The Digital Footprint: An Understanding of What It Means for Kids and Criminals

JM Safety Consulting

The Digital Footprint and What it Means

A Way to Understand the Reality & Impact

On Today’s Youth

About Us

CreepSquash Internet safety partner Joseph Melone of JM Safety Consulting is a 16 year veteran police officer and detective providing awareness and education through speaking engagements to teachers, parents and youth groups to help them better understand the dangers of cyber space, predators, drugs, alcohol and gangs. With a no nonsense approach, he offers valuable information and a real world understanding of how to use this education to better protect children in the online world.

JM Safety Consulting and CreepSquash have aligned in a joint effort to keep kids safe online as the need for online protection is required more now than ever. CreepSquash is a great resource for parents as an easy to use web-based monitoring application for Facebook that allows effortless monitoring of online activity and privacy protection in a safe and effective way against bullies, predators and other online dangers.

JM Safety Consulting

Welcome to the Internet

• A Great Tool for Students

• By far the greatest source of information for today’s youth

• It offers countless avenues of enrichment and can be a student’s best friend

• Information your child needs for reports and school work is right at their finger tips!

• It creates a world of communication in ways that never existed before

• Creates new avenues of Learning and Development

• The Internet can also be a Dangerous Place of Exposure

• Your kids have no idea who they are talking to Online

The Digital Footprint is a trail we leave behind every time we access the Internet

– Everyday, millions of people around the world exchange texts, post blogs, search Google, play on Facebook, shop online and do countless other activities with devices that use the Internet. 

– Just because we don’t see the trail we leave behind does not mean it doesn’t exist. 

What are we leaving for the world to find?

– Different from a paper trail that can be destroyed, your Digital Footprint can follow you around for life

The Digital Footprint: What is it?

• Internet predators use these trails to prey on their victims

• Starts the moment a computer or smart phone logs online

• Information easily obtained by Web sites via spyware or law enforcement via court order / search warrant

• Digital Footprints are stored on the source computer and remote sites such as: Social Networks, E-mail Providers, Web Sites, Search Engines

Significance of Digital Footprints

Example

Children and The Internet• Parents believe children are safe on the Internet

because they use it at home or school

• With today’s technology, Sexual Predators, Bullies and Toxic Friends come right into your home and you don’t even know it

• It is a common illusion that children are untouchable because their activities are contained in the Cyber-World

• Children are literally committing felonies online everyday and they don’t even know it

• 75% of minors who encounter strangers online will not tell a parent

• Everyday, children are exposed to very dangerous people without knowing it

1 in 4 Children Will Become a Victim

How this Effects Schools

1. Bullying in schools has driven students to commit violent crimes and increase suicide rates.

2. Despite nearly every state passing legislation to increase punishments for bullying and cyber bullying, the problem continues to grow.

3. School Districts have been sued due to a lack of proactivity in attacking this issue.

4. Students who are involved in these activities have been and will be charged with serious crimes.

5. Bullying becomes Cyber-Bullying and vice versa.

6. Street Gangs continue their activities online, gang members are in our schools and social networks.

7. Sex Offenders locate their targets online and track them to schools and neighborhoods.

Being Anonymous Online

• A complete falsehood our children do not understand thanks to the Digital Footprint

• Everything done online can be tracked

• More than just the Internet Service Provider (ISP) Address

• Social networks and Web sites keep tabs on every activity that occurs

• All information including date, time and content is easily traced with probable cause and a court order

• Good old-fashioned police work can confirm evidence recovered from the Digital Footprint

• Wireless Piggy Backing is easily explained

What Do Kids Think?

• Kids think “THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN TO ME”

• Kids think tomorrow is forever instead of a day away

• Kids think their friends today will be their friends forever

• Kids think they can say what ever they want online

• Kids think it’s not big deal to have ‘online’ friends they don’t know if the real world

• Kids think it’s better to keep quiet about things that make them uncomfortable to avoid being judged

• Kids think “If I tell a parent I might lose Internet Privileges”

It’s a Popularity Contest! With more friends than their peers on Facebook, they are more inclined

to add strangers without a second thought.

How the Thought Process Works

The Reality Behind What Kids Think

• Kids have no idea who many of those ‘friends’ are on Facebook.

• Kids never think, “IT CAN HAPPEN TO ME” until it does.

• Kids realize tomorrow comes quick only after it’s too late.

• Kids discover their so-called friends for life can and will turn on them, harshly.

• Kids figure out they can’t say whatever they want online, once their Digital Footprint gives them up.

Should We Scare or Prepare?

Be Prepared and Show Support

It’s very important to ensure we do not scare kids into NOT USING the Internet

– The Internet is too important to avoid using

– Each child is different and subject to varied level of risk

– Take time to focus on kids that need it most

• One on One attention tends to get the point across most effectively

– Teach Safe, Responsible Internet Use

– Encourage students to promote themselves online

• If they do something positive, talk about it!Kids that have issues outside the Internet are far

more likely to have issues online

How Police Use the Digital Footprint

• Examination! The offending data is reviewed first for date, time, and time zone of the sender

• Subpoena, Subpoena, Subpoena with a request for everything from subscriber information and IP Logs to the e-mail addresses of all those associated with the account

• Subpoena, Subpoena, Subpoena requesting the subscriber information for the users of that IP address, and those e-mail addresses

How Police Use the Digital Footprint

• Once the subpoena information is examined, police may move forward with search warrants for everything from social networking profiles to searching and seizing actual computers

• Upon reviewing this information, police may move forward by making an arrest

• Typical charges against kids using the Internet for crimes include Cyber-Stalking, Harassment, Hate Crimes, Child Pornography, Sexual Assaults, Assault, and even Civil Rights Violations

Street Gangs and The Internet• Street Gangs are domestic urbanized terrorist organizations that are

in most of our schools

• Their illicit activities are seen on the street, but continue on the Internet.

• Gangs are involved in violent encounters on the street, and then brag about it on social networking sites and gang pages

• Police actively monitor these sites, and You Should Too!

Take Action Now! Keep The Gangs Out

• Teachers, Principals, and Deans: You know who the gang members are in your schools. If not, get on it!

• After talking to them find their social networking pages.

What are they talking about?

“Gangs in schools have a significantly high impact on the educational environment and perception of school safety.”

-National Center for Education Statistics

• Find the gang web pages in your area and review them.

• Look at video sharing sites such as YouTube and Vimeo and see what’s posted. That fight outside school might end up there.

• Use your school resource officer to the fullest extent. They can access information you are unable to.

Images and The

• Exif Files, (Exchangable Image Files):

The data hidden inside a digital photo

• The data can include the following:

– Date & Time the photo was taken

– The camera used to take the photo

– The file name

– If a flash was used

AND IN SOME CASES…

THE COORDINATES WHERE THE PICTURE WAS TAKEN

Digital Footprints and Cell PhonesCell Phones Leave Trails of Detailed Information

• A literal trail of cell site towers while travelling

• Real time location of certain active phones via GPS

• Call detail records contained in phone or online

• Images in cell phones contain Exif Information

• Smart Phones are mini computers offering the same information available on computers

• Cell Phones using “The Cloud” still contain a Digital Footprint, but it is more difficult to track

Tracking Digital Footprints on Cell Phones often leads to other devices and Web sites that may hold additional evidence

Digital Footprints, Social Networks & The Law

Subpoenas• A Subpoena is needed in order to compel

Social Networking sites to release basic subscriber information including:

– Name

– Length of Service

– Credit Card Information

– Recent IP Information

• Additional Subpoenas will be needed after receiving this information

• Subpoenas to the Credit Card Company and to the Internet Service Provider are required

Digital Footprints, Social Networks & The Law

Court Orders• A court order signed by a judge is needed in order to compel

Social Networking sites to release basic subscriber information that includes:

– Message Headers

– Detailed IP Information

• Tracking the information gained from the message headers and from the detailed IP Information will need to be gained with additional subpoenas, court orders, or even possibly search warrants

Digital Footprints, Social Networks & The Law

Search Warrants• A Search Warrant detailing probable cause, signed by a judge, and

issued within the allotted time frame, is needed in order to compel Social Networking sites to release the following information:

– Private Messages / Chat Log

– Photographs

– Videos

– Wall Posts

– Location Information

Digital Footprints, Social Networks & The Law

• Social Networks are not created equal. While it’s simple to obtain information from sites like Twitter, Facebook can be very difficult

• Exigent Circumstances:

– Circumstances that would make a reasonable person believe that making entry before obtaining a court order is necessary to prevent physical injury, destruction of evidence, or the escape of a suspect.

• These situations can include:

Missing Juveniles

Suspects Fleeing the Area

Child Pornography Cases

Preventing Violence

Digital Footprints, Social Networks & The Law

• Subpoenas, Court Orders, & Search Warrants take time. Time to write, time to respond, time to analyze.

• Not all Social Networking Sites are “Law Enforcement Friendly.”

• Search Warrants give the most information, but they are the hardest to obtain.

• Subpoenas and Court Orders supply similar information but more direct details with a court order.

Student Behavior & the InternetYouTube & Vimeo:

– Altercations with students recorded and posted online

– Pleas for help against bullies and suicide threats posted in online videos

Facebook, Twitter and MySpace:

– Altercations with students posted on walls and profiles

– Used for Bullying

– Used for Expression

Cell Phones:

– Used to make videos of fights and other altercations

– Used For Bullying

– Used for Sexual Exchanges

Collecting Evidence

First Order of Business

1. Obtain the Video:

• Mozilla Firefox Extension called “DownloadHelper”

• www.downloadhelper.net

• Free video recovering program

• Help police collect evidence before itis deleted

• Police watch the video with their own eyes at your school

Collecting Evidence

2. Take a video of the video– Use your cell phone or video camera to record it

– Not useful in court, but useful during investigations

– TRY NOT TO TALK! YOUR VOICE WILL BE HEARD

3. Get the Image– Save it to your computer / Forward to e-mail

– Take a digital photo of the image

– Not useful in court, but useful during investigations

4. Document the words– Save threatening or criminal messages to your computer

– Take a digital photograph of the images

– Provide the information to law enforcement

Law Enforcement & EvidenceCollection of Evidence Will Help Police to:

• Provide probable cause

• Make it Easy to obtain court orders

• Speed up an arrest

• Retrieve necessary information from a storeddisk, USB, or e-mail

• Document the incident or series of incidents

• Get dangerous students out of school via suspension, expulsion, arrest , or all of the above

Kids and Facebook

• Facebook as a Popularity Contest

– “If Sandy has 200 friends, and Sally has 100 friends, then Sandy is 100 times more popular than Sally!”

• Many strangers become ‘friends’ with children because they know this and they use it to take advantage

– Children accept all friend requests to simply to have more friends than other people

• Many Children and Teens end up with multiple predators on their pages who pretend to be kids (with fake profiles)

– Something predators do often to reach out to kids

• Bullies often times mask as another person to prey on victims through Facebook

Kids and Facebook

• Kids use self expression on their profiles– Predators use what they learn from profiles to get kids to talk to them.

They research personal information, interests, friends, photos, etc.

• Kids say too much on their walls– Where they go to school, the mascot’s name, their clubs, their phone

numbers, e-mail addresses, hangouts, hobbies, languages they speak

• Kids do not follow the rules set forth by the Social Networking Site– Kids who are 13 or younger say they’re actually 18 so they can have

full access to the site. BAD IDEA!

– There is an estimated 7.5 Million children under the age of 13 on Facebook, with no enforcement despite the minimum age requirement

How Do Kids Make it Easy for Predators?It’s really simple. Kids LIE!!!

Kids act like they are someone they aren’t

Kids say they’ve done things they haven’t

Kids say they’ve been to places they haven’t

Kids act older and lie about their age

Kids claim they are dating and they are not

Kids say they have had sex and they have not

****Predators KNOW KIDS ARE LYING! In fact, THEY COUNT ON IT!****

53% of kids between 10-17 will be sexually solicited by a stranger online

Cyber Bullying: What Is It?

Cyber Bullying is when a child, preteen, or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies, or mobile phones.

Note: It must have a minor on both sides, or at least have been instigated by a minor against another minor. Once an adult is involved, it could possibly turn into the crime of cyber stalking.

Harmful Effects of Cyber Bullying

• The effects of cyber bullying can hurt harshly and quickly, often times beyond repair

• Children, teens, and young adults have been driven to suicide or violent crime

• Serious detrimental effects on a victim’s self-esteem, emotional well-being, and sense of personal safety

• Depression, despondence, self-destructive behavior and poor performance in school or work

…This is Just to Name a Few

Cyber Bullying Laws Vary By State

– More than 47 states have current laws in effect

– Many new legislations will pass this year that inflict harsher punishments for Cyber Bullying crimes

– Nearly 60% of children are affected by Cyber Bullying

– Laws give schools the power to discipline students up to and including expulsion for online threats AGAINST TEACHERS OR OTHER STUDENTS!

– For a Comprehensive List of all the current Cyber Bullying Laws by State in the U.S., visit: http://www.cyberbullying.us/Bullying_and_Cyberbullying_Laws.pdf

In most states, it does not matter if the threat was made outside school.

Assault / Battery: Physical violence or touching in an insulting nature

Harassment (Phone & Computer): Unwanted threats or taunting to victim or family

Stalking / Cyber-Stalking: Multiple occasions of harassment and issues of a threatening nature

Hate Crime: Committing any crime because of race, creed, color, religion, or sexual orientation

Laws Bullies Typically Break

How to Stop Cyberbullies Keep a record

(include time and date)

– This will help law enforcement track the Digital Footprint.

Tell someone

– Encourage kids to tell someone they trust: A parent, friend, school counselor or teacher.

Contact your phone or Internet service provider

– Report what is happening. They can help you block messages or calls from certain senders.

Don't reply to bullying messages

– All Bullies have one thing in common: Something hurts them so much they have to hurt someone else to feel good. By replying to messages, they are getting what they want.

If messages are life threatening

– Contact law enforcement. If cyber bullying is threatening, it is illegal.

Change your contact details

– Get a new user name for the social sites, a new e-mail account, a new mobile phone number.

Set your username and passwords to private

– Stress to your children that they need to keep their personal information private so it doesn't fall into the hands of someone who will misuse it.

Phoebe Prince | Real Life StoriesPhoebe was 15 years old. She moved to Massachusetts after living most of her young life in Ireland. She was taunted and bullied because she was the new kid, spoke with an accent, and girls were upset about who she was dating.

On January 14, 2010, after a day of harassment and taunting, a student struck her in the head with a can from a passing car as she walked home from school. Later that day, Phoebe committed suicide. Even after her death, the bullies made crude comments about her and posted those comments on her Facebook Memorial Page.

On March 29, 2010, the District Attorney completed investigations with Digital Footprints left behind from the bullies, indicted six teenagers from her school on adult felony charges ranging Violation of Civil Rights, Felony Battery, and Stalking for engaging in persistent taunting and harassment.

Sexting and the Digital Footprint

Sexting Leaves a Trail. There is NO WAY around it.• Exif Files will exist• Phone number of the sender is traceable• The numbers of everyone forwarding the message exist• E-mail addresses of those receiving and sending the message exist• Records are kept on Web sites the image was uploaded to• Speed bumps in the Digital Footprint road made easier through

interviews and investigation

What is with the New Era of Sexting?Ahhhhh, Teen Age Love!

Why Do Kids Sext Photos?Is a Teenager’s date on New Years Eve going to be

your teen’s date on the 4th of July?

For the most part “NO!” Dating lives of teens change like we change our clothes.

Why is this important?

When that kid’s New Years Eve date wants them to send naked pictures, he’s asking for one reason. HE WANTS TO SHOW THEM OFF!

What better time to show them off, than on the 4th of July when they have broken up!

Use Common Sense. It should tell you NOT to do this.

Why Do Teen Girls Give in to Sexting?Low Self Esteem: (Most are Female)

A. Usually teen girls Sext their photos for this reason

B. Desperately seeking some kind of approval

C. Trying to secure the attention of that certain boy

D. Sends the image upon request of a boy she likes

E. Trying to prove a point, “I’m hotter than her, here’s proof”

F. Sends the image to her boyfriend as a gift

What Do Boys Get From Sexting?Boys Will Be Boys….

They want to be cool like Fonzie! It’s the ever popular Arthur

“Fonzie” Fonzerelli thought process!

RAGING HORMONES Can boys control themselves? Do they do stupid things because of those hormones? I Think Not!

Boys want to be COOL! Boys want to be “BIG SHOTS” and have everyone’s attention

Sexting & Child Pornography Laws

In many states, kids that sext their photographs are unknowingly committing the crime of child pornography

– In many states there is no exception for the minor who takes their own photograph

– Very serious felony in most states

– Many states are making laws to minimize the seriousness of this crime when only kids are involved

– If the image is uploaded to the Internet, things become more serious and difficult

– Thankfully, the Digital Footprint is there to assist in the most serious cases

Hope Witsell | Real Life StoriesJust 13 years old, She Was Gone Too Soon

13-year-old 7th Grade Florida girl sent a topless photo of herself to a boy in hope of gaining his attention. Instead, she got the attention of her school, as well as the high school nearby. A third party intercepted the photo while using the boy’s cell phone, and soon students from her school and others gawked at the picture. Hope walked the hallways at school as students shouted horrible names at her. These people were her friends days before.

The following day, Hope wrote in her journal: “I’m done for sure now. I can feel it in my stomach. I’m going to try and strangle myself. I hope it works.”

Hope Witsell went home and hungherself in her bedroom.

Jessica Logan | Real Life Stories

18 years old and due to graduate from High School when a nude picture she sent to her boyfriend was sent to hundreds of students. She said she was being harassed and teased by other students, at home, at school and when she went out.

The moment her private picture was sent out for everyone to see, things spiraled out of control. Jessie's grades plummeted, she started skipping school and when she would go to school, she would hide in the bathroom to avoid being teased. After attending the funeral of a friend Jessica went into her bedroom, and hung herself in her closet.

The Moral of the Story…

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