I just reviewed the site OnGuardOnline.gov that provides practical tips from the federal government and the technology industry to help you be on guard against Internet fraud, secure your computer, and protect your personal information. It has some great tips you may find useful.
The site MyMoney.gov also has links to sites with advice on privacy and avoiding fraud and scams.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf at the April 2008 general conference:
“This conference is being translated into 92 languages and broadcast to 96 countries by the miracle of modern technology. Many of you brethren attend general conference by means of the Internet. New technologies such as this make it possible for the gospel message to be spread throughout the world. The Church Web sites are good examples of how you can use this technology as a wonderful resource of inspiration, help, and learning. They can be a blessing for you priesthood holders, your families, and the Church.
“But be cautious. These same technologies can allow evil influences to cross the threshold of your homes. These dangerous traps are only a mouse click away. Pornography, violence, intolerance, and ungodliness destroy families, marriages, and individual lives. These dangers are distributed through many media, including magazines, books, television, movies, and music, as well as the Internet. The Lord will help you to recognize and avoid those evils. It is the early recognition of danger and a clear course correction that will keep you in the light of the gospel. Minor decisions can lead to major consequences.
“Entering a strange and risky chat room on the Internet could lead you into the center of a raging storm. Putting a computer in a private room that the rest of the family cannot access could be the starting point for a deceitful and dangerous journey.”
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “A Matter of a Few Degrees,” Ensign, May 2008, 57-60
The site OnGuardOnline.gov provides the following suggestions to protect your kids’ personal information and privacy online:
Read more about these suggestions at OnGuardOnline.gov.
The Federal Trade Commission also has a page about protecting kids’ privacy.
We all hate e-mail spam. Even though my e-mail providers have pretty good spam filters, I get over 100 spam messages a day that make it into my in-boxes. According to MessageLabs, the percentage of worldwide e-mail traffic that is spam has been declining slightly over the past few years, dropping from 86% in 2006 to 81% in 2008.
However, MessageLabs reported a 5% spike in spam over the past month. In May, over 90% of worldwide e-mail traffic was spam. The worst-hit area was Hong Kong, where 92% of all e-mail received was spam. Other highly-spammed areas include China, the UK, Australia, and Japan.
In the US, they estimate that 87% of all e-mail is spam.
Where does it come from? Over 31% from Europe, followed by Asia (28%), South America (21%), and North America (13%). Over half of spam is sent through botnets (collections of computers numbering in the thousands that send messages without the computer owner’s knowledge).
Here are a few steps you can take to reduce spam:
Also, be on guard to avoid phishing scams which a lot of spam contains.
The Idaho Anti-Pornography Conference will be held Saturday, May 9, 2009 at the Rexburg Tabernacle. For more information and to register, go to http://www.citizensfordecency.org/ See a promotional video about the conference.
See more Resources in Overcoming Pornography.
(Promotional video produced by www.flowmotionmedia.com.)
I previously provided a list of LDS resources to help individuals overcome problems with pornography.
As a bishop, I have worked with many individuals who have struggled for years to find a way out of their pornography addictions. In spite of strong desires to overcome it, and good amounts of prayer and scripture reading, many of them struggle to overcome their habits and addictions.
I have recently found three very helpful resources:
One is an audio CD titled Overcoming Pornography: Plain and Simple. It is a recording by Dr. Jeffery W. Robinson of a workshop he gave at an Evergreen International Conference. It provides some very practical strategies for getting out of a pornography addiction.
The Church also sponsors pornography addiction recovery support groups. They are an LDS adaptation of traditional 12-step programs that have been used for years. LDS Family Services runs these groups to assist individuals who desire freedom from addiction and a better life through gospel fellowship. The 60-90-minute meetings are free and confidential. Experienced group leaders create a safe environment where participants can encourage one another and implement gospel principles in their efforts to recover and heal.
I also recently reviewed a program called Candeo, a confidential, online program to help individuals overcome pornography addictions. I was quite impressed. The program teaches how and why people get involved with pornography, and then become addicted to it. They explain why it is such a difficult thing to recover from once people get “hard-wired” to respond to life’s stresses by turning to pornography. They then help the individual to understand the destructive cycles, and reframe their attitudes through ways of facing the problem, replacing it with something better, and connecting with friends who can help. They teach you that consistent simple choices will set you free. They help you develop sacred views of sexuality and learn to have healthy outlets. The program has a structured way to help you debunk previous myths with statements of truth and document what you really want out of life and use that as your goal.
The program provides a successful recovery model developed by clinical therapists for more than a decade. The program costs $197 for 2 months and gives you access to a library of practical, interactive lessons and recovery tools, motivational support from a professional Candeo Coach, and access to a recovery support center. Candeo offers a free mini-course that explains some of the core principles taught in the program, including real training segments from it.
Here’s an updated list of resources:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has pamphlets and online helps to overcome pornography. See combatingpornography.lds.org for a temporary page of helps. A major Web site will launch within a few months at this same Web address. Also see the entry “Internet” in the Gospel Topics section of the Gospel Library for a list of good articles and references to filters. The Church also sponsors pornography addiction recovery meetings.
Candeo (see http://candeocan.com/) is a confidential, online program to help individuals overcome pornography addictions, using sound approaches to learning and behavior modification. Their Web-based education and support program provides a highly-successful recovery model developed and used by clinical therapists for more than a decade. They offer a free mini-course that explains some of the core principles taught in the Candeo program, including some of the training segments from the program.
Utah Coalition Against Pornography (see http://www.utahcoalition.org/) is a multi-faith community effort. Their Web site has information about education, statistics, and links to helpful sites. They also provide an annual conference and helpful materials. On Saturday, April 25, 2009, they will have a half-day conference on Protecting Children & Families from Pornography in Salt Lake City.
Citizens Against Pornography (see http://citizensap.org/) is an organization of LDS people who focus on [1] raising awareness about the harms of pornography, [2] protecting standards of decency in our communities and [3] fortifying homes and families against the destructive and pervasive influence of pornography. They promote legislation to require Web site ratings, recommend filtering technologies to assist parents, and have developing a DVD and printed material to assist parents and others. Their Web site provides help for individuals, parents, and spouses.
Communities for Decency (see http://www.communitiesfordecency.org/) is a grass-roots statewide women’s organization. Their Web site contains online articles and references to other resources. They also engage in political action.
CP-80 Internet Channel Initiative (see http://www.cp80.org/) promotes the use of Internet channels (ports) to categorize and organize content on the Internet, creating separate channels for general-public content and mature content, such as pornography. The Web site provides information about the impact of pornography and free courses on the problems and solutions.
Cyber Secrets: The Problem of Pornography (see http://www.byub.org/secrets) is a series of presentations given at a special conference sponsored by Women’s Services and Resources, a department of Student Life at Brigham Young University. The Web site offers the presentations in streaming audio or in print.
Lighted Candle Society (see http://www.lightedcandle.org/) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of moral values. Their Web site contains information about the evils and extent of pornography. They also offer a DVD and other materials.
Mental Health Resource Foundation (see http://www.ldsmentalhealth.org/) is a volunteer organization committed to carrying a message of hope to those who may be suffering from mental illness and social/emotional concerns and those who love them. Their Web site has information on pornography and links to other resources and organizations.
National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families (see http://www.nationalcoalition.org/) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to defending biblical truth about sexuality. Their Web site has information about avoiding pornography and protecting children from it, as well as links to other organizations.
Strengthen the Family (see http://www.strengthenthefamily.net/) is a non-profit organization that seeks to strengthen families and protect communities by helping them establish child-appropriate public display standards. The Web site has articles on the dangers of pornography and Internet safety ( including practical advice for parents) and articles on sexual addiction. Listen to a talk given at BYU education week in 2001 (see http://www.byub.org/findatalk and search for speaker “JoAnn Hamilton”).
Evergreen International (see http://www.evergreeninternational.org/, is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping LDS individuals overcome same-sex attraction and associated issues, such as pornography. They provide help to individuals, families, professional counselors, and Church leaders. Their large Web site has a few dozen pages on avoiding and overcoming pornography.
8th Annual Conference on Protecting Children and Families from Pornography and Other Harmful Material
Saturday, April 25, 2009 8:00am – 1:00pm South Towne Expo Center – Sandy, Utah
This conference has become recognized nationally for its efforts to protect children and families from pornography and other harmful material. Each year, UCAP unites various agencies and organizations who seek to establish and maintain standards of decency in our communities and promote safety for children and families. The focus of the vast array of presentations in this conference will address the issues of pornography and other harmful material that threaten the foundation of stable life for individuals, families, and communities. The purpose of this conference is to educate the citizens about problems related to obscenity, provide resources and help, and teach people what they can do to promote community standards that will safeguard children and families against this problem.
From the title of this post, it might sound like it I’m talking about a horror movie or a sci-fi thriller, but what I’m talking about is actually a very real threat. I recently read an article called The Zombie On Your Desk by Daniel Suarez where he discusses the threat of botnets. He describes a botnet as “an army of compromised personal computers which have been stealthily pressed into service by high-tech criminal gangs.” Wikipedia says a botnet is slang term “generally used to refer to a collection of compromised computers (called Zombie computers) running software, usually installed via worms, Trojan horses, or backdoors.” Botnets can be used to launch denial-of-service attacks, to create email relays for spam, and to steal personal information such as login IDs, banking information, and credit card numbers. Suarez says “an unprotected computer linked to the Internet can be infected within minutes and folded into a botnet army intent on causing harm to other systems.”
In a January 2007 article, Tim Weber of the BBC said that 100 to 150 million personal computers (about 25% of computers on the Internet) were part of a botnet being used by cyber criminals. The Register, a British technology news site, reports that Dutch police arrested a trio of young men in 2005 in one of the largest botnets ever discovered where they were using 1.5 million computers allegedly to extort a US company and distribute spyware. In March of 2008, in an article called Botnet scams are exploding, the USA Today reported that “botnet-based Internet attacks against commercial and government networks have increased over the past two years from 333,000 to 7.2 million daily — an increase of 2,162% despite a combined major effort by government and the private sector to eradicate them.”
How to Keep Your Computer Safe?
Here are some suggestions for keeping your personal computer safe from botnets:
Disclaimer: I am not a computer security expert, so those of you readers who are experts in this area, please correct anything that I might have said wrong.
We’ve warned you before about phishing scams. Here’s a great video that explains phishing scams.
The October 25, 2008 edition of the Church News contained a great article that warns parents of the risks of allowing children to navigate the Internet alone.
Online games today have real-life imagery, sound, and graphics, and allow youth to play with unknown people half way around the world. Parents should be aware of their children’s gaming practices to ensure they are healthy and not harmful.
Jill Manning, author of the book What’s the Big Deal about Pornography: A Guide for the Internet Generation, warns that Internet pornography is readily accessible and is much different from a photograph on the page of a magazine. With the click of the mouse, children can freely access a “seemingly infinite array of sexually explicit images that often incorporate sound, movement and are more explicit than pornography from past eras.”
Sister Manning warns that children and teens should not be left to have private interactions in the virtual world alone. Chat rooms often “lead participants into topics and discussions that they would not have with people in real life. Sex talk, racist slurs, homophobic statements and sexist and hateful language are commonly found in chat rooms.” In a chat room, you can’t tell the sexual predators, criminals, and disrespectful people from the wholesome, clean-cut people. Remember that people can represent themselves any way they choose online, making it impossible to really know who someone is. Never share personal information online. It is better to meet people in person, then use technology to nurture those friendships.
Parents should help young people understand the consequences of online choices. Although youth often feel anonymous online, they need to know that everything they do online gets saved somewhere.
It is critical to teach our children how to use technology in safe and beneficial ways. In the beginning, you may need to use monitoring software so you can see the sites your children visited and get copies of the e-mails they send. Children need a chance to practice using technology and get feedback from their parents.
Neal Francom wrote a great article on LDSTech about Online Security Basics for You and Your Computer. He suggests best practices to keep you, your family, your coworkers, and your computer safer in the online world. His suggestions:
Consistent with this Blog’s goal of discussing topics relevant to LDS parents and youth, as well as considering my professional field of Web analytics, I’d like to talk today about the growth of Facebook and how it relates to LDS families. Facebook.com is one of the world’s most popular Web sites, particularly among youth and young adults, and has been a frequent topic of discussion at this blog (see What are social networks?, Watch Out Google, Here Comes Facebook, and 12 Ways to Share the Gospel on the Internet).
The Stats
According to comScore, Facebook recently took over MySpace as the leading social networking site, attracting 132 million visitors world-wide in June 2008. In the US, Facebook’s popularity still trails MySpace, though Hitwise reports that Facebook saw a 40% growth in US market share over the last year while MySpace’s share declined. Alexa reports that Facebook is 5th most popular Web site in the world behind Yahoo!, Google, YouTube and Windows Live. Facebook has particularly high usage among teens and young adults; according to a 2006 study, Facebook was named the second most popular thing among undergraduate college students, and only ranked lower than the iPod.
What this Means for Parents and Leaders of Youth
Chances are that if you are a parent of a teenage or a youth leader, you are probably less technically savvy than the youth you work with. Many parents and youth leaders I have spoken with don’t really understand what Facebook is and most have never visited the Web site. I’m not advocating spying on your kids (I’ll leave that up to your own discretion) but I do think parents and leaders should visit Facebook and see what the youth are doing online. You will probably be surprised at what you find; pleasantly surprised in some instances, unpleasantly surprised in other cases.
My wife and I have worked with the youth in Church callings for years. We love staying in contact with these youth that we came to care about so much and Facebook provides a great way to do just that. It is so satisfying to see the youth that we remember as Deacons and Teachers, Beehives and Miamaids, growing up, entering college, going on missions, and marrying in the temple. On the flip side, it is saddening to see the poor choices some of the youth are making, as reflected in the things they write on Facebook and the pictures they post.
Like the Internet in general, there is much good and much evil easily available on social media Web sites such as Facebook. Church leaders have stated that the Internet is a great tool for hastening the work of the Lord, but they have also repeatedly counseled members to avoid evils that are available on the Web. Elder L. Edward Brown of the Seventy taught: ”You have access through the Internet to resources one cannot begin to imagine. However, lurking there as well is a sinister evil, as deadly as a rapidly growing cancer…Self-discipline is required relative to the materials you choose to read and the videos you may select to view.” (”Bring Your Mission Home with You,” Ensign, Dec. 2000, 18).
Join In
I believe that by joining in this online social network, we parents and leaders can help, guide and protect the youth. To sign up for a free Facebook account, simply go to Facebook.com and fill out the form on the home page. Once you’re in, browse around, see what it’s all about, and request friendships with your youth, family and other friends. To learn more about how to create an account and connect with friends, check out A beginner’s guide to Facebook, or this Videos Series, “How to Use Facebook”, by eHow.com.
In August, a Thai distributor halted sales of the video game Grand Theft Auto after a teenager confessed to robbing and murdering a taxi driver while trying to recreate a scene from the controversial game. Grand Theft Auto, now available in its fourth edition, has been criticized for depicting violence including beatings, carjackings, drive-by shootings, drunk driving, and prostitution.
In 2005, a multi-million dollar lawsuit was filed in Alabama against the makers and marketers of Grand Theft Auto, claiming that months of playing the game led a teenager to kill two police officers and a 911 dispatcher.
The American Psychological Association warns that violent video games can increase aggression, and, in fact, may be more harmful than violent television and movies because of the interactive nature of the games.
I think these are wake-up calls, but to do what?
Do you have suggestions on how parents should handle these issues?
Read more about the effect of video games on crime and violence, sexuality, social development, and video game addiction.
Internet users are becoming more aware of their own digital footprint. 47% have searched for information about themselves online, up from just 22% five years ago. However, few monitor their online presence with great regularity. Just 3% of self-searchers report that they make a regular habit of it and 74% have checked up on their digital footprints only once or twice.
60% of Internet users say they are not worried about how much information is available about them online, and most do not take steps to limit that information.
Why not google your own name today to see what information is available online?
Learn more by reading the Pew/Internet report “Digital Footprints: Online identity management and search in the age of transparency.“
Read the latest newsletter from the Lighten Candle Society for a warning to parents of the potential danger that children and teenagers may be induced into accessing pornography on their cell phones. They talk about the phenomenon that is sweeping through junior high and high schools in the USA, where youth produce pornography and distribute it to other youth.
The reaction from Utah legislators? To introduce legislation that would reduce such action from a felony to a misdemeanor. Those most interested in seeing this legislation passed are the pedophiles who trade in child pornography. Rather than sweeping this problem under the carpet, we should confront it head-on with tough training and enforcement of the law so we don’t let juveniles exploit other juveniles or develop into adult pornographers.
Pornography is encroaching more and more into mainstream America in print, online, and even on cell phones.
Like the Lighted Candle Society, I am confident that the overwhelming majority of America wants to live in a society that is decent, dignified, and free of pornography. For such a society to exist, good and decent people need to stand against the ever-increasing encroachment of pornography available everywhere we turn.
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