CYBER CRIMES

CYBER CRIMES

Hacking
Hacking in simple terms means an illegal intrusion into a computer system and/or network. There is an equivalent term to hacking i.e. cracking, but from Indian Laws perspective there is no difference between the term hacking and cracking. Every act committed towards breaking into a computer and/or network is hacking. Hackers write or use ready-made computer programs to attack the target computer. They possess the desire to destruct and they get the kick out of such destruction. Some hackers hack for personal monetary gains, such as to stealing the credit card information, transferring money from various bank accounts to their own account followed by withdrawal of money. They extort money from some corporate giant threatening him to publish the stolen information which is critical in nature.
Government websites are the hot targets of the hackers due to the press coverage, it receives. Hackers enjoy the media coverage.
Motive Behind The Crime

• Greed
• Power
• Publicity
• Revenge
• Adventure
• Desire to access forbidden information
• Destructive mindset
• Wants to sell n/w security services

Child Pornography
The Internet is being highly used by its abusers to reach and abuse children sexually, worldwide. The internet is very fast becoming a household commodity in India . It’s explosion has made the children a viable victim to the cyber crime. As more homes have access to internet, more children would be using the internet and more are the chances of falling victim to the aggression of pedophiles.
The easy access to the pornographic contents readily and freely available over the internet lower the inhibitions of the children. Pedophiles lure the children by distributing pornographic material, then they try to meet them for sex or to take their nude photographs including their engagement in sexual positions. Sometimes Pedophiles contact children in the chat rooms posing as teenagers or a child of similar age, then they start becoming friendlier with them and win their confidence. Then slowly pedophiles start sexual chat to help children shed their inhibitions about sex and then call them out for personal interaction. Then starts actual exploitation of the children by offering them some money or falsely promising them good opportunities in life. The pedophiles then sexually exploit the children either by using them as sexual objects or by taking their pornographic pictures in order to sell those over the internet.

In physical world, parents know the face of dangers and they know how to avoid & face the problems by following simple rules and accordingly they advice their children to keep away from dangerous things and ways. But in case of cyber world, most of the parents do not themselves know about the basics in internet and dangers posed by various services offered over the internet. Hence the children are left unprotected in the cyber world. Pedophiles take advantage of this situation and lure the children, who are not advised by their parents or by their teachers about what is wrong and what is right for them while browsing the internet
How do they Operate

a. Pedophiles use false identity to trap the children/teenagers
b. Pedophiles contact children/teens in various chat rooms which are used by children/teen to interact with other children/teen.
c. Befriend the child/teen.
d. Extract personal information from the child/teen by winning his confidence.
e. Gets the e-mail address of the child/teen and starts making contacts on the victim’s e-mail address as well.
f. Starts sending pornographic images/text to the victim including child pornographic images in order to help child/teen shed his inhibitions so that a feeling is created in the mind of the victim that what is being fed to him is normal and that everybody does it.
g. Extract personal information from child/teen
h. At the end of it, the pedophile set up a meeting with the child/teen out of the house and then drag him into the net to further sexually assault him or to use him as a sex object.


Cyber Stalking
Cyber Stalking can be defined as the repeated acts harassment or threatening behavior of the cyber criminal towards the victim by using internet services. Stalking in General terms can be referred to as the repeated acts of harassment targeting the victim such as following the victim, making harassing phone calls, killing the victims pet, vandalizing victims property, leaving written messages or objects. Stalking may be followed by serious violent acts such as physical harm to the victim and the same has to be treated and viewed seriously. It all depends on the course of conduct of the stalker.
Both kind of Stalkers – Online & Offline – have desire to control the victims life. Majority of the stalkers are the dejected lovers or ex-lovers, who then want to harass the victim because they failed to satisfy their secret desires. Most of the stalkers are men and victim female.
How do they Operate
a. Collect all personal information about the victim such as name, family background, Telephone Numbers of residence and work place, daily routine of the victim, address of residence and place of work, date of birth etc. If the stalker is one of the acquaintances of the victim he can easily get this information. If stalker is a stranger to victim, he collects the information from the internet resources such as various profiles, the victim may have filled in while opening the chat or e-mail account or while signing an account with some website.
b. The stalker may post this information on any website related to sex-services or dating services, posing as if the victim is posting this information and invite the people to call the victim on her telephone numbers to have sexual services. Stalker even uses very filthy and obscene language to invite the interested persons.
c. People of all kind from nook and corner of the World, who come across this information, start calling the victim at her residence and/or work place, asking for sexual services or relationships.
d. Some stalkers subscribe the e-mail account of the victim to innumerable pornographic and sex sites, because of which victim starts receiving such kind of unsolicited e-mails.
e. Some stalkers keep on sending repeated e-mails asking for various kinds of favors or threaten the victim.
f. In online stalking the stalker can make third party to harass the victim.
g. Follow their victim from board to board. They “hangout” on the same BB’s as their victim, many times posting notes to the victim, making sure the victim is aware that he/she is being followed. Many times they will “flame” their victim (becoming argumentative, insulting) to get their attention.
h. Stalkers will almost always make contact with their victims through email. The letters may be loving, threatening, or sexually explicit. He will many times use multiple names when contacting the victim.
i. Contact victim via telephone. If the stalker is able to access the victims telephon, he will many times make calls to the victim to threaten, harass, or intimidate them.
j. Track the victim to his/her home.
Definition of Cyberstalking?
Although there is no universally accepted definition of cyberstalking, the term is used in this report to refer to the use of the Internet, e-mail, or other electronic communications devices to stalk another person. Stalking generally involves harassing or threatening behavior that an individual engages in repeatedly, such as following a person, appearing at a person’s home or place of business, making harassing phone calls, leaving written messages or objects, or vandalizing a person’s property. Most stalking laws require that the perpetrator make a credible threat of violence against the victim; others include threats against the victim’s immediate family; and still others require only that the alleged stalker’s course of conduct constitute an implied threat.(1) While some conduct involving annoying or menacing behavior might fall short of illegal stalking, such behavior may be a prelude to stalking and violence and should be treated seriously.
Nature and Extent of Cyberstalking
An existing problem aggravated by new technology
Although online harassment and threats can take many forms, cyberstalking shares important characteristics with offline stalking. Many stalkers – online or off – are motivated by a desire to exert control over their victims and engage in similar types of behavior to accomplish this end. As with offline stalking, the available evidence (which is largely anecdotal) suggests that the majority of cyberstalkers are men and the majority of their victims are women, although there have been reported cases of women cyberstalking men and of same-sex cyberstalking. In many cases, the cyberstalker and the victim had a prior relationship, and the cyberstalking begins when the victim attempts to break off the relationship. However, there also have been many instances of cyberstalking by strangers. Given the enormous amount of personal information available through the Internet, a cyberstalker can easily locate private information about a potential victim with a few mouse clicks or key strokes.
The fact that cyberstalking does not involve physical contact may create the misperception that it is more benign than physical stalking. This is not necessarily true. As the Internet becomes an ever more integral part of our personal and professional lives, stalkers can take advantage of the ease of communications as well as increased access to personal information. In addition, the ease of use and non-confrontational, impersonal, and sometimes anonymous nature of Internet communications may remove disincentives to cyberstalking. Put another way, whereas a potential stalker may be unwilling or unable to confront a victim in person or on the telephone, he or she may have little hesitation sending harassing or threatening electronic communications to a victim. Finally, as with physical stalking, online harassment and threats may be a prelude to more serious behavior, including physical violence.

Denial of service Attack
This is an act by the criminal, who floods the bandwidth of the victim’s network or fills his e-mail box with spam mail depriving him of the services he is entitled to access or provide
Short for denial-of-service attack, a type of attack on a network that is designed to bring the network to its knees by flooding it with useless traffic. Many DoS attacks, such as the Ping of Death and Teardrop attacks, exploit limitations in the TCp/IP protocols. For all known DoS attacks, there are software fixes that system administrators can install to limit the damage caused by the attacks. But, like Virus, new DoS attacks are constantly being dreamed up by Hacker.

Virus Dissemination
Malicious software that attaches itself to other software. (virus, worms, Trojan Horse, Time bomb, Logic Bomb, Rabbit and Bacterium are the malicious
Software Piracy
Theft of software through the illegal copying of genuine programs or the counterfeiting and distribution of products intended to pass for the original.

IRC Crime
Internet Relay Chat (IRC) servers have chat rooms in which people from anywhere the world can come together and chat with each other.

Credit Card Fraud
The unauthorized and illegal use of a credit card to purchase property.

Net Extortion
Copying the company’s confidential data in order to extort said company for huge amount

Phishing
The act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft. The e-mail directs the user to visit a Web site where they are asked to update personal information, such as passwords and credit card, social security, and bank account numbers, that the legitimate organization already has. The Web site, however, is bogus and set up only to steal the user’s information.. By spamming large groups of people, the “phisher” counted on the e-mail being read by a percentage of people who actually had listed credit card numbers with legitimately. Phishing, also referred to as brand spoofing or carding, is a variation on “fishing,” the idea being that bait is thrown out with the hopes that while most will ignore the bait, some will be tempted into biting.

Online Safety Tips

Online Safety Tips
We all know that the Internet is a cool place to hang with friends and check out new things. But don’t forget about the Internet’s risks and dangers. If you’re going to use the Web, do it safely! Here are some suggestions on what you should and shouldn’t be doing online to help protect you against the bad stuff.
Be careful online.

Never reveal personally – identifiable information online. A lot of creeps use the Internet to take advantage of other people, especially kids and teens. Never reveal any personally-identifiable information online, whether it’s on your profile page or in a blog, chatroom, instant messenger chat or email.
• Always use a screen name instead of your real name.
• Never give out your address, telephone number, hangout spots or links to other websites or pages where this information is available.
• Be careful about sending pictures to people you do not know very well.
• Never tell people personal or private information about your friends or family.
• Never assume you’re completely anonymous online. Even if you don’t put personal information online, there are different ways that people can still figure out who you are and where you live.
Never share your password with other people (except for your parents).
Your passwords to websites, email accounts and instant messenger services should not be shared with friends or strangers. Your friends may not be as safe as you are and may unknowingly subject you to danger. You should, however, share your passwords with your parents if they ask so they can make sure you’re using the Internet safely.

Never arrange meetings with strangers.
Just because you’ve seen a person’s picture and read his or her profile, does not mean you know them. Many people online lie about who they are and what their intentions are. Just because someone seems nice online, does not mean they really are. They could be trying to hurt you. Never arrange a meeting with a stranger you’ve met online. Even meeting a stranger in a crowded place could be dangerous as he could follow you home. If you wish to meet an online friend in person, talk to your parents and arrange a time and place where your friend can meet your parents first, just in case. If you are worried about your parents meeting one of your online friends, you probably shouldn’t be friends with them in the first place.

Don’t believe everything you read or see online.
Be wary of everything you see online unless it is from a trusted source. People lie about their age, who they are, what they look like, where they live, how they know you and what their interests are. Also, a lot of websites and emails contain information that is misleading or just plain untrue. If a person or deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Ask your parents to help you figure out what information is really true.

Don’t download files or software without your parents’ permission.
There are a lot of files on the Internet that are unsafe to download to a computer. Some files will bombard you with pop-up ads all day long. Some files will actually track everything you and your family does on your computer, including your logins, passwords and credit card information, which criminals then use to steal money from you and do other harm. There is no easy way to tell which files are bad and which are ok to download. That free desktop wallpaper you want to download might also steal your parents’ credit card information. Ask your parents before you download any files or software from the Internet.

Don’t respond to inappropriate messages or emails.
Some people send inappropriate messages just to see if you will respond. If you do, you are simply encouraging them to send more inappropriate material to you. Don’t respond to inappropriate messages. Instead, talk to your parents about how to report them to the right place.

Don’t post inappropriate content.
. If you post information about tennis, you will attract people who are interested in tennis. If you post inappropriate content or pictures, you will attract people who have inappropriate interests. If you post jokes, photos or other content that contain sexual references you will probably attract people who are only interested in talking about sex. Be mindful of what you are communicating to the rest of the online world through the content you put onto the Internet.

Be leery of personal questions from strangers.
People you don’t know who ask personal questions are often up to no good. Don’t continue communicating with strangers who ask you personal questions. Talk to your parents about how to block them from communicating with you and report them to the right place.

Don’t be bullied into fights.
People tend to say things online that they would never say in person. Some people even say rude and malicious things, sometimes just to see if you will respond. Don’t respond to these people. Instead, talk to your parents about how to block them from communicating with you and report them to the right place.
Don’t use adult sites.
There are some websites that kids just should not use. Don’t use websites that contain adult content or that facilitate communication with older adults. No matter how much you think you know about the Internet, there are some people and places you just aren’t ready to deal with. Enjoy websites that are designed for people your own age.

Understand what you put online will be there forever.
Assume that everything you put online—- every email you write, every picture you post, every blog or journal entry you post—- will be accessible on the Internet forever. Many search engines copy Internet pages and save them for viewing even after the pages are no longer online. Think about that before you post anything online. Do you really want pictures or blog entries to be seen 10 years from now?

What’s the Difference Between Marketing & Relationship Marketing?

The short answer is there should be no difference whatsoever. The confusion comes from what you experience and what you may be hearing now. So let’s sort this all out.

Most business owners, entrepreneurs, and SOHO’s aren’t clear about what marketing is supposed to do. Marketing has one objective. That objective is to create relationships. Boy do I wish I had understood that from the beginning.

Marketing is really about making friends. Therefore, all good marketing is relationship marketing. You read the “good” part didn’t you?

Just like when most people hear the word “salesperson” they immediately think about the worst of the worst… the same is true when it comes to how many business owners think about marketing. You immediately think of the examples of marketing communications that do little more than scream you need to buy and you need to buy now.


The world is not made up of zombies haunting the streets in search of what you sell. Even the people who do want to buy your stuff will not respond to in-your-face marketing tactics and techniques. Instead most people are either looking for INFORMATION, or they are open to information about something that could be of interest to them.

Bottom line when it comes to marketing you want to evaluate the way you approach creating those relationships through your marketing communications.

Think about why you develop relationships with some people and not others. Do you share a common interest or desire? Do you have a common goal or challenge? Probably.

You’ve also probably met a lot of people in your life that could have developed into relationships yet they didn’t go anywhere. Did you do anything beyond the introduction to sustain the relationship? Were there opportunities for interaction and engagement? Hmmm, pretty obvious why things just kind of went nowhere.

So, if the purpose of marketing is to create relationships then our marketing must:

Focus on what the other person wants to hear

Provide a way to get information about that
Allow the other person to gain a sense of who you are and what you are about

Nurture the relationship by continuing to add value

Provide opportunities for interaction and engagement

And above all don’t take yourself so seriously. Some of the worst marketing efforts I’ve ever seen were created by business owners who wanted to create the illusion they were a big company when they weren’t… who insisted on using incomprehensible “corporatese” when a simple message would have worked so much better. No matter what… people buy from people. The people you market to need to know you are a real person who really cares about what they think… who really wants to help them.

A less than perfect sincere marketing message is a thousand times more powerful than a perfect impersonal one.

Can you think of a really bad marketing communication you’ve gotten lately? What could the sender have changed to make the message work for you?

COPYWRITER

The Step-by-Step Copywriting Course Gives You:
A format that allows you to work at your own pace
This self-paced, self-study course contains an e-book study manual with insights, guidelines, do's and don'ts. Read it at your own pace, when you have the time.
Step-by-step instruction with lots of examples
You'll get step-by-step instructions and see real-life examples, pulled from actual advertisements that show you exactly how to (and how NOT to) write powerful copy.
Lessons so you can practice writing exceptional copy

We learn best with practice so I've provided assignments at the end of every lesson so you can immediately use your new skills.
Insight on how a professional would write it
This is a self-scoring course. Once you've completed each lesson, you can check the "Answers & Insights" section of your manual that contains the answers to the assignments, insights, examples of how I would write the copy and important points to consider.

THE 10 PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE COPY WRITING FOR THE NET:

1. Know Your Product
This is the cornerstone of good copy writing. Know your product and be passionate about it. Believe in it. If you don't, you shouldn't be selling it. It is not only unethical to sell something you wouldn't buy yourself, but also difficult and unpleasant.
If you have a product that you *know* will change your customer's life for the better, then copy writing becomes much easier. You're doing her a favor - offering this product at this price - believe that yourself first.
After that, killer copy comes naturally.

2. Know Your Customer
Before you write the first word, create a profile customer.
• Is it a techno-peasant housewife or an IT company executive?
• Income range?
• Age?
• Sex?
• In a hurry?
Select your words and page length to suit your reader - not yourself.
Then, once your web site is tailor made for her unique needs, it is time to test... Find about 3 people who more or less fit your profile customer's specs and let them loose on the site. Give them tasks like finding your e-mail address, getting to the order page, finding information on a specific product etc.
See how easily they find it and ask for general comments as they go.
Testing is absolutely vital.
My own sales copy always looks good to me - but I wrote it, so I know exactly how it's structured. Someone else might find it tedious or even confusing.
Confusing web sites is the NUMBER ONE reason people leave.
Swear at them if you must, but don't confuse them.
That is why you have to test.

3. Stress Benefits
Whatever you do, DON'T put you mission statement on your homepage.
We just don't care.
We want benefits! What can your product do for me? Right now!
• Can it make me rich?
• Can it save me time?
• Can it entertain me?
• Can it make me feel better about myself?
That's what people want.
Your product's greatest benefit should be right in the top header in bold red letters. Your first three or four words should hit them between the eyes.
You never read everything on every page you visit. You scan - you look for something that seems interesting.
Statistics show that you have 10 seconds to grab your visitor's attention. If you don't, she'll move on. No sentence starting with "Our goal is to..." has ever grabbed my attention. I don't care about you. I care about me. What does your site/product do for me? Right now!
I know this seems harsh, but you'd do well to take it seriously. It's been proven many times. E-consumers are very back-button-happy. It's a big web with lots to see. You HAVE TO give them a reason to stay on your site.

4. Establish Trus
On the Net you don't have the advantage of speaking face to face with your customer, so you have to load as much credibility into your words as possible.
How?
Offer a free trial, a money-back guarantee, testimonials, put your e-mail address, physical address and phone number at the bottom of every page, show a (small) photograph of yourself etc.
Most important: Speak to your visitor. Don't ramble about technical specs of your products. Imagine sitting down with a friend and telling her about something that can really enhance her life.

5. Use Headings Like This One
Break it up.
Short paragraphs.
Few people will read your entire page. Make it scannable.
Each heading should do 2 things:
• Grab her attention
• Give her clues about the content of the next two or three paragraphs.
Remember that reading from the screen puts extra strain on the eyes. Make the read easy, quick and informative.

6. Words (not) To Use
Good words:
Free; proven; discover; breakthrough; learn; you/your; benefit; first; complete; exclusive etc.
Bad words:
If; but; should; could; etc.
Powerful words:
Why say "If you want to get to the top of the Search Engines..." when you could say "Nail the search engines in five easy steps. Read on... ".
As a rule of thumb, assume that your visitor couldn't care less about you. Don't use "I" or "me" more than "you".

7. Keep It Short
I mentioned page-length up there at #2. The key is to keep it as short as you can. When you're done writing your killer copy, see if you can say it in half the words. Don't sacrifice quality though. Make it as long as it needs to be without dragging it out.

8. Create Urgency
Throw in something special for the first 100 subscribers or make it "this month only". Your word selection is important here. Don't say "Subscribe now!". Put a specific time limit to it - "Subscribe during July and I'll give you... ".
Try to get them to buy on their first visit, because chances of them returning later are slim.

9. Get A Response
Hook'em the first time.
If they don't bookmark you, they probably won't find you again. Have a back-up response ready.
For example:
Let's say that you have a visitor that just can't make up her mind. With a bit more convincing, you'll hook her, but she's at the end of the page and thinking about the dreaded back-button.
So give her something - like a free subscription to your newsletter or a trial download. That way you survive in her memory and you get another opportunity to persuade her.

10. Spelling, Grammar and Formatting
I won't tell you that a typo will kill your sales effort. The same applies to grammatical errors. Use a spellchecker of some sort. I make a habit of pasting my text in MS Word and running a spell-check. It saves a lot of time later.
EASY ON THOSE CAPS AND EXCLAMATION MARKS!!!!
They look unprofessional. Use bold text and color to highlight important points.

A Confession..
I learned almost everything I know about copy writing in Joe Robson's "Make Your Words Sell" ebook. It sells for under 30 bucks last time I checked and it comes with an unconditional money-back guarantee.
Nothing to loose and so much to gain.
If you're serious about selling online, this is a must read. Joe is a copy writing wiz and the book does not waste your time. Just real, step-by-step advice you can use from today to turn more of your site visitors into customers.

“Everyone lives by selling something.”

“Everyone lives by selling something.”

A thin man eats to live and a fat man lives to eat.



You don’t expect much from a cook, yet you expect a fine meal from a Chef.



How is it there’s such a vast difference in the way basic things are done? How is it those often almost unnoticeable differences produce such dramatically different outcomes?



These differences, my friend, are the result of:



Attention to detail

Passion

Commitment

The thin man, the cook, and the average sales person miss the mark on each count by just a little. Water at 211 degrees is just hot water, yet increase that temperature one teensy degree and you unleash enough power to pull a train with cars as far as the eye can see. Improve the way you sell one little degree and you transform from an average sales person to a top producer.



Read these three sentences placing emphasis on the italicized word in each sentence -





The red house is the one on fire.
The red house is the one on fire.
The red house is the one on fire.
Change the way you emphasize just one little word and the entire meaning changes.



The cook approaches the meal with the thought of getting it done. The Chef approaches the meal with the thought of creating an experience for the taste buds. The cook is happy when you are full. The Chef is only happy if you had a mouthwatering eating encounter.



The average sales person approaches sales with the thought of closing the sale. The top producer approaches sales as the beginning of a life-time relationship.



The average sales person thinks only of the process. The top producer is passionate about the engagement and discovery.



The average sales person always leaves a way out… a back door for escape. The top producer is all in all the time. There’s no need for back door options because the top producer’s focus is on the right option for both the producer and the new client.



Yes, sales is a process. However, sales done right is a passion fulfilled through a process.



6 Sales D’s

Yet another “no sale”. You followed your presentation exactly. You were on time looking good.

What happened? What went wrong?

You probably have run up against one or more of the 6 D’s of sales. You can’t sell when your potential buyer has one of these 6 reasons for not buying. They:

don’t like you
don’t trust you
don’t need what you have
don’t have a reason to buy now
don’t have the money
don’t have the authority to make a buying decision

If you act like a sales person your potential buyer automatically won’t like or trust you. They’ve been trained not to like and trust sales people. It doesn’t matter that you’re different or that you haven’t done anything to make them dislike or distrust you.

If you are a good person with good intentions there’s no valid reason for you to trigger the first two D’s. Change the way you position yourself.

If the reason the potential buyer can’t buy is because they don’t have a need for what you offer. Shame on you. You’ve needlessly wasted both your time and there’s. Make sure you prequalify every appointment so you’re only speaking with qualified prospects.

You overcome urgency and money by asking questions that help the potential buyer develop a reason to buy now and a reason doing so makes good financial sense. You never do it by telling them these things. It has to be their idea.

When you were qualifying the prospect before you met you should also have determined if they were the sole person needed to make a buying decision. If you don’t do that up front… telling you they can’t make a buying decision is an easy way to get rid of you without having to tell you the real reason they don’t want to buy.

Identify the D’s that kept you from getting the sale. Now how are you going to remove these D’s so the next sales ends the right way.

The Tao of Making Money

The Tao of Making Money

Tao means Way. The Tao of Making Money is the Way of Making Money. What natural principles does making money follow?

Making money is part of nature, and struggle is a symptom that you are out of harmony with the flow of nature, how things work. The word prosperity originally meant "to be in the flow".

I would like you to grasp something simple yet elusive to many.

First, let us hear a few words from the wise and successful, and then we can move on to the Tao of Making Money:
"To live through an impossible situation, you don't need the reflexes of a Grand Prix driver, the muscles of a Hercules, the mind of an Einstein. You simply need to know what to do." --Anthony Greenbank

"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult." --Seneca

"The world is not to be put in order; the world is order, incarnate. It is for us to harmonize with this order." --Henry Miller

"If we do not know what port we're steering for, no wind is favorable." --Seneca

"There is a science of getting rich, and it is an exact science, like algebra or arithmetic. There are certain laws which govern the process of acquiring riches, and once these laws are learned and obeyed by anyone, that person will get rich with mathematical certainty." --Wallace D. Wattles

"The reality of life is that your perceptions - right or wrong - influence everything else you do. When you get a proper perspective of your perceptions, you may be surprised how many other things fall into place." --Roger Birkman

"Our life is what our thoughts make it." --Marcus Aelius Aurelius Antoninus (121-180), Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher.

"What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step." --Antoine De Saint-Exupery

"Vision is not enough unless combined with venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps unless we also step up the stairs." --Vance Havner

"Nothing comes from doing nothing." --William Shakespeare

"To your subconscious mind the solutions to your problems of poverty is to become rich, but it is logically invalid for it to pursue this course of action if it has been told that it will make you a bad person." --Simon Hall
"To be ambitious for wealth and yet expecting to be poor; to be always doubting your ability to get what you long for, is like trying to reach east by traveling west. There is no philosophy which will help man to succeed when he is always doubting his ability to do so, and thus attracting failure." --Charles Bandouin
Do you see a pattern there? Well, I will spell it out for you. Here, then, is the Tao of Making Money:
Wealth Consciousness + Mindset + Strategies + Action = Great Wealth Guaranteed
To understand it, let us look at it backwards.
The result you want is wealth
Your results always follow your actions (and beliefs). If you don't get into a car and drive to London, you will stay where you are. If you don't get off the couch, you will stay on the couch. Simple: the result is the child of the action.
Your actions follow your beliefs. You cannot act outside of what you believe. Have you noticed that?

Your beliefs are simply thoughts that you think over and over again (mindset). And your thoughts can be organized into a system that works (a strategy). And a strategy can be learnt; all you need is to be exposed to it to come from not knowing to knowing.

Most importantly, your thoughts arise from your state of being (consciousness).

When you are happy, you have happy thoughts and you feel happy. When you are sad, you have sad thoughts and you feel sad. State comes first, followed by thought and then the corresponding emotion. You may not know it, but you always choose your state; it just doesn't happen randomly (maybe unconsciously, but not randomly, and you will learn how to make the unconscious conscious).

A state of being that believes in abundance, infinity, possibility, openness, flow, and so on, is a state of wealth consciousness. If you have a lack consciousness state of being as your predominant one, you cannot make wealth. It defies natural law and hence it is impossible. In fact, if you don't have wealth consciousness, you will not even believe or perceive opportunities to make money even if they are staring at you right in your face (you wouldn't know money if it hit you in the face).
You must first create within you a state of wealth consciousness. This must be your primary mission.
Your subconscious mind (the storehouse of your beliefs) controls almost everything about you. For example, it controls your autonomic nervous system. What is that? Here is what the Microsoft Encarta encyclopedia says: "Autonomic Nervous System, in vertebrate anatomy, one of the two main divisions of the nervous system, supplying impulses to the body's heart muscles, smooth muscles, and glands. The autonomic system controls the action of the glands; the functions of the respiratory, circulatory, digestive, and urogenital systems; and the involuntary muscles in these systems and in the skin. Controlled by nerve centers in the lower part of the brain, the system also has a reciprocal effect on the internal secretions, being controlled to some degree by the hormones and exercising some control, in turn, on hormone production."

Which all means that your hormones, energy levels, actions and so forth are controlled by the subconscious mind. If you have told yourself that you are clumsy, the subconscious will work with your hormones, motor skills, and so on and make you act, move and talk stupid. If you have told yourself that you don't fit in social situations, you will find yourself standing in the corner not fitting. Whatever you say, boss. Your subconscious is like a computer. Whatever you program into it, it makes happen. No questions asked. You are the boss, and whatever you say, happens.
Your imagination, your thoughts, what you perceive, what you don't perceive, what you see and what you miss, how you act, what you feel... these are all determined by one thing: your programming, what you repetitively tell yourself (and what you repetitively got told or observed during your youthful formation years).
So how do you take the quantum leap, how do you step out of the box of your own thoughts and see beyond it. How do you program yourself for success? Well, the same way you create all programming: practice. Repetition. You have to not only find what works positively for you, but you have to practice that new positive way over and over until it becomes part of you. Positive thinking and self-help advice will not work unless you make it permanent for you by practicing it over and over. Your entire physiology has to be rewired; your neural pathways (which create pattern and memory) have to be redrawn. All this happens by practice.
Repetition. Repetition. Repetition. Practice. Then one day, like with everything else you ever learnt through practice, you just find yourself automatically doing it! It becomes you! Take right action - repeatedly! Learn and practice right thought repeatedly!

The (Mistaken) Sense Of Control

The (Mistaken) Sense Of Control

What in your life can you control?

Not much, as it happens. In fact, most of the areas we feel most in control of are riddled with uncertainty and unpredictability: business, health, parenting, finances. In a lot of cases - like picking which stocks to invest in - the average person actually underperforms random selection. That is, when it comes to picking stocks, a monkey with a dart board and a copy of the stock page can do a better job picking winning stocks than most ostensibly informed humans.

Why is that?

In the case of selecting stocks, it's because while a random selection has a 50/50 chance of going up or down, we humans tend to invest our choices with emotional weight that keeps us in markets too long or too short - unlike randomness, we act on hunches, fears, and hopes.

More generally, we tend to be poor judges of risk and uncertainty, yet we have brains that are more than willing to impose patterns and meaning that cover up rather than address such unknowns. So we act as if we knew what we were doing, and as if we had some level of control over the situation, when really we're at the mercy of luck - and the more uncertain the situation, the more likely we are to act as if we were in control.

The (Mistaken) Sense of Control
Consider this situation:

Let's pretend you have an infant girl, and one night you get a call at 1 am from a friend across town who desperately needs your help. As you prepare to drive across town to meet your friend, you have a choice - leave the child sleeping in her crib, or bundle her into a car seat and take her with you.

For most parents, this is a no-brainer - of course you're going to take her with you. What if something happens in the house while you weren't there, like an electrical fire? What if someone broke into the house and kidnapped her? What if she stopped breathing?

The reality, though, is that the single riskiest thing you could do to an infant at 1:00 am is to take her driving in a car. Far more people die every year in car accidents than in all the potential risks to your child alone at home combined. In your car, she'll be exposed to danger from poor road conditions, mechanical failure, and worst of all, other drivers - who at 1:00 am are likely to either have been drinking or be exhausted, neither of which makes them safe to be sharing the road with.

But with our child with us, we feel in greater control than if she was left at home, unattended. There's no rational basis to this feeling - it's entirely grounded in emotion, a poor comprehension of risk, and an over-assessment of the degree to which our own presence has any significance.

Our failure to understand risk and the role chance plays in our lives is profound and cuts across a wide swathe of our lives. Consider the efforts we make to assure our children grow up with decent values - and how often parents raise kids that completely reject their values. Or consider how many businesses go under every year, and how many of them were headed up by people with strong qualifications, solid training, and a clear sense that they knew what they were doing. Or, in the financial sector, consider how many stock brokers, financial analysts, and others are caught entirely by surprise by massive shifts in the financial sector, like the recent collapse of the credit system - if there were really a pattern, and people really understood it, they all should have seen it coming.

Dealing with uncertainty
If we're really bad at understanding risk, and if we're led astray by a mistaken sense of control, then what should we do? Should we just throw up our hands and accept whatever Fate throws at us? Should we lock ourselves in our homes, wrap ourselves in padding, and huddle in a corner until our lives mercifully end?

Fatalism and despair are, thankfully, over-reactions to the uncertainty of life. As it happens, there are quite a few things we do control, even in the midst of uncertainty. For instance, while even the best poker players are largely at the mercy of luck as to what cards they hold, good players can control enough of the situation - their facial gestures, how much they bet, when to fold, etc. - to come out of even several lousy hands in a row ahead (at least sometimes).

While we can't eliminate uncertainty, there are ways we can act to minimize its effects - at least in some instances. If the Moon spins out of its orbit and collides with the Earth tomorrow, all bets are off. But for more everyday sorts of uncertainly, it pays to:
Be prepared.
Good planning leaves enough "slack" to adapt readily to unforeseen circumstances. For example, many people keep a "rainy day fund" to make sure they're prepared for an illness, loss of a job, accident, or other emergency.

Diversify.
Balancing high-risk options with low-risk ones can help make sure that a sudden freak occurrence wreck everything. It's the classic "don't put all your eggs in one basket" theory - balance your investment portfolio, hedge your bets, pursue multiple medical treatments (where possible), and so on.

Get a second opinion.
Or a 100th. James Surowiecki's "The Wisdom of Crowds" shows how the cumulative voice of the many can be more accurate than any one individual, even an expert. Whenever undertaking a risky endeavor, make sure to consult as many people as possible - and find a way to split the difference.

Get another doctor's opinion before embarking on a course of treatment, Discuss investment options with more than one financial advisor. Get feedback from a range of employees before instituting a radical new policy or process. By sampling a variety of people, you'll have an opportunity to "cancel out" conflicting worldviews that, in most cases, have little to do with the reality at hand.

Create habits.
Uncertainty often leads us astray most when we respond directly to fluctuating and random events. For instance, maybe you go to Vegas with a $300 budget to spend on slot machines, but when you see a particular jackpot is up to $12 million you throw caution to the winds and drop $800 into the machine. Creating habits that you stick to religiously can help minimize the desire to act based on emotional factors that have little to do with the actual level of certainty or uncertainty involved.

Recognize risk.
There is a far higher injury rate for softball players than for base jumpers. Why? Because softball is seen as a safe sport and so players take few precautions, while base jumpers train heavily, invest in solid equipment, and approach the risk inherent in their sport seriously. When you recognize risk and respect it, you act smarter - which helps you to stay more in control when that's possible, and to minimize harm when control isn't possible.
Life itself is inherently uncertain - and that's a good part of its beauty. That uncertainty shouldn't paralyze us, it should energize us - it should make us doubly aware of our surroundings and doubly appreciative of our successes. By ignoring risk - or pretending it doesn't exist - we make ourselves stupider, which ironically leads us to act in riskier ways.

But by respecting and even embracing uncertainty, we can often come out further ahead than if we tried - usually in vain - to control inherently uncontrollable situations.

WIRELESS SOHO

Mighty Tips to keep your SOHO - Wifi Network secure!!


These days wifi networks are found in abundance be it a home, a hotel, a motel, a small office....it is really a benefit and a ease to carry you laptop at any corner or any room and start working if that place is in the reach and you wifi strength covers it....be it in a cafe takin coffee sips and clicks or be it a motel having a hard time as the presentation is tomorrow..wifi has made it all so easy and handy. But after having all these facilities deployed there a few questions that arises??

#) Are you the only one accessing your wi-fi Network?
#) Are you sure no body is sneaking around in your network?

As it is quiet easy to carry around a laptop and use the wifi connectivity in the same ration it is risky too when seen from a security perspective....All the digital transactions made via your laptop might be lying at someone's table ready to be analysed. These days wifi networking devices don't always help your need of security...so above all you your self need to be a bit conscious and take over the charge. Here are few points outlined that might help you in securing ur wifi network and keeping them out of reach of the Dirty Hands.

1)Turn the encryption system on (WPA/WEP whatever your wifi device supports):
Almost all of the wi-fi devices come up with in built encryption techniques. What these encryption system does is they just play a rumble with the data sent over the air and turn them in to sh!ts so that they are transformed in to unreadable formats often termed as craps....There are many different encryption mechanisms employed that exist for the facility today. Generally because of the human nature you will go for the best, conditions are they must work along with your network. All the devices (wi-fi) in the network must share a same encryption key to talk to eachother..so there might be chances that might create conflicts betn two devices that dont support a encryption mechanism used by one...or say the technique that one uses might not be supported by the other..so again her you will have to choose an option that will work for all. If the choices are WPA and WEP only than I wud recommend you to go with WPA ;) the reasons are obvious hehe..


2)Change the default login credentials:
By default every wi-fi vendor does implement some sort of access authentication systems in their devices..the general is a web based authentication that contains a username and a password. The first thing one must after he gets in is change in the default settings (password) and username too if possible. As because these devices are as a nucleus of any wi-fi network high priority must be given to the security of these devices as one mis-configuration might result in a chaos. In general, to configure, maintain and set up these devices a web base platform is provided that needs authentication and/or account information to be accessed for. These platforms generally come with a default set of everything..the login credentials too that are like

Username<==>Password
admin admin
admin NULL(means no password required)
NULL 00000 (they are zeros and must not be mistaken with the letter o)

and so on...so as these are the default set of login credentials and are different with vendors, but are known to public (and attackers more often) so it is indeed a good practice to change them up.

3)Enable MAC address or Hardware address filtering:
Every network device that exist in this world has its own unique identifier that is in no way same to any other device from the same vendor or from any other...these identifers are called physical address OR' MAC address. Access points and routers in the network keep a log of all the hardware addresses of all the devices (wifi cards) connected to them. And these days many of such AP(Access Points) and Routers have an option to restrict connections and or accesses to any hardware address defined in the AP or the router. This is generally a good practice if you dont want average computer users connect to your network and use your resources but if in case a intruder gets hand on the physical address of the devices in your network than s/he can easily make fake addresses and than be a part of your network. This feature is not as effective as it seems, the reason is clear....ah WHY??

4)Change the SSID name:
Wifi devices such as Access Points and wireless Routers use a network name known as the SSID (Service Set Identifier) to make the devices know of them. Generally vendors normally have their name as the default SSID names. For e.g, Dlink has the SSID name as "dlink" Linksys has "linksys" and so on. If you ask that what can one do if my SSID is known than the answer is they might be able to break into....though this is the first step one would take. Moreover there is a logic if someone finds a box with SSID set as default than there are chances that other things are kept default too..rite!! and thus are much more likely to make it a victim. So better change the SSID immediately as you change the password.


5)Hide the SSID from public:
In wireless networking, the AP or the router generally broadcasts the network name (SSID) as discussed above in the air at periods. It was generally designed for businesses and mobile hotspots where wireless clients may roam any where. This feature is generally unnecessary while being in a home or such places. So when not in use it is better to keep it off as it will just do the thing as "Hey do u see me I am a AP/Router and I am here".

6)Do not auto connect to wide open wi-fi networks:
While as it is a good thing and a luck to find open networks....it is a place of high risk in the same ratio..cases have been registered whereby open APs and Routers are setup to acquain victims and than play with them. So better not connect on any free hotspots till you trust them.

7)Disable DHCP in the AP or the Router:
It is generally seen that many of the APs or the Routers that are used are running DHCP server running in them that reduces the hectic job of assigning the IP address to each client on the network manually. But in the other hand it will notify the attacker of the IP address and the all the information being used as he might obtain a valid IP address automatically. So its a good practice to turn DHCP off and assign the addresses manually this wont let the intruder know of the subnet being used moreover user subnets else than 192.168.x.x as this is the most common subnet used.......

8)User firewalls:
As modern wifi devices come along with a builtin firewall and other options it is a good thing to make a use of them denying all unnecessary services and applications in the network...except from those which comes to regular uses.


9)Turn the network when not in use:
Well I needn't tell this but there are ppl who want their wi-fi devices be online always though not in use...why to take risks and provide a long lasting window to the attackers instead it is a better to turn the device off if they wont be in use for a long time.....saves both electrcity bill and your network ..... ;)

SCHOOL CHILD PROTECTION POLICY(Offline/Online)

1. Introduction

Small Office Home Office (SOHO) Computer Network Nepal PVT LTD believes that all children have a right to be protected from harm. Children cannot learn effectively if they do not feel secure. Awareness of safety and self-protection should be included in the curriculum where appropriate. So SOHO launch business project with Amajika Nepal (NGO) about Cyber Crime Investigation and Online Children Protection. Initially we go to field and conduct seminar and then develop software or work as agent of different countries of working areas of that field as firewall which will protect child and youth.

All staff and principals have a pastoral responsibility towards the children and they must ensure that the correct procedures are followed in order to protect children from abuse or further abuse. We also have a legal duty of the Children Act to assist local authority social services departments acting on behalf of children in need or enquiring into allegations of child abuse. The aim of this policy is to:

• protect the children and recognise the signs of abuse
• to ensure everyone knows the correct procedures

This procedure is in line with the statutory duties and procedures and follows the guidance in Safer Working Practice for the Protection of Children and Staff in Education Settings Area Child Protection Committee procedures and advice from the Education Department Designated Child Protection Office. The Head Teacher and the Child Protection Officer (CPO) will refer to online multi-agency child protection procedures in each case of suspected or actual abuse.


2. The Child Protection Officer/Designated Teacher

Responsibility is given to head teacher. He/She should be contacted immediately if any member of staff has a concern that could be considered to be about child protection. Her Role is discussed further in Section 9. All concerns must be reported to the CPO, the Head Teacher or the project co-ordinator. Concerns should be recorded on a child welfare/child protection form which will be kept in a confidential file in the Principal’s office.


3. Definitions of Abuse

The Abuse children suffer from usually falls into one of four main categories defined in Safer Working Practice for the Protection of Children and Staff in Education Settings , but a single child may suffer more than one type of abuse.

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer feigns symptoms of or deliberately causes ill health to a child they are looking after. This situation is commonly described using terms such as factitious illness by proxy or Munchausen's syndrome by proxy.


Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional ill treatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child's emotional development: It may involve conveying to the child that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only in so far as they meet the needs of another person. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. It may involve causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of ill treatment of a child although it may occur alone.

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative, e.g. rape or buggery or non-penetrative acts. They may include non-contact activities such as involving children in looking at or in the production of pornographic material or watching sexual activities or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.

Neglect

Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child's basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child's health or development. It may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food, shelter and clothing, failure to protect a child from physical harm or danger. Alternatively neglect is the failure by the parent or carer to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment for the child. It may also include neglect of or unresponsiveness to a child's basic emotional needs.


4. Possible Signs of Abuse

Staff should be alert to possible indicators of abuse of children in their care, but should also be aware that the following signs may also have other explanations.

Physical Abuse

• Unexplained injuries or burns, particularly if they are recurrent
• Improbable reasons given for injuries either by the child or the parent
• Refusal to discuss injuries
• Admission of punishment that appears excessive
• Fear of parents being contacted
• Bald patches
• Withdrawal from physical contact
• Arms and legs kept covered in hot weather
• Fear of returning home
• Fear of medical help
• Self destructive tendencies
• Aggression towards others
• Chronic running away

Neglect

• Constant hunger
• Poor personal hygiene
• Constant tiredness
• Poor state of clothing
• Emaciation
• Frequent lateness or non-attendance at school
• Untreated medical problems
• Destructive tendencies
• Low self esteem
• Neurotic behaviour (e.g. rocking, hair twisting, thumb sucking
• No social relationships
• Chronic running away
• Compulsive stealing or scavenging

Emotional Abuse

• Physical, mental and emotional development lags
• Admission of punishment that appears excessive
• Overreaction to mistakes
• Sudden speech disorders
• Fear of new situations
• Inappropriate emotional responses to painful situations
• Neurotic behaviour
• Self-mutilation
• Fear of parents being contacted
• Extremes of passivity or aggression
• Drug/solvent abuse
• Chronic running away
• Compulsive stealing/scavenging

Sexual Abuse

Children may show no signs at al1 or they may show some of the following signs


• Hint about secrets that they cannot tell about
• Say a friend has a problem
• Ask if you will keep a secret if they tell you something
• Begin lying, stealing, blatantly cheating in the hope of being caught
• Have unexplained sources of money
• Have terrifying dreams
• Start wetting themselves
• Exhibit sudden inexplicable changes in behaviour, such as becoming aggressive or withdrawn
• Stop enjoying previously liked activities such as music, sports, art, gym, uniformed organisations
• Become fearful or refuse to see certain adults for no apparent reason; dislike a baby sitter, relative or other adult
• Act in a sexual way inappropriate for their age
• Draw sexually explicit pictures depicting some act of abuse
• Seem to be keeping secret something that is worrying them
• Have frequent urinary infections, bleeding in the genital or anal areas
• Have soreness or bleeding in the throat
• Have chronic ailments, such as stomach pains or headaches
• Develop eating disorders, such as anorexia or bulimia
• Become severely depressed and even attempt suicide
• Have a poor self image, self mutilate
• Continually running away
• Regress to younger behaviour such as thumb sucking, surrounding themselves with previously discarded toys
• Show discomfort when walking
• Say they are no good, dirty, rotten
• Be wary, watchful
• Repeat obscene words or phrases which may have been said during the abuse
• Attempt to sexually abuse another younger child
• Talk or write about sexual matters
• Find hundreds of excuses for not going home or to a friend's house after school (places where abuse may be happening) .


5. Responding to Concerns

If staff are concerned that children are showing any of the above behaviours or children speak to them about abuse they should immediately contact the Child Protection Officer for the school and she will instigate the procedures as appropriate.

The Child Protection Officer must inform the local Social Services department immediately of any child protection concern and this must be supported by written confirmation within 24 hours.

Staff should record their concern on a dated sheet, with details as follows:

• What the concern is
• What was the evidence that led to the concern
• What the child said
• What the member of staff said or did in response
• Always sign and date the notes
• Never offer to maintain confidentiality but always ensure that information is only disclosed to those who 'need to know'.

This record should use the actual words spoken as far as possible, at the outset if an investigation takes place it may be used as evidence.

If a member of staff is the first to see an injury then they must inform the Child Protection Officer immediately.

If a child chooses a member of staff to disclose abuse to, they should try to ensure a degree of privacy and arrange for cover for the class if necessary.


6. The Distinctions between an Allegation and a Suspicion

The differences between these two possible Child Protection .issues are very important when bringing them to the attention of the Child Protection Officer. An allegation is very important and should be dealt with immediately. Once the allegation has been brought to the member of staff's attention then this member of staff should immediately inform the Child Protection Officer so that the correct procedures can be put into place. Along with this, when an allegation is made the member of staff should ask the minimum number of questions to satisfy them self of abuse in order not to compromise any police or social services investigation. The child should be allowed to talk and the member of staff should not try to pose situations that may have happened so that the child can say yes or no. Do not tell the child that his or her secret can be kept and nobody else will need to know and as soon as possible after the conversation with the child write down a transcript of the conversation so that you have an accurate account of what was said should be needed in the future.
With a suspicion there is not the urgency that an allegation would create. Again the Child Protection Officer will need to be told as quickly as possible but it does not need to be immediately. Similar actions as stated above should still be used in case in the future the suspicion becomes an allegation.


7. Helping the Child when Abuse is Disclosed

• Be prepared to listen and comfort
• Do not show revulsion or distress however distasteful the events are
• Stay calm and controlled
• Don't make false promises i.e. that you will keep the abuse a secret or that the police will be involved
• Let the child know at once that it was not his or her fault and keep restating this
• Be aware of your own feelings about abuse and find someone that you can share those feelings with once the procedures have been completed Reassure the child that you still care for them and that what they have said does not make you care less for them
• Reassure the child that they were right to tell, even though the abuse may have happened a long time ago
• As soon as possible write a first hand account of what was said and done
• Follow internal procedures
• Information will only be shared on a need to know basis
• Do not ask leading questions
• Offer to stay with the child


8. Reactions to Abuse

What to expect from a child who has been abused. A child may experience a range of reactions to abuse, including some or all of the following:

• A feeling of shame or guilt. 'It must have been my fault', ‘I'm bad’
• A feeling that she is dirty - Spoilt - degraded
• Embarrassment 'I'm sure everyone knows'
• A desire to continually talk about the abuse and to gain reassurance
• Dislike of being touched and touching others
• Loss of confidence
• Trouble sleeping, nightmares
• Hatred of self and of his or her body
• Destructive behaviour
• Inability to complete school work
• Inability to relate to other children or adults
• Many of the behaviours indicated are an attempt by the child to express feelings that he/she cannot express in words and are a response/reaction to abuse
• Difficulties may continue for a long time after the abuse and the child may need specialist support.


9. The Role of the Child Protection Officer

The designated teacher has the responsibility for ensuring that the procedures are followed and for liaising with the local Social Services Area Office i for any cases of abuse.

All child protection concerns or allegations should be discussed with the Child Protection Officer (CPO).

The CPO will decide which cases should be referred to or discussed with the duty officer at Social Services.

When you have raised your concerns with the CPO and he/she has decided that further action needs to be taken then the CPO will contact the local Social Services Department during the normal working day or the emergency duty team at all other times.



10. Protecting Children

Appointment of Staff

Our recruitment and selection procedures follow guidance in 'Safeguarding children: Safer Recruitment and Selection in Education Settings'. We are committed to safeguarding the promoting the welfare of children and young people and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this_ commitment. For this reason all staff will be required to complete a CRB check at the enhanced level and all positions will be made firm only after receiving satisfactory references and medical affirmation.

How to Behave Appropriately as a Member of Staff

Remember to never get yourself into a situation that could be misconstrued by the pupil. Some things to remember would be do not speak or touch a pupil in a way that could be interpreted as a sexual insult, do not offer to meet a pupil in a closed space, when in a room make sure that the door is left open, do not show open favouritism and refrain from making remarks that could be seen as showing favouritism. These are only a few pointers, as a member of staff you should be aware of other things that may not be appropriate and could lead to allegations.

Male Members of Staff

It is recommended that male members of staff do not go into any of the areas which are private to the girls, without a female member of staff present. This is to protect both the pupils and the members of staff and to give girls privacy within their own areas.

Female Members of Staff

It is recommended that female members of staff do not go into any of the areas which are private to the boys, without a male member of staff present. This is to protect both the pupils and the members of staff and to give boys the privacy within their own areas.

Internet Safety

All computers at the school which are connected to the internet are screened by the service provider to ensure that only material suitable for children are accessible through them.


11. The Procedure to follow if the allegation of abuse is against a Member of Staff

If an allegation is made against a member of staff it must be responded to: there is an obvious need to act immediately and with utmost discretion. The informant should be told that the matter will be referred in confidence to the appropriate people. This must be done, and the written record passed on the same day to the CPO or the Head Teacher.

The circumstances should be kept strictly confidential until the Head Teacher has been able to judge whether or not an allegation or concern indicates possible abuse. The next step is always to discuss the situation with the appropriate Social Services Manager.

If it is decided that an investigation is called for, it is the responsibility of the Social Services Manager to arrange a meeting to discuss how the next steps are handled. This would normally involve the Police and the Head Teacher.

The arrangements agreed upon will include informing the parents and seeking their consent for any immediate medical examination if necessary.

He/She would normally be informed as soon as possible after the result of the initial investigation is known, or the decision is made to dispense with one, but not invited to make a response. There should be a warning that anything said will be recorded.

If it is established that the allegation is not well founded, either on the basis of the medical evidence or further statements, then the person against whom the complaint has been made would normally be informed that the matter is closed. The complainant and the parents would also need to be informed of this.

If the Police decide to take the case further and the allegation is against a member of staff, he/she would normally be suspended or, where the circumstances are considered to warrant it, dismissed. It is reasonable to ask the Police to give some indication of their timescale. There have been cases where the period of suspension has been unacceptably long.


12. Allegations Involving Sexual Impropriety

Whenever a member of staff is approached by a pupil concerning an event involving sexual impropriety of any kind, whether between pupils or staff and pupils, the following steps should be taken:

• Listen sympathetically and afterwards briefly note the content of what was disclosed, sign and date it.
• Contact the CPO immediately, who will discuss with the Head Teacher whether Social Services should be notified.
• If Social Services are notified and express no great concern, the CPO will interview the complainant and report as quickly as possible to the Head Teacher, who will oversee the disciplinary aspects of the enquiry.
• If Social Services express concern, they will themselves open an enquiry. In these circumstances, our own disciplinary enquiry will be suspended until cleared by the Social Services. This would normally involve the Police and the Head Teacher.

The above should be implemented regardless of whether the complainant is over or under 16. Parents should be informed as soon as a reference to the Social Services has been made by the CPO.


13. Confidentiality

Staff have a professional responsibility to share relevant information about the protection of children with other professionals.

Staff should not promise to keep secret information given to them by a child, but should explain that they will pass the information only to those who need to know can help.





14. What to do if the Designated Child Protection Officer is not in School

In the event of the designated Child Protection Officer not being in school for any reason then any member of staff who has concerns about any child should contact the Head Teacher. The Head Teacher will become the designated Child Protection Officer and continue to deal with concerns until the CPO returns to School. In the case of both the CPO and Head Teacher being absent from school, a senior member of staff will be designated as temporary CPO.


15. What to do if the Complaint is About the Child Protection Officer

If the allegation or complaint is about the person who is designated as the Child Protection Officer for the school then any information obtained from the child should be shared with the Head Teacher who will then act as the Child Protection Officer for the school during the investigations and communicate with the Social Services.


16. The Nursery Department

The named CPO for the Nursery Department is as required by OFSTED. He/She maintains a link with the CPO for the whole School and they will communicate of any issues that require it.


17. Training

The CPO will require training every two years in child protection and inter-agency liaison. The Head Teacher and all staff require training (updated every three years) and all part-time or voluntary staff who works with children is to be made aware of the arrangements.

Teens & Cyberbulling

Teens and Cyberbullying

Executive Summary

The Small Office Home Office (SOHO) Computer Network Nepal PVT LTD. explores the issue of cyberbullying among middle school and high school-aged students in Nepal. The survey had these four objectives:
• Explore teens’ experiences with cyberbullying
• Understand teens’ emotional and behavioral reactions to cyberbullying
• Probe what teens think would be the most effective ways to prevent or put a stop to cyberbullying
• Determine how teens define cyberbullying and what other terms they use to describe it
This executive summary highlights the key findings of the survey. I


Teens ages 13 to 17 are an online population. They use the Internet, cell phones, instant messaging, and text messaging to talk to friends, gather information for reports, check out sports scores, and practice their social skills on a larger population. Their access to these electronic communications tools is found in many different places—at home, at school, at friends’ houses, and even at public libraries and WiFi sites. Thirty-eight percent (38 percent) of teens report that they have been using the Internet for three years or more; more than half say that have been on the Internet for five or more years. Eight out of ten teens (80 percent) say they used the Internet “yesterday” and 27 percent used the Internet for more than an hour “yesterday.”

Though parents are generally quite vigilant about protecting their younger children from the content of specific types of sites and put clear limits on the amount of time spent online and the reasons for it, teens report that they are largely unsupervised by their parents while online. Nine out of ten (90 percent) of 10- to 12-year-olds say their parents know where they are going online, compared with four out of ten (41 percent) of 13- to 15-year-olds. Only seven percent of 10- to 12-year-olds say their parents think they know their children’s online destinations but really don’t. But 27 percent of 13- to 15-year-olds report that their parents think they know online destinations but don’t.
Interestingly, as teens get older, they believe that their parents should be more concerned with what the teens see and hear on line.

Cell phones are an important means of communication for this age group. About 59 percent of 13- through 15-year-olds and 74 percent of 16- and 17-year-olds report that they have cell phones. Of teens who have cell phones, about 60 percent use text messaging. As many as 25 percent of teens send text messages while in school.

Cyberbullying is not an uncommon occurrence among teens in this age group. Slightly more than four in ten teens (43 percent) report that they have experienced some form of cyberbullying in the last year. The incidence of cyberbullying is higher among females than males, and is most prevalent among 15- and 16-year-olds, particularly among girls. More than half of this total age group reported at least one cyberbullying incident in the past year.

Teen cyberbullying victims report that immediately following an incident, they are likely to consider one or more actions, such as asking the person to stop, using electronic means to block the person from communicating with them, or talking with a friend. Teens are twice as likely to talk to a friend about the incident as to talk with their parents or another adult.

Teens report a wide range of emotions as a result of experiencing cyberbullying, from anger to embarrassment to indifference. Over half of cyberbullying victims report feeling angry (56 percent); one-third report feeling hurt (33 percent); one-third report being embarrassed (32 percent), and one in eight said they feel scared (13 percent). Females are more likely than males to report all of these emotions, especially girls ages 13 to 15. Many teens, however, claim that the cyberbullying incident didn’t bother them.

Though teens may not know immediately, about three out of four report that they eventually figure out who cyberbullied them. Often, this is a friend, someone they know from school, or someone else they know. Fewer than one in four teen victims (23 percent) were bullied by someone he or she didn’t know. This “unknown” cyberbully was generally in a chat room saying mean or vicious things or someone sending cruel or threatening emails, instant messages, or text messages.

Most teens believe that people cyberbully for one (or more) of these reasons: “they think it’s funny” (81 percent); “they simply don’t like the person” (64 percent); or “they view the victim as a loser” (45 percent). Nearly six in ten teens (58 percent) said the cyberbully “probably didn’t see the action as a big deal.”

Nearly half of teens said that cyberbullying happens because the cyberbully doesn’t perceive any tangible consequences (47 percent) or feels he or she would not get caught (45 percent).

Teens believe that cyberbullying prevention needs to occur at three different levels— individual actions, online institutions, and parental education—but most notably at the individual actions level.

In teens’ views, the most effective way to prevent cyberbullying is to be able to block people who cyberbully from communicating with the victims (71 percent). The next most effective methods, according to teens, include simply refusing to pass along cyberbullying messages (62 percent), and telling their friends to stop cyberbullying (56 percent). Slightly more than five in ten teens (56 percent) believe that online groups and Internet service providers (ISPs) should have moderators who can block cyberbullies’ messages. Forty-five percent of teens say that parents should tell their kids that cyberbullying is wrong; 43 percent say that cyberbullying should be reported to an adult. Unlike face-to-face bullying, teens do not view cyberbullying as an issue that should be addressed by the school; in fact, they feel that much of customary school intervention (large assemblies, etc.) would be largely ineffective.


• More action is needed at all levels.
o Reporting systems that encourage reporting of cyberbullies to local authorities
o Sample rules of conduct that schools, community centers, youth clubs, and similar groups can adopt with respect to online behavior using their facilities or while on their premises
o Easy-to-use tips for parents on talking with children and youth on this topic, ideas for communicating with other parents, and thoughts for generating action by such community organizations as PTA/PTSAs and libraries
o Pledge cards, featuring the “Delete Cyberbullying. Don’t Write It. Don’t Forward It” tag line to help children and teens remember not to cyberbully or encourage it
o Directory that lists ways to contact appropriate online and similar authorities to get cyberbullies’ privileges suspended or revoked
o Training for school counselors, teachers, other adults, and teen peer counselors in dealing appropriately with victims of cyberbullying
o Development of school and community-based anti-cyberbullying campaigns that publicize policies, resources for victims, and help for youth and parents using effective communication strategies for and with teens
o PowerPoint™ presentations that can be used by local law enforcement and other community groups to educate both youth and parents on the dangers posed by cyberbullying and how to prevent it

Protecting Yourself in Computer age

Introduction
Imagine a world without technology. Jump back to a horse and carriage, no electricity, no telephones. Now, fast forward to the new millennium. The research firm, estimates that 25% of all Nepal homes have a personal computer and that one-third of all homes are online. They further conclude that “... the home computer is rapidly eclipsing the television as the communication and information appliance for many consumers.”This is great news for consumers who can access an entire universe of information on the World Wide Web. Children and teenagers can research homework topics and engage in interactive games with a click of a button. Adults can bank, trade stocks and purchase a multitude of items while surfing the Web. But danger lurks on the Web. Criminals manipulate the Web into a nightmare by distributing child pornography to unsuspecting consumers; stealing personal information such as names, addresses and credit card numbers; hacking confidential systems and personal home computers to obtain or delete information and planting harmful viruses that destroy entire systems. Unfortunately, these are just a few examples of high tech crimes that are getting more sophisticated and harder to detect as technology advances.

You can help stop criminals from threatening your children, your financial well-being and your peace of mind. This high tech crime prevention information will guide you safely through your high tech adventures. Additionally, important information on preventing identity theft is included. Cases of identity theft have dramatically increased with advances in technology and this guide will help you take control and prevent further victimization. Technology is advancing at a rapid pace and printed material about cutting edge technology is almost obsolete by the time it goes to press. With this in mind, we(me and my company) present the basics of high tech crime prevention. This publication provides strategies on how to protect your children from child molesters who befriend potential victims on the Internet. It also covers ways to protect yourself from cyber-stalking, identity theft, fraud schemes, cellular telephone fraud and hackers. Consumers, parents, employees and employers will find useful information to protect your families and finances. Remember, high tech crime prevention techniques must evolve as rapidly as technology.



Child Safety on the Internet
The sleepy woman glanced at the clock and reached for the ringing telephone. It was 2:00 a.m. Parwati gripped her as the caller identified himself as a sheriff’s deputy. He had her 14-year old daughter in his patrol car, and he needed to resolve a delicate situation. The woman thought her daughter was down the hall in her bedroom, asleep. Not so, according to the deputy. In fact, he had found her parked along a country road three or four miles from the girl’s home with a 26-year old married man from a neighboring community. Shock and disbelief gripped the woman. “How” and “why” were only a few of the questions running through her mind. The answers she found in the next few hours added to her shock. Her daughter had become a victim of Internet crime.


As a parent, if you own a home computer and allow your children Internet access, you need to be Internet literate. If you do not know how to access the Internet, take a class, read a book or spend time with your children and let them show you the amazing world of cyberspace. Be aware of what is out there and prevent your child from gaining access to inappropriate Web sites and chat rooms. Did you know that child molesters frequent chat rooms on the Internet? If you are not familiar with chat rooms, it is time you sat in on one. If your children have access to the Internet, they have access to child molesters who pose as other “teens” or confidants trying to develop friendships with unsuspecting children. Child molesters lure their victims with promises of friendship and material goods. And, too often, it works! Many adolescent Internet users look for friends – someone who will “chat” while their unsuspecting parents are not present. In addition to child molesters, other individuals try to glean personal information from your children, such as their name and address. Parents have also found that their child “borrowed” a credit card and gave the number to a new “friend” on the Internet. Once this information is on the Internet, parents are vulnerable to identity theft and other potentially expensive problems. Take charge of your computer. Set ground rules for Internet access and discuss with your children these crime prevention tips:
• Place the computer in a centrally located area in your home – not in a child’s bedroom. This prevents “secret” communications or access and also allows all members of the family to use it.

• Talk to your children about the Internet. Explain that it is an excellent source of information, but some sites are inappropriate and they are expected to stay away from these sites.

• Establish time frames for Internet access. This will encourage your children to obtain information in a timely manner and discourage aimless wandering.

• Keep an open line of communication with your children. Discuss their Internet experiences and guide them to sites that are age-appropriate.

What's your name?
• If your children have Internet access at school, find out if the school has adopted an acceptable use policy. If so, obtain a copy and use it to establish additional guidelines at home. If the school does not have a policy, become involved with your child’s school and encourage responsible Internet use. An acceptable use policy may limit the sites available to children based on age-appropriate material and set specific time limits for use.

• Consider using software that can block or filter Internet sites or certain words that may indicate inappropriate sites.



BACK TO THE CHAT ROOM
Many parents and law enforcement experts believe that chat rooms are a safety risk because the identities of the “chatters” cannot be confirmed. The elusive identity of chatters poses many risks to children. If you do allow your children to “chat,” they should follow these important safety guidelines:

• Never give out any personal information including: name, address, city, state, school attended, telephone number, family names or other personal family information.

• Use age-appropriate chat rooms. The larger Internet Service Providers (ISP) have moderated chat rooms with appropriate themes. Contact your provider or search the Internet for more information.

• Never respond to someone who wants to meet in person or send photographs. Instruct your children to exit the chat room and notify you immediately if this happens.

• Never agree to send or receive a file without parental permission. (Receiving “blind” files may introduce your children to pornography or plant a virus in your computer.) Most importantly, if your child visits a particular chat room, spend at least five or ten minutes monitoring the conversation to see if it is appropriate. Consider purchasing computer software products that can help you monitor and control your child’s access to the Internet. It is also a good idea to have a well-known protection program if your children download files. Additionally, monitor your children’s Internet activity by checking all of the sites visited. This is accomplished by accessing the Internet and pressing the “control” and “h” keys simultaneously on your keyboard. If this doesn’t work, access the Internet, click on the “windows” pull down menu, and then click on “history.” Either way, a window will appear that lists the “history” of all sites visited. Finally, immediately report to your local law enforcement agency any attempts by others to meet your child or any inappropriate sexual conversations. If possible, save the conversation text for review by law enforcement. This will assist law enforcement in an investigation and possible prosecution.


When You Least Expect it
Protect Yourself
The jilted ex-boyfriend had a plan. Using personal Information from his ex-girlfriend, he sent a message over the Internet that lured men to her door who thought they were going to fulfill a rape fantasy. The information included her name, address, telephone number, physical description and detailed instructions on how to circumvent her security system. The woman was not harmed, but half a dozen men tried to visit her. Fortunately, the jilted ex-boyfriend was charged under cyber-stalking law.

The Internet is supposed to be the information super highway, not an instrument used or violence. Unfortunately, some individuals choose to turn the Internet into their personal playground of destructive messages, threats and illicit pornography. And you’re probably thinking, where are the laws prohibiting threats and pornography? Defining Internet crime is a unique challenge; therefore, lawmakers are continually updating and introducing new laws relating to Internet safety. Because the First Amendment protects freedom of speech, there is little, at this point, that law enforcement can control on the Internet. The cyber-stalking law does not inhibit free speech, it prohibits computer-based harassment. The issue for law enforcement now becomes one of jurisdiction. Where did the crime occur? This is the first question that law enforcement asks a victim. Did the crime occur in your home because that is where the computer is located? Or, did the crime occur where the message originated from, which could be in another state or country? This is a law enforcement dilemma. ISP often cooperate with law enforcement, but it isn’t always easy to find the suspect. In fact, a hacker can compromise your Internet account and send harassing messages under your name and profile – and get away with it. The best and easiest way to prevent personal information from getting into the wrong hands is to be very selective in the information that you divulge. Use the following commonsense tips when using the Internet:

• Do not give out your name, address, telephone or credit card numbers or other personal information, such as your social security number, unless you are dealing with a reputable company and you have initiated the contact.

• Think twice before submitting your personal information profile through your ISP.
• If you decide to meet someone from online, use common sense. Meet in a busy, public place and consider taking a friend with you to the meeting.


PROTECTION AGAINST INTERNET SCAMS

The Internet has also become a vehicle for criminals to use to perpetuate tried and true scams. If it sounds too good to be true ... it probably is! Have you heard this before?

Believe it! Being on the information super highway does not legitimize a get-rich opportunity. Simply type “get rich quick” in a search engine, and you are on your way to new-found wealth or a scam. Many old confidence schemes, such as pyramid schemes,have resurfaced on the Internet. The scams are the same. People are contacted via e-mail or notice a Web page touting a sweet deal. They are encouraged to invest some money, and if they can convince others to do the same, they are promised a huge return. The first few people make money, but two or three levels down, the pyramid crashes because the initiators are the ones receiving profits. Pyramid schemes focus on recruiting new members, not on selling products. In 1999, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched a sweep of the World Wide Web to locate sites that host illegal multilevel marketing scams. These sites are under ongoing investigation. Additionally, the FTC offers the following tips to consumers to guard against illegal pyramid schemes:

• Avoid any plan that offers commissions for recruiting additional distributors.

• Beware of plans that ask new distributors to spend money on excessive amounts of high-priced inventory. These plans can collapse quickly and also may be illegal pyramid schemes in disguise.

• Be cautious of plans that claim you’ll make money through continued growth of your “downline” (the commissions on sales made by the new distributors you recruit) instead of through sales you make yourself.

• Beware of “shills” – decoy references or endorsements that the promoters pay other people to describe fictional successes in earning money through the plan.

• Do your homework. Check with your local Better Business Bureau about any plan you’re considering, especially if the claims about your potential earnings or the product sound too good to be true. Pyramid schemes aren’t the only scams to be wary of on the Internet. There are many and they tend to recycle
periodically. Beware of “free gift offers” for completing a simple survey or because you won a prize in a drawing – especially if you did not enter. These typically ask you for your name and credit card number to cover the nominal cost of shipping. Their real purpose is to commit credit card fraud.

Other tips to keep you safe online include:

• Never send money to an unsolicited e-mail or a posting you spotted on the Web.

• Watch out for the buzzwords: downline, matrix, network,recruitment and cell. These words and their synonyms are often used to dress-up classic pyramid schemes.

• Never agree to a meeting with someone who has posted a fabulous offer. In-person meetings give the con artist a chance to turn on high-pressure sales tactics or even rob you.

• If you are setting up an online identity for e-mail, be very vague. Do not give out personal information in a profile.

• Contact your ISP or local law enforcement if you receive suspicious or threatening e-mail.
• Be alert for any responses to e-mail that you don’t believe you have sent.

• Be alert to e-mail bearing a return address you recognize, but with content that does not match the personality of the sender. Look carefully at message headers for discrepancies between sender and provider.

● Acquire and use encryption software if you send e-mail containing confidential or sensitive information.

● Web sites whose purposes are to commit fraud appear and disappear quickly, making it difficult for them to be tracked. If you find a suspicious Web site, print the screen and any correspondence. Present this information when filing a complaint with your ISP or law enforcement. Finally, use the Internet to find information regarding online safety. Your ISP may also provide useful prevention tips and most encourage you to report suspicious online activities.

If you are a victim of online crime, contact your local law enforcement agency. Do not purge any information from your computer – law enforcement needs this documentation to assist in their investigation.

BEWARE OF CELLULAR PHONE CLONING

The cellular telephone bill arrived and the amount due exceeded 50000! Many of the numbers called were in foreign countries. When the cellular telephone carrier was contacted about the bill, the truth came out. The cellular telephone had been cloned.

Cloning cellular telephones is relatively easy, and as a consumer, you won’t know your cellular telephone was cloned until you get your monthly statement. Cloning is the act of making one cellular telephone “act” the same as another. This is accomplished by copying the identity and phone number of one phone and inserting it into another. The phones do not have to be the same model or even the same brand. The cloned phone is now the same as the first – it will ring when the original phone rings and any charges incurred will be billed on the original phone’s monthly billing statement. If you own an analog cellular telephone, or if your digital phone can also revert to analog, then there is a chance that your phone can be cloned. The best way to prevent your analog cellular telephone from being cloned is to keep the power off when it is not in use. When your cellular telephone is on, it sends out an electronic serial number (ESN), and there is technology available that will capture this signal. Once the ESN is captured, it is then used in the cloning process. If your cellular telephone is off, the ESN is not transmitted. As technology advances, cloning is likely to become obsolete. The digital cellular telephones are somewhat secure from cloning. However, with any cellular telephone, remember that your actual conversation is not private. The cellular telephone is a transmitter, and your conversation is out on the airwaves and vulnerable to interception by radio scanners. Finally, never give out any personal or financial information over cellular telephones. If you notice unusual and excessive charges on your monthly billing statement, contact your cellular service carrier’s fraud division.

Identity Theft
With interest rates at an all-time low, the Smiths decided to refinance their home. They contacted their local banking institution and started the necessary paperwork. They ordered their credit report and were shocked to find that they had three credit card accounts with delinquent balances. They had never applied for the credit cards and the outstanding balances totaled over $20,000. The nightmare started. The Smiths soon learned that they were victims of identity theft. They began the very long, tedious process of clearing their credit. Adding to their grief, the refinancing of their home was also delayed. The Smiths were, therefore, victimized again because they missed out on the lower interest rates.

Sounds unbelievable, but it could happen to you! Think about your daily activities. You go to the grocery store and write a check. What type of information is on your check: name, address, telephone number, driver’s license number, social security number? Wait a minute! Take that social security number off your personal checks. In fact, your social security number should be your most protected information. If a thief has access to your name and social security number, that information can be used to open fraudulent accounts. Innocent people have discovered utility, department store and other credit accounts opened in their name and it is usually accomplished using a stolen social security number. Do not give out your social security number unless it is absolutely necessary. Many forms have an area for the social security number, but you should question why the number is needed. A social security number is needed for loan/credit applications and certain other financial transactions. But the video store and car rental agency certainly don’t need it. Be aware that your social security number is not necessary for check cashing or credit purchases. If you are asked for this information, ask to speak with the store manager to verify the need for this information. Aside from guarding your social security number, guard all your personal information. Do you receive pre-approved credit applications in the mail? What do you do with them? Throw them in the trash? Think again. This mailer contains your name, address, and perhaps other personal information. If you carelessly toss it in the trash, a dumpster diver can use this information to steal your identity or pass it on or sell it to someone else. Your mailbox is an excellent source of information. Many thieves wander through neighborhoods looking for “easy” mailboxes. These are unlocked mailboxes that are usually adjacent to the curb or affixed to a house. A red flag indicating outgoing mail is an invitation to a thief. What’s in your outgoing mail? A Visa payment? A card and a check for your nephew’s sixteenth birthday? Checks that a thief can easily alter. Additionally, if you are mailing credit card payments, the thief now has not only your personal checks, but also your credit card account numbers. He can then fraudulently charge items to your account without your knowledge. Remember that personal information is easy to obtain. Consider the following safety tips that will help prevent you from becoming a victim of identity theft:

● Shred or tear up pre-approved credit card applications, and other mail with your social security number, bank account and credit card account numbers before throwing them into the trash.
ã Never throw mail with personal information into trash bins at post offices.
● Do not leave information with personal and financial information in your vehicle.
● Review bank and credit card statements each month for fraudulent activity. If anything is amiss, immediately report the problem to your bank or credit card company.
● If your bills do not arrive in a timely manner, contact your creditors. Your bills may have been lost in the mail or stolen.
● Before giving out any personal information to a company, ask how the information will be used and whether it will be transferred to third parties (mailing lists).
● Periodically, order your credit report from the three major credit reporting agencies and check for accuracy.
● Do not leave receipts at the ATM machine and gas pump.
● Limit the amount of credit cards and personal information that you carry in your wallet. If you have old credit accounts that you don’t use, cancel the accounts and cut up the cards.
● Do not carry your social security card in your wallet. Memorize the number.
● Do not write credit account numbers on checks or the outside of envelopes when paying bills.
● Be extremely careful about divulging personal information such as place of employment, employee
identification number or mother’s maiden name. These are key components in identity theft.
● Buy a shredder, and use it.

If you become a victim of identity theft, take a stand! Contact law enforcement and complete a crime report. Report the theft of your credit cards or numbers to the fraud units of the three major credit reporting agencies* and ask that your accounts be flagged. Add a victim’s statement to your report
(up to 100 words) that includes a statement such as “ ... my ID has been used to apply for credit fraudulently. Contact me by telephone to verify any and all credit applications.” Find out how long the fraud alert is posted to your account and extend it if necessary. This fraud alert is not a guarantee that your credit is safe. It is a precaution. Continue to monitor your credit reports. If your social security number has been used in an identity theft, it is imperative that you notify the Social Security Administration Hotline as soon as possible. Next, contact all creditors with whom your name has been used fraudulently – by phone and in writing. Send all correspondence by registered mail. This will establish documentation of your efforts. Keep all receipts of expenses and document the amount of time that you spend clearing your name. Ask creditors for replacement cards with new account numbers for the accounts that have been used fraudulently. Ask that the old accounts be processed as “account closed at consumer’s request.” Creditors may request that you fill out and notarize fraud affidavits. In California, the law does not require that a notarized affidavit be provided to creditors. A written statement
and a copy of the police report may be enough. After you have taken these steps to protect yourself or
re-establish your good credit, check your credit reports again. This is the only way to determine if someone has taken your identity. Many victims have no idea how their identity was taken, but they will always remember their wasted time, the many telephone calls to creditors and police, and most of all,
the invasion of their privacy.
Is it over yet? Maybe or Maybe not. Even though you may have spent hundreds of hours restoring your good name, your personal information could have been sold to someone else. Inaccurate information may still appear on your credit report in the future. That is why you need to check your credit reports
on a regular basis. Don’t rely on law enforcement to make this problem go away. Often, the identity of the perpetrator is unknown. Some cybercrooks do not use your personal information to commit identity theft themselves – they obtain the information and sell it to others who do. So, even if law enforcement makes an arrest in your case, your personal information may still be out there waiting for the next thief to
steal your identity. The bottom line is this: be careful with your personal information.

* Information on contacting the three major credit reporting bureaus is provided in the glossary.

It’s a High Tech Business
The Associated Press touted the headline, “Judge unplugs 2 teens who hacked into U.S. computers.” The two teens, ages 16 and 17, hacked into government and military computers apparently just to prove that they could. The punishment – three years probation that excludes the teens from possessing a computer and modem, 100 hours of community service and $4,100 in reparations.

The term “hacking” means breaking into a computer system or network. These two teens broke into government computers. Imagine the type of personal and financial information that our government collects! More shocking is the military information that is accessible to hackers. What happens next? Is all information stored on computers vulnerable? Maybe. If you are connected to the Internet and have a
Web page, you can be a target for hackers. Many government agencies, including the military, as well as businesses and home computer owners take great precautions to keep hackers out of their sensitive information. Encrypting files is the easiest and most common method of securing information before sending it over the Internet. Quite simply, encryption software scrambles the information. With the proper code, the intended recipient’s computer can then unscramble it. Unfortunately, for every prevention method consumers employ, there is a “genius” out there trying to defeat it. The Back Orifice program, for example, was created to attack online users without their knowledge. If someone is using the Back Orifice program, they can literally infiltrate your computer while you are online. Once in your computer, the perpetrator can look at all your files and even delete files – again, while you have absolutely no clue that this is happening. This possibility brings up a question that every computer user should ask, “What type of information is on my hard drive?” If you have personal and financial information on your hard drive, that information may be vulnerable. Consider storing personal and financial information on disks instead. Once the information is stored on disks, put the disks in a fireproof safe.

BUSINESS SAFETY
It is wise to consider people who may work for you and have access to your company computers as potential liabilities. It isn’t always the unknown people who cause irreparable damage to businesses. Often, information theft comes from within the ranks.
Fred Jones has a problem. An employee with administrative access to the company’s computer system suddenly quit and went to work for a competitor.
Fred suspects that this employee stole proprietary information (sensitive company information) and took it to his new employer. Did Fred’s former employee commit a crime? And if he did, how can Fred, or law enforcement, prove that the former employee committed the crime of theft?

What do you think about this hypothetical situation? Did the employee commit a crime? Some say yes, some say no, some say maybe. The big unanswered question: did Fred have any type of written company policy pertaining to computer access and the storage of data? This is key. If you own any type of business and utilize computers, you should have a solid, written policy regarding computers. Without an acknowledged policy, it would be difficult to convict an employee of theft. Additionally, theft is not the only thing you need to worry about. Should your employee steal personal information on other employees or clients and that information is used to commit crimes, you may be held liable in civil court if
you did not take reasonable measures to safeguard that information. Business owners, take note: create and implement a computer-related policy. Make sure that your employees read the policy and acknowledge it in writing. Preventing computer crime in a business doesn’t stop at creating a policy. If you own a small business and are computer dependent, secure the information on your computers. Use
the following crime prevention tips:

● Conduct thorough background checks on all employees, including temporary help. If you need assistance, contact firm that specializes in conducting background checks.
● Do not allow temporary staff access to sensitive data.
● Require employees to use passwords that are a combination of letters and numbers. These passwords should be kept confidential and changed often.
● Initiate a company policy on backing up computers once a day. Secure all back up tapes or disks in a fireproof safe.
● Secure client and personnel information. Access to this information should be limited.
● Use surge and anti-virus protection on all computer systems.
● Remove all data from the hard drive before disposing of computers.
● Ensure that every computer operation can be handled by at least two trusted employees.
● Adopt written procedures for Internet usage by employees. This discourages downloading inappropriate material and viruses.
● Purge old records and information properly. Shred or erase the information so it cannot be used by others.
● Adopt a zero tolerance approach to high tech criminals. Insist on prosecuting and pursue all civil remedies.

The $400 check looked real. The bank called and notified you that it was a fake. What happened? Your employee followed all of the check acceptance procedures
and you even okayed it. The check looked real...

Another hypothetical situation, but businesses are being swindled out of merchandise through this means at an alarming rate. It is the world of high technology crime and the bad guys are working diligently. Computer-generated personal checks, money orders, food stamps and traveler’s checks are
being manufactured on home computers and being passed off to the business community. For the bad guy, start-up costs are minimal, and many times, the bad guy uses stolen credit cards or fictitious checks to purchase the computer equipment. As a business owner, how do you know if the check is real or fake? Calling the bank to verify every single check is not an option, so it is up to you and your employees to weed out the bad ones. This can be extremely difficult since the majority of fake checks have a valid bank account number, and check verification machines will accept and endorse the document. The problem is that the account is good, but the name on the check does not go with the verified account.
The account number was stolen and placed on the fake check. Additionally, fake picture identifications are also produced on home computers that match the checks. With all of this going on, how does a business owner combat this invasion of fake documents? The following steps will help protect you and
your company:

● Review your check and credit card acceptance policies. Many businesses and banks have started to require a thumb print on all checks. Some businesses feel that this practice may inconvenience their customers, and it is a controversial practice. The decision is yours.
● Train your employees to check identification when a customer is using a credit card.
● Employees should also make sure that the account number on the credit card matches
the account number printed on the credit card receipt. Obviously, you won’t be able to spot every fake document, but alert employees can make a difference. Producing counterfeit or forged checks is not the only way criminals may affect your bottom line. The bank calls to inform you that your company’s account
is overdrawn, but your records indicate there should be more than sufficient funds left in the account. An investigation reveals that several substantial checks have been cashed which look identical to yours with what seems to be your signature on them. However, the check numbers do not match your records.
Welcome to desktop forgery. Criminals have learned that many companies, small and large, routinely pay small billing invoices without checking their records to see if the product or service was ordered or received. If they send a fraudulent billing invoice in a small amount for some vaguely described product or service, there is a good chance it will be paid. But they are not interested in cashing the check. They are interested in scanning the check into their computer, making a duplicate copy, changing the payee and the amount. They may make several or several hundred copies and you won’t know anything until you receive a call from the bank or receive your monthly statement. Encourage your bookkeepers to
track all invoices, whether large or small.


Glossary
Chat room: A site on the World Wide Web where any number of computer users can type in messages to each other in real time, thus creating an online conversation. Many chat rooms have a particular topic, but others are designed for meeting people.
Cloning: Making one cellular telephone act the same as another.
Dumpster diver: A slang term denoting an individual who rummages through trash cans and dumpsters looking for items of value, including personal information.
Hacking: Breaking into a computer system or network.
Search engine: A program that acts like a library card catalog for the Internet. Search engines attempt to help a user isolate desired information or resources by searching for key words that the user specifies.
Surfing: A slang term that means looking or browsing at Web sites.
Virus: A program or part of a program that is loaded into a computer and runs against your wishes. A simple virus may use all available memory and bring the system to a halt. More dangerous viruses can delete or change data on your hard drive.