Goal

My goal is to educate young and old about the dangers that threaten our online safety and the measures that can be taken to protect the rights of everyone that ventures out into CyberSpace.

Social Networking

image taken from http://staffdev.henrico.k12.va.us/parents/images/network.jpg

What is SOCIAL NETWORKING??? 
Social networking is a way to seek a connection or bond with other people.  There are thousands of networking sites available, but the most popular are Facebook and MySpace.  Others include Beebo, Friendster, Picso, and Xanga.  Social networks provide free space to anyone who wants to share information about themselves and find others that share interests, hobbies, etc. 





http://technologytwitter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/10/social-networki.html



Tips to staying safe on a social networking site
  • think BEFORE you click 
  • password protect EVERYTHING and don't share with anyone
  • be very cautious when posting pictures and information
  • remember that online is REAL WORLD- everything that you put up is public
  • not everyone is who they pretend to be online- use the sites to socialize with friends... not strangers
information provided by http://staffdev.henrico.k12.va.us/parents/socnetwork.htm



The Risks associated with Social Networking...

** your information is there for all to see, forever

** your information could be used against you

** your information, pictures, etc. can be altered by people you may or may not know

** you could have your online identity stolen...  In a real life example- a mother, Lori Drew, went to trial after creating a fake online profile on a social networking site in order to bully her daughter's rival.  Read more about this story at http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/the_end_of_online_anonymity



**PC World states that a third of social networkers have at least three pieces of information posted on their pages that could lead to identity theft. Listed below are different types of data that a criminal can use to piece together your identity. 
  • Names
  • addresses
  • birth dates
  • mothers' maiden names
  • kids' names
  • pets' names
  • phone numbers   
"Social networkers are simply making it too easy for thieves." states Robert Siciliano Identity theft speaker
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/


Scary Statistics
  • 80% of people polled are worried about privacy issues on social networking sites yet...
  • 60% are unaware of what their privacy setting are and who can see their information
  • 1/3  of social networkers admit that they use the same password for all of their networking accounts
  • 74% of social networkers divulge personal information
  • 17% of adults and 55% of children know the person who stole their identity online
http://www.identitytheft.com/article/social_networking


Links to reporting Social Networking concerns:












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