La Piazza

Published by Ana Etxebarria, 26th July 2012

A few days ago I experienced a situation that most parents will probably face, especially when children become teenagers. One of my nephews boasted on a social network of having taken his first alcoholic drink and smoked his first cigarette. He is 12 years old. I still do not know, and doubt that I will ever know, if it was a big boy bravado or fact. But nevertheless, this led to a family dilemma with a complex solution.

Should we spy on them or not?

In a world where six year old kids play with strangers online, 10 year olds already have smartphones and 13 year olds (or younger) have profiles on Facebook, it may seem tempting to think that the best weapon parent have to defend our children from any potential danger is spying. Now to be fair, children should always know that we are watching their moves. That is, we would have to be those uncomfortable and unwanted “friends” whose invitation they have no choice but to accept. As discussed here a few months ago, Mom, were you spying on me?, if it were our case, at least we should not forget the “etiquette” with them.

How much should we spy our kids?

Asking to be his “friends” on Facebook is a truly subtle and honest way of espionage. A step beyond, there are  programs which will allow us to know exactly the content of SMS exchanges with friends, the exact pages they are browsing and the time they spend in each one of them or in chat conversations.

Yet this attitude is at odds with the concept of a father who naturally trusts his son, who teaches him to be a responsible adult and that, without reasons for it, nothing can justify an intrusion of this kind in the private life of anyone, let alone their children’s. The objective of this somewhat unrealistic group, is not to ignore the habits of their children when they are online but to limit the use of all electronic devices as much possible and postpone the purchase of smartphones for as long as possible. Encouraging outdoor activities is certainly a healthy lifestyle and the time spent on the Internet is decreased and therefore the risks associated with the network are reduced.

But then, Who is right? Who is wrong?

I believe that, as in any other aspect of life, common sense is the only tool to be applied. In order to raise confident and self-sufficient children, which deep down is the main desire of any parent, you must be able to mix all the ingredients properly. Basically a father is not very different from a cook and a tasty dish must have a liuttle bit of everything and everything in the right amount. You have to watch the cooking time but also let it cook at its pace. And of course every cook has his tricks and no dish is always the same.

What do you think?

Published by Ana Etxebarria, 20th June 2012

How does it feel when you see on Facebook that all your friends go to parties to which you have not been invited? Or when you see them holidaying in Polynesia, a trip that not even in your wildest dreams you could afford?

A January study published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking found that the more time people spent on Facebook, the happier you consider your friends to be and the sadder this makes you feel.

Facebook and unhappiness

Because, people tend not to share unpleasant events on Facebook. Most people share exciting and pleasant experiences: photos with family and friends enjoying the pleasures of life, pictures showing off exuberant girlfriends or boyfriends, etc.

Some indulge on succulent meals with extraordinary regularity, others never miss a concert of the coolest group of the moment, some seem to have great plans every single weekend. Others have already traveled the world several times and prove so! Not to mention the intellectual tastes certain friends add to their profiles. They can be  the most extravagant and frankly, at times bordering the improbable. What can I say? In my opinion, some people are simply narcissistic – both in the virtual as well as in real life.

Not to mention that mutant species that inhabits the social network and whose personality has nothing to do with his real identity. This chameleonic friend has a special ability to adapt to the environment, becoming someone completely different, as we described in the post Do we lie more on social networks?

So, it is not surprising that jealousy, envy and resentment arise… But hey, envy is free! The great paradox of this is that, despite the fact that what you see or read infuriates you, somehow you are still compelled to look at the life of others.

What’s more, thanks to status updates and alerts, the temptation is almost inevitable. Experts say that when this phenomenon becomes overwhelming and the feelings your Facebook friends provoke in you are consistently negative, the ultimate consequence is to end this “irritant” friendship. Just like life itself. This process is called the theory of applied socio-emotional selectivity. It is an inevitable stage of life when you reach the sufficient maturity and self-awareness to know who you are and what you want. And this of course applies to friendships. There comes a time when you have to decide what friends deserve your attention and which don’t.

Have you ever felt unhappy caused by envy or resentment toward your Facebook friends? Have you stopped being friends with someone on Facebook for this reason?

Published by Leyre Velasco, 8th June 2012

Some time ago we called your attention to the fact that many children under 13 lied on social networks such as Facebook in order to be able to sign up (see post Parents help their children to lie to get on Facebook). The minimum age set to connect their Facebook social network is 13 – this age is set based on U.S. federal laws to protect online privacy of children. However, a report by Microsoft says that up to 36% knew that their children had registered on Facebook before the age of 13. Moreover, many parents helped their children during the registration process.

Facebook under 13s

It is known that Facebook, like other social networks, has been the subject of criticism in regard to the privacy policy. Furthermore, it is clear that it is very easy to register by entering false data.

The pressure on the company to avoid children lying to get an account has increased over the last year. For this reason, Facebook is developing a technology by which children under 13 can use the social network under parental supervision. Thus, the children’s accounts would be connected with the parents’ accounts and they will be the ones deciding who they can add as friends as well as which applications they can download.

I think this is a great initiative to formalize the presence of children who, in a clandestine way, are already in the network. Apparently, Facebook does not rule out charging for certain games and applications in this controlled environment. You can read the full information in the BBC article Facebook ‘may soon allow’ under-13s to join the site

In my opinion, anything that strengthens the security controls in the network is positive, yet charging for a service aimed at protecting children when this should be the default option is not quite right.

These controls should be implemented by default in the systems of registration of any social network. Moreover, I think it would be preferable for all the social networks of greatest impact to come together to design the patterns and mechanisms and that they all follow the same pattern of security. Joining forces to protect children and together they make it more difficult to cyber-criminals.

But I fear, often particular interests of each company take precedence over common sense and general interest. It seems that it is preferable to ignore these issues so to attract more and more users.

And you, what do you think?

Published by Ana Etxebarria, November 2011

I have recently read an article claiming that millions of preteens have signed up for Facebook, as indicated by a recent survey carried out in the US which showed that parents actually helped them lie to do it. I have 4 kids under age 12 and all of them have Facebook accounts, so I feel very much related to this issue.

Facebook sets the minimum age for using its service at 13 to comply with US federal laws that protect children’s online privacy.

However, a new survey from Microsoft and such top universities as Berkeley and Harvard has found that half of all parents with 12-year-olds and 1 in 5 parents of 10-year-olds knew their kids were using Facebook.

Asked how the children signed up for the service, thus violating the site’s terms of service, nearly 7 in 10 parents admitted they helped their kids set up the accounts.
The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, drew from a random sampling of 1,007 parents with children ages 10 to 14.

The survey comes amid a debate over children’s online privacy protection in a new era of mobile apps and other technologies. Consumer reports recently reported that 7 million underage users were on Facebook.

Do age limits for Internet services really stop children from using age-restricted sites? Should companies be allowed flexibility to experiment with new services and technologies without new regulations?

Most parents, me included, want our kids online as early as possible. We don’t want to be told how to be a parent. We want our children to be part of the digital world and be able to communicate with relatives and friends using current technology tools.

But, what do privacy advocates say? Well, they say that parents are not fully aware of what data is being collected about their children. If parents knew that sites such as Facebook collect information to deliver customized ads, they would be more cautious. This is total nonsense in my opinion. Or is that TV stations don’t bombard our kids with advertising in children’s networks?

Now, the question is: Is it really good for Facebook to have those underage users illegally? Well it must be, otherwise they would do something about it.

What do you think?

Written by Benjamín Kroitoro, October 2011

At La Piazza we are always committed to giving you the best advice on how to protect yourself from the dangers of social networks and the Internet.

On this occasion, we are giving you a summary of the article published by Benjamín Kroitoro, General Manager of Panda Mexico, in the PC World Mexico magazine:

Social networks are fantastic. They allow you to interact with old friends, meet new ones, stay in touch with people from all over the world… but they can also pose serious risks and dangers.
Avoid risks and enjoy social networking sites by following these simple tips:

• Don’t share sensitive personal information: your phone number, your address or other private information.
• Just as you wouldn’t accept a gift from a complete stranger on the street, don’t accept files or anything else you might be offered by email, on the Internet or social networking sites.
• If you have been using email for any length of time, I am sure at some point you have probably received a message from a friend with a text similar to “Just saw this picture of yours. It’s so funny!”. The best thing to do is make sure that the email you have received is legitimate. Ask your friend whether they have actually sent you the message before opening it.
• Never accept to be friends with people you don’t know. Avoid chatting with strangers.
• If you are using a shared computer, make sure you log off completely from any programs you have accessed using a user name and a password. Otherwise, other users could easily access your professional, Facebook or Twitter profiles, etc., get private information like addresses, account numbers or passwords and use them to steal money from you or carry out other malicious activities.

This may seem a bit repetitive, but remember, prevention is better than cure

For more tips like these, go to the ‘Internet in Safe Hands’ campaign website: http://protectyourfamily.pandasecurity.com/es/

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Read the full article here (in Spanish): Consejos de seguridad para las redes sociales.

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 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

Published by Luis Corrons, october 6,  2010

Every day, cyber-crooks find new ways to lure us into their traps. Have you heard of the FAKEBOOK case?

Facebook is one of today’s most popular social networking sites as well as one of the most exploited by cyber-criminals for conducting phishing attacks.

Phishing consists of tricking users into believing they are in a familiar Web page and stealing their confidential information, login credentials, etc.

There many domains with the word facebook but which actually contain malicious pages:  facebook-ims.com, facebooks.bz, gjfacebook.com, image-facebook.com, ims-facebook.net, inbox-facebook.com, kfacebook.net…

In most cases, if you access these URLs, an interface similar to that of the real Facebook page is displayed in order to steal your login credentials. Then, you are redirected to the real website to avoid raising any suspicion. However, phishing doesn’t always involve stealing user details. Sometimes these pages download malware to user computers through ‘drive-by download’ techniques, which run files without the victim’s consent.

There is an ‘IT saying’ that goes like this: The most destructive virus sits between the keyboard and the chair“. Don’t become the weak link on your computer!

In this presentation you can find out if you are infected and how to keep yourself safe from phishing:

And as always, don’t forget that to protect yourself it is essential to have an antivirus program installed and up-to-date with an anti-spam filter. Any of the Panda Security solutions will keep your computer free from phishing and your inbox free from spam.

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You can contact Luis Corrons through his PandaLabs blog.

Publicado por Darragh Kelly, mayo 2010

Los medios sociales están siendo utilizados tanto por las personas a título individual, como por empresas de distintos sectores. Independientemente de una utilización, correcta o incorrecta, por parte de las empresas, está aumentando el uso de estos nuevos medios que se integran gradualmente en los actuales procesos de comunicación de las compañías.

Así, tanto las empresas como los individuos estamos cosechando los beneficios de estar conectados a la Comunidad. No obstante, también debemos tener en cuenta los aspectos negativos:

• Cualquier cosa que reúna o congregue a un gran número de personas conlleva un riesgo que debe ser gestionado. Por ejemplo, en los espacios físicos (aeropuertos, estaciones de trenes, estadios deportivos, etc.)  hay guardias de seguridad que toman medidas para protegernos a nosotros y a nuestro entorno.
• A pesar de que algunas medidas puedan resultar molestas (las colas, etc.), entendemos que son necesarias. No obstante, también sabemos que la seguridad no es completa. En estas áreas abarrotadas somos más conscientes de nuestras vulnerabilidades, independientemente de si hay agentes de seguridad, por lo que tomamos ciertas precauciones (comprobamos si hemos cerrado las bolsas, comprobamos que las carteras se encuentran en el bolsillo interior de nuestras chaquetas y que son difícilmente accesibles). Mi mujer, por ejemplo, utiliza bolsos pegados al cuerpo.
• Si además observamos advertencias del tipo “Cuidado con los carteristas” tenemos todavía más cuidado y ponemos en práctica nuestro protocolo personal de seguridad (carteras, dinero, pasaportes, etc.) casi subconscientemente.

¿Si tomamos estas precauciones en el mundo físico, por qué no hacemos lo mismo con los medios sociales? ¿Y por qué no prestamos atención a las advertencias de seguridad? Ya sé que todas las empresas de seguridad informática incluida Panda Security tratan de incluir esas advertencias en el máximo número de sitios posible, pero es una batalla complicada.

A pesar de no ser antropólogo, tengo una teoría sobre por qué ocurre esto, aunque no puedo demostrarla. Creo que los siguientes 3 factores son parte del problema:  el entorno, el daño (causa y efecto) y el tejido social.

Antes de explicar cada punto, me gustaría destacar que hay una variable obvia en esta ecuación: la novedad de la amenaza. Dado que la amenaza es relativamente nueva, no nos ha afectado lo suficiente como para familiarizarnos con ella tal y como hemos hecho con otras amenazas. Por ello, creo que todavía tenemos mucho que aprender y la socialización de esta información es vital. Dicho esto explico cada uno de los factores mencionados:

El entorno

• Físico: somos más precavidos cuando estamos en espacios desconocidos. Este es un mecanismo de defensa básico que consiste en buscar lo conocido y cuando no lo encontramos, sabemos que existe una variable de riesgo. La variable de riesgo causa incertidumbre e influencia nuestras acciones, por lo que tomamos precauciones.
• Virtual: nos juntamos en el mundo virtual (redes, comunidades) desde contextos físicos, seguros y familiares como nuestra casa o el trabajo. De esta forma, no percibimos el peligro asociado a nuestro entorno virtual que nos proporciona una falsa sensación de seguridad.

El daño (causa y efecto)

• Esto escapa a mis conocimientos, pero lo intentaré. En el mundo físico, el hecho de que te roben la cartera supondría una experiencia terrible, creando una sensación de impotencia. A pesar de que nunca me ha pasado, sé que el no tener cuidado puede acarrear serias consecuencias. Podéis visualizar las consecuencias e imaginar lo que ocurriría.
• No obstante en el mundo virtual, parece que todo son inofensivos clics. No se puede visualizar el ataque, ya que consiste en muchos unos y ceros (101110011001). Además, no imaginamos las consecuencias negativas, y creedme, las hay. Los ordenadores y las conexiones a Internet se ralentizan, los ordenadores se bloquean… A nivel de empresa se ralentizan los servidores de correo, los empleados se quejan sobre los problemas informáticos, etc. No obstante, la causa y el efecto no se ve de forma tan clara como en el mundo real. Pensamos que estos problemas son pesados pero que estas cosas ocurren con la informática.

Confianza / tejido social

• Se ha observado que en los mundos de los juegos virtuales los jugadores son más confiados. En los mundos online confían y comparten recursos y retos con desconocidos. Estoy seguro de que esto puede extrapolarse a casi todas las redes virtuales. Yo soy más confiado en un entorno virtual debido a los dos puntos mencionados anteriormente: no percibo el peligro y no me doy cuenta de las consecuencias que mis acciones pueden acarrear.

Estoy seguro de que la socialización de estos riesgos reales impacta directamente sobre los puntos mencionados anteriormente, pero parece que el progreso es lento. Esto supone un reto enorme para la comunidad online y es mi pequeña contribución a un mejor entendimiento sobre los riesgos que hay ahí afuera.

En resumen, debéis estar informados sobre los riesgos existentes, tener cuidado y tomar las precauciones necesarias. Esto no es una ciencia exacta, pero hay unos pasos que se pueden seguir para reducir el riesgo.

Para estar informados, os recomiendo que os suscribáis a un boletín de seguridad que proporcione información actualizada sobre temas relacionados con la seguridad informática y ejemplos prácticos sobre lo que deberíais hacer para proteger vuestros equipos e información. Hay numerosos blogs y sitios Web excelentes que intentan socializar esta información. Yo utilizo los siguientes:

• El blog de PandaLabs
• Bleeping Computer
• OnGuardOnline (Información proporcionada por el gobierno estadounidense)
• Centro de protección contra malware de Microsoft

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Darragh Kelly se presenta:  Nací en Dublín pero vivo en España desde el 2000. Trabajo en Panda Security desde el 2001 y he tenido la suerte de desarrollar mi trabajo en diferentes áreas de esta Compañía: QA, Tech Support, Formación y en breve comenzaré un nuevo periodo como Product Marketing.  Personalmente encuentro fascinante todo lo relacionado con la comunicación. 

Si quieres contactar conmigo por favor puedes ver mi blog http://www.darraghkelly.me o seguirme en Twitter http://twitter.com/D_P_Kelly.

Published by Ana Etxebarria, May 5th, 2010

For work reasons, I need to have my BlackBerry turned on in a 24x7x365 mode. But when did my BB and I become one?

Recently, while I was away with my family for a few days, my BB passed away. It was terrible! I didn’t know what to do! My friends tried to revive it: some of them said it was best to reset it, others wanted to throw it down the toilet and a few suggested taking the battery out, but they all agreed that a couple of days without a BlackBerry would do no harm. They even suggested I should try to enjoy the peace and tranquility. What peace?  I couldn’t read my mail, receive or make calls, send text messages, access Twitter or Facebook…

I finally gave up and accepted my new 1.0 situation, and I must admit that once the initial shock was over, it wasn’t that bad. However, I began to realize that I had probably become a CrackBerry addict, that what I had seen on TV was true and that the number of times a day I checked whether the red light was on exceeded health & safety limits.

I will not part from my BlackBerry (I can’t and don’t want to), but I think we should reach a deal by which we both have our own space and a bit of privacy.

If it hits home, I would like to receive your comments. I also admit constructive criticism. Finally, here is an instructive video which I hope makes you smile