AT&T has created an interactive online safety game for kids.

“It can be difficult for children to understand the dangers of the Internet, but information presented in a fun, inviting format sometimes makes it easier to learn. Our Internet safety game for kids is designed to teach elementary school children about safety and security while surfing the Web.” Play the game now.

They also offer some good tips for people of all ages on the AT&T Protecting Our Customers Page. Wondering if your ISP offers any advice? Project Online Safety has compiled a list of resources from various sources.

Cape Cod Times, MA - Apr 28, 2008
The only way to win a battle with malware is not to be infected.

Anti-virus, anti-phishing, even the multi-function security applications and the best firewall cannot completely protect you from malware. In most cases, by the time the definition file for your security program contains the information needed to detect a given malware program it is already so old that it is not in common use. The following precautions, while not guaranteeing safety from malware, will lessen the likelihood of infection — but only if you are scrupulous in maintaining a constant awareness and practice good surfing security.

System utilities and add-ons: Anti-virus and anti-phishing tools are the obvious place to start, not because they can detect the malware but rather because they can detect the delivery system used to infect your computer with malware, effectively stopping the infection before it happens. This will work best if you regularly update the definition files for your programs and run them on a daily basis. Activate e-mail-scanning for anti-virus and anti-phishing programs.

Buff-up your web browser: Giving your web browser the ability to warn you if you are about to go someplace that you shouldn’t is a very good idea, and McAfee’s Site Advisor is an excellent place to start. Site Advisor (www.siteadvisor.com) is free, easy to obtain, and once installed provides a simple color-based warning system whenever you do a Web search.

For Microsoft Internet Explorer: Go into the settings menu and lock all active content from adservers via the “Restricted Sites” zone to help limit auto-loading of disguised binary files. Prohibit JavaScript across the board as well as file downloads in the Internet Zone to plug up the larger threat. This is inconvenient, but you can then go in and configure on an individual basis to allow JavaScript or to download from sites you implicitly trust. Finally, as an added point of warning, install a download manager and configure it to ask for permission to start a Web download.

For Mozilla Firefox: In addition to disabling JavaScript and automatic downloads and installing Site Advisor, you will want to visit the Firefox Add-On Library and install NoScript, a web utility created specifically for Firefox that is constantly updated by its author and that will prevent hostile scripts from running. NoScript comes with an easy to use authorization button so that you can re-enable scripting on sites that you trust.

Safe surfing: The final tool in your anti-malware arsenal is you — adopting and practicing a personal policy of safe surfing on the Internet. A place to start is to avoid sites you do not know. If you have a PC and a notebook computer, you might want to consider restricting the use of one of these to your more sensitive transactions such as online bill paying, eBay, and gaming, and do all of your web surfing on the other.

The price of safety in our online world is eternal vigilance. Don’t store unnecessary and sensitive data on your hard drive, use a thumb drive and keep it safe. Pay attention to what’s happening on your computer and don’t take unnecessary risks. Remember, safety is something that happens between your ears, not something you hold in your hands.

This story is a welcome example of the good guys winning. It also points out that this is not just your average middle schooler:

QUEENS, N.Y. (3/11/08)–Several credit unions were among the financial institutions affected by an identity theft ring that was broken up by New York police last week.

The ring, dubbed “House of Cards,” created fraudulent credit cards with stolen personal account information that were used to purchase high-end merchandise. The merchandise was later re-sold.

Thirty-eight individuals were arrested by the New York Police Department in connection with the ring, according to Queens District Attorney Richard A Brown. Of those 38, seven are currently at large, according to Brown’s press office.

The ring resulted in more than $1 million in losses for the affected financial institutions. Read more

CUNA and Wal-Mart Stores have shut down a new e-mail phish attempt purportedly from CUNA and advising of a Wal-Mart data breach. The scam is notable for several reasons.

CUNA News reports this week that online anti-fraud measures have resulted in fraudsters going back to offline methods of fraud such as telephone or mail.

Some credit unions might warn their members to be especially alert to the offline vishing methods, where callers pose as representatives of a financial institution needing personal and account information. Because consumers are more used to protecting their data online, they let their guard down over the phone or get trapped into a mail fraud.

Check out the article for more information.

GetNetWise is a public service brought to you by Internet industry corporations and public interest organizations to help ensure that Internet users have safe, constructive, and educational or entertaining online experiences.

Lots of great resources are available.  Check out the Kid’s Safety Section  or learn about ways to protect your computer.

Members United Federal Credit Union reports: The FDIC has been receiving complaints of fraudulent e-mails claiming to be from the FDIC. The e-mails ask “What can FDIC do for you?” and “Who is FDIC?” They also warn against identity theft. They claim the FDIC is “presenting a new card insurance which can restore you up to $500 if you are a victim of Internet fraud.” A link is provided to a false sign-up page for this service.

The FDIC is not offering any such service. These e-mails are an attempt to collect your personal information and exploit it. You should never provide any sensitive information to an unverified source of any kind.

The Age has posted a long standing vulnerability in Windows XP discovered by Adam Boileau, underscoring the importance of physical security.

Read the Story

FakeChecks.org has a wealth of interactive content and videos designed to help you identify and avoid falling victim to the many check related internet scams.

Check out the site at FakeChecks.org (requires the Adobe Flash player)