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We at AntiOnline have had the opportunity to
talk to the parents of dozens of different
malicious hackers over the years. There seems to be
one thing that they all have in common.
They had no idea the type of things their children
were up to.
"I had no idea my kid was doing bad things on the computer, until
the FBI showed up at my house one day with their
guns drawn..."
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A VERY common statement made by many of these
parents. So, what is a parent to do? You
know the warning signs that your kids may be
using drugs or alcohol, but what about the
warning signs that they may be up to no good
while using the home computer? Below we
have listed, what we feel, are viable "warning
signs", based on our experience of talking
with thousands of hackers over the past few
years, and monitoring and studying their behavior:
1. They spend a great deal of time talking to their
"friends" on the phone late at night. Sure, that describes
just about every teenager, but there are a few things
that could tip you off that these may not just be
normal phone calls to a friend from school. Keep a
close eye on your phone bill. Do you notice several
one or two minute long distant phone calls to strange
numbers? This may be a sign that your child is helping
to organize or is participating in, illegal telephone conferences.
Also, have you ever caught your child using store bought pre-paid
calling cards, or have you ever noticed them laying around? This
is a definite sign that your kid is making calls that they don't
want you to know about.
2. Does your child become uneasy, or do you notice them quickly
hitting keys or the mouse when you approach them while they're
on the computer? This is a clear sign that they're doing something
that they don't want you to see. Sure, it could be his Porno
collection, but it could also be something more.
3. Do they spend more time with their "friends on the computer" than
with their "real life friends"? You need to be watching for changes
in their social behavior. Are they becoming "withdrawn", do they
head for the computer as soon as they get home from school, and are
they still on it when you go to bed at night?
4. Has your ISP (Internet Service Provider) ever called you about
TOS (Terms of Service) or Acceptable Use Policy Violations? This
means that someone has complained that your computer was being used
for no good, or your ISP has detected abusive behavior. "No mom, I
have no idea what that's about", don't believe him, these abuse reports
don't come from nowhere. Either your kid did something he shouldn't have,
or someone is making it look like they were up to no good. Either way, it's
a good warning sign that your child is associating himself with the wrong people.
5. Every good parent should be aware of the type of reading material their children
are choosing. Does your child have a subscription to "2600" or "Blacklisted"? What
type of manuals have they printed out?
6. Has your child gotten a new piece of hardware for their computer, or a brand
new computer? How did he get it? Keep an eye out for extravagant new purchases
that you know your child couldn't have afforded. "I've been saving up for a
really long time, I'm borrowing it from a friend, etc, etc..." You need to be
sure that your kid isn't "carding" these things (Illegally using someone else's
credit card number to make purchases).
7. Have you ever picked up the phone to hear "Hello, is AcidBurn there". No, that's
probably not just a wrong number. If your child has friends calling that are asking for
him by "handle" (aliases hackers use to identify each other, without having to reveal
their real names), instead of asking for him by name, it's a clear sign that he's taking cyberspace to its extremes. Also, listen for "confs" (telephone conferences) calling your child. Do you hear many voices, or snickers, in the background when someone calls and asks for him?
So, what to do if you suspect, or know, that your kid is up to no good while using the computer?
Don't even bother to try installing software to limit their access, or limit access to what sites they can visit. It would be nothing more than another challenge for your child, which would soon be overcome.
One thing that you can do is move their computer to a "public" area of your house. In other words, take the computer out of their bedroom, and move it into the living room. If you're always around when they're on the computer, your kid is less likely to do "nefarious deeds".
Don't let them use their computer late at night. That's when most hacks take place, and when most hackers meet online. Sure, if your kid loves technology, and you want them to learn all that they can about it, you don't want to limit the number of hours they can spend using their computers. However, they have all day during weekends, and several hours after school to use the computer, there's no reason for them to be on-line at 11pm.
If there is a specific incident that occurred, ground them from using the computer all together. A week without use of a computer will be a MAJOR deterrent.
Limit who your child is allowed to talk to on the phone. "Out Of Area" or "Blocked Call" on the caller ID should equal "Not Allowed", unless you specifically know who the person is that's calling.
Your kid has a talent. Make them put it towards something productive. Forcing them to volunteer at a community center, or the local library, where there are computers set up for public use, is a great way to direct their talents, as well as a way to let them see the satisfaction that comes with doing something positive.
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