I find that I really only have a few minutes a day to share ‘key agenda items’ with my teen boys and it is usually when I have them captive around the dinner table – without electronic devices!!

So, with Change Your Password Day happening in May (and my job as Cybermum), I thought I should check in with my four boys about their passwords.

Well – part of me wishes that I hadn’t. Number One son (and his friends) seem to think it is OK to ‘share’, Number Two son has never once changed his, Number Three son writes his on a piece of paper BUT Number Four son assures me he changes his regularly – I just hope he is telling the truth!!

Immediately I sprang into Cyber Educator mode and made my boys play the ‘Password Game’ that forms part of the Life Education and McAfee bCyberwise* program – after they had finished their chicken fried rice!

In the Password Game, students stand in a straight line at the back of a room. The teacher (or their mother) then asks a series of questions about their password. Depending on their answers, they move forward or backward. The student that ‘wins’ is the one that is closest to the front (and has the most secure password!)

Here are some of the questions:

• If you change your password at least every six months, then take three steps forward
• If you let your friends use your password, take four steps backwards
• If your password includes letters, numbers and symbols, take three steps forward
• If your password is a word in the dictionary, take two steps back

After some intense debate, many appeals and no real clear winner, I decided that everyone had some work to do BUT everyone could have some dessert!

So, next time you get a ‘window’ with your kids, ask them about their passwords. When was the last time they changed them? Does it contain their nickname? Do they share it?

And if your teens fall into the grunting category (mine often do) and you literally have 30 seconds, just share this one ‘hot tip’:

‘Passwords are like toothbrushes, they just can’t be shared!’

Till Next time,

Alex xx

*bCyberwise is a new cyber education module, developed by McAfee and Life Education. Launched in January by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, the program is now available to all Aussie school children through Healthy Harold and the popular Life Education program. For more information, please visit McAfee CyberEd and Life Education.

Noooo!!! Mother’s Day email scams just seem to be get nastier each year as cybercriminals get slicker and smarter. And with business analysts IBISWorld predicting Aussies will spend almost $1.4 billion spoiling our mums this year, it is no wonder the cybercrooks are putting in the effort!

Cybercriminals work very hard to catch consumers off guard. They love the fact we are time poor and often operate last minute (yep – that’s me!). So they have developed lucrative strategies to take advantage of time poor and frazzled consumers. Here are some of their top ‘phishing’ tricks:

• They send you an enticing email, usually with a great deal. To take advantage of the deal, you need to click on the link which actually contains malware and NOT a great deal. The malware means the cybercrimes could get access to your computer and see everything you are typing.

• Again, they use email and send you a great offer. The link in the email takes you to a fraudulent site where you enter your credit card details but NEVER receive the goods. And it gets better – your card is then used by the cybercrime to purchase goods and quite often new cards are opened in your name!!!!

So, do you have to join the ridiculous queues at Westfield to secure your mum a gift? Not at all, here are some online shopping tips that will ensure you purchase a great gift and stay safe:

1. Be VERY wary of offers that are too good to be true—they usually are!!
2. Don’t clink on links in emails or texts from someone you don’t know.
3. Retype links into your browser to make sure they are the real deal.
4. ALWAYS be suspicious when you receive an email or text message from a company asking for personal information—legitimate companies do not ask for personal information in emails or texts.
5. Never share your credit card over email, ever. No Exceptions.
6. Pay securely. A secure address begins with https:// or an image of a padlock will appear in the bottom right corner of your browser window.
7. Download (free) McAfee® SiteAdvisor® that will show you in your browser search results if a site is safe or not.
8. Always use comprehensive security software on all your devices that includes anti-spam and malware protection.

And with all the cooking, cleaning, washing, ironing, canteen duty and homework editing mums do, it is in everyone’s interests to make sure Mother’s Day goes VERY smoothly. So, ignore the malicious links and dodgy websites and buy your mum something she will love!

Hope you’re reading this boys!!

Alex xx

Tuesday 7 May 2013 is Change Your Password Day which essentially is all about keeping you safe online. Research shows that the most effective way of protecting you and your digital assets (your photos, contacts, videos, music) is by having a super, duper password AND changing it regularly.

Your password is the first line of defence against unauthorised access to your computer. So, the stronger your password, the better protected you will be from cybercrims and malicious software. A quick check of your password at How Secure Is My Password? will tell you how long it would take a cybercriminal to crack your combination. (I added a few extra symbols and numbers to mine and it will now take 3000 years!!)

In an ideal world, we should have a different password for every account. But let’s be honest – that requires a vast amount of brain power. So my new best friend is my SafeKey password manager which remembers my ridiculous number of passwords for me – an absolute life saver!

So, how do we create a strong password? Here are some tips to get you started

• It has to have at least 8 but ideally 10 characters
• It can’t contain a complete word
• It must be significantly different from previous passwords
• It can’t contain your username, real name or company name
• It MUST contain number, symbols and both lower and uppercase letters
• It must not include sequential letters or numbers eg 12345 or abcde

And Remember

• Don’t enter your password on a computer that doesn’t belong to you

• Never send your password to anyone in an email

• Change your password IMMEDIATELY if you think it has been compromised – don’t waste a moment!

But don’t forget about your kids – please make sure they understand the importance of having a strong password and encourage them to change theirs as well. And while you have their attention PLEASE tell them that passwords are like toothbrushes – they just can’t be shared!

Till next time,

Stay Safe Online

Alex x

In fact there is such concern about the effects of geotagging that researchers have developed a new term – cybercasing. Cybercasing refers to how geotagged text, photos and videos can be used by criminals and other negatively motivated 3rd parties.

Researchers at the International Computer Science Institute in California used information on sites like Craigslist (think Ebay), Twitter and YouTube and cross referenced it with publicly available online content to identify the exact home addresses of potential victims (with GPS-level accuracy) within minutes!!!!!!!!!

In their report “Cybercasing the Joint: On the Privacy Implications of Geotagging“, the researchers confirm that our love affair with smartphones is the biggest factor in the rapid spread of location-based services but often without our knowledge. Many consumers don’t know their information is being shared as many smartphones will automatically ‘geotag’ a user’s image or video. Turning geotagging off requires users to manually opt out which can actually be a complicated process.

But that is only part of the problem. What is even more troubling is the huge amount of user friendly geotagging search programs that can sift through geo-tagged data and provide users with accurate locations within a metre.

So, what can we do to protect our home and valuables and avoid being ‘cybercased’?

• Turn off your location services on your smartphone, if possible.
• Don’t Tweet or make status updates about a holiday while you are there
• Don’t post your holiday photos until you have returned
• Don’t outline the times you will be home when selling items on Ebay

Harley was a spontaneous purchase from a local pet shop about 5 years ago, however the ‘times they are a-changin’. Many families now find their pets online. In fact there are hundreds of credible websites and forums dedicated to matching breeder with pining families.

And whilst this can be a great way of finding your children a pet, it can also be a risky strategy. SCAMWatch, an initiative of the Australian Government designed to educate consumers about avoiding scams, has recently reported an increase in the number of scams involving puppies.

The scams involve ads for non-existent puppies being placed in online classifieds and newspapers at unusually low prices. Interested buyers are provided with adorable picture (that tug very hard on the heartstrings!!) and are then tricked into paying upfront for transport, customs or medical costs before the dog can be delivered. Once the payment has been made, the seller (and adorable puppy) vanish.

So how can you avoid buying a pretend puppy?

• Remember the old adage – ‘If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!’
• Don’t assume that an ad is legit just because it appears on a well-known website. Scammers love these sites!
• Avoid upfront payment and question sellers who insist on using a particular form of payment. DO NOT WIRE MONEY!!
• Deal with local sellers if possible.
• If in doubt, seek advice from someone ‘in the know’ – vet, pet shop or a breeder association.

But before you take the leap into puppy parenting, I would strongly advise investing in a few key items: a baby gate (so the dog doesn’t take over the house), some earplugs (handy when the barking won’t stop) and some piddle pads – worth every cent!

There is absolutely no doubt that a strong and complex password is one of the best ways of protecting yourself online. A combination of at least 10 upper and lowercase letters, symbols and numbers could keep cyber crooks guessing for years. A quick check of your password at How Secure Is My Password? will tell you how long it would take a cybercrime to crack your combination. (I added a few extra symbols and numbers to mine and it will now take 3000 years!!)

When you count up your passwords for your email accounts, social media logins, favourite online shopping sites, news sites, movie sites, online grocery ordering and so on your head will be in a spin.

So, what can we do to help stay safe and remember the various combinations of passwords? Here are some options:

• Use a category of words such as flowers or cars but replace the vowels with symbols. This could work….
• Store them on the computer in an encrypted file or vault. Sounds like a lot of work!
• Use a Password Manager. A Password Manager will manage all your usernames and passwords for multiple accounts.  McAfee Safekey Password Manager securely stores your usernames and passwords for your favourite sites and logs you in with just one click!! Phew!! The great news is it works for multiple PC browsers and Android or Iphone smartphone devices.

My boys are always keen to remind me that I am getting older and becoming more forgetful – very kind! But now I can prove them wrong. Within about 5 minutes (installation time) Mummy’s memory is transformed! In fact- it is now in extraordinary shape. Mummy can now remember 20 different username and password combinations and change them every 6 months – thanks to her little helper (McAfee SafeKey Password Manager)! What a genius!!

But regardless of your opinion – there is no denying that social media is here to stay. In my opinion it makes sense for teachers to embrace it and use it as a way to connect with and enthuse our kids. It’s important to stay relevant in their online world, which both helps us to be a part of that experience and gives us the opportunity to teach them how to use social media in the right way because at the end of the day – social media is the currency of our children’s generation.

Many educators and parents are concerned about the use of social media in schools because of the threat of bullying. However, I believe the best part about using social media in the classroom is that it means the function of these sites is less about pure socialising (where there is a chance bullying behaviour can occur) and more about learning. And I can assure you this is a big positive from a parent’s perspective!

So, how are teachers using it?

• Some teachers (both Primary and Secondary) are setting up class Twitter accounts. Year 5 teacher Bec Spink from Aitkin Creek Primary School in Craigieburn set up a class Twitter account, in consultation with her principal and the class parents. The class has tweeted the Prime Minister and is using the account to converse with students around the world.

• Many schools have created Facebook pages for various subjects and extra-curricular activities. Northern Beaches Christian School in Sydney’s Terrey Hills has Facebook group pages for various subjects such as engineering. Students post photos taken on their mobile phones during lessons and discuss questions and homework with both their classmates and teachers.

• Class blogs are being used by both Primary and Secondary teachers to not only highlight class achievements and activities but give the students an opportunity to publish their work. Kathleen Morris from Leopold Primary School in Victoria has had a class blog since 2008 and uses blogging in most of her classroom activities. In 2012, her class blog won a highly contested international Edublog competition for classroom blogs.

So, if your child teacher wants to create a class blog or even a YouTube channel, take a moment to think about the array of benefits before you say NO. It may just provide the inspiration your child needs to help them develop a lifetime love of learning.

“No-one else’s mother makes them clean up like you do”.

“I’m sure the UN would consider this illegal – it’s forced child labour”.

Well, too bad boys – clean-ups are here to stay!!

But with school holidays just a few weeks away, I am preparing a different style of clean-up for my oldest two boys – a social media clean up!

I am a big believer in regularly taking the time to go through your social media profiles with a fine tooth comb. I can’t stress enough how important it is to manage your profile. The photos we are tagged in, the comments we make, the pages we like and the groups we follow all form a part of our digital reputation. Your digital reputation shapes how you’re perceived by others both online and offline, now and in the future.

So, here is what I am going to strongly suggest to my boys in order to clean up their Facebook profiles.

1. Friends – make sure you actually know everyone who is your online friend. Remember, the more friends you have the greater the chance your private information can go AWOL.

2. Photos – Delete photos that reflect badly on you. Review all photos that others have tagged you in and where necessary, untag yourself. Facebook’s latest News Feed has dramatically increased the size of photos so this is more important than ever. If your child is thinking about becoming captain of the football team or a school leader then this is critical.

3. Privacy Settings – Make sure your profile is set to private and do this regularly, to makes sure the settings haven’t changed.

4. Profile Settings – Delete any personal information. Even if your profile is private, you can’t be sure what your friends do with your information.

5. Posts – Review your posts. To ensure your safety, delete all posts that include your personal information. And don’t forget about the posts that aren’t kind, include foul language or generally don’t reflect well on you – these can be seriously limiting to your job prospects or potential leadership opportunities.

And finally, once you have had your kids clean up their Facebook profile, spend a little time cleaning up your own also. No groaning please!!

But as far as lows go – I think discovering your child has been bullying other children is really tough. Perhaps you found some aggressive comments on your child’s Facebook page or maybe it was a call from the school about ‘less than desirable online activity’. Many parents go into denial when they hear the news – and I totally get that. ‘Not my daughter. She would have never done that!’

But sometimes you just have to attack a problem head on. So, if you find yourself in this situation, here are a few things you can do:

1) Ask Yourself Why?

Barbara Coloroso, author of The Bully, The Bullied and The Bystander, believes that bullying is caused by contempt – a disrespectful attitude towards someone. So, try and identify why your child acted in such a way. According to Barbara Coloroso, contempt is a learned behaviour that can be unlearned with guidance.

2) Talk Calmly To Your Child

Speak calmly to your child and get a full understanding of the situation. Communicate your disappointment and explain why the behaviour is unacceptable.

3) What is Happening at Home?

Ensure there is no bullying at home. Sometimes bullying can become an automatic part of family life so no-one in the family realises it is happening.

4) Encourage Empathy

Empathetic children are less likely to bully. ‘How would you feel…?’ is a powerful question to ask bullies. Involve the child in volunteer work to help them develop empathy.

5) Find An Outlet

A sporting team or drama group can be a positive outlet for excess energy whilst teaching the value of positive teamwork.

6) Insist on Restorative Justice

Restorative justice is a powerful process during which the bully acknowledges the behaviour, makes amends and figures out how to prevent it.

So, before you even think about beating yourself up, please remember that people can change – you can turn this situation around. The most important thing you can do is support your child, encourage them to acknowledge their behaviour and make amends. You will be doing them a huge favour.

Well, if your answer is yes – then you are not alone. A study conducted by two German universities, entitled Envy on Facebook: A Hidden Threat to Users’ Life Satisfaction?, found that envy is alive and well on Facebook. According to the research, 1/3 of Facebook users felt worse after visiting the site and more dissatisfied with their lives. And it is holiday snaps and social interaction (comparisons of birthday greetings and likes) that cause the most resentment.

And while the report acknowledges the powerful role Facebook plays in helping its one billion users stay in touch with ‘friends’, the researchers also comment that Facebook produces a ‘basis for social comparison and envy on an unprecedented scale’.

So, if Facebook is making you feel a little flat, here are a few tips that might help you to perk up:

1. No-one has a perfect life. If they say they do, they’re lying!
2. Your Facebook friends will usually only share the good times. The hard times are almost always kept private.
3. Take a break from Facebook
4. Ask yourself ‘Why Am I envious?’ This may spur you to action a project or course that you have been delaying.
5. Review your Facebook friends. Perhaps delete those that make you feel the worst.
6. Strike Back – Inject some positivity into your life. Smile and be grateful for the good things. Share photos of yourself smiling when you are out and about!

But perhaps the best remedy of all is to turn off your computer, pick up the phone and book in some ‘catch-ups’ with real friends!

Take care,

Alex x