{"id":521,"date":"2012-04-27T19:45:03","date_gmt":"2012-04-28T03:45:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/internetsafety.trendmicro.com\/?p=521"},"modified":"2012-04-27T19:45:03","modified_gmt":"2012-04-28T03:45:03","slug":"how-to-teach-kids-to-steer-clear-of-cybercrime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/blog\/how-to-teach-kids-to-steer-clear-of-cybercrime\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Teach Kids to Steer Clear of Cybercrime"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"\/internet-safety\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/LynetteOwens_Trend_bw_edit1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-493\" title=\"LynetteOwens_Trend_bw_edit\" src=\"\/internet-safety\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/LynetteOwens_Trend_bw_edit1-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a>By Lynette Owens<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<em>This is the 3<sup>rd<\/sup> in our &#8220;10 for 10&#8221; weekly series of online safety and digital literacy tips.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0Hackers.\u00a0 Spammers.\u00a0 Identity Thieves.\u00a0 These are not words that elicit the level of concern and emotion that bullying, sexting, or online predators do when kids are involved.\u00a0 But as someone who has worked in the security industry for over a decade and with the lens of a parent and Internet safety advocate, I can tell you that your kids (and you) are more likely to encounter the work of cybercriminals than possibly any of the other risks we talk about in the world of online safety.<\/p>\n<p>While kids are not necessarily the target of such crimes (except in cases of child identity theft), cybercriminals set up their elaborate traps where many people are, to increase the likelihood of succeeding in their deception.\u00a0 Social networks, mobile app stores, popular websites, gaming downloads, and even texts \u2013 the places where young people spend most of their time online \u2013 are not entirely cybercrime-free.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also important to note that this is not limited to PCs or Windows devices.\u00a0 It happens on Android phones and Mac computers, too (as evidenced by the recent Apple <a href=\"http:\/\/news.cnet.com\/8301-1009_3-57412156-83\/apple-working-on-flashback-removal-tool\/\">Flashback hack<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>The goal of cybercriminals can be anything from getting you to download software that spies on what you\u2019re doing, steals your personal information, or takes over your system along with thousands of others to deliver spam (because they get paid by a 3<sup>rd<\/sup> party to send it) or take down a website on their behalf.\u00a0 There are many more methods, but too many to enumerate.\u00a0 Any one of them could be its own blog post (or two).<\/p>\n<p>Here are just a few of the ways that kids could fall for the tricks of cybercriminals:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Search engine <\/span>links.\u00a0 Typically when something big happens in the world \u2013 breaking news, a long-awaited movie, the latest iPhone or video game \u2013 we rush to the web to find out more.\u00a0 Finding information on a search engine like Google is a great way to get the information you\u2019re looking for fast.\u00a0 Cybercriminals pay attention to these types of events and set up camp right in the midst of the results of your search.\u00a0 They\u2019ll create fake but legitimate-looking websites that mimic a site that would likely have the information you\u2019re looking for, and will make sure that when you search, their link is one of the first you\u2019ll see and hopefully click.\u00a0 By going to these links, you might be further tricked into downloading something you never intended to, or your system could be infected by malicious software simply by visiting the link.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Enticing offers.<\/span>\u00a0 Kids might be drawn to online offers for popular products, movies, music, or games which cybercriminals offer using cleverly designed tactics to get kids to click, download, or enter personal information for the chance to get their hands on one of these things.\u00a0 Sometimes the offers are sent via text, as a fake \u201clike\u201d that one of their friends supposedly posted on their Facebook stream, or as an ad that looks like a game so they will click on it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Fake mobile apps.<\/span>\u00a0 With the enormous popularity of apps, it\u2019s no surprise criminals have found a way to wiggle onto smart phones by creating false versions of popular, legitimate apps.\u00a0 In the app stores, it\u2019s sometimes tough to tell which ones might be fake because they\u2019re disguised so well.\u00a0 TrendLabs researchers most recently discovered false versions of the popular photo app Instagram and the newly released Angry Birds Space gaming app on the Android app store.\u00a0 These fake apps can be designed to do numerous things (such as get you to give up personal info or download malicious software onto your phone).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Tips<\/span><\/p>\n<p>One very important first step is to use reputable security software on any device that connects to the Internet, and to keep it updated.<\/p>\n<p>However, cybercriminals use many, constantly changing tactics, so in addition\u00a0to using security technology,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0important to be aware and educated about the issues, too.<\/p>\n<p>Here is some basic guidance to give your kids:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Practice thinking critically<\/strong> about the things you read, post, and download.\u00a0 Not everything you come across online is necessarily as it might appear.\u00a0 Take the time to consider this before you do anything online.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Stick to well-known websites and online services<\/strong> for downloading music, games, or movies.\u00a0 If you\u2019re unsure if a site is fake or safe, it\u2019s best not to visit it.\u00a0 Or ask your parents or other adult before visiting it.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Choose online passwords that are not easy for someone to figure out<\/strong>.\u00a0 Pick a word or phrase that mixes letters, numbers, symbols, uppercase and lower case letters to make it as strong as possible.\u00a0 Don\u2019t use the same password for every site or service.\u00a0 One way is to come up with a pattern and change 1-2 characters in the pattern for each site or service you use a password for.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use privacy settings<\/strong> wherever they are available and use the strongest level possible.\u00a0 And resist sharing personal information online such as home address, phone number, birth date in emails, texts, blogs, or social network updates.\u00a0 Even with privacy settings, anything you post can still be shared by those who see it, so think before you say or do anything online.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Be wary of offers.<\/strong> If you get a text or email, see an odd update from a friend on your Facebook wall, get a direct message in Twitter from someone you don\u2019t know, or see a web banner about an offer that seems too good to be true, it probably is.\u00a0 Trust your instincts. Don\u2019t\u2019 fall for it. \u00a0Just ignore, report as spam, and delete it.<\/li>\n<li><strong>If you need to enter personal information online<\/strong>, enter the least amount necessary.\u00a0 Make sure the website begins with \u201chttps\u201d (not http) which is more secure.\u00a0 Also look for information at the bottom of the webpage verifying that the site is secure or has been verified by an outside party to be secure.<\/li>\n<li><strong>If you think you may have done something wrong<\/strong> and may have fallen for a cybercriminal\u2019s trick, let your parent or other adult know so they can check and fix things if necessary.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>For the most part, having up-to-date security software and sticking to the basics above will keep you and your kids safe from most cybercriminal behavior.\u00a0 However, with new Internet-connected devices arriving so frequently, cybercriminals have greater opportunities to fool us.\u00a0 The more aware and educated we are as a community, the less they will be able to succeed.<\/p>\n<p>Below are more helpful resources, information and tools:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/cloud-content\/us\/pdfs\/home\/brochures\/br_webthreats_safety.pdf\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The Basics of Web Threats<\/span><\/a> \u2013 a glossary and safety guide<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"\/internet-safety\/this-school-year-help-kids-with-the-safe-responsible-use-of-social-networks\">Staying Safe on Social Networks<\/a><\/span>\u00a0&#8211; security tips from Trend Micro<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.fbparents.com\/\">A Parents\u2019 Guide to Facebook<\/a> \u2013 by Connectsafely<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"\/internet-safety\/wp-admin\/housecall.trendmicro.com\">Housecall online<\/a><\/span>\u2013 scan your PC or Mac and clean it iup if it\u2019s been infected\u00a0&#8211; FREE<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/housecall.trendmicro.com\/mobile\/\">Housecall for Android<\/a> &#8211; FREE<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/us\/home\/products\/mobile-security\/android\/index.html\">Trend Micro Mobile Security<\/a> \u2013 security protection for Android phones<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>This includes the industry\u2019s first app scanning technology, which lets you know if an app is fake\/malicious or safe to download<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/free.antivirus.com\/smart-surfing-for-iphone\/\">Trend Micro Smart Surfing Mobile<\/a> \u2013 will prevent you from visiting hacked\/fake websites on iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) &#8212; FREE<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/us\/home\/products\/titanium\/max-security\/index.html\">Trend Micro Titanium<\/a>\u00a0&#8212; full scale security protection for your PC<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/us\/home\/smart-surfing\/index.html\">Safe Surfing for the Mac<\/a>\u00a0&#8212; full scale security protection for your Mac<\/p>\n<p>For great updates on cybercrime scams, spam, and hacks visit <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.trendmicro.com\/\">TrendLabs Malware blog<\/a> or follow them on Twitter @TrendLabs<\/p>\n<p>Follow Lynette on Twitter @lynettetowens<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hackers.  Spammers.  Identity Thieves.  These are not words that elicit the level of concern and emotion that bullying, sexting, or online predators do when kids are involved.  But your kids (and you) are more likely to encounter the work of cybercriminals than possibly any of the other risks we talk about in the world of online safety.<\/p>\n<p>While kids are not necessarily the target of such crimes, cybercriminals set up their elaborate traps where many people are, to increase the likelihood of succeeding in their deception.  Social networks, mobile app stores, popular websites, gaming downloads, and even texts \u2013 the places where young people spend most of their time online \u2013 are not entirely cybercrime-free.<\/p>\n<p>The goal of cybercriminals can be anything from getting you to download software that spies on what you\u2019re doing, steals your personal information, or takes over your system along with thousands of others to deliver spam or take down a website on their behalf. <\/p>\n<p>There are many more methods, too many to enumerate.  But here are just a few of the ways that kids could fall for the tricks of cybercriminals and what you can teach them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[13,70,47,5,48,66,25,10,55,12],"class_list":["post-521","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-for-parents","category-for-teachers","tag-cell-phones","tag-cybercriminals","tag-digital-literacy","tag-internet-safety","tag-media-literacy","tag-mobile","tag-online-privacy","tag-online-safety","tag-security","tag-social-networking","wpautop"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/521","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=521"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/521\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=521"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=521"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}