ALBANY << NEW YORK ATTY GENERAL’S OFFICE >> New York Attorney General Removes 3500 Sex Offenders From Facebook and MySpace.

In a major crackdown on Internet predators through the eSTOP Act, more than 3,500 convicted New York sex fiends have been booted from two online social networking sites, sources told the Daily News. The perverts were kicked off Facebook and MySpace in the first sweep of registered sex offenders under the Electronic Security and Targeting of Online Predators Act (e-STOP), a 2008 law Attorney General Andrew Cuomo aggressively pushed. “This should really be a wakeup call for everybody, whether it’s parents watching what their kids do online, and all the law enforcement groups and authorities, and the sites themselves,” one source familiar of the mass Facebook and MySpace purges said.

Laura Ahearn, executive director of Parents for Megan’s Law and the Crime Victims Center, said the fact thousands of offenders were dumped proves the law is working. “Before e-STOP sexual predators freely lurked in social networking sites trolling for innocent victims,” she said. “With e-STOP, Attorney General Cuomo has sent a clear message that there is a new sheriff in the cyberworld protecting our most vulnerable.”

Among the major findings of the first sweep:

- Those kicked off Facebook and MySpace in recent weeks include a man convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy, another who raped a 2-year-old girl, and a third convicted of sexual misconduct against a 10-year-old girl, sources said.

- Of the 3,533 offenders booted from the sites, 659 were from New York City and 328 from Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties.

- MySpace disabled a total of 1,975 accounts linked to 1,796 New York sex offenders over the past few weeks, the sources said.

- Facebook disabled 3,410 accounts linked to 2,782 offenders. There’s overlap because some 1,045 registered sex offenders signed up with both sites.

- Of the 8,106 registered sex offenders who reported their online information to the state, 43.5% were either on the Facebook or MySpace networking sites, sources familiar with the situation said. Under e-STOP, convicted sex offenders forced to register with the state must provide home addresses, e-mail addresses, site usernames, and online profiles as well. State officials made the information available in the past two months to the social networking sites that want them. Cuomo wants other networking sites to follow the lead of My-Space and Facebook.

The names of those booted have been sent to the state Division of Parole, which will determine if any of the offenders violated their early release provisions by being on the social networking sites, the sources said. Out of the nearly 30,000 registered sex offenders in the state, 8,106 have supplied their e-mail addresses and other online information, the state Division of Criminal Justice Services said. The rest either are back in prison, homeless, don’t have computer access, or didn’t respond, a DCJS spokesman said.

Sex offenders have 10 days to notify the state after creating new online profiles or face prosecution for a new felony. Cuomo’s office wouldn’t comment yesterday, but last year, after the legislation was signed into law, Cuomo noted that “the playground of today is not just on the streetcorner . . . the playground of today is cyberspace.”

Article reprinted without permission. Sorry ’bout that.

Another teen tragedy that involves sexting, bullying and the horrific end to a young beautiful life. (Photo of Hope Witsell by Edmund D. Fountain of St. Petersburg Times).

According to the St. Petersburg Times, 13 year old Hope Witsell was a typical teen however suffering from inner turmoil that lead to the end of her life.  Hope was taunted by ugly and harassing insults which resulted from a nude photo of herself that was spread via text also known as ’sexting’.  Although meant for her boyfriend only, this photo soon went viral and school officials suspended her.  She was convinced that tons of people secretly hated her according to her journal.

The St. Petersburg Times also noted: A 2009 Harris online poll shows that one in five teens admits to having sent naked pictures of themselves or others over a cell phone. But even that number may be low.

This is another horrific story that we can learn from.  The question is, why is it taking these tragedies to wake us up?  Here are some tips to help you help your child/teen with online and cell phone safety.  Please know that Love Our Children USA and STOMP Out Bullying is also available for more critical information to keep your children safe.

Parenting 101: Keeping Kids Safe Online

Learn about Internet Predators – in loving memory of Kristin Helms

Teens Taking the Pledge to Fight Bullying and  Cyberbullying

Internet Safety and Guidance Counselors

Internet Things Your Children Should NEVER Know

Parents, TALK to your kids!  There has never been a more urgent time to open up those lines of communications with your kids and teens. 

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The Noracast, featuring me…Nora Weston, is a snippet of information from Not Picture Perfect Radio, which airs every Wednesday 8:00 p.m./Pacific Time. Your host for the show is Big Willy and his producer, Eddy, adds entertaining tidbits to the show as well. My segment is approximately fifteen minutes and I’ll offer up suggestions for better living, current trivia about historical events and scientific discoveries, tips to keep your children happy and healthy, plus anything else I’d like to share with you. Thanks for visiting my blog. Feel free to check out my website, Nora Weston.

Nightmare before Christmas

A blazing fire warms the TV room while Notting Hill loads in the DVD player. Cinnamon scented candles glow as a huge bowl of popcorn, lightly dribbled in butter and salt, is placed on the coffee table. Eight of us rush to find a seat, but Mushu, our black Shih Tzu/Chihuahua has gone nuts and leaps from the couch onto the coffee table…whereby the popcorn takes on the appearance of snowflakes as it scatters about. Tashi, the older Shih Tzu barks loud enough to scare Brenna resulting in her hot chocolate to spill on the end table. The carpet feels neglected, so it demands some of the hot chocolate to moisten it, which is an easy request for the hot drink.

Twenty minutes later, the popcorn is cleaned up and the carpet is denied a lovely stain. Both dogs are sitting on top of the couch looking relaxed. Eight of us rush to find a seat. Notting Hill loads as my family settles down to finally watch a movie.

Ah…nothing beats this. We’re all together on Christmas Eve. After grabbing a handful of popcorn, I cover up with a thick blanket feeling happy, because I’m ready for the holiday.  

Out of nowhere, faint light from a distance catches my attention. I stand up as my heart pounds. Do my eyes deceive me? No. The light magnifies, until two beams of light flood the TV room.

Then I hear that sound.  You know it, I’m sure. It’s the hushed, yet alarming sound of car doors as they shut.  

The popcorn falls from hand as my thoughts race. Company, tonight? Seconds later, I open the door to see my lovely guests have arrived and they’ve brought the most beautiful presents.

My eyes open. Relief replaces the fear that I’ve forgotten someone during the holiday.

Yes, that is a nightmare and one that I don’t want to happen. However, it could manifest all the same if I’m not careful. To prevent this nightmare, I must put on my soothsayer cape and predict the future. Usually, two, or three, unexpected…but absolutely wonderful guests, holding beautiful gifts, will pop in over the holiday for a short visit. They are thrilled to catch up on family news, eat with us, and even tolerate the crazy dogs.

These surprise visits add excitement to the holiday season and I welcome them. People are more important than things…but I feel better knowing I have something unique for them as well.

If this nightmare looms in the back of your mind, take charge. Prepare a few, extra baskets with wine, treats, and a great movie to give away when needed the most. The baskets look fantastic if you wrap them up in shrink plastic and place a huge bow and ribbons on them. Tie some Christmas ornaments around the bottle of wine. Baskets are always a good choice, but extra holiday bags will work as well. Use your imagination to create just a handful of gifts that will provide peace of mind.

Most importantly, expect the unexpected with a cheerful heart. If people drop by for a visit, that is what they need the most.

If you have any holiday tips, fell free to leave a comment.

Thanks for visiting!

I just completed a PLS class involving me trying out many of the web 2.0 technologies.  Great Class!  I would recommend it.  We learned about RSS Feeds, Blogs, Delicious, Skype, Wikis, Dropbox.com, Internet safety, and Google for Educators.

We all sleep soundly assuming our tweets are read only by those we follow, that our tagged photos from Thanksgiving break are seen only by our friends.
…We also sleep soundly assuming #FueledByRamen and “Monday Night” trending topics are about as heavy as Twitter gets, and hiding red cups from parents and future employers are the biggest Facebook worries.

But a New York Daily News story ran Sunday revealing a darker side to Twitter: Manhattan’s gangs have turned to the social networking site to coordinate gangbangs and throwdowns:

[The knowledge that the world can listen in on the conversation] can actually fuel disputes. A heated exchange between rivals on the service can turn into a full-fledged beef when others get wind, he said.

A 15-year-old nicknamed Lil V, who belongs to The New Dons, says Twitter is useful for “settin’ up the fights” and making plans.

Although some gangs keep their pages private, a feature Twitter offers, the “Daily News” says the NYPD gang intelligence unit is keeping tabs on Web activity.

“It is another tool … just like old phone records,” a police source said in the story.

Twitter: as safe as we think?

And while it hasn’t been directly connected by investigators, widely followed video podcaster Israel Hyman (@izzyvideo) came home from a tweeted-about weekend vacation to find his house burglarized this summer, according to Mashable.

Do you consider safety–or the other end of the spectrum, privacy–when tweeting or updating Facebook, or have we been instilled with a false sense of security when using the Internet, especially social networking?

With Thanksgiving now behind us and the Holiday Season fast approaching, we are all looking at finding that perfect gift. Using the web, you can usually find it but can you get it at that bargain basement price. Well, unfortunately scammers know what we are looking for too. Fraudulent and malicious sites are popping up all over the internet, at this time of year, promising to ship the items you are looking for at real cheap prices. We all know about looking for TLS (Transport Layer Security), formally known as SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificates before entering any personal information on any e-commerce site. We all know about checking URL’s to ensure that the site we are entering our personal information is, in fact, the site we intended to visit. But sometimes in the hustle and bustle that comes with the season, we forget, and get careless. Well, this is what the scammers are depending on. With phishing, scareware, browser hijacking, and malware on the rise, we could use all the help that we can get.

This is where WOT (Web Of Trust) comes into play. It is a lightweight plug-in that works in either Firefox or Internet Explorer and will alert you should you visit a known malicious site due to the “spirit of the season”. But this is not a certified authority, like VeriSign, that is a singular authority that verifies sites. WOT is made up of a large team that has checked over 25 million websites and will alert you before you click where you should not. WOT works with Google, Yahoo, and other search engines. Before you click on a search result, you will notice either a green, yellow, or red indicator as to the websites safety rating.  Green means that the site is safe, yellow indicates that caution should be taken, and red is telling you that the site you are about to enter is known as a malicious site.  WOT will also warn you should you click on a link to download software from a known malicious site. It will give you the option to over-ride the warning, but I would take the recommendation seriously.

To use WOT, download the add-on for your browser of your choice. Once it is installed, and you do a search, you will notice colored circles to the right of the search result. By hovering your mouse over the circle, a drop down window will appear showing the rating for the site in various categories including trustworthiness, vendor reliability, privacy, and child safety. Should you click on a known malicious site, a large warning will appear on your screen. Think carefully about clicking on a site in which you get this warning. You do get the option to proceed, but again, I would seriously consider against the click on the link. Sites, in which, WOT does not have sufficient information will be marked with a question mark.

Especially, during this festive season, it is imperative that we get all the help that we can in order to keep our computers malware free. But more importantly, it is imperative to keep our personal information out of the hands of the cyber-criminals.  WOT is a great tool that is lightweight and will aid you in ensuring that you do not click on something that could harm either yourself or your computer. This is not fool proof, and should be used along with your best weapon…..common sense!!!!

To view a video about the Web Of Trust, click HERE…

To download the Web Of Trust, click HERE…..

Just another tool to help keep you safe.

Happy Holidays!!!

Earlier this month, the UK publication Daily Mirror reported on the growing issue of the large amount of easily-accessible pornography found in Yahoo’s popular photo sharing site Flickr:

Flickr is renowned as one of the best photo sharing sites on the web. But there’s a less wholesome side to what can be found on its service too, seemingly in direct breach of its parent company Yahoo!’s terms of service. We’ve been alerted to a number of public Flickr galleries containing adult material, which can easily be accessed by Flickr’s search tool, either by searching for specific content or by innocently looking for images by device. A reader tipped us off after he searched innocent-sounding body parts to create a home-made birthday card, and was surprised when innocuous searches, such as “feet” and “mouth”, brought back full frontal nudity and graphic close ups of genitalia, even with Flickr’s SafeSearch feature enabled. Yahoo!’s terms state that it “has no obligation to monitor Content”. And while we’re not coming over all prudish, or were surprised at adult content being shared, we were surprised at just how easy it was to find, especially with SafeSearch on our side.vThe photos we stumbled across were certainly vulgar and, we considered, obscene, which should put them in Flickr’s bad books. Some even appear to have been taken without the subject’s knowledge. That raises questions of whether they are also invasive of another’s privacy. Only two of the groups groups we saw were hidden behind an age check.

 A follow-up story by the Mirror describes some of the filtering options, none of which are very good.  There are hundreds of photo and video sharing sites available on the Internet, but the most popular sites, such as YouTube and Flickr draw large numbers of children, especially teens.  While these sites all offer a great deal of fun and useful content appropriate for children, many of them also openly host inappropriate content, including pornography.  Unfortunately, parental control options for video and photo sharing sites are poor.  Few of these sites offer any meaningful controls over access to content, and stand-alone Internet parental control products such as Cyber Patrol or Net Nanny typically only offer the same “block everything on these sites are allowing everything” choices as they do for social networks.    If you are concerned about children accessing these sites, you should purchase either a filtering or monitoring parental control product, depending on if you want to manage these sites by filtering or by monitoring.

Internet can be a nesthaven for Criminals

It’s easy for scammers and con-artists to lure victims via the internet. With social networks, instant messaging, emails, there are people watching your every move on the internet many of them are highly skilled professionals. Please be careful change your passwords, clear your cache, don’t accept unfamiliar applications from your “friends” on social networks. If you are not sure how to do any of those things GOOGLE it.

I worked and lived in a city where the people specialized in internet crimes why, because they are so hard to prove. They harassed me by “ghostwriting on my IM. What’s ghostwriting, it’s when your speaking/typing to a friend on instant messager and all of sudden a hacker chimes in and responds to you using the person’s you are chatting with IM. They studied my myspace page and then stalked my friends on my space then used other that looked a lot like my friends on myspace, to follow me around the city, grocery stores, the library, yea I know crazy, but true. Many times we never know where it’s coming from. However pay attention to everything especially if you use these tools at work.  Be careful the IT department usually like to play this game.

Click the following links to read about my experiences and somethings that happened to others so you will know what to do just in case this happens to you.

http://budncris09.wordpress.com/2009/10/14/good-vs-evil-by-cristina-r-hamilton/

http://www.facebook.com/budncris09?v=app_2347471856&ref=profile#/note.php?note_id=182816382105

http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/Couple-says-e-mail-con-artists-harrassing-them-76782237.html

Hey there, everybody!

Remember when I told you about the Twilight scam that was going around?  Well, there’s another one.  Yep, indeed another one.

This time, it’s apparently promising you the chance to watch the in-theatres-now Twilight Saga: New Moon online.  Just as it is in life, you can’t believe everything you hear, kids.

PC Tools’ Malware Research Center is warning web users of another online scam that hopes to piggyback on hype surrounding the new Twilight New Moon film.

The security software developer says the latest trick tempts movie fans by promising them they can watch the film for free, before installing malware on their computer.

PC Tools said fans are baited with the text websites, chat rooms and blogs that read: “Watch New Moon Full Movie.”

 

Source.

Let’s not be gulliable, “be safe“! :O)

Ross Ellis, founder of Love Our Children USA and STOMPOUTBULLYING is a dedicated and devoted crusader to help protect children in our country. 

Recently she wrote a fantastic and timely article to help protect you and your teens during this holiday season.  Cyber Monday is a very busy time online.  Here are some great tips by Ross Ellis – and as a Parent Advocate, I believe everyone needs to take the time to learn more about keeping you and your family safe in cyberspace!

Dated: November 25, 2009

Cyber Monday is 6 days away, for those online shoppers who want a great deal on their holiday gifts.

61% of consumers are shopping online and that includes teens shopping online as well.

Here’s what you can do to ensure online safety:

• Talk to your teens about online safety and how to avoid these online Cyber Monday scams

• Be sure you know what sites your teens are shopping on

• Make sure the web site is legitimate before inputting your credit card info

• Make sure the site provides full contact info. It should list the company’s street address, phone number   and e-mail address. You can find this in the “Contact Us” or “About Us” pages. Check out their return   policy or privacy policy, for a mailing address.

• Check out the privacy policy. Look for a link at the bottom of the home page that says “Privacy Policy” or    for a link on the “About Us” or FAQ pages. Read the policy to find out whether the company shares    customer info with third parties and whether you can opt out. Look for a trust e-seal, which means the    privacy policy is solid.

• See what BBB.org says. Look for the BBB Online Reliability Program seal on a site’s home page.    (Clicking on the seal should take you directly to BBB.org). Or go to www.bbb.org/us/Find-Business-   Reviews and search by the company name or URL. Look for a rating of “satisfactory” or a grade of at    least C-. Some smaller sites aren’t listed, and plenty of excellent sites aren’t yet accredited.

•  If the site looks sketchy, contact www.ripoffreport.com and www.complaintsboard.com.

If you have a bad experience you can file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org/us. You can also report your bad experience to the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, at www.onguardonline.gov or if you are the victim of an internet crime contact Internet Crime Complaint Center, backed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, at www.ic3.gov

According to Consumer Reports, cybercriminals have bilked $8 billion from consumers in the past two years. As shoppers open their wallets and their Internet browsers for Cyber Monday deals there’s an increase in scams. Especially the 12 scams of Christmas.

Don’t click links in e-mails, which can easily redirect you to false or misleading websites. If you create a new account to buy something use a unique password with letters and symbols, rather than using the same password for all of your log-ins.

Be sure your security software is updated!

Discuss Cyber Monday safety rules with your teen and have fun shopping safely!

Want to know more? Visit http://www.loveourchildrenusa.org

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Some days…(especially lately), I have no idea what to post. Like today. There’s lots I think is important to say. But, I don’t think I’m in the mood to write about what’s on my mind. Hot topics could be friendship, internet safety, Farmtown, or Club Penguin. I’m burnt out? I don’t know.

Last week, when I heard that a few social networking sites had started to include a panic button to prevent online bullying I thought ‘fantastic! someone has finally started to do something to protect vulnerable people online’ (particularly children). Then the next question came to my mind: is a panic button enough?. Absolutely not. It might add peace of mind and some sort of security (when the worst has already happened), but where’s the prevent button?.

The Internet is a great place where users can share all sort of information about themselves, from a professional level to a personal one, with family, friends, colleagues, etc. Social network sites make it very easy for users to register and start interacting with other users in a matter of minutes, where profiles are visible to everybody by default. This means that personal information such as hobbies, home address, employer, job title, email address, even personal phone and mobile numbers are there, available to everybody. And this personal data comes, of course, with all sorts of profile pictures (and I emphasize: all sorts). Your private world has become public and everybody is invited.

Whilst sharing personal data and pictures with family and best mates isn’t normally a big issue, when it comes to broadcasting your personal life to potential employers, friends you’ve un-friended and even criminals, the matter is very different. Being a burgler is officially an office job: sitting by a computer checking out profiles on social networks to find out when user X, who lives in place V (source: Facebook), will be on holiday with the whole family (source: Twitter) as it will be the best time to steal their new 42″ TV (source: Flickr and Twitpic).

Although that example might sound a bit extreme, the truth is that social networks don’t seem to inform users clearly enough about the impact that exposing their private life can have professionally and personally. Well, at least, they don’t inform users “loudly” enough (hey, like the message put on the packet of cigarettes: big and bold).

Have you tried to search your name in a search engine? You would be surprised to know how much data about you can be found on the Internet, specially if you haven’t adjusted the privacy settings of the social sites you are part. The message here isn’t to run and hide, but to enjoy the Internet and social sites as safely as possible. When provided in time, information means prevention (prevent button) and this information would protect vulnerable people from being an easy target. Ideally, the panic button wouldn’t be used as much.

How about bullies? Well, unfortunately we can’t avoid their existence, but we can limit the amount of information available to them. If you consider that your teenage kids are saying “too much” about themselves, it might be time to have a little chat about why they should choose carefully the information they want to share online (and who with). After all, it’s in their own interest and in ours, not just for safety, but also from a professional point of view (we don’t want future employers finding or looking for embarrassing pictures of ourselves).

Social network sites might not say it clearly enough, but I do: a visit to the privacy settings is a must.

Should social networks advise its users to protect their personal data? What do you think?

“The KIDO’Z Kid’s Web Environment is the safe, easy and fun way for young kids to surf their favorite sites, watch videos, play games, send emails, create and communicate without knowing how to read and write!” – This piece of software looks great, maybe we can trial it with some of the younger children in school, and also get the parents involved. I love the idea of it, especially when so may parents are still wary of the internet for their younger children.
http://kidoz.net/index.html

Originally broadcast on February 7, 2009 …

We speak with Xania Khan about being careful on what you put on your social networking sites like Facebook.

Feel free to email us at info@blackcanadianman.com.

God bless, peace, be well and keep the faith,

Vibe and Vegas
info@blackcanadianman.com

I was thrilled to see a Press Release in Canada this week.  Google Bomb book has been doing exceptionally well not only in the United States, but also abroad.  If you haven’t learned about my story – a cautionary tale of how vicious keystrokes can ruin your reputation virtually, read Google Bomb today – it also offers practical advice to protect yourself before you are hit with Internet slime!

Read Press Release.

Remember, your BFF today can be your foe tomorrow.  Your soulmate today, can be your adversary tomorrow! No one is immune to Internet Slander – so take pre-cautions to secure your name online.

A new survey by the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and the University of Michigan Child Health Evaluation and Research finds that about half of US parents use Internet parental control software.  A June, 2009 survey found 55% use them, and 2005 Pew survey recorded 55%.  What’s new is the rise in the use of monitoring software, which I think is largely a response to social networking use.  Because filters are “blunt instrument” for social networking – they either block everything from a social network or allow everything, parents seem to be turning to monitors instead:

 Parents were asked if they take specific actions to protect or monitor their children’s use of the Internet. Overall, parents report the following actions:

• • 65% disable pop-ups
• • 62% monitor social networking sites
• • 61% check history of websites
• • 49% block websites they don’t want kids to use
• • 32% use child-safe software

68% of parents report taking 1 to 4 of the above actions, while 19% take all 5 the of the actions listed. However, 13% of parents whose children access the Internet report not taking any of these actions to protect or monitor that use.  

Also interesting is what parents expressed the most concern about, “Predators, Privacy, and Porn:”

Cleeve Primary School, in Hull, created a fantastic film for the YHGfL Safer Internet Day competition, and we are delighted to be able to share the film, Daydreaming, on the YHGfL website so that other primary schools can make use of this teaching resource during Anti-Bullying Week and beyond.
http://www.yhgfl.net/eSafety/…

This page from the US Connect Safely group is a discussion based on current research related to adolescent use of the internet. Written in no nonsense terms it seeks to dispell some of the myths currently running through a lot of the media with realistic advice on how to mitigate risk and counter problems. A must read for everyone interested in the issue of internet safety.

Computer security researchers have discover a blackhat search engine optimization that is spreading scareware. The malware has infected over 200,000 computers already and spreading to vulnerable machines. The scareware tells you that your computer is infected with viruses, spyware, malware and trojans.  It then stats that you need to purchase antivirus software for computer security. If you receive a message stating that a computer infection has occurred don’t believe it. Close IE and run your anti-malware or anti-spyware programs to remove the infection. This is all just a scam to get money and credit card numbers.

Many of my readers know I am probably one of ReputationDefender’s largest fans.  If you have read my recent book, Google Bomb, you will completely understand why.

Back in 2003 I was attacked viciously online.  Slime balls of lies, twisted truths and much more.  In 2006 I won a landmark case with a jury verdict for damages of over $11M!  The jury sent a very clear and strong message – free speech does not condone defamation.  Be careful what you post online, it may not only haunt you later, it could cost you a bundle. 

After my court room victory, I felt vindicated and like a new person.  However what I didn’t realize is that all that ugly stuff online still existed. 

My next call-out was to Michael Fertik, CEO and Founder of what was, back in 2006, a small new company.  He assured me he could help me with my virtual image.  As promised, within a few months, I was back to myself both emotionally and virtually.

Since then, I have recommended these services to many people.  I receive hundreds of emails of people that are being harmed online. ReputationDefender  has grown from the few people I remember, to an entire staff of caring and dedicated people that are there to help you manage your online reputation.

For the record: I am not a spokesperson or sponsor of ReputationDefender.  I do not participate in their referral affiliate program and I have never received any gifts or money from them.  I am simply a very satisfied client.

Today they announced their latest service, NameGrab.  Here is their recent press release.  I am confident this is another fantastic asset to their growing and successful business.  Read on!

ReputationDefender Launches Online Identity Management Service

NameGrab Allows Users to Control and Protect Their Names Across the Web, Dominate Search Results and Promote Their Personal Brands Online

REDWOOD CITY, CA–(Marketwire – November 16, 2009) – ReputationDefender, the leading comprehensive online reputation and privacy management company, today introduced NameGrab, a new service that allows users to control their online identities and promote their personal brands online. NameGrab’s proprietary technology automates the process of reserving your name across hundreds of social networking sites, thus ensuring both that search results produce the ‘real you’ and that your personal brand is accurately reflected online.

In today’s search-dominated world, your high-quality online identity has never been more crucial. NameGrab provides the tools to help you proactively secure that identity by claiming the most important social profiles on the Web on your behalf. Using NameGrab’s innovative technology, you can now:

–  Control and protect your name across the Web;
–  Own your name on hundreds of social networking sites, including
    Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter;
–  Prevent imposters from posing as you online;
–  Dominate search results for your name; and
–  Ensure that people find the real you.

“It’s impossible to overstate the importance of protecting your good name on the Internet. By gaining control over your brand and image across social networking sites, you can ensure that friends, colleagues and potential customers using these powerful online properties can easily find the real you and not someone else,” said Michael Fertik, CEO and founder of ReputationDefender. “NameGrab is ideal for anyone with a presence online — new college graduates, job hunters, entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers and realtors who use the Web for new client leads. NameGrab is the only service that makes reserving and managing your name across social networking sites truly effortless — ultimately putting control of your name back in your own hands, where it belongs.”

NameGrab is also available for businesses looking to improve customer connectivity and efficiently manage their online footprints. NameGrab provides access to all registered usernames and passwords within one convenient, secure location, limiting excess email, and allowing users to easily manage which profiles need content and be alerted to the latest social networks and new profile availability. For more information on NameGrab, please visit: http://www.namegrab.com

About ReputationDefender

ReputationDefender is the world’s only comprehensive online reputation and privacy management company. Through its suite of services, including MyReputation(SM), MyEdge(SM), MyChild(SM), and MyPrivacy(SM), ReputationDefender helps its customers manage and protect their online information. ReputationDefender also helps customers promote themselves and their businesses online. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, ReputationDefender serves customers in over 40 countries and has been featured in Washington Post and Forbes cover stories, Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

Follow ReputationDefender on Twitter @RepDef

Visit ReputationDefenderBlog and get involved with the conversation and chatter!

It’s horrifying to think about, but you know they’re out there. Around every cyber-corner is a real life pervert, scouring the Internet in search of their next victim. They lurk in chat rooms. They frequent sites geared towards kids. They stalk innocent children, following their online activity to assess their vulnerability and plan their approach.

They’ll say whatever they have to in order to befriend the child and gain their trust. They’ll lie about their identity. They’ll promise lavish gifts, money, and even fame. They’ll try to lure your child away by promising him everything he ever wanted. All he has to do is pick up the ticket and get on the plane. Then what? We don’t even want to think about that, do we? But we must. If we want to keep our children safe, we have to know what we’re trying to prevent. Unfortunately, no child is off limits in cyberspace.

Here are a few tips to ensure your child’s online safety:

*First and foremost, be completely honest with him. Remind your child that not everyone is who they say they are. That new, 12-year-old friend they met in a chat room may very well be a 50-year-old man. While pedophiles are typically associated with men, it’s important to remember that women can be pedophiles, too. A twisted mind is not biased.

*Keep the lines of communication open at all times. Some subjects may be difficult to approach, but you can’t let that stop you from having a necessary discussion. The more you talk with your children, the more knowledgeable they’ll become. Let your son or daughter know they can talk to you about anything, at any time. When they do, treat their questions and comments with respect so they’ll feel comfortable coming to you in the future.

*Depending on the age of your child, it might be too much to demand they stay away from popular social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, and Xanga. You can, however, set stipulations. Let them know how you feel; you want to allow them some freedom, but you’re still the parent. And as their parent, of course, you want to ensure their safety. Help them create a profile and make sure it’s set to private. This way, only approved contacts can access their site. Approved contacts are typically limited to close friends and family. Although complete privacy should never be counted on, a private profile does help to deter any potential predators.

*Make sure he doesn’t fill his profile with private information. Even though his page can be set to private, there are loopholes. And let’s face it, predators are criminals with criminal minds. If they really want to get in, they will. So the best way to ensure your son or daughter’s safety is to limit the amount of information they offer up on the site. A first name is more than sufficient.

*The best way to keep track of their friends, photos, comments and blogs is to set up a profile of your own. When you do this, have your child add you to their friends list. Once you’ve become friends with your child, you will have access to their site, as well as all of the information they choose to make publicly available on it. This is also a good way to get to know their other friends, and see what sort of activities go on within their social circle.

*Monitor their online activity. Most chat and instant message clients automatically log conversations. Let your child know that keeping the archive current is a must if he wants to be online. Of course nobody wants to spy on their kid, but in today’s day and age, it’s often necessary. Think of it as more of a safety measure than an invasion of privacy. Windows Parental Controls and User Accounts are built-in features that offer concerned parents tons of options. You can set up filters and restrictions, disable downloads, block or allow certain sites, and even schedule their surf time! It’s a wonderful feature and a terrific tool for busy parents.

*Avoid giving him the impression that you don’t trust him. That will only make him more determined to do what you don’t want him to do. Also, don’t let your son or daughter downplay the importance of what you’re telling them. If your child believes you’re overreacting, show him some news articles about Internet friendships gone wrong. Sadly, there’s no shortage of them. Yes, it’s scary for both of you, but reality often is. Being upfront with your child is the best way to make him understand.Your child is your life, and his safety is your number one priority. Make sure to let your children know you love them and you trust them – it’s everyone else you have to be wary of. This is a valuable lesson not only for online safety, but for life.