“Just about all of us have a digital dossier, but many of us have no idea what it even is,” says the narrator in the video. The voice continues, “Your dossier is the accumulation of all the digital tracks that you leave behind, and this accumulation did not just start last week, month, or even year. It started before you were even born.”

The video takes the viewer on a journey with a fictional character named “Andy” so that we may see exactly how Andy’s digital identity is created (from birth) and modified as he grows older. Andy’s digital dossier includes photographs posted on Flickr, personal information shared on Facebook, Google searches, Amazon book purchases, credit card transactions, GPS data collected by his cell phone carrier, additional personal details included on his blog, and more.

The Digital Natives video is an eye-opening viewing experience for individuals who are unaware of the vast amount of information that is connected to them and stored digitally. We encourage both teachers and parents to share this visual representation about digital dossiers with children and teenagers. Our hope is that it will help them to understand how online identities are created and change over time. With this knowledge, teens and kids alike will have a new appreciation for the importance of monitoring their online reputations, and pay close attention to the information they share digitally from this point forward.

You can also read more about Digital Dossiers on NetFamilyNews.org, written by Anne Collier (who also participates on SafetyWeb's Product Advisory Council). We're glad that there is so much interest from educators, parents and industry leaders in helping promote awareness about the important of knowing exactly what your child's digital profile contains, and what affect that might have on their future.

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Device-Based Security Measures

• The absolute minimum- Maintain 3 types of protection on your computer at all times:  firewall, anti-virus software, anti-spyware software
• Keep up with updates- Keep your software current. If the updates aren’t automatic, don’t ignore your update notifications for long.
• Back up your data- Back up your vital data on an external device or an Internet subscription back up service, and store it offsite.
• Create difficult passwords- Use a mnemonic based on personal info to create a tough-to-crack but easy-to-remember password. If compromised, change your password immediately. Otherwise, change passwords every 3 months.

Online Fraud Prevention

• Know who you’re dealing with- Delete any email from an unfamiliar email address, especially if it contains an attachment. Never give out personal information. If your anti-virus software questions a site, don’t access it.
• Phishing- Delete any email asking for money; these are scams to steal your identity. Avoid responding to an email or popup asking for personal info.
• Online Shopping- Look for BBB or TrustE seals of approval on sites. Before you provide credit card info, make sure the site’s URL address begins with “https” vs. “http” to ensure security.

Personal Information Protection

• Know who you’re dealing with- Be weary of information sharing. Make sure you know who is on the receiving end whenever you provide personal information.
• Data sharing and social networking- Avoid posting personal info and/or your whereabouts, turn off geotagging on your smart phone, never accept invitations to link with unfamiliar “friends,” use avatars or pet photos as profile pics, think before you post any opinions, and set and maintain your security settings.

Useful Resources

• National Cyber Security Alliance http://www.staysafeonline.org/
• Microsoft  http://www.microsoft.com/protect/default.aspx
• The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team  http://www.us-cert.gov/index.html
• iKeepSafe.org  http://www.ikeepsafe.org/
• GetNetWise  http://getnetwise.org/
• Connect Safely  http://www.connectsafely.org/
• SafetyWeb's Blog http://blog.safetyweb.com/

Interested in more? Follow us (@SafetyWeb) on Twitter and like us on Facebook!

Google released a statement about Barksdale’s dismissal for “breaking Google’s strict internal privacy policies,” but also confirmed that a limited number of people will always need to access their systems. Barksdale worked as a site reliability engineer (SRE) and presumably also had access to hundreds of Gmail accounts.

One thing is for certain. With more and more large, private companies like Google controlling the personal data of their users, it will become increasingly difficult to ensure that our privacy is truly protected.

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1. Review your cell phone ground rules. Does your child's school allow cell phones in classrooms?  Do they have unlimited access to web browsing and downloading? How many text messages do you permit them to send/receive? With school back in session, consider setting limits on some or all of these privileges.  Keep in mind that you can contact your cell phone provider to block a specific phone on your family plan from downloading excessive content.
2. Discuss the dangers of sexting.  If you’ve already had this talk with your child, reiterate the consequences (which may include possible expulsion and criminal charges) so that he/she is well aware of them in preparation of the new school year.  Even passing along an explicit photo to a friend can make your child an accomplice.
3. Become familiar with your school’s bullying policy.  Unfortunately, school can be a scary and hurtful place for many children because bullies flourish there.  Are you familiar with your school’s policy on bullying?  Does it include cyberbullying as well?  What are the consequences and are the students made aware of them?  Do you suspect that your child may be a bully, or a bullying victim?
4. Get equally acquainted with your school’s Internet policy.  Computers are everywhere these days and that includes in your child’s school.  What is the school’s policy on Internet usage?  Do they protect your child’s privacy and personal information?
5. Set healthy limits on home computer usage.  Do your best to make sure that your child is spending quality time on the computer for homework or other educational purposes.  If necessary, move the computer to a shared space (like the living room) and set time limits on how long your child can spend online.
6. Encourage open dialogue.  Without nagging your child for frequent updates, try gently asking how their first week of school is going.  Show your support and let them know that they’re welcome to approach you if they ever have anything they’d like to discuss.

For more updates, follow us on Twitter (@SafetyWeb) or friend us on Facebook!

Over half of all blogs on the Internet are written by kids under the age of 19. Some teens have a tendency to overshare on their blogs, and a surprising amount of parents are unaware that their child is blogging at all. Here are some quick tips to help kids (and their parents) stay safe while blogging.

1. Protect your blog from being hacked.  Use a complicated password including both letters and numbers.  Make sure it is at least 6 characters long.
2. Use your “street smarts.” Avoid giving out any personal information like names, addresses, school names, birthdays, etc. Remember that any content you post could pop up on an Internet search engine, and divulging personal facts could put you at risk for becoming a victim of cyberstalking or physical stalking.
3. Act as your own editor-in-chief. Set up your blog to monitor and approve comments before they are posted online.  This will help you steer clear of any unwanted drama and potential cyberbullies.
4. Choose images wisely.  Stay away from posting personal photographs that either expose private facts (like where you live) or show yourself in a negative light (like party photos in which you engaged in underage drinking).
5. Be mindful. Remember that anything you post online becomes permanent in cyberspace and has the potential of coming back to haunt you. This includes using vulgar language, posting explicit images, or writing inappropriate content.  Imagine that a future employer or admissions counselor to your dream college is reading your blog because it’s entirely possible that they will a few years down the line.

Of course, it’s important for parents to discuss the dos and don’ts of blogging with their children, and monitoring your child’s blog from time to time is always a good idea too.

Protecting your child starts before he or she logs in. Here are 5 quick tips for parents to consider:

1) Before purchasing an online game, do some quick research on the Internet to find the game’s ESRB rating.  ESRB ratings are twofold: rating symbols suggest age appropriateness for the game and content descriptors indicate elements in a game that may have triggered a particular rating and/or may be of interest or concern.  Do not purchase a game that is too old for your child.  View any screenshots of the game to ensure they are acceptable.  Check for parental controls.  Some online games offer parents the ability to configure some basic rules, such as hours of the day the child is allowed to log in, and if voice chat is available.
2) Set the ground rules, and stick to them.  How many hours a day is your child allowed to play?  Are they allowed to participate in voice chat?  Communicate these rules clearly and make sure your child fully comprehends them.

3) Move your child’s computer to a common room (like the living room) so you can observe and listen to gameplay. 

4) Remind your child to avoid revealing his/her real name or any other personal information (including their phone number) to anyone they meet in-game. 

5) Keep in mind that people met 'in-game' are rarely who they say they are.  While there is a minimum age recommendation for a game, there is not a maximum.  Adults love online games as much as children do, and the person your child is chatting with may very well be an adult.

Think of an online game as a playground and not as a babysitter.   Parents need to actively monitor and participate in the activities of their children at the playground.   A little bit of attention will go a long way to make sure your child has tons of age-appropriate fun.

States have separate laws pertaining to sexting charges, and it’s important to know how the state you currently reside in stands.  If a child or teen is convicted of a felony, the child may have to register as a sex offender which could heavily discolor the child’s future, tarnishing their chances for college admissions and job prospects. 

Parents should keep a watchful eye on their teens’ cell phone use and talk to their children about the possible dangerous consequences of sexting.

Despite an understanding that social networking sites are private and only selected and approved friends see posts, there is still potential for trouble.  Not enough users check and update privacy settings, for example, leaving their posts viewable to more people than they know. Many users post when they’ll be away from home, unaware that they are inviting home invaders. 

For parents, it’s important to note that giving away too much information about children is never wise – full names and full birthdates should never be posted on-line -- and no child should be let loose without adult supervision on a social networking site.

A good rule of thumb is to remember that a post on a social networking site will never be as private as a letter sent to a friend.  Sharing life’s events is one thing. Sharing those events in detail is another.

The Mustang Public School District in Oklahoma has sent a letter to parents to inform them about the dangerous trend, and some teachers are beginning to ban iPods at school because of it. The district’s spokesman, Mark Woodward, urges parents to be aware because experimenting with I-dosing could show a willingness to experiment with other drugs.

For more information on this story, click here.

-          Review your child’s friend list with your child. Are there any connections that he/she no longer speaks to, or was never very friendly with in the first place? Remove any connections that are not actual friends.

-          Modify your child’s chat options.  You can prevent a friend from chatting with your child by putting them on a Friend List, and then choosing to go offline with that Friend List.  Visit the Facebook Help Center for more information.

-          Delete applications your child no longer uses. Every app your child adds (like FarmVille, etc.) has access to his/her personal information.  These apps are not required to follow the same rules that apply to Facebook’s privacy controls, so delete away.

For more information on cyberstalking, read SafetyWeb's resource article here.