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Internet & Computer Safety

An ongoing dialogue on the various dangers and solutions of Internet crime.
Monitoring Software
As I travel around speaking, I have heard first hand, some of the horror stories that parents are facing with their children's activities on the Internet. Because of that, I have decided that using monitoring software is most definitely the way to go in trying to protect our children. So, what is monitoring software? I will explain.Imagine hooking up your camcorder just above your shoulderand turning it on and recording everything you do during the day. No matter where you go, no matter what you do, no matter what you say (or to whom). It records everything. Simply stated, that ...
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Posted by Philip Rosenthal at 12/31/2006 4:55 PM | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Filters or Loggers?
Probably the most common question I am asked is, "What software should I use to protect my family from getting into trouble?". My answer is very simple. According to my own experience and backed up by statistics and research, filters just simply do not work. They can easily be bypassed by kids or others who are much more computer savvy than most parents. My opinion is that a keylogger or monitoring software should be used since it acts as a tape recorder that captures EVERY action performed on the computer. Think of it as a wiretap.By using software like this ...
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Posted by Philip Rosenthal at 8/3/2006 1:33 PM | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Updates
I think that I will begin updating the blog with various newsworthy information that pertains to Internet Safety, Forensics and general high tech topics that might have an interest to you as the reader.

I have discussed many times in my presentations about the various ways in which people can get online wirelessly. It always amazes me when I drive down a street and scan for unencrypted wi-fi signals. I don't want to give anyone any ideas, but any enterprising soul can piggyback onto a signal and be surfing the Internet for free with little or no effort. Recently a young person was actually arrested for trespassing because he was sitting in a stranger's backyard using their broadband account. The property owner wasn't upset that they hadn't secured their access, they were upset that this fellow was loitering in their backyard.

If you think that you have controlled your child's access by locking down your computer, think again. Did you buy your child an XBox or PSP for their birthday? Both of those devices have wireless Internet capability. Even though you may not approve, when they close their bedroom door, they may very well be online chatting with someone of unknown character. Be vigilant.

Recently in one of the northeast states, there was a case of a child who was the victim of a predator, who met that predator via that child's XBox. This is real danger. I am sure you have all seen the MSNBC specials about this topic. You simply cannot afford to let your guard down.

I will write more as time goes by, but let me know what your thoughts are. Is Law Enforcement doing enough to combat this problem? Should civilians be involved in exposing these predators? What ideas do you have for combating this issue?

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Posted by Philip Rosenthal at 6/28/2006 8:55 PM | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Welcome to my blog
I would like to thank you for reading my blog. If you have gottent this far, then it is obvious that you are interested in the topic of Internet Safety and protecting children and loved ones from abusive and addictive online use.I have been involved in the computer industry for over 28 years and Law Enforcement for over 17. In 1998 I developed the Computer Crime Unit at the Rockland County Sheriff's Department in upstate New York and became a Computer Forensic Investigator. Since then I have examined well in excess of a few hundred computers, pdas, cellphones and other ...
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Posted by Philip Rosenthal at 6/13/2006 2:43 PM | View Comments (1) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)