A new infographic by BackgroundCheck does an excellent job of highlighting the issues surrounding requests for access to personal social networking sites by employers, would-be employers, government agencies, law enforcement, colleges and other groups. Check it out:
Linda
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Linda's Blog | Tagged: ACLU, Bill of Rights, Facebook, Linda Criddle, Privacy, Social Networking | 
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Posted by Linda Criddle
You’ve seen CAPCHA’S – Completely Automated Public Turing Test to Tell Computers and Humans Apart – on plenty of websites, the words are scrambled, twisted, wavy, or embellished with lines, wiggles , (even overlaid with images of cats), and are designed to be decipherable by humans, yet block automated programs from getting into websites.
The problem is that all too often they’re NOT decipherable. You’ve probably cursed the darn things on numerous occasions as you fail – repeatedly – to figure out the characters and are presented with a new set of largely indecipherable options.
If you’re among the millions frustrated with wiggles and dots, take heart. I’ve recently seen very cool security checks that allow you to pass the ‘human’ test by applying basic logic. AMEN!
In the example shown below, users are asked to identify a number in a sequence based on instructions, and it was such a pleasant experience that I’m recommending companies switch methods. The key is to have infinite number of variables, some spelled, some shown numerically so a automated system can’t simply recognize a few options.
Is it possible an advanced scripted program could figure out the logic? Probably. But there are additional tests that can be performed to identify non-humans by their interactions on a site, and that don’t put humans through visual contortions.
Whoever thought of this alternative is brilliant.
Linda
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Posted by Linda Criddle
Today the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Ad Council have launched a new campaign to discourage teens – and all drivers – from texting while driving. This campaign, and those like it, are vital elements in reducing the number of tragic deaths and injuries caused by distracted drivers.
However, campaigns alone will not solve the problem. Stiffer fines, laws, and penalties will not alone solve the problem. What we need is a cultural shift making texting while driving an unacceptable behavior, and for that to happen every single person has a clear role to play. Please play your role.
Here are some of the resources made available to consumers through this STOP THE TEXTS. STOP THE WRECKS. campaign:
This campaign has partnered with the U.S Department of Transportation who created the excellent Distraction.gov materials.
Also check out the following blogs:
Linda
Comments Off | Linda's Blog | Tagged: distracted driving, Driving, Linda Criddle, safety, stop the texts. Stop the wrecks., Teens, Texting | Permalink
Posted by Linda Criddle
This infographic by ReversePhoneLookup.org has some great data points – including the sobering stat that 16% of consumers who create passwords still use a person’s first name – but I especially like their 9 tips for staying secure online.
Check it out:
Linda
Comments Off | Linda's Blog | Tagged: data privacy, ecommerce, Linda Criddle, Online Security, passwords, Privacy, reversephonelookup.org, Security | Permalink
Posted by Linda Criddle
At the start of the month, in what was the largest attack on the Apple OS to date, a beleaguered Apple released two security patches to address flaws in their Java code that had enabled malware to infect over 600,000 computers. According to Symantec, in just 2 weeks consumers downloading the security patches dropped the number of infected computers from 600,000 to 140,000, where it seems to have stagnated. Symantec urges consumers that suspect their Mac has been infected with OSX.Flashback.K, to install the latest patches, and ensure that your antivirus is up to date.
But the problem doesn’t end there as a new variant has sprung up. Sound familiar? It should. Apple has grown in relevance to now face the same frustrations as the Windows platform – fix a hole and watch hackers find a new angle.
On April 23rd, the New York Times reported that “researchers at Intego, another computer security firm, discovered that a new variant of the malware, called Flashback.S, continued to spread through the same Java vulnerability. Security researchers said the variant was “actively being distributed in the wild” and noted that the malware deletes traces of itself on victims’ machines to avoid detection.
Today (April 24th) the Wall Street Journal reported that security firm Sophos released new research that analyzed “100,000 Mac computers running its free anti-virus software, and discovered that one in five machines was found to be carrying one or more instances of Windows malware.” And that “2.7 percent (one in thirty six) of Macs were found to be carrying Mac OS X malware.”
The Journal article included comments from Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, who said “Some Mac users may be relieved that they are seven times more likely to have Windows viruses, spyware and Trojans on their Macs than Mac OS X-specific malware, but Mac malware is surprisingly commonly encountered. Mac users need a wake-up call about the growing malware problem.”
“The simple fact is that you can scan your Mac for infection from your armchair. The test is painless and free; you just download an anti-virus product and allow it to check your computer and protect it against infections in the future,” explained Cluley.
At the end of the day the question is this, will Mac users be any better than Windows users at securing their devices with anti-malware tools?
Linda
Comments Off | Linda's Blog | Tagged: Apple, Flashback.S, Integro, Linda Criddle, Mac, Malware, OSX.Flashback.K, Security, Sophos, Symantec, virus | Permalink
Posted by Linda Criddle
Guest article by Mary Kay Hoal, which we just had to republish…
Linda Criddle’s LOOKBOTHWAYS Foundation has always been a go-to Internet-safety resource of mine. Not only is her website filled with original content about online privacy, mobile safety, cyberbullying and other Internet concerns, but her perspective is backed by 13 years of experience as an online safety expert for Microsoft’s MSN division.
Linda’s latest project, NetSkills4Life, provides teachers, students and parents with a fun and engaging way to learn about safe Internet practices. The online curriculum consists of lessons which are broken down by grade level—kindergarten to 12th grade. Then, for each grade level, there are separate lessons to choose from, such as “stop cyberbullying” and “keep it to yourself”. Opening one of these lessons triggers an interactive window where students/children are guided through a series of definitions, questions and helpful tips. At the end of the lesson, students take a quiz about what they just learned. They can then review their answers, see what they got wrong and why, and print or email their quiz results to their parents.
I sat down with Linda and used the application myself, and I can honestly say that not only is it impressive from a technological standpoint, but it’s extremely user-friendly and effective at getting the safety messages across.
Thinking about this project even more, I realized that Linda isn’t simply providing a solution to educators and parents, she’s posing a challenge to them by showing that this kind of education is necessary, possible and practical enough for schools across the country to make Internet-safety a part of their regular curriculum. And I hope, someday, this challenge is met.
Education about online safety and privacy is a huge part of what we do at Yoursphere Media, so our plan is to incorporate the NetSkills4Life program into Yoursphere.com as I saw the immediate education value it will provide our members. NetSkillz4Life is still in the works so lessons are limited for the time being, but in the meantime I encourage parents to sit down with their kids and challenge themselves to this 6th grade lesson on spam and scams.
Thank you, Linda, for all the great work that you do!
Mary Kay Hoal, President YourSphere
Comments Off | Linda's Blog | Tagged: Internet Safety, Linda Criddle, NetSkills4Life, yourspace | Permalink
Posted by Linda Criddle
Quizzes and surveys are designed for one purpose; to collect information. The collection of this information may be for noble purposes where your identity and information are kept entirely anonymous, or by legitimate companies that with the intent of conducting market research, or to leverage your information for monetary gain. The tools may be used to collect information for entirely exploitive or criminal purposes, and researchers are seeing a spike in this type of exploit.
Even the most innocuous surveys learn far more than you might imagine. Information they collect may include the type of computer and software you use, your location (they collect this from your IP Address, so it actually doesn’t fool any service to claim you’re in another zip code), what website you were on prior to coming to the quiz/survey/research site as well as where you go after you leave the site. The information may be used independently, or it may be added to an accumulation of information about you that the creators have collected.
Consider this “longevity quiz” offered to seniors. It seems rather whimsical as you start off, but the level of detail requested actually gives the company behind the quiz (in this case it’s CVS) a tremendous amount of very sensitive personal medical information about the respondent and their family. Nowhere do you see terms and conditions for how this information may be used. No information is provided to let you contact the company and request information removed. Once you share it, they own it.
Look at this example once again. The ad on the left-hand side is constantly updated based on your responses. Think about that. In real time CVS uses the information you send to pitch their products to you. And since you gave the information without bothering to consider or limit how they could use the information, it may well be sold, resold, swapped, traded or given to any other company at any time.
Consider whether you want your whole medical history in the hands of an insurance company when you’re seeking health coverage. Think through how your answers might impact your children’s ability to get health coverage. What if this information is purchased by your employer? Someone in your social sphere? If the ramifications of sharing information – particularly this sensitive of information – isn’t giving you heartburn right about now, spend a little more time pondering.
My advice? Err on the side of caution and skip over surveys, quizzes and research questions entirely unless you:
Learn more about the risks in answering quizzes and surveys in my blogs: Protecting Kids and Use of SocNets by Older Users Skyrockets; Are You Oversharing?
Linda
Comments Off | Linda's Blog | Tagged: Linda Criddle, Online Quizzes, Online Safety, Online Surveys, Staying safe online | Permalink
Posted by Linda Criddle
When Komo News reporter Connie Thompson interviewed Linda Criddle for one TV segment, she noticed symbols on Criddle’s search engine results and asked what they represented… and that one segment quickly turned into two segments as the problem solver decided to pass on Criddle’s advice. Click here to watch the video and article, excerpts from the article:
Criddle says that searching without using tools to help you identify which results are safe to visit is reckless – especially as these tools are offered free of charge.
Criddle favors a free tool offered by McAfee called SiteAdvisor, but emphasizes there are a number of free downloadable applications to choose from. Website scanners test millions of websites, often with the help of feedback from users. Color-coded icons and symbols help you see potential risk before you click.
The scanners test for viruses, malicious software, spyware, adware, phishing and other fake websites, scams, spam, sites that redirect you to other sites, adult material and more.
McAfee SiteAdvisor and Web Of Trust, a free add-on for the Fire Fox browser, appear to be the top user-reviewed web scanners.
A third, AVG’s Link Scanner, is also popular, although some users complain about the tool slowing down the browser function. Other companies offer more advanced site scanning tools for a monthly fee.
Before you download any application, scrutinize the site and make sure you understand what You can also check specific search engines to see what kind of website security tools they offer.
Comments Off | Linda's Blog | Tagged: Free Online Tools, Komo News, Komo TV, Komo4News, Linda Criddle, Problem Websites | Permalink
Posted by Linda Criddle
Port Townsend Leader’s Nicholas Johnson interviewed Linda Criddle about the development and roll-out of the LOOKBOTHWAYS Foundation’s NetSkills4Life curriculum that will be available to the public this coming fall. Here are excerpts from that interview Online safety made simple for schools.
Most of us – children and adults alike – browse, surf, click, search, download, upload, link and post with little thought toward protecting privacy or questioning content. The Internet remains a bit of a free-for-all where users with any and all motivations come together to share words, images and ideas, as well as goods and services. But what about those who aren’t interested in sharing, but instead, in taking, collecting?
“People don’t realize what they are sharing,” said Criddle, an expert on Internet crime and safety. “They do not realize that all those disparate things they said at different times create a very detailed map.”
In an effort to bring comprehensive, user-friendly Internet safety curriculum into the classroom, Criddle has developed a free, computer-based curriculum called NetSkills4Life through her nonprofit foundation, Look Both Ways. The curriculum is set to embark on a testing phase around May 15, and both Port Townsend and Chimacum fifth- and sixth-graders will be among the nearly 1,400 students to take part around the state.
The goal is to help students understand the risks and responsibilities of online life while actively preparing them to be safe, self-aware online citizens.
“NetSkills4Life is free and private for everyone,” Criddle said. “You don’t have to register. You don’t have to give us a ton of information. We don’t want it.”
Designed to be light, the curriculum consists of three one-hour lessons per grade level, meaning teachers can easily work them into class time or assign them as homework. Beyond that, Criddle said, the curriculum demands [no technical or safety skills] of teachers, who often feel as overwhelmed by technology as students.
The lessons are built on a game platform, making them interactive and engaging. The idea is to go beyond simple advice, and prompt the student to see potential danger, know how to confront it and then actually do it.
“We are very focused on ensuring that not only do they understand the concepts, but they master the skills they need,” Criddle said. “If you teach kids about bicycle traffic safety awareness and you never teach them how to ride a bike, they are still going to wobble in front of the car, because they don’t have the skills to ride better.”
Competitive imperative
Criddle knows the advantages of responsible online citizenship in a competitive world. “We are not, as a culture, embracing technology and its opportunities the way we need to,” she said. “U.S. schools are far behind other schools around the world in adopting the Internet, embracing and using it. I frankly believe our competitive advantage is at risk if we do not help schools, families and individuals step up and feel confident.”
“The parent who fails to have their kid fully prepared for the Internet world when they graduate from high school has not succeeded in preparing their children for an adult life,” Criddle said.
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Posted by Linda Criddle
Listen to this conversation between Dr. Charles Knutson of the Internet Safety Project and Linda Criddle about online safety, security and privacy, the impact of online information in job discrimination, the ways government exposes consumer information online, how to approach online safety from a practical point of view, the safety considerations for seniors, the ReputationShare product, and more.
http://www.internetsafetyproject.org/podcasts/podcast-38-interview-with-linda-criddle/
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Posted by Linda Criddle
