plate or a Tshirt with the logo for your school.
Think before you hit send (continued) …
• Does it violate anyone else’s privacy?
o You should at the very least get permission from people
who are in the picture or video. Especially if you have
captured someone doing something that is potentially
embarrassing.
• Are you ready to receive ALL comments?
o Comments online can be negative, rude, just plain mean.
Think before you hit send (continued) …
• Are you willing to give up ownership ?
o By forwarding or posting online you give up control of
where, when, and by whom the picture or video will be
viewed.
o Search engines are able to locate pictures almost as
effectively as words.
o Have your child imagine him/herself as a thirty year old with a job,
a family and, perhaps, political ambitions. Will this picture or video
still seem like a good idea?
Is it a crime?
• Forwarding/posting pictures of
minors engaging in sexual activity
may be prosecuted.
• RSA 649-A:2, Possessing, buying,
procuring, selling, providing,
exhibiting, etc. can be prosecuted as
a Class B felony for first time
offenders.
Tips to Help Parents Talk to Their
Kids About Sex and Technology
• Talk to your kids about what they are doing in cyberspace.
o Discuss online and cell phone activity
o Make sure they understand that messages and pictures they
send over the internet or phone are not private or
anonymous
• Know who your kids are communicating with
o Supervise and monitor the websites they visit and people
your kids are communicating with
Tips to Help Parents Talk to Their Kids
About Sex and Technology (cont’d)
o Limit the time your kids spend online and on the phone
o Consider telling your teen to leave their phone on the
kitchen counter when they’re at home
o Take the laptop out of their bedroom before they go to
bed, so they won’t be tempted to log on or talk to friends
in the middle of night
o Check out your teen’s MySpace, Facebook, and other
public online profiles
o Talk to them about their own ideas of what is public and
what is private
Report Inappropriate Activity
• If a child is in danger call 911
• If you suspect a crime has been committed
contact your local law enforcement agency
• Report child pornography or suspected
sexual abuse to the National Center for
Missing and Exploited Children
• http://www.missingkids.com/
A Final Note
• Pipl.com
– Free people search
– Produces links to profiles (facebook, myspace,
flickr, etc.)
– Locates your name in public records, birth
databases, and other resources
– Can find email addresses, former employers,
current employer, current and former residences
Resources
Connect with Your Kids website
http://www.connectwithyourkids.org
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
http://www.missingkids.com/
Microsoft guide to “Protect your family” online
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/family/
default.mspx
Resources
• http://www.kids.getnetwise.org/tools
• Federal Trade Commission
http://www.onguardonline.gov
• Non-profit, focused on protection of kids
online
– http://www.ileam.isafe.org
• http://www.staysafeonline.org
• http://www.cybersmartcurriculum.org
Contact Information
Department of Justice
Internet Crimes Unit
271-3671
Jacqueline.Rompre@doj.nh.gov
Allison.Vachon@doj.nh.gov
Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force
Portsmouth Police Department
603-427-1500