NETUCATION Blog

Tag: online safety

  • Facebook Users Fall for Stalker More than Sex Scams

    by Leslie Meredith, TechNewsDaily Senior Writer
    April 18 2013 04:29 PM ET

    CREDIT: Shutterstock: Mathias Rosenthal

    Are you dying to know who’s viewed your Facebook profile? Scammers bet you are and will tempt you with fake apps promising to reveal who’s been stalking you on Facebook.

    In a study released today (April 18) by security software firm Bitdefender, about 25 percent of all Facebook scams detected over the past six months promise to show Facebook users who has looked at their profiles. But what they get instead is trouble.

    “The most common path after clicking on the scamming links is either landing on endless surveys and fraudulent websites, where you may have your credentials stolen, or on a page loaded with malware such as banking Trojans,” Catalin Cosoi, a security strategist for Bitdefender, told us. “A malicious app can post on your behalf, and spreads on your friends’ timeline[s] as well.”

    The research also offers a glimpse into the hidden desires  of many Facebook users, Cosoi said.

    Second to stalkers (and remember, a stalker can also be an admirer, depending on a person’s feelings for the viewer), the sexy antics of celebrities appear as lures in most scams. The promise of a Rihanna sex tape was used in almost one in five Facebook scams. Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian, Megan Fox, Justin Bieber , Selena Gomez and Chris Brown followed in order as the celebrity names most frequently abused by scammers.

    The Facebook security team has made a lot of improvements to reduce the complexity and number of scams, Bitdefender said. But the scams persist. Prevention is the best protection: Don’t click on links that make tempting promises, even if they appear to be from a friend.

    Damage control

    But what should you do if you’ve already clicked on a harmful link? Cosoi recommends removing the malicious posts from your timeline  or deleting the app from your account in the AppCenter. Also, warn your friends and have them do the same. Finally, run a security check on your computer with an antivirus scanner, and consider a Facebook security app to protect your account in the future. Of course, Bitdefender recommends its own Safego app.

    source: TechNewsDaily

  • Google hosts online safety workshops

    To commemorate the 10th anniversary of Safer Internet Day (SID), Google SA joined forces with its online child safety campaign partners and hosted online safety workshops for Johannesburg learners and parents to ‘connect with respect’.

    Supported by the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund; MXit; Parent’s Corner; Media Monitoring Africa; Childline SA; Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities; Film and Publications Board; Department of Communications; and UNICEF South Africa, the series of SID workshops were held for learners, parents and teachers at Dainfern College. These sessions aimed to equip learners and parents with the right tools and knowledge to prevent children from being exposed to inappropriate content online, and help them to browse the internet safely and responsibly.

    Workshops at the event focused on four different topics: ‘Ranking your rights and responsibilities’; ‘Getting to know the online laws’; ‘the Responsible user’s guide to social media’ and ‘Where do you stand regarding responsible internet usage’. The workshops also featured an online quiz, as well as a debate contest.

    Government support

    “Children are our primary consideration, especially as their exploration of the wide-open world of cyberspace increases; particularly on mobile phones. We are committed to supporting the role of the ICT private sector in protecting youth who have an online presence – we want to see South African children develop into the innovative, creative and critical thinkers of the future. By collaborating with Google on this initiative, we are sure that our intervention will go a long way in the creation of a community of ‘techno-savvy’ citizens who have the knowledge and power to uphold good values and morals online,” comments Stella Tembisa Ndabeni-Abrahams, deputy minister at the Department of Communications.

    “With over 8.5 million South Africans currently online (World Wide Worx, 2012) internet safety is a top priority. We launched an Online Child Safety campaign last year, and today are pleased to be including SID in our efforts,” says Google SA country manager, Luke Mckend. “We are partnering once again with a number of government and child protection organisations, jointly promoting the safe use of online space, and protecting children on the internet.”

    Online advice on child protection

    Google started its Online Child Safety campaign with the launch of the Family Safety Centre website last year, comprising online safety tips and tools from parents at Google. Advice includes how to use the internet properly, keep all online access in a public space and utilise child-safe software that prohibits your family from entering certain sites, or viewing inappropriate content. The site is available in English, Zulu and Afrikaans. Google’s SafeSearch blocks pornographic and explicit content from search results, and the company continuously works with coalitions of law enforcement and technology companies to develop new solutions aimed at eradicating child pornography on the Internet.

    Over the last decade, SID has grown rapidly, now spreading to over 90 countries worldwide, including South Africa. The theme for this year’s SID is ‘Online rights and responsibilities’ and the slogan is ‘Connect with respect!’ For more, go to www.safeinternetday.org.

    source:  BIZCOMMUNITY