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The Times Advocate, 2005-03-30, Page 3Wednesday, March 30, 2005 Exeter Times—Advocate 3 The Internet keep your kids safe By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF EXETER — Do you know what your children are doing on the Internet? Are they safe when they enter chat rooms? A community forum at South Huron District High School March 24 dealt with Internet use among chil- dren and what risks they face. As principal Jeff Reaburn explained, virtually every high school student has grown up with the Internet and the school wants to raise awareness about what's on the Net. Reaburn explained that while children and teens may be trust- ing and naive when they enter chat rooms on the Internet, those on the other end are often not. London Free Press education reporter Marissa Nelson wrote a series on teen issues last fall. In an attempt to discover just what chat rooms are like, Nelson posed as a 13 -year-old girl. Within a couple of minutes, a man who said he was 30 years old invited Nelson for a "sexual adventure." "I was totally shocked by what I saw," she said. "I was horrified." During her talk last week, Nelson and South Huron School Council chairperson Karen Brown entered a Yahoo! chat room. Even in so-called legitimate chat rooms created by Yahoo!, sex talk was the prevailing subject. Many of the chat room names can't be printed in this newspaper. There is a luring law prohibiting people from talking on the Internet to children under 14 for a sexual pur- pose, but the maximum penalty is only five years. Nelson said the OPP are lobbying to increase the maxi- mum and to also raise the age of sexual consent from 14 to 16. She added that just as children have to be careful on the playground, they now have to be careful on the Internet, and that includes never posting any personal information in a chat room. Nelson described instant messaging as "the new phone" for teens. She encouraged parents to look at their children's instant messaging "buddy lists," and to never allow their children to have a computer with Internet access in their bedrooms. "It's like letting your 15 -year-old daughter go into her bedroom with an older man and you close the door and leave the house." Also, have your child show you what Web sites they've been visiting. You can also check out the com- puter's Internet history and use filters to protect your children from offensive material. Huron OPP recommend the following Internet safety tips: • ensure your computer is in a highly accessed part of your home; • always ask to see who your children are chatting with online; • ask to see your child's contacts or friends list; • ensure your child knows never to meet anyone in person they have met online; • never allow your child to use their real name or to disclose their password; • never allow your child to share photos online. Maggie Crane of the Avon Maitland District School Board's information and technology department said the board is talking to students about Internet use and police officers have also spoken to schools about the legalities of using the Internet — threatening and harassing someone on the Internet, pretending to be someone else and secretly publishing private informa- tion about somebody on the Internet are all against the law. Crane demonstrated how easily and quickly it is to track people on the Internet based on personal infor- mation they reveal. Internet safety tips are available at the board's Web site: www.amdsb.ca University of Western Ontario professor Michael Katchabaw also spoke on the issue of privacy and "phishing" on the Internet. Phishing on the Internet involves the theft of personal information such as bank account numbers, credit card numbers and other information. As Katchabaw explained, the results can be serious — an increase in spam and telemarketing, fraudulent use of credit cards and access of bank accounts. Eventually, you can lose your business or be the victim of complete identity theft over the Internet. "This stuff can actually be quite scary," Katchabaw said. Phishing often begins with fake e-mails and Web sites that trick Internet users into divulging their per- sonal information such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers, login names and passwords. Katchabaw said these fake e-mails and Web sites are increasingly becoming more professional -looking and, as more people continue to do their banking online, they face risks of phishing. Usually, banks will never send e-mails to their cus- tomers, so Katchabaw said Internet users should be suspicious when they receive one, especially when it requests personal information. "Your bank will never ask you for your account num- ber," he said. "They know what your account number is. Also be suspicious of e-mails that have poor gram- mar and spelling, or those that have too -good -to -be - true offers. And if you receive an e-mail that includes a link to a Web site, never click on the link, as it could be a fake. Instead, type in the Web address in your browser. Also, don't open e-mail attachments carelessly. Phishing attempts are increasing at a rate of 30 per cent a month, Katchabaw said, adding he receives about 200 spam messages a day. In December, soft- ware company Symantec was blocking 33 million phishing attempts per week. "It will get worse before it gets better," he said. Other malicious software such as spyware can record everything you do on your computer. Speaking of a popular Web site used to download free music and movie files, Katchabaw said, "Kazaa is one of the most spyware-infected pieces of garbage ever invented." He encouraged those who have the program on their computers to delete it. Katchabaw said computer users should have a fire- wall, a spyware checker, a ScamBlocker and a virus checker. Also, keep the above-mentioned and your Web browser up to date. "Security has to be an ongoing thing," he said, adding you can also increase the security settings on your computer. "You cannot be too careful." Katchabaw also spoke on the rise of Internet gam- bling. For more information, visit www.antiphishing.org School renewal funds flow By Stew Slater SPECIAL TO THE TIMES -ADVOCATE SEAFORTH — The gradual distribution of recently - announced provincial grants for renovating schools means school board administrators face a complex juggling act when deciding how to fund each project. Having received her most recent Education Ministry correspondence that day, Avon Maitland District School Board business superintendent Janet Baird -Jackson attempted to shed light on the process at a regular meeting March 23. At the meet- ing, trustees approved the awarding of tenders to Turner Plumbing and Heating for upgrades in Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems at North Easthope Public School near Amulree and Stratford's Bedford and Romeo ele- mentary schools. Baird -Jackson had just received notice of the Ministry's assessment of the board's plans for $15 million worth of long-term funding under the Good Places to Learn grant. The board has until April 15 to appeal any assessments. Baird -Jackson noted the Romeo upgrade had not been identified as "high" priority by the government for this fiscal year, so it will likely have to be funded through the board's established "renewal" bud- getary envelope. This is ironic, considering the board chose to invite Perth -Middlesex MPP John Wilkinson to Romeo in early March, when the ruling 3. A' FARM MUTUAL r� FINANCIAL SERVICES INC. 5 YR.CIC WEEK OF MAR 26 - APR. 2/05 SUBJECT 4.05% RATETO CHANGE S WITHOUT NOTICE. Don Thompson 235-4000 CG 0 0 Liberals sought out locations in each riding to host news conferences announcing Good Places to Learn. Another HVAC upgrade, meanwhile, at Clinton Public School, was identified as high priority by the government. Baird -Jackson said a tendering process was about to begin for that project, with a recom- mendation expected to come before trustees in April. And at North Easthope, the HVAC work has already been identified as one of the board's projects under an entirely different provincial grant aimed at energy efficiency retrofits. This, like the Good Places to Learn grant, is expected to ease pressure on school boards to maintain facilities. Baird -Jackson is confident that, when all the fund- ing pieces fall into place, the renewal portion of this year's Avon Maitland budget will be larger than originally expected. If that's the case, the board may look beyond the crucial structural upgrades — which theoretically should be covered by the grants — and dare to dream about projects that aid educational programming, such as computer labs or library resource spaces. "If we've kind of hit all of our high needs for now — things that maintain building integrity — then we may look at some of our program updates," she said. CLUSTER FLIES, :4- --01 SPIDERS and ' WASPS SHARING YOUR HOME? Call... ...NO MORE!! The FlyGuys - 1-866-701-5302 Licensed Applicators Responsib/e Pest Control for Over 20 Years References Available When you want a job done right... ...you go to the specialists. The FlyGuys Inc. GUARANTEED RESULTS BOOK EARLY! FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED POLICE BRIEF Police tip leads to arrest EXETER — An alert citi- zen tipped off police about a driver who may have had too much to drink. On March 18 an officer investigated the call at a grocery store parking lot on Thames Road in Exeter. The officer observed a red Toyota Tercel moving. It missed the exit and struck a curb. The vehicle then entered the wrong side of the roadway, forcing a trans- port to stop. The car con- tinued through an inter- section, failing to stop for BIKINI BOB'S Restaurant and Beach Club "SING & WIN" Thursday, March 31ST Win a pair of tickets to see "SUM 41" at the John Labatt Centre "Don't Miss It" R fl "APRIL FOOLS 4 PARTY" �� ✓ Friday, April 1st Live Entertainment 10 PM "Rev. Freddy and the Distillers" SPECIALS ALL DAY!!! Main St., Grand Bend 238-2235 "We'll work for your Business" traffic lights. By this point, the officer forced the vehicle over and noticed the driver exhibited signs of intoxica- tion. A 30 -year-old London is charged with impaired driving and dangerous driving He'll appear in court in Exeter June 23. 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