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The Ninth Annual WiredKids Summit took place on February 25th, 2009. The summit is given each year, entirely by Tweenangels and Teenangels. They give awards to their favorite sites and to people they recognize have made the Internet safer. They present research they conduct and teach adults what they need to know.

Kids on the stage, adults in the audience; industry, policymakers, law enforcement...

Read more about the 2009 WiredKids Summit >>
The Teenangels report from the 9th Annual WiredKids Summit

ISTTF - The Internet Safety Technical Task Force (ISTTF) Report Alert

At noon January 14, 2009 The Internet Safety Technical Task Force (ISTTF) released its report. Thirty of the top experts and industry members, including Parry Aftab for WiredSafety,  joined together at the request of the Attorneys General and MySpace to review risks and solutions to keep children safer on social networks. The process took about nine months.

The main thrust of the ISTTF review was to test and analyze technology solutions, especially those designed to keep underage children off of social networks and to protect them from Internet sexual predators and sexual exploitation. WiredSafety was proud to have been selected to serve a member of The Internet Safety Technical Task Force (ISTTF). Parry Aftab, our Teenangels and other advisors and volunteers attended the ISTTF meetings on behalf of WiredSafety.

While many Attorneys General have been active in this area and in this process, two Attorneys General have spearheaded the effort – Attorney General Blumenthal from Connecticut and Attorney General Cooper from North Carolina. The Attorneys General of each state and the District of Columbia received their copies of the report in mid-December.

It is hoped that this is the beginning, not the end, of the process. The NTIA is selecting a working group of its own, as will (we suspect) the FTC. Even the White House is getting involved and is considering appointing an Internet security guru. For the first time, the US states, cities and federal government are focusing their efforts on pulling together industry, advocates and policymakers to address cyberrisks and solutions.

The report contains one page comments from each member, in addition to a thorough review of existing research. WiredSafety’s comment can be found here. Technology experts selected by the ISTTF also reviewed the technology options submitted to the ISTTF and prepared a report evaluating the technology they reviewed.

To read more of our thoughts on both the process, the final report and our suggested next steps, visit our ISTTF page.

Follow this link to read the full ISTTF report >>

Follow this link for information about the ISTTF and WiredSafety's Role >>

WiredSafety’s International Stop Cyberbullying Conference

WiredSafety’s International Stop Cyberbullying Conference took place in New York, NY in June 2008. Parry Aftab, legislators, educators, industry professionals, Tweenangels and Teenangels discussed the nature and impact of cyberbullying and how everyone can work together to combat it at all levels.

Follow this link to view the recorded webcast (registration required) >>

Cyberbullying, Cyberstalking and Harassment: Getting Help and Staying Safe!

• Need help as a victim of cyberbullying, cyberstalking or harassment?
  Report it!
• Have you been cyberbullied? Take our quiz or answer our poll.
• Visit StopCyberbullying.org or Netbullies.com.
• Cyberbullying safety tips.
• The Megan Pledge.

Follow this link to find out more about Cyberbullying >>

Social Networking Safety

With the popularity of Social Networking on the increase, WiredSafety provides schools, parents, regulators and the media with a wealth of information on keeping Kids and Teens Safe on MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Xanga and other Social Networking Sites. The following resources are all available for viewing online and/or download as PDF files:

• Quick tips on Social Networking safety for parents and teens.
• What you need to know about YouTube and other video networks.
• Parenting Online booklet (English).
• Parenting Online booklet (En Español).

Follow this link to find out more about safe Social Networking >>

Privacy and Security

Recently, there has been a significant increase in many types of activity online which were once only conducted exclusively offline, such as: banking, dating and shopping. Make sure that you are aware of the dangers, that you know how to protect yourself (and your personal information) and also, what to do if something does go wrong online.

• Identity theft - how safe is your personal data?
• Online dating - how to have fun but be aware of the potential dangers and stay safe.
• Online shopping and auctions - advice on secure online financial transactions.
• Scams and fraud - how to tell a real e-mail from a hoax and how to report online fraud.

Follow this link to visit WiredSafety's Privacy and Security pages >>

Cybercrime
Hacking, Identity Theft, Missing Kids, Spam, Cyberstalking and Harassment

Cyberlaw
Child Pornography, Copyrights, Cyberstalking, Free Speech, Identity Theft, Kids, Privacy, Scams, Spam, Technology

Safety
Chat, Downloading Music, E-mail, Personal Information

Frequently Asked Questions

If you cannot find the answer at our Web site - Ask Parry!

New to the 'net?
Read our Internet 101.

Want to Learn More?
Sign up for our free online classes.

Cyberstalking and Harassment
Definitions, support and help.

Internet Predators
What we all need to know.

Is Your Child at Risk?
How to spot a vulnerable preteen or teen.

Need Help Now?
Our Cyber911 help line for victims of cyberabuse

Kids Online
Information just for kids, tweens and teens!

Spyware and Adware
How to detect and remove spyware.

E-mail Safety
Information on spam, scams and chain letters.

Chatting Online
Chat and IM safely and learn the lingo.

Online Gaming Safety
All about online gaming safety.

Downloading Music Safety
What the law says and disabling P2P.

Identity Theft
How safe is your personal data?

Online and Cyberdating
How to have fun and stay safe.

Online Shopping and Auctions
Advice on safer e-commerce.

Scams and Fraud
How to tell a hoax and report an online fraud.

Web site Safety and Policies
Building a safer Web site.

WiredSafety appears in the media several times daily:

January 22, 2009:
How to handle 'sexting'
It's a growing problem: underage teens sending nude or semi-nude photos of themselves to other teens. Parry Aftab, Marisa Nightingale and Susan Schulz talk about how to keep your teen from engaging in this potentially illegal behavior >>

January 14, 2009:
Protecting your kids online
TODAY’s Ann Curry talks to Parry Aftab about ways to protect your kids from dangers online >>

Visit Parry's blog and podcast for news updates.

Dr. Parry Aftab

Parry Aftab, an Internet privacy and security lawyer, is WiredSafety's Executive Director.

Parry helps us design our programs to address best and safer practices within the Internet industry, as well as helping empower users.

More about Parry...

Wired Learning

To access our videos, animations, printable materials and curriculum,
follow this link >>

Speakers Bureau

Do you need a speaker for your event or school presentation? To book a speaker for your event, contact our Speakers Bureau.

WiredSafety provides help, information and education to Internet and mobile device users of all ages. We help victims of cyberabuse ranging from online fraud, cyberstalking and child safety, to hacking and malicious code attacks. We also help parents with issues, such as Social Networking (MySpace, Facebook etc.) and Cyberbullying. Follow this link to read more about WiredSafety >>

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We also operate Teenangels, Tweenangels, WiredKids, CyberLawEnforcement and StopCyberbullying, as well as WiredSafety.

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Parts of this Web site were taken from Parry Aftab's book The Parent's Guide to Protecting Your Children in Cyberspace.