Homeland Security and Internet Safety: Avoid Becoming a Victim

Editor’s note: Fayette County Emergency Management Chief Craig Moreau recently gave a presentation to the La Grange Rotary Club about internet safety. He submitted the following recap of his remarks from that meeting so that everyone in the County can become aware of these issues.

As a child, I was never interested in sci-fi shows or books except for one topic… time travel. I heard someone ask an interesting question about time travel recently. “If someone from the past was transported to the present, what would be the hardest thing to explain to them?” The answer that I like the best was “That I hold a device in my pocket that has all the knowledge of earth, but I use it to watch videos of cats and argue with strangers about things that don’t matter.” The internet, like traditional phones, or traditional mail is not inherently good or bad. It makes the positive or negative activities we are doing much more efficient. It also puts all of our deeds, both good and bad, under a mi croscope. Thieves, con-artists, swindlers and predators have always used all the tools at their disposal to accomplish their sins. Why would we expect the internet to be any different? Law enforcement, community leaders, and the wise people in our neighborhoods are likewise able to use tools at their disposal to help their community and keep us safe.

The key to avoiding being an online victim is to keep your information secure. I know many of us enjoy living in Mayberry (from the Andy Griffith Show), and we may be lackadaisical about locking up all of our doors all of the time. We can’t avoid “locking up” in a digital world. The internet is NOT Fayette County. The internet is the Pirates of the Caribbean, the Inner City of Chicago, and the Cartels of Mexico all wrapped into one. How do you lock your doors in a virtual world? You must use safe and secure passwords and if you can’t remember all of your passwords, you should use a password manager. CNET. com recommends the following password managers: Bitwarden, a free app; Last Pass has free or premium versions; 1Password, uses your face as the password; Dashlane is highly recommend, and a several more choices exist. All of the companies reviewed by CNET were very good, and almost all of them use technology called YubiKey, which is a two-factor technology. Even password managers are potentially subject to failure, so citizens should also consider using Lifelock, IdentityForce or similar tech to monitor credit intrusions. These companies monitor all of your credit and online ID’s for possible misuse. Most have large insurance policies included in case your identity is ever stolen. Sometimes we are the ones that compromise ourselves on the phone, on email, and online. Never voluntarily give any information to someone who calls, messages, or emails you. If someone calls and needs you to verify who you are, hang up. If they say they are from American Express for example, hang up and call the number on your American Express card. If they say they are from the government, call the specific government agency. On email and on social media, “Phishing” is used to steal your info. Phishing is when websites and emails will look identical to the genuine, but will have one letter off in the webpage, or some other small detail. If you are unsure, call the Sheriff’s Office, Police Department, or Homeland Security Office.

We have a responsibility to protect our children at all times. I believe this is the most precious responsibility that God gives us. If you have someone under the age of 18 living in your home, it is your duty to monitor what they are doing online. This is not an invasion of their privacy; it’s something that can literally mean the difference in living or dying. Online bullying is one of the leading causes of suicide in teens and often the parents are completely unaware that it’s going on. Catfishing and kidnapping almost always start with benign grooming through social media or apps. Even normal apps such as “words with friends” can pose a danger if the app has a chat function. Check all apps with chat functions frequently. If your kids have social media, you should have all the passwords and unlimited access to their accounts. Look for apps that hide identity, fake calculator apps are very popular. When the person enters a certain number on the calculator, hidden pictures and other apps appear. There are many other apps as well, and new ones hit the market literally every day. Parents can consider getting a key logger app that will tell you every single thing that is typed into the child’s phone, iPad, or laptop but if there is a great concern that kids are bypassing their parents intentionally, they may not need smart devices until they are mature enough to use them responsibly. A regular old flip phone without internet is still a decent way to keep in touch. It is also recommended that anyone under 18 leave their phones with their parents when they go to bed at night. This can keep them safe, and help their sleep patterns. If your child needs an alarm clock, buy them one that is separate from the phone. The phone is too tempting for latenight trouble for many teens.

The internet can thankfully also be used to fight back against crime. iwatchtx.org is recommended for anyone to report any type of suspicious activity, but especially any activity that involves our schools. Reporters can remain anonymous if they choose; it’s up to the person making a report if they want to be contacted for more information. The report takes less than 5 minutes and the information is used by federal, state, and local law enforcement to curtail sexual crimes, serious crimes and terrorism.

For additional questions, links, or to sign up for specialized training email me at craig. moreau@co.fayette.tx.us and my office will get you all the information that is available.