| In its annual report earlier this year, the Federal | | | | it is absolutely necessary and this is your only |
| Trade Commission announced that the most | | | | option. See the related story from ABC News' |
| vulnerable targets of identity theft are 18-29-year | | | | Good Morning America in the video below.) |
| olds. Likewise, the 2007 Identity Fraud Survey | | | | * They inhabit social networking sites and let their |
| Report, released by Javelin Strategy & Research, | | | | younger siblings share the site with them. (While |
| uncovers similar findings: "Adult victims between | | | | social networking sites, like MySpace, and many |
| the ages of 18 and 24 are least likely to take | | | | others, are extremely popular communities where |
| easy, but important, safeguards such as shredding | | | | young people innocently engage in countless hours |
| documents and using antivirus software and | | | | of banal chatter and photo-sharing, unfortunately, |
| firewalls, resulting in more than 5 percent of those | | | | these social networking sites have also become |
| surveyed falling victim." | | | | the hangouts for child predators, child |
| And Stephen Knighten, a research associate for | | | | pornographers, and other cybercriminals. |
| Javelin Strategy & Research, adds that residence | | | | HintPutting filtering and monitoring software on |
| hall life may increase a student's risk for identity | | | | kids' computers provides some protection. |
| theft: "Oftentimes, you're in a situation where you | | | | Parents, use legitimate software to block Web |
| probably have a roommate and people coming in | | | | sites and create a log of visited sites. As parents |
| and out of your apartment ... physical documents | | | | and guardians, you can monitor a child's activity |
| tend to sort of sit around, and there are more | | | | from other computers and be notified of |
| avenues of access with your roommates' friends | | | | violations via E-mail or cell phone.) |
| and your friends." | | | | * They quickly and without verifying identities add |
| The Internet Crimes Against Children program last | | | | new "friends" to their instant messenger buddy |
| year investigated 2,329 cases of enticement and | | | | lists. (While it is rewarding to see your buddy list |
| of predators traveling to meet minors, and | | | | grow with new friends from around the world, be |
| 252,000 cases of child pornography. Yet those | | | | sure that you absolutely know that the new |
| numbers provide just a glimpse of the activity, | | | | friend is actually who he says he or she is. Many |
| since many local police forces are too small to | | | | times predators and cybercriminals (male and |
| investigate child porn. | | | | female) will hide behind pictures of extremely |
| "It's absolutely overwhelming," says Brad Russ, | | | | attractive ladies in sexy poses. HintBefore adding |
| director of Internet Crimes Against Children's | | | | any new friends to your buddy list, take time to |
| training and technical assistance program, which | | | | read their profile (which may or may not be |
| trains 1,000 officers each year. "The scope and | | | | completed fully), or do further investigation by |
| the scale of the problem far exceeds our | | | | visiting their website. An incomplete profile should |
| capacity." Intensifying the epidemic is that more | | | | serve as a red flag and raise you level of |
| than half the world has no laws dealing with child | | | | suspicion.) |
| pornography. | | | | It may take a village to raise a child, but in a |
| And what are some of the other careless acts of | | | | world of online social networking, decentralized |
| college students that leave them vulnerable to | | | | networks and servers, and increasingly |
| identity theft? Here are a few of the ways they | | | | tech-savvy child predators, it's going to take a |
| might be inviting predators, hackers, and other | | | | united effort among government, industry, and |
| cybercriminals: | | | | families to keep them safe. To protect your child, |
| * They setup and use an unsecured wireless | | | | you need an Internet security team of experts |
| network. (Hackers love this because it makes | | | | making sure that you, your family, and your |
| their drive-by hacking that much easier. And not | | | | business computer are always safe and secure. |
| only is the student' information stolen, but the | | | | The best protection you can have in today's |
| hacker may add software to turn the student's | | | | rapidly changing world of cyber-attacks is to have |
| computer into a "zombie" computer thereby | | | | expert support for all your Internet security |
| taking remote control of it. Hint:It only takes a | | | | needs that will provide technical support without |
| few more moments to create a userid and | | | | any hassles and without charging you extra fees. |
| password for an extra level of protection.) | | | | It will become even more critical than it is today |
| * They use guests' computers in the business | | | | as time goes on. You need to find your own |
| centers of hotels to enter their personal and/or | | | | personal team of experts to rely on. If you ever |
| financial information. (The newest trend for | | | | have a security problem, you will want to have a |
| hackers is to hack into these computers so that | | | | trusted expert you can call for professional help, |
| can secretly record every keystroke and commit | | | | without any hassles and extra costs! |
| other crimes using the student's information. Hint:If | | | | Remember: When you say "No!" to hackers and |
| you use courtesy computers at a hotel, make | | | | spyware, everyone wins! When you don't, we all |
| absolutely sure that you are on a safe and | | | | lose. |
| secured line. And, taking it a step further, do not | | | | © MMVII, Etienne A. |
| enter any personal and financial information unless | | | | |