The Digital Sheepdog | Personal Protection Systems Inc

The Snapchat App

Tue, 08 May 2012 21:48:54 -0700

Welcome to what I like to call (at times) the digital “wild wild west”, when it comes to the use of technology, and how quickly our youth will sometimes assimilate it into their lives without thinking critically about consequences to actions. The mobile world is exploding in usage, especially with our youth, as are the App’s that are being downloaded on their mobile devices. Recently an app called “Snapchat” (http://www.snapchat.me /) has been released and is now available for “FREE” in the iTunes store for the iTouch, iPad and iPhone.

According to the developers of Snapchat:

“ Real-time picture chatting is finally available on iPhone! Snapchat is the fastest way to share a moment with friends. With Snapchat you control how long your friends can view your message, simply set the timer up to ten seconds and send. They’ll have that long to view your message and then it disappears forever. We’ll let you know if they take a screenshot! Build relationships, collect points, and view your best friends. Snapchat is instantly fun and insanely playful. Show your friends how clever you can be and enjoy the lightness of being.”

What Can A Creeper See On Your Facebook Timeline Page

Fri, 04 May 2012 14:30:53 -0700

Although the feedback from the more that 65,000 students that I have presented to is that they really don’t like the new Facebook Timeline, one cool feature of this new product is the ability of the user to see exactly how your Facebook Timeline and personal information appears to others. You can essentially proxy in as a stranger, or anyone with whom you're friends with, to see what they see on your TImeline page utilizing the “view as” button.

Step One:

On your Timeline home page, look for the cog icon, located on the left side of your page and just under the wide banner picture and just to the right of the “Activity Log” box. Click on the arrow. Next click on “View As”

Step Two:

After you click the “View As” link it will take you to this box that will appear at the top of the page:

Step Three:

Click on the blue “public” hyperlink at which time you will be able to see what information the general public (or a creeper) can see on your Timeline page

Step Four:

Mobile Smartphone Monitoring

Thu, 03 May 2012 14:43:37 -0700

In our Internet and Social Media Safety presentations, a common question asked by parents, “Is there any software monitoring/filtering solutions for mobile smartphones that you would recommend?” The answer is “yes”, we recommend a product called “Phonesheriff”.

Phonesheriff allows the parent to:

· Monitor all in coming and our going content including, SMS texts, pictures and video

· Allows website and app blocking

· Allows the blocking of specific phone numbers

· Allows remote locking and tracking of the phone

· Sends an alert text message to the parent if the child changes the SIM card

· Allows “time-specific” activity blocking such as times when no calls or SMS texts are allowed.

Phonesheriff allows the parent to remotely view their child’s activity via a secure online account, which is accessible by the parent from anywhere in the world using a username and password you create. Once the Phonesheriff software has been downloaded, it will immediately begin filtering and uploading logs from your child’s phone. There's no easier way to monitor the mobile activities of your children

Sextortion

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:24:41 -0700

Sextortion

As an internet and social media safety advocate, as well as a law enforcement professional, I am well aware of the dangers and consequences of sexting, which I share with students in our Internet and Social Media Safety Presentation for schools. One of the unintended consequences of posting or texting sexualized pictures…..they will not likely stay private and because of this fact, these same pictures could be used for the criminal purposes of “extortion”, or what we in the Internet and Social Media safety industry call “sextortion”.

In May 2010, Ryan Earl McCann, who was 20 years old at the time of his crime, socially engineered over 20 young women on-line in the Province of Ontario, where he tricked these young women into performing sexually explicit acts in front of their web-cams. Unknown to these young women, McCann was recording everything they were doing, which he later used to extort them with. McCann advised all these young women that if they did not further perform further sex acts for him on-line; he would release his recordings and invite all their friends on their social networks to come and have a look.

Cell Phones, Smartphones, PDA's

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:10:46 -0700

Cell Phones/Smartphones/PDA’s

Some interesting statistics specific to cell phones/Smartphone/PDA’s:

Cell phones, which have under 30 years in existence, are one of the most rapid developing technologies the world has ever known, which was estimated to have reached the 4 billion mark by the end of 2008.

The mobile phone is now approaching the functionality of a computer, yet unlike a computer, it remains by its owner’s side, powered up 24/7.

Cell phones are no longer just a phone, it is a multimedia tool used for social communication. Users can interact with music, pictures, videos, games, Internet, email, text messaging and so much more every day.

In Canada, young people between 13-24yrs are the largest target group of wireless phone users in our country.

52% of Canadian youth have their own wireless phone.

Cell phones in all their shapes, sizes, and capabilities are the new techno gadget must have for our Internet savvy youth, who are looking at ways to stay connected with their peers. Unlike cell phones of old where you could only send or receive a call, today’s cell phones can allow a user to:

· Make and receive voice calls and access voice mail.

· Download and play music.

· Download and play games.

· Browse the Internet.

· Manage contacts and calendars.

· Send and receive text messages (SMS text).

· Send and receive email.

· Video/voice conference.

· Push-to-talk two way radio communications.

· Take, send, and receive pictures and play video files.

· Use it as a recording device

· Use it as a calculator

· Use it as a compass

· Use it to read books, magazines, and newspapers

· Use it as a backup digital device

23 Of The Most Popular Social Networking Scams

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 10:49:24 -0700

Here are 23 of the most popular Social Networking Scams to be aware of:

1. Profile Viewers and Profile Blockers: These scams promise to show you who has been looking at your profile or who has blocked you from theirs. NONE of these apps work. Facebook doesn’t give the developers access to the data required to create them.

2. Free iPads & iPhones: Don’t be fooled by messages stating you can test and keep an iPad, iPhone etc. These are all marketing gimmicks.

3. Free Facebook Credits: This scam is targeted for the gamers on Facebook. Credits are used to purchase items in Farmville, Cityville, etc. Credits cost real money and you aren’t going to receive a large sum of them for free.

4. Free Items, Gift Cards, Credits & Tickets: If it sounds too good to be true, then you can be sure that it is on Facebook! You aren’t going to get free airline tickets, Subway or Starbucks gift cards or a Facebook hoodie just by completing a survey. Scammers are promising free 1,000 or 2,000 credits if you click on the page they provide. Using fake testimonials, they lure people into clicking on three-four consecutive pages and fill some surveys. That is the trick. They are getting paid as affiliates to have those surveys done. Indeed, at the end of the survey, there are no free points, either.  

Reality Based Internet and Social Media Safety Education…….

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 23:57:03 -0700

A By-Product Of “Reality Based” Internet and Social Media Safety Education

Becoming a “Digital White Hatter”

Over the past eighteen months of presenting our Internet and Social Media Safety program to more than 65,000 Jr and Sr high-school students in the province of British Columbia, as well as to hundreds of educators and parents, it is amazing how this program has now morphed into something more. Not only has our program become a trusted resource for reality based Internet and Social Media safety education, we have now also become a “social outreach” resource, or what we like to call a “Digital White Hatter”, for these same students, teachers and parents who connect with us directly looking for:

help given that they are being targeted for digital peer aggression in all its forms.

help with sexting that has gone wrong

help with on-line drama

help with security challenges surrounding social networks and how to strengthen these challenges

help with protecting their digital dossier

help with on-line identity theft and other criminal matters

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that our program would have the effect that it has had, and that it would change the lives of so many students. As of the writing of this posting, we have saved 19 young people who were either:

contemplating suicide as an option because of digital peer aggression or sexting gone wrong challenges,

were actually in the process of committing suicide because of digital peer aggression or sexting gone wrong challenges, or

were “self cutting” as a coping mechanism given the emotional and psychological challenges surrounding digital peer aggression.

All 19 students reached out to us for help on-line, after hearing our school presentation, and in each and every case we were able to help.

Social Spam

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 19:46:41 -0700

Social Spam

Being involved in law enforcement for the past 26yrs has given me some insight into the criminal element. The criminal, although a lazy animal, is very astute to preying upon human behavior, such as curiosity, utilizing the art of “Social Engineering”. Just like the real world, the cyber criminal is now turning to the same techniques on-line that prey upon human behavior and cyber habituation. One such social engineering precept; if a message is received from a known “friend”, a user is more likely to click on a link, picture or video.

When email first became popular, so was the junk mail (spam) that came with it. The goal of spam was to trick us into clicking on a link that pretended to be something else, when in fact it was malware covertly designed to either steal our personal information or take control of our computer.

Today with the popularity of Social Networking, we are now seeing an increase in what is being called “social spam”. Recently, Facebook advised that social spam is growing more rapidly than their user base. It is because of this fact, that Facebook has created spam-fighting teams that are dedicated full time to this new threat.

Is Our Privacy Being App'd

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:57:19 -0700

“Is Our Privacy Being App’d”

Things That Make You Go Hmmmmmm

According to Robinson Partner Research, the “App” world was a 20 million dollar industry in 2011. An App, being nothing more than a piece of digital software, has changed the way that we purchase programs for computers, slates and phones. In years gone by, we would purchase software at a local computer store and then download it onto our device when we got home. Today, all we need to do is click a little button on sites like Facebook, iTunes or the Android store, and then magically within seconds it appears on our device ready for use. Although some of these Apps come with a monetary cost, many can also be downloaded for free. What some users do not understand however........ many of the Apps that we are downloading, especially those that are free, come with a cost; that being the collection and then the distribution and sale of our personal information to third party vendors who want to sell us stuff. Some of the personal information that these Apps are collecting include (this is not an exhaustive list):

Top 50 Internet Acronyms That Every Parent Should Know

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 09:45:34 -0700

Thanks to our friends at Netlingo, here is a list of the top 50 Internet acronyms that every parent should know. Head over to Netlingo it is truely the Rosetta Stone for parents when it comes to decyphering Interne chat.

Top 50 Internet Acronyms Parents Need to Know:

8 - Oral sex
1337 - Elite -or- leet -or- L337
143 - I love you
182 - I hate you
1174 - Nude club
420 - Marijuana
459 - I love you
ADR - Address
AEAP - As Early As Possible
ALAP - As Late As Possible
ASL - Age/Sex/Location
CD9 - Code 9 - it means parents are around
C-P - Sleepy
F2F - Face-to-Face
GNOC - Get Naked On Cam
GYPO - Get Your Pants Off
HAK - Hugs And Kisses
ILU - I Love You
IWSN - I Want Sex Now
J/O - Jerking Off
KOTL - Kiss On The Lips
KFY -or- K4Y - Kiss For You
KPC - Keeping Parents Clueless
LMIRL - Let's Meet In Real Life
MOOS - Member Of The Opposite Sex
MOSS - Member(s) Of The Same Sex
MorF - Male or Female
MOS - Mom Over Shoulder
MPFB - My Personal F*** Buddy
NALOPKT - Not A Lot Of People Know That
NIFOC - Nude In Front Of The Computer
NMU - Not Much, You?
P911 - Parent Alert
PAL - Parents Are Listening
PAW - Parents Are Watching
PIR - Parent In Room
POS - Parent Over Shoulder -or- Piece Of Sh**
pron - porn
Q2C - Quick To Cum
RU/18 - Are You Over 18?
RUMORF - Are You Male OR Female?
RUH - Are You Horny?
S2R - Send To Receive
SorG - Straight or Gay
TDTM - Talk Dirty To Me
WTF - What The F***
WUF - Where You From
WYCM - Will You Call Me?
WYRN - What's Your Real Name?
zerg - To gang up on someone

Darren

The Digital Sheepdog

Canadian Bill C-30 "Child Predator Protection Act

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:42:16 -0700

There has been lots of healthy and heated discussion on Bill C-30 here in Canada. Many of those who disagree with the Bill, believe that it gives far too much power to the police to invade our on-line privacy in the name of child protection. As a police officer and a child/ Internet safety advocate, I believe that this Bill is needed to protect our children. The only new power that this Bill provides police, is the ability to obtain an IP owner's name and address without warrant from an Internet Service Provider, where the police can show that the owner of an IP address is using their computer to distribute child pornography. Contrary to what some detractors believe, this Bill does not give police the ability to have a look at your on-line search habits or history; police will still require a warrant to do this. Here's a great clip that aired on the show "Context" with Lorna Dueck that looks deeper into Bill C-30, and contains comments and opinions from a variety of different stakeholders.

How To Untag A Picture In Facebook.

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:19:45 -0700

For those who are concerned about questionable pictures that may be tagged with your name in Facebook, that could come back to haunt you when it comes to a future job or getting into a university, here's a link from Mashable.com that walks you through a step-by-step process to untag a picture, and how to set your FB security settings to prevent future tagging by others without your permission.

http://mashable.com/2012/03/18/how-to-untag-facebook-photos/#535051-Unwanted-Photo-Tags

Darren

The Digital Sheepdog

How To Lock Your iPhone, Android or Blackberry Mobile Phone

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:21:49 -0700

iPhone:

Tap “Settings”
Tap “General”
Tap “Passcode Lock”
Tap “Turn Passcode On”
Enter in a four digit password
Re-enter to confirm password

Android Phone:

Go to apps.
Scroll down and tap "Settings"
Tap "Security"
Tap "Change Screen Lock"

BlackBerry (RIM):

Scroll down through your apps, Go to "Options."
Scroll down to "Security" option and press.
Click on "Password."
Set a password using the "Set Password" button and then check the "Enable" box.

Darren

The Digital Sheepdog

"Peeked Interest": Things That Make You Go Hmmmmmm…

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 02:42:17 -0700

Today a site called Peeked Interest (www.peekedinterest.com) was brought to my attention, and I was asked what I thought about it as an Internet and Social Media safety advocate/expert. Being unaware of this specific Social Network, I decided to do my research first.

I learned from the two creators (a current University of British Columbia student and a University of Victoria graduate), that the genesis of Peeked Interest came about in 2011, as a result of friends talking about how cool it would be to have a site where you could post “candid”, and at times covert photographs on-line of people that you would like to meet person-to-person, in the hopes that the person in the picture would then connect with you at a later date once they saw (or learned) that their picture had been posted by you on-line at Peeked Interest. Here’s a CBC radio interview with one of the creators http://www.cbc.ca/earlyedition/ (scroll down and look for the March 15th “Peeked Interest clip).

I next had a look at Peeked Interest’s “Terms Of Use” and “Privacy” pages, and “some” of the information I read caught my interest:

Cyberbullying/Digital Peer Aggression: Do Schools Have A Part To Play.

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:35:05 -0700

Do Schools Have A Part To Play ?:

A group of elementary school students in Pickering Ontario in 2008 apologized for posting a video on YouTube mocking a schoolmate who had suffered a stroke. A fourteen year old student at Saskatoon’s E.D. Feehan High School found a video on the Internet that showed herself being beaten up. In Burlington Ontario, students are alleged to have set up a website called “davenightisgay” that asked participants to write what they thought of Dave Knight; students posted hundreds of anonymous abusive messages on the site, and the seventeen year old student’s family brought a lawsuit against the school board, administration and the alleged ringleaders. In 2007, nineteen students at Robert F Hall Catholic School in Caledon East Ontario were suspended after posting sexually explicit, derogatory and demeaning remarks about their principal. The school took the position that these students’ actions violated the school’s “Code of Conduct”.

Often I will hear school officials, parents and even students state that if the cyberbullying does not take place on school grounds, or if it takes place outside of the school’s jurisdiction, then the school has no part to play in dealing with the issue. To put it simply; parents, students, and even some teachers believe that schools do not have the right to intervene when the cyberbullying takes place on a home computer or cell phone off school property. Canadian jurisprudence cannot be any clearer on this issue. In her excellent book “Confronting Cyber-Bullying” Canadian Internet legal expert Dr Shaheen Shariff states:

Cyberbullying/ Digital Peer Aggression

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:26:09 -0700

What Is Cyberbullying/Digital Peer Aggression:

Cyberbullying is a form of on-line peer aggression that is delivered in a high tech way to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an individual or group that is intended to harm others emotionally, psychologically, and even physically.

Although traditional bullying has really only affected our youth while at, or traveling to and from school, modern technology has now enabled those who bully to extend their reach of peer aggression no matter where the intended target may be located. As Dr Hinduja and Dr Patchin stated in their excellent book on the topic, “Bullying, Beyond the Schoolyard”:

“While power in traditional bullying might be physical (stature) or social (wit or popularity), on-line power may simply stem from proficiency with or the knowledge or possession of some content (information, pictures, or video) that can be used to inflict harm. Anyone with any of these characteristics or possessions within a certain on-line context has power, which can be wielded through some form of cyberbullying. Indeed, anyone who can utilize technology in a way that allows them to mistreat others is in a position of power, at least at that moment, relative to the target of the attack.”

Sexting: The Who What Where Why and How

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 09:17:46 -0700

What is Sexting:

Sexting is the act of sending sexually explicit text messages, images, or video of yourself, usually from one cell phone or computer, to another person’s cell phone or computer. According to a survey conducted by Wired Magazine and MTV, 1/3 of youth interviewed stated that they had engaged in some form of sexting. In a survey conducted by AK Tweens, 30% of girls between the ages of 9-15 years reported having sent sexually explicit messages or photos via a text, and 44% of teens interviewed stated that it is common for sexts to be shared with someone other than the intended recipient.

Although it may be seem to be fun and risky for our youth to send sexy pictures to a boyfriend/girlfriend in a new relationship, what about when that relationship ends, can that same person be trusted not to send those images to others?

What many youth do not understand is that even if these sexts are deleted, the sexually explicit messages, images, or video can become permanent in the cyberspace world, which can come back to haunt them emotionally, psychologically, and even physically later on in life.

A Social Network's "Profile" Or "Info" Page: A Virtual Digital Goldmine For The Creeper

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 11:46:03 -0800

A Social Network’s “Profile” or “Info” Page.....A Virtual Digital Goldmine For The Creeper

I think Social Networking is cool, never in the history of human kind have we been so connected with one another as we are today all because of this thing called Social Networking. With this connectivity, we have created a digital global community in which we have become active digital citizens. With Social Networking however, has come a digital by-product that psychologists call the “disinhibition effect”; which basically means that we are more likely to share and do things on-line that we would not normally do face-to-face in the real world. One of these digital by-products is the sharing of Too Much Information (TMI) about ourselves with others on-line.

As an Internet and Social Media safety advocate, one of the things that I do before I present at a school is to “creep” the student population weeks before I actually present. Using a variety of social engineering techniques, more often than not, I usually get “friended” by students believing that I am a 15yr old girl. Once friended, I now have full access to their social networks and the information contained therein.

The Internet Predator Part III

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 11:25:09 -0800

Social Engineering (Human Hacking): How The Predator Gains Information:

Social Engineering is how an Internet predator will use personal information that they data harvest on-line about you, to use to their advantage for criminal, personal, sexual, or financial benefit. Often this information is obtained from Chat Room dialogues, Social Networks, Blogs and search engines such as Google or www.pipl.com . In an interesting 2011 article from one of the largest Internet security companies in the world, AVG, reported that on-line users are more than “four times likely to come into contact with social engineering tactics as opposed to a site serving up an I.T. exploit. Why because criminals know that humans are usually the weakest link in the security chain”. As an example of how an Internet Predator will Social Engineer a Social Network, here is a fictitious Profile that has “TMI” (internet chat abbreviation for “Too Much Information”) that was posted on the MSNBC web site as a learning tool

The Internet Predator Part II

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 11:21:54 -0800

The Grooming Process and Building Rapport

Many Internet predators, especially sexual predators, will engage in a grooming process. The primary goal of the grooming process is to build rapport and make the potential target feel comfortable with him, in the hope that you will want to meet him face to face at some later time. It is not uncommon that once a potential target has been identified, the predator will often play the waiting game, and work long periods of time in order to build rapport.

Although hard to identify, they can be anyone, the Internet predator will often follow a standardized grooming process that looks similar to the following:

The predator will often “Stealth”, “Chicken Hawk”, or “Creep” chat rooms and social networks to gain information on a potential target, through information contained in the target’s profile and actual chat room text messaging content.

Once the predator has gained the information needed to build rapport with their intended target, they will initiate contact in the Chat Room or social network.

At some point in the Chat Room interaction, the predator will ask their target to P2P (person to person chat) or “whisper”. Why? Because the predator wants to cut their prey from the herd for privacy.

Once the predator and target have whispered for a while, the predator will often ask the target to engage in a conventional e-mail relationship, which will allow for a longer and more private relationship without having to log into a Chat Room, thus further increasing anonymity. It is also at this point that the predator will request that you tell no one about your interaction with them.

Often after a prolonged e-mail relationship, the predator will now request a conventional phone conversation, again to build rapport, with the ultimate goal of having a private face-to-face meeting with you.

If the goal is not a face-to-face meet, but rather inappropriate sexual behavior on-line (often known as cybersex), the predator will very slowly break down sexual barriers.

It is not uncommon that the predator will “test the waters” by introducing sexual language and content into conversations.

As their target become desensitized to this sexual language, they may start to send sexual pictures/video (sometimes of them) based upon an incremental process.

Once their target is hooked, and they sense that their target is withdrawing from a conversation, they may start to use threats (cyber bullying) such as sending pictures, video, and text messaging that you were involved in with him, to parents and friends.

Often during the grooming process, the predator will use a variety of rapport “lures” to hook their intended prey. Some of these lures include:

“Let’s go P2P or Whisper”. Here they want no witnesses.

“Where’s your computer in your house?” Here they want to know if parents are potentially watching.

“Who are your favorite band, movie, and designer?” Here information obtained can assist in building rapport based upon similar interests.

“I know someone who can get you a modeling job.” This is an ego boosting lure their goal is to make you feel special.

“I know a fast way that you can earn some money.” Usually through web cam pornography that the predator will say offers some anonymity. Just have a look at how many voyeur sites are now available on-line.

“You seem so sad; tell me what’s happening in your life.” The sympathy lure. They are good at the “listening game”.

“What’s your phone number?” This usually happens later in the grooming process, but once obtained, can reveal where you are located and in some cases, using Internet 411 technology, can reveal your actual address.

“If you do not do what I ask, I will tell your parents, or post your picture(s) in a Blog, web cam directory, or file-sharing network.” Classic threat lure.

“You are the love of my life.” Sure you are!!!!

In May 2010, Ryan Earl McCann, 20, was convicted and given an 8 year prison sentence in the Province of Ontario for socially engineering 22 young women, some as young as 14 years, for luring/grooming them to perform demeaning sexual acts on-line under the threat of physical violence or the public on-line release of Chat/video that the youth had participated in with him. McCann would initially chat (groom) with his victims on Facebook (after being invited in as a friend) or in MSN Messenger. McCann would have these young women remove their clothing, sexually touch themselves and perform simulate sex acts all under duress. McCann was known by the courts and the media as the Webcam Puppeteer, because of his ability to socially engineer his victims, and make them sexually do what he wanted them to do in front of their webcam for himself and others to see.