Dave and Bill  

To say Ben is qualified to share information with our listeners regarding law, information security, children’s online safety, and how to protect your online business, would be a gross understatement.

Ben shared with us his parental point of view on what he feels is important to protecting his children on the Internet. A tip you'll hear often is to keep the computer in a main area of the home so you’ll have parental eyes in the area. However; as Ben points out, with laptops and WiFi, that's not practical. So, what do you do? The answer Ben provides is important for parents to know. As parents you can't be there all the time to follow them around. The lesson is to educate and teach your children how to be responsible and teach them to know how to identify the different threats there are on the Internet.

A parent could use software that can monitor their children’s online behavior, Bill and I recommend PC Pandora, but even more importantly is having a good dialogue with your children. It's important to have that communication, specifically for that particular instance when there is an issue and your child is comfortable to discuss it with you. At that time you can help them to reason through and understand what those threats are, why they are threats, and how to avoid them.

What are the threats you should know about to protect your children and how do you deal with them?

1. Identify the threats

2. Identify the vulnerabilities

3. Try and eliminate the vulnerabilities to the threat

4. Protect the resource or the target of the threat from the vulnerability

5. Fraud

6. Deception

7. Anonymity and/or pseudo nimiety

8. Moral threats

When would you think common sense and skepticism would be valuable? Obviously, two young adults didn't realize if it's too good to be true, most likely it isn't. As Bill would tell, if it’s a good deal today, it's a good deal tomorrow; do your fact checking.

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase, "Responsible CyberCitizen"? "Education and knowledge" was Ben's first statement. Ben's involvement with the Information Security Committee asks the question, "How do we make it safer for people?" If there is a good technology, then how do we get people to use that technology? It comes down to knowledge of the system they are using, what is the Internet? And what are the threats on the Internet? (15'00")

What is a "Netazen"? (16' 00")

Again and again you will hear, parents need to be involved in their children's online activity. Let’s put it this way, if you don't, there are others that will be glad to use and manipulate your children right into their perverted dens.

If you’re starting an online business and the lesson to take away with regards to privacy policies, is to do what you say and say what you do. When writing a policy, do these things... (18'00").

Encrypt your data when securing your transaction security, especially when handling personally identifiable information. If you don't you are subject to the "Breach Notification Law". Understand the difference between case law and statutory law, it may cost you. Know and understand what you are responsible for when it come to transactional security. (19'58").

Do you know what a "Digital Certificate" is and why it may apply to your online business? And can you identify what it looks like and where you might find it on your site? (21'55")

What is freezing your credit and why would you want to that? (24'04")

Terms of Service (TOS) (26'00") what you should know about these terms? Do the terms of service trigger what is called a contract of "Adhesion"? Or "Unconscionable" (26'43")

Where do you see the Internet heading in the next five years and do you have any concerns about the future of the internet? (32'00") Ben sees more online virtual worlds, online communities, and online collaboration. People will expect a more virtual world environment still with anonymity. Ben wants more accountability (we agree), which is lacking on the Internet, establish rules of conduct and rules of civility; especially in the virtual game world.

What do you do when you are damaged in the virtual world? (35'15")

As parents we should be aware that although the virtual worlds and the online games (36'33") can be entertaining, they can also be corrupting and can influence or persuade the young (Tweens) into committing crimes.

What should the online business owners know so as not to break some common Cyber Laws? (37"37") You can check out current laws that are being drafted or considered by checking out the specific topic of interest at http://www.thomas.loc.gov. Or at http://www.nccusl.org State level. One area that a small business owner wants to be conscious of is (40'00") the information collected, the information you use and how you protect that information.

COPPA (Child Online Privacy Protection Act) is about the collecting of information pertaining to age. What are your concerns as an Internet business owner and what should know so as not to create yourself a problem? (40'10")

Ben believes from his involvement with the American Bar Association and the idea it is important for the policy and decision makers in upper levels of government positions should have a good understanding of security and information security and the role that it plays in our society on the Internet. Without Information Security you don't have the support you need to have to help the environment.

When you think of Information Security there is an acronym that is helpful in remembering its meaning called: CIA.

C: Confidentiality

I: Integrity

A: Availability

Leaders need to be educated on the value and benefits information security provides.

Confidentiality (48'14') is when you provide information that it remains secure for those who are entitled or have a need to see the information. You need to be aware of what is being done to protect that confidentiality and the access rights and to secure the information from prying eyes.

Integrity (48'45") deals with what is keeping the information from being corrupted, changed, or altered so that you can trust it, rely on it, and make good decisions based on it.

Availability, (49'00") is the website or the information protected from attack or from things that would make it unavailable to you when you need it to make your decisions.

What is it; we can do as parents, to help keep our children safe online?

Ben explains how three types of jurisdictions affect crime and how cybercrime and the issues pertaining to the Internet that affect jurisdiction. For example; how do you deal with a person being harmed and the perpetrator has never step foot in the jurisdiction of the victim; especially when the perpetrator lives in a foreign country? (54'44") Do you remember the phrase, "The long arm of the law"?

Ben's shares with the CyberHood Watch his final wrap-up comment about what he would like to see to changed if given the CyberHood Watch's magic wand. (1hr. 3'9")

We hope you enjoy the all the information, Ben Wilson, has shared with you. It may just help keep you out of harms-way and out of the reach of perpetrators.