Online Safety for Students

Sgt. James Doty and I spoke with students at Underwood High School today about online safety. We're doing a county-wide tour to reach as many students as possible. Here's some highlights: = CYBERSECURITY 101 = • Use long, unique passwords for each app / service. • Use MFA everywhere you can! • Keep your devices and apps updated. = SAFETY FIRST = • Be skeptical -- if you get a bad feeling online or IRL, get out of there! • Reduce your attack surface: - Delete unused accounts and apps. - Lock-down the ones you use. • Remember that once you hit SEND you lose control of what you sent: - Don't text angry -- save a draft, come back later and edit it. - Don't send nudes -- it's just too dangerous, and for kids it's illegal. - Remember "deleted" stuff can stick around, maybe forever! • Find an adult you can trust, and run things by them: - For some kids that's a parent. - For others it might be a teacher or school resource officer instead. = SEXTORTION = • Criminals will try to trick you into sending nudes. • Cops understand the victim is NOT to blame. • Years ago, threats to send photos to your family were lies -- NOT today. • If this happens to you, it's NOT the end of the world! • Upside to A.I.: You can always tell people what they got was a deepfake. • Things will suck for a while, but it WILL get better. • You WILL get past it, and law enforcement is here to help. = ADDITIONAL RESOURCES (U.S.) = • NCMEC CyberTip Line: If you find CSAM, report it with this form: https://lnkd.in/g7UhPPdY • Take It Down: Resources to help remove images of yourself online: https://lnkd.in/gJ8hX3SY • IC3.gov: You can report cybercrime to the FBI with this form: https://www.ic3.gov • PCSO Cyber Safety Tips: https://pcso.link/cyber

How to get kids to actually care about being safe online? Well as a “Zillennial,” who grew up with the first wave of smartphones….it took me a while to listen to online safety advice as a teen. Looking back, I realize kids (yes, teens too) are just like us: they focus on what really matters to them. Think about it: losing game progress, missing out on group chats, or being locked out of favorite apps actually matters to them. So when we connect security tips to what they love most, they pay more attention. Ask them what they would hate to lose if someone hacked their account. Then show them how a strong password or tighter privacy settings helps protect what they care about. You can even share how you have been doing (or trying) the same for yourself. It shows them that online safety is a lifelong habit, not just a rule for “paranoid parents” or “little kids.” 👀 When children see online safety as a way to stay connected and protect the things they love, they take it more seriously. It’s not about fear, it is about giving them a real reason to care. How do you frame online safety so your child truly listens? Any strategies or mindsets that worked well for you?

Every parent loves the first-day photo. Every bad actor loves it too…for very different reasons. Back-to-school season means our feeds are full of first-day photos. They’re joyful and proud…but also riskier than most people realize. I work in Trust & Safety and I see everyday how small pieces of information such as your child’s name, grade, school, teacher, or classroom number can be pieced together. For bad actors, these aren’t cute details. They’re breadcrumbs that can lead back to a child’s identity or even their home. And the risks are real. Kids today face more than just playground bullying. Online threats include doxxing, impersonation, grooming, and digital harassment - and children are increasingly being targeted. A few practical ways to share safely this school year: ✅ Crop or blur personal details ✅ Post to private groups or stories instead of public feeds ✅ Use nicknames instead of full names ✅ Skip the school logos, classroom numbers, teacher names or location tags Parents shouldn’t have to choose between celebrating milestones and protecting their kids. With a few adjustments, you can do both. Here’s to a safe and happy school year…on and offline! #internetsafety #security #privacy

Protecting Your Family After the PowerSchool Data Breach: Insights from a Former Educator Turned Cybersecurity Advocate As a former educator and now a passionate cybersecurity advocate, I’m deeply committed to helping families navigate the challenges of digital safety—especially when incidents like the recent PowerSchool data breach occur. PowerSchool, a widely used student information system, recently suffered a breach that may have exposed sensitive data, including names, addresses, grades, and potentially more. This is a concerning reminder of how vital it is to protect the information we entrust to technology. Steps Families Can Take Today 1. Secure Your Accounts: Update your PowerSchool password to something strong and unique. 2. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): If available, turn it on for an added layer of protection. 3. Beware of Phishing Emails: Be cautious of unexpected emails claiming to be from PowerSchool or your school, and verify before clicking links. 4. Monitor for Identity Theft: Check your credit and keep an eye out for unusual activity in your name or your child’s name. 5. Communicate with Your School: Stay informed about how your school is addressing this breach and what measures they are taking. Why This Matters to Me Having transitioned from teaching to the cybersecurity field, I’ve seen the critical need for stronger protections in our schools. Data breaches like this don’t just expose information—they erode trust and put families at risk. My advice: • Empower your family with knowledge about online safety. • Advocate for stronger cybersecurity measures in schools. • Consider tools like identity monitoring for extra peace of mind. A Call to Action We all want the best for our children, and that includes protecting their personal information. Let’s use this as an opportunity to push for higher standards in digital security and stay proactive in safeguarding our families. Stay vigilant, stay informed, and let’s work together to prioritize the safety of our communities. If you have any questions or need further guidance, feel free to reach out—I’m always happy to help.

🤦 My kids are using hacking against me! 🤦 😢 A few years ago one of my kids got in trouble for sharing something inappropriate that they were sent, with others. At the time I thought I had done enough to teach them about the right things to do with personal privacy and things of that nature. From that day on, I put stronger emphasis on making sure my kids were taking the security of their own selfs and others more serious. 🏎️ We teach teens how to drive before they get behind the wheel—so why don’t we do the same for navigating the digital world? 💻 Teens today are more connected than we ever were, but many don’t fully understand the risks of oversharing, weak passwords, or falling for online scams. As cybersecurity professionals (and responsible parents), we need to empower them with digital citizenship skills that protect their privacy and security. Here’s what we should be teaching them: 🔹 Think Before You Share – Once something is online, it’s nearly impossible to erase. Encourage them to ask: Would I be okay if this was public? 🔹 Use Strong, Unique Passwords – No more "password123"! Teach them about password managers and multi-factor authentication (MFA). 🔹 Beware of Phishing & Scams – Not everything online is what it seems. Train them to spot red flags in messages, emails, and DMs. 🔹 Privacy Settings Matter – Social media profiles should be locked down. Show them how to limit who can see their information. 🔹 Your Digital Footprint is Forever – What they post today could impact their future job opportunities or college admissions. Cybersecurity isn’t just an IT issue—it’s a life skill. Let’s start teaching our teens how to stay safe online before they learn the hard way. What’s one cybersecurity tip you wish you had learned earlier? Drop it in the comments! #Cybersecurity #DigitalCitizenship #OnlineSafety #PrivacyMatters

I believe technology can be harnessed for good. But horrors! Recent news headlines remind us of the urgent need for stronger online safety and digital ethics education. - Some boys at Singapore Sports School have been alleged to create and share deepfake nude photos of female students. Police are investigating.  - Scam victims in Singapore are on track to lose over S$770 million by year-end. - Singapore police may be given the authority to prevent repeat scam victims from making online banking transactions to protect them from further financial loss. Alarmingly, some victims continue to transfer money to scammers even when being informed of the fraud – a scenario that once seemed unimaginable!  These troubling incidents highlight persistent challenges surrounding online behaviour, ethics, and safety—issues that have existed since the dawn of the Internet. Singapore has been proactive about these issues from the early days of the internet. In the early 2000s, I was part of  PAGI (Parents Advisory Group for the Internet) which was set up to support parents guide their children on safe online practices, and the Media Literacy Council to help Singaporeans evaluate media and create and share content  safely and responsibly. However, technology especially Generative AI is evolving rapidly. Our digital-native generation, born into a world of bright shiny digital screens and AI, needs a deep understanding of online safety and digital ethics. What can we do to build a strong foundation in online safety hygiene and digital ethics? 1.Integrate Online Safety into Education: Digital safety and awareness must start early—as soon as children enter kindergarten and continue throughout their school years. Kids today are adept at using smartphones and tablets as young as five, so online safety must be part of their foundational learning. 2. Teach Ethics and Responsible Technology Use: Responsible use of digital devices and platforms should be an integral part of schools’ digital safety and awareness curriculum. This is necessary to instil ethical guidelines and a clear understanding of consequences. 3. Pair Technology Access with Safety Training: Digital devices are essential tools for modern learning. However, it’s equally crucial that teachers guide students on online safety and responsible device use. Teaching safe, mindful use of technology isn’t just nice to have, it is essential, not optional. 4. Engage Parents in Digital Safety Education: Parents are vital to fostering online safety and digital ethics. As primary role models, the onues lies with them to guide their children’s digital habits. To do this effectively, parents need to be equipped with the knowledge and resources to promote safe and responsible device use. Creating a digitally responsible society requires a multi-faceted approach that begins with education and active involvement from all stakeholders. It’s time we double down on these efforts. #onlinesafety #digitalethics

Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders,   One of the most impactful ways we can protect our children is by staying informed and being proactive about the risks they face online.   There is a troubling rise in violent online groups actively targeting young people — not just through typical cyberbullying, but by coercing them into deeply harmful actions. These groups are exploiting platforms we often see as harmless: social media, gaming apps, and messaging services.   What can you do? 1. Set clear boundaries around internet usage. 2. Communicate — talk regularly with your child about the risks of interacting with strangers online. 3. Be aware of what your child is sharing — know which apps they’re using and what content they’re engaging with. 4. Stay involved — actively monitor your child’s digital presence. Take a moment to watch the attached video — it sheds light on this growing online threat and what more we can do to stop it. #parents #PSA #FBI #internetsafety #cyber #education #community #lawenforcement