Virtual World Computing (VWC) anticipates increased interest in Internet privacy solutions in the wake of the recent PRISM and NSA scandals.

“We anticipate an uptick in Cocoon users in the United States over the coming weeks. In the past, we’ve seen more users in nations from Iran to Australia when events focus people on Internet privacy issues. The recent NSA and IRS scandals have people questioning what personal data is being collected and how it is being used,” said Jeff Bermant, founder and CEO of Virtual World Computing.

Because Cocoon users browse in the Cloud, their IP addresses cannot be identified, and it is the only free product on the market that also includes data encryption and protects computers from malware, viruses, and unwanted spam.

“I think this controversy has finally helped Americans become aware that data mining by government and Big Data is pervasive, and that is why we are seeing such outrage around this issue,” said Bermant. “People need to know that they don’t have to choose between using the Internet and protecting their personal data.”

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Has government spying gone too far this time? Now that we have  proof that backs up what many privacy advocates have been saying for years, should we be alarmed? From the moment The Guardian broke the  NSA scandal last Friday (PRISM)— I’ve been literally rolling my eyeballs because I am a  Facebook, Google,  Microsoft, Skype, Verizon, and Yahoo user. Though I never use these services to house sensitive or personal data, I still use them as a bio for my online identity.

The government has granted itself power it is not entitled to. There is no public oversight. The result is people like myself have the latitude to go further than they are allowed to.”  —Edward Snowden

Is government really spying on you?

I have always been on the side of caution when using any digital device. I tend to tailor the data that I hold on my phone and I also carefully groom what I search for on the web. For any searches that I do not want associated with my online profile — I use services such as Cocoon and DuckDuckGo.

A few days ago a friend texted me from the pub  — PORK BOMB! Alright, Mr. two-three pints later guy, what exactly are you trying to convey? He was obviously trying to receive a text-back reaction from me;  he thinks I have gone too far with the Verizon-NSA-PRISM brouhaha.

I do not believe that I have gone too far in exercising caution with what I text, post, email, speak, or search for online. Pork and bomb are only two of the 374 keywords that the US government monitors online. I guess I could have texted back: Response Explosion and we could have worked our way down the Analyst’s Desktop Binder and ended with PLOT Infrastructure.

Unfortunately, I can’t get my friend to text me on Wickr (iPhone encryption app), because he simply does not believe that the government is a threat to anyone’s privacy. He’s still hanging out at the “I’ve got nothing to hide” playground.

On a more serious note — when a 29 year old guy leaves his family, girlfriend, country, and a six figure income due to conscience over what our government is doing in secrecy; this is highly indicative of government spying that has gone too far. What tools do you use to protect your online privacy?

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The Cocoon Team was absolutely thrilled with the number of participants who entered our recent “Anything You Love About Cocoon” Contest. We had over 663 entrants with so many creative minds sharing with us the many reasons that they love Cocoon. With so many entries, it was extremely difficult for the Big Cocoon and team to select the grand prize winner. But we did!

Grand Prize WINNER!

iPad Mini: Jonathan Sumner

I love Cocoon because it gives me added peace of mind when I travel. I travel frequently, and there are lots of things to worry about, but online privacy and security at public wi-fi hotspots is not one of those things, thanks to Cocoon!

Random Drawing Winners

$100 Amazon Gift Card: Debbie Gremlin Nubile

$100 iTunes Gift Card: Michelle Gonzalez [Exchanged for $100 Amazon Gift Card]

$75 Amazon Gift Card: Amy Shulkusky

$50 Amazon Gift Card: David Butler

$50 Amazon Gift Card: Mark Baron

$50 Amazon Gift Card: Matt Odette

Magazine Subscriptions [All winners exchanged magazine subscriptions for a $20 Amazon Gift Card]:

Alexis B.

Darlene Meredith

Kathi Taylor

Kelly Finny

Graham

Crystal S

Brenda Fontannay

Eve Kurzer

Carol Moore

Sandy Klocinski

Thank you for entering our contest!

—The Cocoon Team

Contest Rules |  Visit Cocoon

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According to Bloomberg Businessweek: Online banking fraud is primarily carried out in two ways. In a phishing attack, criminals impersonate bank websites in order to get unsuspecting users to provide their login credentials. The other modus operandi of online banking frauds is to install keystroke-logging malware.

Attack Vectors

Of course there are other banking attack vectors such as man-in-the-middle attacks,man-in-the-browser attacks, cross-channel attacks and pharming (Trojan horse/virus on the victim’s computer). Banking Trojans like Gozi Prinimalka, SpyEye and Zeus can target an online bank site and detect when victims access their bank website. The attackers then have the capability to steal log-in credentials and other personal data associated with the victim’s account.

Blackhats

Back in September of last year, a cybercriminal who goes by the name “vorVzakone” announced in an underground forum a new blackhat project known as Project Blitzkrieg.

VorVzakone said at the time that the operation will target the customers of 30 U.S. banks using a Trojan program that has been in development since 2008 and has more functionality than Zeus or SpyEye — crimeware toolkits commonly used to steal money from online banking accounts. –ComputerWorld

During the spring of 2013 (and it is right around the cyber corner), VorVzakone plans to target the customers of 30 U.S. banks. I don’t have a clue as to the banks that will be targeted, but I plan to be prepared for it.

“Skype flooding” is also part of the VorVzakone operations package so that customers will not be able to contact their banks to verify funds. Does it make you mad that cybercriminals are becoming so vain that they can boast about their cybercriminal plans prior to executing them?

Phishing

You’ve heard of phishing attacks by now.  Phishing occurs when a victim is tricked into handing over their private information under false pretenses. It’s a simple concept that can be executed via simplistic or complex methods.

Often enough, if a cyber criminal gets a hold of a victims email address, they may create a fake message appearing to come from a trusted source. For instance, if a cybercriminal hacks into your banks database, they may gain access to your email address. They can then send you their phishing message, which is identical or similar to a message your bank would normally send you. These fake messages will often ask you to visit a rogue landing page (again, identical to that of your bank) where they will provide a form that asks for your personal information. Due to the highly tailored nature of these scams, a surprising number of people fall victim to them every day.

URL Check

It’s important to check the URL of any website you visit before giving up personal data. A website’s privacy policy will often tell you which information they may ask you, and what types of data they collect on you. The more information a cybercriminal gains about someone, the easier it becomes for them to obtain login information, bank account credentials, social security numbers and so on. You’d be surprised how many people are susceptible to hacks just by what is publicly available online, coupled with some common sense. This is further proof of why it’s so important to remain vigilant when banking online.

 Online Banking Tips

1. Update your computer or device on a regular basis

2. Make sure you are using a secure site  

Look for “https” instead of http and look for the “lock” icon on the address bar of the browser you are using

3. Use a secure password

Minimum of 8 characters
Include a mix of numbers, letters, Uppercase & lowercase
If you can use special characters (&%#*), be sure to add those too
Change your password a minimum of every 3 months and never use the same password at any other site

4. Use your own devices to bank online

Never use a public computer
Consider using a dedicated computer for all financial transactions conducted online
Layer your connection with your bank by using a service such as Cocoon

5. Monitor your bank accounts
Always be aware of what is happening with your financial accounts

My Banking Solution

I use desktops with Vista and Windows 7, an iMac, a laptop (Win 7), a Linux server, an iPhone and an Android. I find myself layering different operating systems with whatever flavor works for me. On Windows and iMac I generally use Cocoon in varying capacities and also use Cocoon on my iPhone as my primary browser of choice. On my Linux machine I am mainly inside my terminal and rarely use a browser. Cocoon is always my top choice for browsing the Internet or banking online because it adds an additional layer of Internet security – and in 2013, we need additional layers of online protection to thwart cybercriminals like vorVzakone.

Do you have any online banking tips to share?  Leave a comment at our blog or visit us on Twitter and Facebook.

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At Virtual World Computing (VWC) we are pleased to announce our latest contest — the “Anything You Love About Cocoon” contest. From May 19-31, participants may submit an entry to VWC from the contest entry tab on our official Facebook page. The Grand Prize Winner will receive a iPad Mini (Apple is not a participant in or sponsor of this promotion), based on your contribution on the entry form about “why you love Cocoon.” All other contest prizes will be selected in a random drawing.

The official contest rules are posted here at our blog. The grand prize winner will be selected on June 3 and will be based on the participant’s written entry about “what they love about Cocoon”. All other prizes will be selected in a random drawing on June 1.

The remaining 16 prizes include:

(a) One $100.00 iTunes Music Card (retail value $100.00); (b) One $100.00 Amazon.com Gift Card (retail value $100.00); (c) One $75.00 Amazon.com Gift Card (retail value $75.00); (d) Three $50.00 Amazon Gift Cards (retail value $50.00 each for a total $150.00); (e) Ten 1 year subscriptions to either PC World or Mac World (retail value $19.97 each for a total $199.70). The total value of this prize package is $975.00. Only one prize per winner.

All winners will be notified by email within three business days following the close of this contest. All winning participant prizes will be dispensed between June 6-12. The odds of winning the Grand Prize depend upon the written entry. Whether you love the concept of online security and privacy, love a particular Cocoon feature, love to stream their favorite US content when traveling abroad, or you just love Cocoon because it makes you feel soft, fuzzy, and Cocooned – there is only one winner for this coveted grand prize. The odds of winning the remaining 16 prizes depend upon the number of eligible entries received for this drawing.

Mobile Smart Link: http://a.pgtb.me/pknzbq

Good luck!

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When it comes to the Internal revenue Service, what constitutes as “too invasive?” The IRS is trying to do its job by expanding its search for tax cheats to close the “tax gap.” What does this mass form of data tracking mean for our privacy, as the IRS potentially has the freedom to track our purchases, transactions, social media posts, and credit card history.

This type of tracking can be compared to Internet “cookies” that track more than just our favorite websites – including access to Social Security numbers, health records, financial transactions, etc.

“It also recently assembled $350 million in high-tech tools to do a lot of auditing, tracking and analyzing what people do on the Internet. The agency has used social media and other third-party sources in the past, but it has now increased its capability to do so from its own growing database of networks”. –Business Insider

 The IRS has also hired private industry experts to assist them in tracking digital financial transactions. These “private industry experts” will have access to our credit transactions, health records, and social security numbers.With private industry having access to our personal information, it is only a matter of time before our private data bleeds all over the Internet…

Social Media Too

They will also be analyzing Facebook and other social media sites. Currently,  the only way that the IRS can get in touch with Facebook is via this form:

“Private industry would be envious if they knew what our models are,” boasted Dean Silverman, as reported in trade publications. Silverman is the high-tech specialists who heads a group of recruited private sectors to update IRS technology to snoop on citizens using the internet. As expected the IRS declined to comment to national mainstream journalists on how they will use the new technology to sniff out online tax cheats. According to U.S. News and Report–IRS officials has already outline their plan in partnership with IBM and EMC to use their new technology for the following:

(1) Charting and analyzing emails and Social Media like Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin.

(2) Targeting audits by matching tax filings to Social Media or electronic payments.

(3) Tracking individual internet addresses and emailing patterns.

(4) Sorting data in 32,000 categories of metadata and 1 million unique “attributes.”

(5) Maching learning across “neutral” networks.

Can Americans Avoid the IRS Internet Trap? –Global Research CA

Before you allow grandma to post to her Facebook page about her next big pie sale, make sure that she is posting to “friends only” and not to the everybody else!

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I have three children and over the years I have bought countless computers, phones and tablets. Our children seem to be using devices at a younger and younger age, and there are studies to prove it.

One recent study by Commonsense Media found that 22 percent of 5- to 8-year-olds use computers once a day, and more than a third of children under the age of 8 have used a mobile device – either cell phones or tablets – to watch movies, play games and use apps. While the Internet creates countless opportunities for kids to engage and learn online, it is essential that parents learn about best practices and use the available technology to protect their kids.

Here are a few tips and new tools to make it easier to help protect your children in the real and virtual world, ensuring they can surf, play and learn safely.

1.  Be Web Wise

According to a Science Daily article, “Four out of five children can’t tell when they are talking to an adult posing as a child on the Internet, according to researchers working on software to track pedophiles online.”

Teach your children how to interact safely with people they meet online. Be sure your kids understand they should never provide personally identifiable information about themselves, their current whereabouts, where they live or even what school they attend.

Your children may deal with situations online such as bullying, unwanted contact, or hurtful comments. Work with them on strategies for when problems arise, such as talking to a trusted adult, not retaliating, blocking the person, or filing a complaint. Agree on steps to take if the strategy fails.

2. Set Clear Expectations

As parents, we all have those tough “conversations”: drugs, the birds and the bees, where are you going and the like. Parents must set expectations about how our kids will use the Internet. We set curfews, bedtimes, chores, etc., and now we need to set boundaries for online surfing,  even from a cell phone. Set boundaries about:

-The types of websites your kids are allowed to visit

-Who they are allowed to socialize with online

-How much time they are allowed to be online at all, including study time and mobile browsing

Online safety can be a shared, positive experience. Surf the Internet with them. Appreciate your children’s participation in their online communities and show interest in their friends. Try to react constructively when they encounter inappropriate material and make it a teachable moment.

3. Activate Parental Controls

Kids may accuse parents of “spying” on them, but respectfully monitoring their online activity provides a check-in to ensure those expectations you’ve set are being met. Parental controls are a great way to be proactive about your child’s online safety and activities.  When enabling parental controls, use age-appropriate settings to filter, monitor and block your child’s activities.

Our company, Virtual World Computing, has worked to develop CocoonKids for KlaasKids, a new free tool to provide parents with a free browser plug-in designed to protect children from corporate tracking and family computers from malware. Parents can lock it into “Kid Mode,” ensuring kids only browse a parent-sourced whitelist of recommended, appropriate and safe websites. Accessing sites beyond CocoonKids for KlaasKids requires parental permission.

4. Discuss “Reputation Management”

Colleges and prospective employers alike are reviewing the online presence of their applicants to ensure they are accepting qualified, appropriate candidates. Kids and teens may not fully comprehend the damage that can be done – or the permanent trace that can be left – from their online photos and comments.

Keep up to date on Facebook security settings, and ensure your kids keep tight settings.

“Friend” your kids on Facebook and other social media outlets so you can see who they are friends with, what photos they are posting, etc. And make sure they do not have a “parent-friendly” Facebook page just for you to friend. (Yes, they really do that.)

Educate your kids about the importance of appropriate social decorum online, and the long-term impact their digital presence can have on their dreams and career options.

5. Protect Your Child’s Identity

The past two years, the FTC has reported that 8 percent of identity theft cases involve kids. Further, a 2011 study by Carnegie Mellon University discovered that 10.2 percent (4,311) of the children in the report had someone else using their Social Security number – 51 times higher than the 0.2% rate for adults in the same population.

In response to such issues, the Utah Attorney General has started the Child Identity Program (CIP) that provides parents a secure means to place their children in the TransUnion “high risk fraud” database. While this is not available in other states, it is important for parents to monitor their child’s credit regularly by pulling reports from the three major reporting agencies. Individuals are allowed to pull a report once a year for monitoring purposes free of charge.

Consider this case from the Carnegie Mellon report: AllClear ID discovered that a 17-year-old girl has over $725,000 in debt. Her Social Security number was linked to eight different suspects. The suspects opened 42 open accounts including mortgages, auto loans, credit cards, and bills in collections including medical, credit cards, and utilities.

6. Protect Your Child, Period.   

Technology can help us diminish the risk of the most unspeakable tragedies from occurring. Marc Klaas of the KlaasKids Foundation has been working to protect kids since his daughter Polly was kidnapped and murdered twenty years ago. He recently unveiled new technology tools to help parents keep their kids safe and to help find missing children.

The first three hours is the most essential if a child is missing. Polly’s Guardian Angel is the nation’s first parent-initiated missing child smartphone alert application. It’s a smartphone app that empowers parents to instantly mobilize friends, neighbors, and other members of the community to help in the search for a missing child.

The LEO Wristwatch has a titanium infused steel wristwatch/cell phone with a GPS Child Locator that can only be removed by the parent. It includes a 911 panic button if the child is in troubleSearch for other tools you trust to keep you and your children safe online and in the real world.

Originally posted at:

You can visit us at The Cocoon Kids Blog  | CocoonKids on Facebook | CocoonKids on Twitter  | Cocoon on Facebook  | Cocoon on Twitter

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CocoonKids for KlaasKids is a free online child-safe browsing tool to help parents manage their children’s web visits.

Virtual World Computing (developer of the Cocoon online privacy solution) has partnered with child safety advocate Marc Klaas of the KlaasKids Foundation and we are releasing our free beta today! It is available for download at www.getcocoon.com/kids

“We are pleased to partner with Marc Klaas and the KlaasKids Foundation to develop a product that is so needed in today’s world. With Cocoon users in over 100 countries, we have an opportunity to protect children in the US and worldwide by blocking a child’s identity to online marketers and predators. We block the IP address and their location. We protect them inside of a cocoon”. –Jeff Bermant, Our Founder and CEO

Marc Klaas, whose 12-year-old daughter was kidnapped and killed nearly 20 years ago, explains, “When we started the KlaasKids Foundation in 1994, the Internet wasn’t a major factor, but today it is the new frontier for child safety. I thought this partnership was a wonderful opportunity to create a product that protects children from the many threats that exist today on the Internet.” (Video of Marc Klaas explaining the need for tools to protect kids online is available at the CocoonKids Blog.

With criminals, deviants and sexual predators actively targeting children who browse the web (coupled with the naivety of our children) -as parents, it’s up to us to ensure that our children do not wander into the streets of the world-wild web alone.

Studies show that children today are online more than ever and at increasing risk of being illegally tracked and having their personal data and identities stolen. This does not apply only to teens. A recent study by Common Sense Media found that 22 percent of 5 to 8-year-olds use computers once a day, and more than a third of children under the age of 8 have used a mobile device – either cell phones or tablets – to watch movies, play games, and use apps. Personal data being collected on children is widely available.

Our message to Parents

The Internet can be an open door to a child’s personal information, whether it is identity theft, online tracking, profiling, or cyber-predators.

Society has an obligation to protect our children and online safety for children should be a priority.COPPA was drafted to protect kids online privacy in 1998. Since then, we have seen the advent of social media, smartphones, tablets, open Wi-Fi connections, iTunes, online gaming, and online homework and proposed updates to the law have stalled out in Congress. Collaborations – such as the one we have formed between KlaasKids and Virtual World Computing – can be part of the solution by providing more parental tools and education for child online safety.

Entirely AWESOME product features:

CocoonKids for KlaasKids has the potential to provide millions of parents a free tool to manage their kids website visits and protect their family’s personal information online.

Relevant Statistics about the Need for our FREE Online Tool

Some of the most popular kids websites have been found to have “super cookies” (sometimes 30% more than the average adult site according to that 2010 report by WSJ) to track data more effectively. Children are prevalent Internet users, even at an early age, and they are more vulnerable than adults to online tracking and identity theft because they are by nature more trusting.

While the official age when people can join Facebook is 13, Consumer Reports released a report in May 2011, finding that 7.5 million kids under the age of 12 are members. They have access to Facebook’s new “frictionless sharing,” which allows people to easily share what they’re reading and listening to without choosing to actually click “share” or “like.” In reality, the new system follows Facebook users across the Internet taking copious notes on their reading, browsing and shopping habits – and that is only one social media site.

Kids are also at high risk of having their identities stolen. Eight percent of identity theft complaints are for minors under the age of 19, according to the FTC. Further, Carnegie Mellon released a report in 2011, “Child Identity Theft,” findings show “4,311 or 10.2% of the children in the report had someone else using their Social Security number – 51 times higher than the 0.2% rate for adults in the same population.”

The personal information collected on children is accessible to cyber-predators who could lure a child away from their home for malicious purposes. A 2010 article in Science Daily reported, “Four out of five children can’t tell when they are talking to an adult posing as a child on the Internet, according to researchers working on software to track pedophiles online.”

Some of the most trusted names have been in the headlines for marketing practices that accumulate private information of kids without parental consent, including McDonald’s and Nickelodeon. Last summer, McDonald’s set up a “star in a music video” feature on their site where kids could upload their own photo to be added to a cartoon character. They were then encouraged to share their video with friends and family through email – without the consent of a parent. Kids were sharing names and email addresses with the company in order to share the video. McDonald’s contends they were in compliance with COPPA and that they never collected the contact…

To Celebrate our Launch!

CocoonKids for KlaasKids is hosting a #CocoonKids party!

You can join the party on Twitter this Wednesday, April 10, 9pm-10pm to discuss CocoonKids and how to keep kids safe online.  Our favorite parenting bloggers: @dumbparent, @shellthings, @momonashoe,and @TeachMama will be joining us.  Plus, like every great party, there will be gifts!  One lucky participant will win an iPad Mini, and 4 others will go home with $50 Amazon gift cards!

You can find out more about the Twitter party and how to RSVP to this event at the CocoonKids blog.

A short note about CocoonKids for KlaasKids Development

CocoonKids was developed in partnership with The KlaasKids Foundation to provide an easy and safe way to manage a family’s Internet experience and protect the online identity of children. CocoonKids for KlaasKids was developed with the help of parenting experts and national bloggers who comprise Cocoon’s Mom Advisory Board, including Amanda of Parenting by Dummies, Roo of Nice Girl Notes, Angie of Seven Clown Circus, Shell of Things I Can’t Say, Leticia
of Tech Savvy Mama, and Beth of Mommy on a Shoestring.

Let’s never forget that “Children are our most valuable resource”. – Herbert Hoover

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