La Piazza

Posted by Carlos Arias, March 2011

It is not unusual to receive alarming emails warning that your email service will shortly be shut down or your favorite social networking site will no longer be free. It happens to all of us. Also, these messages are usually signed by some big shot in the relevant company…. But, don’t worry!! Fortunately enough, these messages also state that if you forward them to X people, you will be saved from all these calamities.

I am sure most of you have already realized that I am talking about computer hoaxes. A hoax, in computer jargon, is simply a false warning about some danger that really does not exist. They are normally harmless, except when they contain links that take you to a malware-downloading site.

But then the question is: why are you asked to forward them? Well, the answer is this: these chain letters are normally designed to collect email addresses later used to send spam messages, malware or other hoaxes. So, if you receive a message similar to this, NEVER EVER forward it.

Social networks are becoming an increasingly important part of our lives and cyber-crooks are turning to them to spread their creations. Hoaxes are no different, and they are starting to proliferate on sites like Facebook, as shown by the example below:

Another popular scam exploits users’ natural curiosity by offering an application that supposedly allows them to view who visited their Facebook profile or even sneak into other people’s conversation history. Who wouldn’t like to discover other people’s secrets? Fraudsters even offer users the possibility to activate their contacts’ webcam. That is, sheer espionage…

Well, I am sorry to inform that there is no such application, and even if there was, it would be absolutely illegal. If you actually downloaded it, you would become infected and the victim of espionage yourself. The predator becomes the prey!

In short: Don’t believe everything delivered to your inbox. Actually, be very wary of messages you receive from unknown sources. And no, you can rest assured that they are not shutting down Hotmail, and you won’t have to pay for your Facebook account if you don’t forward this message.

Finally, keep an antivirus installed and update it frequently. This is your barrier against spam and phishing.If you are not sure about something during the installation or update processes, don’t leave it for later. Look for the appropriate solution in the support forums available to you for any queries you might have.

Published by Leyre Velasco, March 2011

The other day, my husband and I were sitting al fresco enjoying a coffee, when I noticed a bunch of teenagers sitting at the table next to us. Most of them were fiddling about with their latest generation mobile telephones when I heard one of the girls comment: “You should not have interfered in Laura and Pedro’s relationship. It is none of your business what they do. You have most definitely overstepped the mark! She was reading out loud the comment she had just posted, when a couple other friends immediately posted further comments of the sort.

So what? Yes, I know, it does not have to turn into a nasty situation, but, then again, the opposite could happen very quickly. Because, as Mark Zuckerberg said at a technology conference hosted by TechCrunch: “Today, users are more comfortable sharing more information more openly. The social norms have evolved.” Fair enough, I fully acknowledge the advantages of social networks but, in the case of teenagers, they can be a double-edged sword and I cannot help but thinking how easy somebody’s reputation can publicly and rapidly be damaged. What is known as cyber-bullying or “the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an individual or group, that is intended to harm others”.

Because, deep down, and paradoxically, as I am saying this from a blog , I think social networks are the perfect tool to feed one’s ego. And the ego of a teenager is still “in progress”: they need to reaffirm their identity and because the visibility of they write is immediate, they can build their personality as they post along. Some of them actually find it easier to express their views by just hitting Send, or Post than by words. Through social networks, teenagers can get adherence to their comments, involve their allies and reinforce their role as a leader. Harassing the weaker teenager is not a new phenomenon, yet the Internet allows the harasser to take refuge in the comfort of anonymity. Social networks can take the role of the new “toilet wall” where teens used to write insults and names to annoy their colleagues.

It is tricky. Whenever I have mentioned to the parents of friends of my pre-teen daughter how important it is for us to keep an eye on how our kids behave on social networks and how it is vital to promote tolerance and civism, I very often get looks as to say: You, control freak!

Well, all I can say is: would you not warn your baby if his fingers are dangerously close to an electric plug? To me, it is a question of sheer common sense because teenagers are very vulnerable yet adorable creatures (well, most times ) What do you think?

Further information and useful links on cyber-bullying.

Published by Blanca Carton, March 2011

It is a well-known fact that cyber-bullying is becoming a serious problem among teenagers. Just recently, two teenage girls in Florida are facing serious criminal charges for a Facebook prank they played on a classmate. The girls, aged 15 and 16, created a fake Facebook profile in the name of another student—a girl they were no longer friends with—and added photos doctored to make it look like their victim was engaged in sexually explicit acts (Source: Marco Eagle).

Situations like this raise the following questions:

Are you responsible for your own safety when you browse the Internet? The answer to this question is YES. In the same way you take all necessary precautions when you go back home at night, you should also observe certain online security precautions in order to chat, share information, etc. securely on the Web.

Are you responsible for your friends’ safety when you browse the Internet? The answer to this question is also YES. The Internet has many advantages but also poses some dangers that make you responsible, though indirectly, for their safety. If you post pictures of your friends without permission, give away private information (like their address, phone number, where and when they are going on holiday, etc.) or other data you might be putting them at risk.

For that reason we’d like to remind you of these 5 simple tips that will help you protect yourself and others:

1. Enjoy the Internet. The Internet is an open door to information that before was only available to you in libraries, or trips impossible to make. It puts the whole world in your hands… Make the most of it!
   Note: In any event, you shouldn’t believe everything you see on the Internet or on TV. Always corroborate information.
2. Treat your Internet friends the same way you would treat a friend you see in person. In the same way you wouldn’t trust a stranger you met on the street, you should be equally cautious on the Internet.
3. It someone asks you where you live, your phone number or wants you to send them pictures of you, activate your webcam to record you or offers to meet on the street… Say no and report it. They will probably do to others the same things they are trying to do to you.
4. Do not accept messages from strangers. Just opening those messages can trigger viruses that damage computers and try to steal information from them.
5. Don’t insult, disturb or threaten anybody. Remember that there is always a way to know who posted a comment or photos on the Internet and you can be identified. These actions constitute a crime and won’t go unpunished even if performed from your computer at home.
   If someone insults, disturbs or threatens you, report it immediately to your parents or tutors so that that person is prevented from doing it again to you or anybody else.

Finally, install a good antivirus program on your computer  and keep it up-to-date just as you do with your favorite video game

Posted by José Manuel Bernal, March 2011

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