Crescent-News.com - Internet safety: DC professor getting the word out to parents and teens

By JENNY DERRINGER

derringer@crescent-news.com

The Internet can be an educational and useful media for children and adults if used responsibly. People can also chat instantly with friends and family worldwide or order anything imaginable online.

But people must realize there are those out there who have ulterior motives, ranging from identity thieves to bullies to child predators.

Gregg Gunsch, associate professor of computer forensics at Defiance College, has been getting the word out about Internet safety to parents and teen-agers through numerous presentations.

"Don't be oblivious to the dangers out there," said Gunsch. "There are plenty of them. The Internet is a daily part of most people's lives now, so you have to keep your technical protections up to date -- firewalls, antivirus. ... Make sure you use them.

"When it comes to e-mail, don't click on the links," he continued. "Don't open the attachments unless you're really sure. If you have the slightest amount of doubt, verify before you go. You tend to open yourself up for compromising your computer and it being used without your knowledge."

Gunsch also warns about posting pages on MySpace.

"Just be very cautious about the information you put out there," said Gunsch. "People use that in a number of ways, many of which you're not going to appreciate -- damaging ways."

Legitimate ways include uses by college, employers, potential employers and potential mates.

"They are looking at what you're posting out there and using that as an assessment," he explained. "People are losing jobs and opportunities based on the silly things they post. They assume it's private and it isn't. They assume it's temporary and it's not. It's permanent and it's global so think of that before you put it out there."

Looking at that personal information from the criminal aspect, people can use it to steal your identity or stalk you.

"That's where we start to get into the sleazy side, the people who are into child pornography, people involved in stalking and cyber bullying, extortion and fraud," he noted.

"The 'don't talk to strangers' thing has to be really enforced," he stressed. "Teen-agers may think they're talking to a 17-year-old female and chances are quite likely they're not. They're talking to the COG, the creepy old guy."

Gunsch recommends that parents absolutely monitor what their young children are doing on the computer and keep the computer in the family room so they can keep an eye on it at all times.

In addition, he suggests parents utilize software such as the parent control tool bar found on Internet Explorer.

Parents can regulate which websites their children can go to and add new sites over time. If the child tries to explore, the parent will get a listing of sites they've attempted to visit.

The problem happens as the child gets older and they need to use the Internet as a global resource.

"So you really just have to be involved with your child," stated Gunsch. "Teach them what the threats are, let them know they can come to you if they feel uncomfortable about something that has happened with the person they're communicating with (online)."

He also suggests key-logging software that can allow parents to monitor every key stroke.

"Kids may feel it's an invasion of their privacy but that's part of the tough love thing," he said. "Sometimes you really do need to know what it is that they're doing. Over time then you can decide if they've developed that level of maturity and trust to let them fly solo."

Gunsch can sum up the potential of the Internet in one phrase: "It is a dangerous place, it's getting more so very fast."

He stated that in the last couple of years, organized crime has become a very big player on the Internet.

According to the FBI, in 2005 organized crime made more money through identity theft and electronic fraud than it did with the international drug trade.

"And it's only gotten worse since then," Gunsch added. "They have organized laboratories and well-staffed manned labs with skilled programmers. They can get full control of your computer by (getting you to) log on to certain sites. That's an attack on the whole system, the whole infrastructure."

Gunsch will be available for community presentations after January. He encourages high school students to attend in order to learn more about Defiance College's computer forensic program and computer security.