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Online Threats 101 - ZoneAlarm Blog

First and foremost, consumers should know that Google now tracks your movements across all of its sites if you’re signed in to Google while surfing. Most of this tracking is to help tailor ads and news items to you according to your online habits, interests, and location. However, you share more than just your browser history.

Google collects information two ways: it gets personal data from a consumer when they sign up for its services, and gets data when a consumer uses its services. Many consumers are more concerned over their personal information privacy. Does Google share that? The company says it will share that information, but only if it has your consent to do so. It will, however, share non-personal information — like data that shows trends in Google usage — with the public and Google’s partners, including advertisers and publishers.

If you are concerned about Google sharing your personal information, including your web-surfing habits, you can take the following steps to prevent sharing more than you want.

1) Control the information linked to your Google account through the Google Dashboard. The company lets consumers see what information is collected there, so you know what they are already tracking. To prevent Google from tracking your web activity, turn off the browser history.

However, be aware that turning off the search history doesn’t mean that past data is deleted from Google’s archive. Eva Galperin of the nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation told the Los Angeles Times, “With web history enabled, Google will keep these records indefinitely; with it disabled, they will be partially anonymized after 18 months.”

2) Edit your ad preferences through the Ads Preferences Manager program and opt out of Google advertising.

3) Verify who you share information with, control what your Google Profile looks like to other people, and tailor what you want certain individuals to see.

4) Don’t sign in to the Google account when going online, or consider using a different search engine. If you choose to leave Google, you can export personal data like emails from Gmail and files from Google Docs.

It takes a bit of legwork, but you can still safeguard your information from Google.

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What You Should Know About Google’s New Privacy Policy - ZoneAlarm Blog

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New ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall 2013 Is Here! - ZoneAlarm Blog

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Don’t Put Your Security On The Back Burner: ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall Is Your Defense Against Cybercrime - ZoneAlarm Blog

1. Be a proactive parent

A 2011 Pew Internet and American Life Survey found that only 7 percent of U.S. parents are worried about cyberbullying, though 33 percent of teenagers have been victims of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is — and should be — a major concern for parents. Doing what you can to prevent your child from being a perpetrator or victim is paramount.

2. Define what cyberbullying is

Talk to your child about what cyberbullying behavior is. The Cyberbullying Research Center defines cyberbullying as “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices.” However, it is not limited to that. Your child may be participating in cyberbullying unknowingly. Things like forwarding a hurtful message or taking inappropriate photos of someone can also be considered cyberbullying (and, more importantly, make your child legally liable). Ensure your children know what this behavior is and that they do not participate.

3. Keep an eye out for telltale signs

Though you may encourage communication, your child may feel uncomfortable talking about their cyberbullying problems for reasons such as fear, insecurity, or shame. Marie Newman, co-author of the book When Your Child Is Being Bullied: Real Solutions, lists behaviors that may be symptoms of a child who has been a victim of cyberbullying:

—  Your child suddenly spends much more — or much less — time social networking, or asks to have a social media account shut down.

—  After texting or being online, your child seems withdrawn, upset, or outraged.

—  Your child suddenly avoids formerly enjoyable social situations.

—  Your child blocks a number or an email address from their account.

—  Many new phone numbers, texts, or email addresses show up on your child’s phone, laptop, or tablet.

If you notice any of these behaviors, gently address the subject with your child, offering your love and support.

4. Encourage your community to take action

Be a role model for your own child, and encourage others to follow suit. The Bully Project encourages individuals to mobilize their communities and take a stand against bullying by uniting students, teachers, parents, and the community at large. You can review a toolkit and resources for anti-bullying advocates, and encourage dialogue within your community.

Preventing your child from becoming a victim or perpetrator of cyberbullying is in your hands. Therefore, you should always encourage an open dialogue about this important issue.

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4 Tips Protect Against and Prevent Cyberbullying - ZoneAlarm Blog

If you are not logging out of every account each time you use it, you are putting yourself at risk, gambling your online reputation, money, and more. This is because leaving yourself logged in to a social network, bank account, or anything that requires a username/password leaves your account vulnerable to infiltration by hackers. Basically, not logging out is the equivalent of leaving your car unlocked or your wallet unattended in public.

Cybercriminals love to hack into accounts to steal information, including usernames, passwords, and personal information like credit card numbers and addresses. This type of information can be used for identity theft or to commit other types of cyber crime.

Not logging out is extremely dangerous, especially if you regularly access your accounts on public networks or computers. A hacker may be sitting in the very café you are using for its free Wi-Fi, and while you are logged in to your bank account, he may be exploiting network vulnerabilities to steal your account numbers. Similarly, a stranger could come across your active personal email account on a computer in your campus library and disseminate private and potentially embarrassing content around campus. These types of actions can ultimately cause you financial hardship and personal embarrassment, all because you simply didn’t click the log out button.

In some cases, not logging out can even cost you your livelihood. Graphic designer David Airey, who owned a website domain for his business, found out the hard way. He left his email account active while searching the web, then unknowingly visited a malware-infected website. The thieves behind the fraudulent site gained access to his email account and personal information, secretly transferred ownership of his web domain to their names, and Airey sadly woke up to find his business website was no longer owned by him.

Luckily, your story doesn’t have to end up like that. Simply logging out greatly reduces your chances of being exploited by cybercriminals. Whether at home, in public, on your smartphone, or any device that you can access online accounts on, be vigilant.

The good news is that major websites are well aware of the dangers of staying logged in, and are therefore timed to automatically log you out after an idle period. However, these still leave you vulnerable in the few minutes it takes to log out. Knowing this, many accounts offer remote log-out options. (Both Gmail and Facebook allow you to remotely close any active sessions.)

Still, it’s better to avoid taking any risks by always exiting accounts properly. In the end, it’s up to you to choose: log out or lose.

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Why You Should Always Log Out of Your Accounts - ZoneAlarm Blog

The Internet Crime Complaint Center has observed spikes in charitable fraud specifically during holiday seasons and after major disasters. With the recent tornadoes hitting the Midwest, Internet users should be extra aware of scams soliciting money. Scammers often impersonate known charities or create fraudulent organizations claiming to offer aid to the victims of the event, hoping to capitalize on the altruistic nature of people around the country and the globe.  For example, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigations, of the 4,000 websites set up to assist victims in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, up to 60 percent were thought to be bogus.

How to Spot a Scam Charity

In some cases, it’s hard to distinguish what’s real and what’s not. Some fraudulent organizations will use names that closely resemble those of legitimate organizations. To gain donations, they will also send out spam messages via email or social media, or trigger popup ads.

In addition to soliciting money, phishing emails can also trick you into giving away your personal information, usernames, passwords, financial info, etc., all of which can be used for identity theft.

Hackers also use a technique called SEO poisoning to trick users. Knowing that most people get their news online, hackers create websites that are infected with malware and manipulate search rankings so that they are the first sites that pop up when you search certain keywords (such as “hurricane relief” or “Japan disaster”). Clicking on these links deploys malware, which can make your computer part of a botnet or siphon information to the hacker.

What to Do When You Want to Give

If you are eager to donate to a cause but want to ensure you are donating to a legitimate charity, follow these tips from Federal Trade Commission and the National Center for Disaster Fraud:

• Do not respond or open attachments from unsolicited emails claiming to be from charitable organizations.
• Donate directly through the organization’s website. Do not follow links from emails to donation sites or allow an individual or third-party organization to make the donation on your behalf.
• Do not send cash, money order, or wire transfers.
• Contact the charity directly to authenticate the fundraiser (use a local or nationally recognized phone number, not the phone number listed in the email).
• Validate the charity through sites like Give.org or the Better Business Bureau, especially if the soliciting organization has a name similar to that of a well-recognized organization.
• Never divulge personal information such as your social security number.
• Take notice of the organization’s web address. Most legitimate non-profit organizations end in .org, not .com.
• Be wary of solicitations from those claiming to be surviving victims of a well-publicized disaster.

Internet criminals are smart. Being educated about their tactics can help prevent you from being scammed. However, despite all the precautions, it is possible to fall victim. If you believe you have been targeted by an Internet scam artist, contact the IC3 to file a complaint.

Tips for Avoiding Online Charitable Contribution Schemes - ZoneAlarm Blog

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The Who, What, and Where of Identity Theft In the U.S. - ZoneAlarm Blog

As social networks have grown in popularity over the last few years, it has become common knowledge that employers will often do an Internet search and review public social profiles in an effort to learn more about the potential candidate. However, requesting full access to a candidate’s accounts is a new trend that is worrisome to say the least.

Some employers will ask a candidate for their username/password, while others may request a candidate “friend” an HR manager or request they review their account on a company computer. Continuing this social media monitoring, once you get the job, some companies make employees sign contracts stating they will not disparage the company on social media.

These new policies have left many uneasy and raised concerns about the issue of privacy invasion, professional vs. private life boundaries, and even identity theft. Employers maintain they are simply vetting candidates more efficiently, particularly in certain fields such as law enforcement, security, or for public agencies. Still, the practice has not been fully condoned or accepted, and more and more candidates are facing a dilemma. Job seekers uncomfortable with giving their information out may sacrifice job opportunities that are much needed in the current economy, meaning they may be trading privacy for a paycheck.

Luckily, the issue has attracted the attention of lawmakers. Both Illinois and Maryland have proposed legislation that would forbid public agencies from asking for access to social networks. And at the federal level, New York Senator Chuck Schumer and Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal have requested further investigation by the Department of Justice and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

“Employers have no right to ask job applicants for their house keys or to read their diaries – why should they be able to ask them for their Facebook passwords and gain unwarranted access to a trove of private information about what we like, what messages we send to people, or who we are friends with?” Schumer said in statement.

Requesting private passwords as an employment requirement may violate the Stored Communications Act or the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, making leaders eager to examine the issue more closely.

In response to this action, last week Facebook also addressed the issue. “We don’t think employers should be asking prospective employees to provide their passwords because we don’t think it’s the right thing to do. While we do not have any immediate plans to take legal action against any specific employers, we look forward to engaging with policy makers and other stakeholders, to help better safeguard the privacy of our users,” the social networking platform said in a statement.

In the absence of legislation protecting potential employees from this specific practice, it is up to the individual to decide whether or not to comply. In general, sharing usernames and passwords can be a very dangerous practice. Whether or not you plan to acquiesce to an employer’s request, it’s always a good idea to review and “clean” your profile by removing messages, photos, or content that might be inappropriate. You may also want to change your password (if you happen to use the same password for other things like online banking or email).

Employers Requesting Usernames and Passwords - ZoneAlarm Blog

According to Pew Research, nearly 72 percent of young adults and teens use social networking sites. Most sites require users to be at least 13, but a May 2011 Consumer Report found 7.5 million kids age 12 and younger are on Facebook, meaning social media is becoming a larger presence in kids’ lives.

This also means kids need to understand how to behave appropriately and know what information is OK to share. With the threats of online predators, hackers, or cyberbullies being very real and very relevant, it’s important to prevent them from accessing your child’s personal information, including phone number, home or email address, or personal photos, for malicious reasons. Review the following issues with your child to ensure they know what is and isn’t OK on their social media profile.

Everything you share is permanent. Anything you post online can potentially live on the Internet permanently. Even when you delete a photo or message, it can be screen-captured, copied, forwarded, shared, or stored on other people’s computers. Therefore, you must carefully consider everything you post. 

Don’t share personal information. This means don’t post your phone number, email address, home address, or “tag” your city of residence on sites that allow you to do so, such as Facebook. Also don’t share information about your school or schedule.

Only communicate with people you know. Your social networks should be comprised of people you know personally. If a stranger contacts you trying to get personal information, details about where you go to school, etc., let an adult know.

Carefully select the photos you post. It’s best to have a profile photo that isn’t a photo of you (which can attract unwanted attention). Ask a parent to approve all photos you post, and carefully consider what you would want your friends to see. Remember, too, that any photo you post could also be altered to embarrass you or make you look bad.

Do not share mean posts or pictures about other people. If you see a mean comment, forward, tweet, or other social media communication, you should never share it with your friends. This is cruel behavior and can be legally unsafe for both you and the person who shared it.

Make an appropriate screen name. If your social media site requires you to make a screen name, make one that doesn’t personally identify you—and make it appropriate.

Report anything that makes you uncomfortable. If someone is making you uncomfortable or hurting your feelings via social media, report it to your parents.

Social networking is not a bad thing. The American Psychological Association, for instance, points out that shy teens and pre-teens can better learn how to socialize behind the safety of computer screens and mobile devices. But if your child accidentally exposes too much of his or her personal information, they could be asking for serious trouble.

A Child’s Guide to Social Media Privacy - ZoneAlarm Blog