We’ve been asked several times to get a Facebook account, get a MySpace page, get a Twitter account or whatever. We have a blog and we feel that is sufficient. (Although we may have set up those accounts for work.)

If you take just a second to think about what you are actually doing, putting your personal information and whereabouts online for anyone to access, it can get kind of scary. Here are some great pointers from the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team. (US-CERT) Not to be confused with CERT - Community Emergency Response Team.

What security implications do these sites present?

Social networking sites rely on connections and communication, so they encourage you to provide a certain amount of personal information. When deciding how much information to reveal, people may not exercise the same amount of caution as they would when meeting someone in person because

• the internet provides a sense of anonymity
• the lack of physical interaction provides a false sense of security
• they tailor the information for their friends to read, forgetting that others may see it
• they want to offer insights to impress potential friends or associates

While the majority of people using these sites do not pose a threat, malicious people may be drawn to them because of the accessibility and amount of personal information available on them. The more information malicious people have about you, the easier it is for them to take advantage of you. Predators may form relationships online and then convince unsuspecting individuals to meet them in person.

I don’t even want to search for stories about predators and kids online and things like that. Just know that bad things happen and to be very careful of the info you share online. Would you tell complete strangers? (For example if a site asks you for your birthday just put Jan 1, 1900 so they never know your real age.) Talk about over-sharing, I totally need to do a better job of keeping information private and off my personal blog.

How can you protect yourself?

• Limit the amount of personal information you post - Do not post information that would make you vulnerable (e.g., your address, information about your schedule or routine). If your connections post information about you, make sure the combined information is not more than you would be comfortable with strangers knowing.
• Remember that the internet is a public resource - Only post information you are comfortable with anyone seeing. This includes information in your profile and in blogs and other forums. Also, once you post information online, you can’t retract it. Even if you remove the information from a site, saved or cached versions may still exist on other people’s machines (see Guidelines for Publishing Information Online for more information).
• Be wary of strangers - The internet makes it easy for people to misrepresent their identities and motives (see Using Instant Messaging and Chat Rooms Safely for more information). Consider limiting the people who are allowed to contact you on these sites. If you interact with people you do not know, be cautious about the amount of information you reveal or agreeing to meet them in person.
• Be skeptical - Don’t believe everything you read online. People may post false or misleading information about various topics, including their own identities. This is not necessarily done with malicious intent; it could be unintentional, a product of exaggeration, or a joke. Take appropriate precautions, though, and try to verify the authenticity of any information before taken any action.
• Check privacy policies - Some sites may share information such as email addresses or user preferences with other companies. This may lead to an increase in spam (see Reducing Spam for more information). Also, try to locate the policy for handling referrals to make sure that you do not unintentionally sign your friends up for spam. Some sites will continue to send email messages to anyone you refer until they join.

Children are especially susceptible to the threats that social networking sites present. Although many of these sites have age restrictions, children may misrepresent their ages so that they can join. By teaching children about internet safety, being aware of their online habits, and guiding them to appropriate sites, parents can make sure that the children become safe and responsible users (see Keeping Children Safe Online for more information).

Letter from Cory:

There will be a large mock disaster event April 20, 2009 in Orem, and I’m looking for amateur radio volunteers to assist with radio communications.

This is a great opportunity to practice working with other volunteer and professional response organizations, and improve your radio and response skills.  Orem City EMS, Orem and Eagle Mountain CERTs will be involved, along with 2 hospitals, emergency responders, Special Response Team (with decontamination station), Red Cross, Southern Baptists, Sheriff’s Department, MRC, Ut Co. Health Dept., even a UTA bus or 2.

EVENT DETAILS
The exercise will be Monday, April 20 from 10 to 4 at Timpanogos Hospital in Orem (800 N, 800W, Orem). map

We are looking for at least 12 radio operators, hopefully more. (The event will run from 11-3, and we need radio operators to be there 1 hr before for setup & assignments, and one hour after for post-mortem. So plan on 10a-4p.)

We especially need those who have completed ICS 100 on the Incident Command System: (you can take these online here)
- all on this page are useful, esp:
IS-100a (ICS 100) Introduction to Incident Command System, I-100 and
IS-700.a National Incident Management System (NIMS), An Introduction

(we’d like everyone to complete those 2 before the event, each one takes approx 3 hrs.)

You will need a 2 meter HT radio, good antenna (wire whip, etc - something better than a rubber duck “dummy load” if possible) primary and backup battery, notepad and pen, small flashlight, radio manual/programming quickref, GMRS/FRS radio if you have one, and whatever else you want to bring (goggles/sunglasses, hat, warm clothes, sunblock, etc.). Email me if any questions.

This should be a very educational experience and a great way to improve your skills in assisting these other organizations in time of need. We know this is during the day, but emergencies don’t only happen at nights and weekends… if you can make it, it should be very worthwhile.

I will send out more info as we get closer to the date, to those who have volunteered.
Please RSVP asap, so I can make assignments and ID badges.
Email Cory ke7nrv@electrosphere.com, and include if you have taken the 2 ICS courses above, radio type, and phone number.

Thanks for all those who can help.
Cory, KE7NRV (NCS)

You should have at least one traditionally wired landline phone, as cordless or cellular phones may not work in an emergency.

Have a hand-cranked radio, a no-battery required home telephone, and a cell phone with a back-up battery or solar charger. Several Walky-Talkies placed on the same station that extend a number of miles could also be effective for families living in the same area and are not as expensive as Ham Radios and you don’t need a license to opperate them. Have coins to use in public telephones.