Increased Visibility

Ramblings of an Information Security Analyst

Parents’ Guide to MySpace

By Jason • Jul 2nd, 2008 • Category: Security Awareness

Parents’ Guide to MySpace
Keeping Children Safe Online: Social Networking Sites

MySpace is a social networking Web site offering user profiles, discussion groups, photos, an internal e-mail system and an interactive network of blogs (short for web log, the equivalent of a journal kept on the Internet). It is the world’s fourth most popular English-language Web site and the fifth most popular Web site in the world.

As parents, you are concerned with how your children spend their time. It can seem easier to establish curfews, monitor circles of friends and cell phone use than it is to monitor online behavior. Just like the real world, the Internet has some dangerous aspects: access to pornography, online predators, and cyber-bullies to name a few. According to the FBI, 1 in 5 children ages 10-17 report being approached for sex while online. That’s why it’s so important to talk to our children, educate them about these cyber realities and take appropriate steps to protect them. By taking this opportunity to talk to your children about these dangers and taking appropriate steps to protect them, your family can benefit from the wealth of information now available on-line.

There are a number of dangers associated with the information children post on a social networking site. One is identity high-jacking. If too much personal information is posted, (names of schools, friends names, ages, pictures, personal interests, etc) it’s possible that someone could use that information to pose as that child online and perform fraudulent or malicious acts in his or her name. Imagine if your child was suspended from school for something that another student posted in their name. Some schools have taken disciplinary action against students for things that they post online.

A more serious danger is posting information that online predators can use. To combat this, the first rule to teach children is to NEVER give out information online that can help a predator find them in the real world. Your child’s real name, address, phone number and even email address should be kept confidential. Strongly discourage the mentioning of a school name, teacher names and friends real names. If your child is approached online by a stranger, encourage them to tell you immediately. Take any suspicious information to your local police department for follow up.

If your child has an account on a social networking website, check it out. Be involved!

  • Talk to your kids and ask questions about what they do on the site.·
  • Ask them to show you their profile pages. Work with them to remove anything that isn’t appropriate or safe. It becomes a way to teach them what not to post and helps them really think about what they have put in their profile.
  • Maintain perspective. It’s not an invasion of their privacy if strangers can see it. There is a difference between reading a locked diary tucked in a sock drawer and reading what’s on a MySpace profile. One is kept safely in their room while the other is out there for 700 million people online to view at their leisure.

What if your child isn’t as up front as you’d like? If your child tries to avoid showing you what they’re up to, you still have other options.

  • Look through the browser’s history (the little clock icon in the toolbar) to see a list of recently visited Web sites.·
  • Try a Google Search. Search for your child’s name or email address using a search engine regularly so you can keep track of anything that may be posted online about them.
  • Browse MySpace for the account or use MySpace’s search feature. You can search MySpace by name, email address, school name, and other keywords. For best results, you may have to join MySpace yourself. It’s easy!·
  • If you cannot get the information any other way, as a last resort there are also several options in monitoring software. Parents can install software to secretly monitor their child’s computer activities including Web sites visited, keystrokes, instant messages, and e-mails.

In extreme situations, parents can delete MySpace accounts. Go to www1.myspace.com/misc/RemovingChildProfiles.html. Parents log in as their teen with his or her e-mail address. You can contact MySpace for help. You can also file a complaint with social networking sites to remove photos from other users’ pages.

Your children are never too young to talk to about online safety. And you can let them know that you’re monitoring their online activities. Sit down and work on a set of online safety rules. Microsoft’s at home security Web site has an example online safety contract you view here: http://www.microsoft.com/protect/family/guidelines/contract.mspx

And, finally… repeat after me – “I’m still the parent!” If they don’t listen or follow your rules, then unplug the computer… the walk to the library will do them good. Online safety may be a battle, but it’s one worth fighting for. By taking these few steps, you can go a long way towards keeping your loved ones safe when they’re online.

Other Popular Social Networking Sites:

Leave a Reply