Hemanshu Nigam

National Cyber Security Awareness Month, Throughout the Year

As National Cyber Security Month comes to a close, I realized that we could all do what we usually do when we raise awareness around a cause – we highlight the things we should do, the ways we should act, the donations we should make – all at the launch of the event. And then, the celebration comes to an end and we all move on. It’s kind of like when summer turns to fall and then to winter and then to spring… we move on to the next season and in this case the next important cause.

Let’s do something a little different this time around. As National Cyber Security Month comes to a close, let’s work together to make it part of every season of the year. Let’s use the lessons learned, the new awareness we have to protect our information and selves online throughout the coming year and beyond. And, while we are at it, let’s keep raising awareness with those around us – our parents and kids, our aunts, uncles, and siblings, and our friends and colleagues.

Do your part with every click you make – think of these tips to protect your identity, your finances, and your privacy:

So, with every change in our seasons, help us spread the word by reminding your friends, loved ones, and colleagues of the basic tips listed above and on our safety site.

And at MySpace, we’re doing our part as well by building technical defenses that stop spammers and phishers from getting to you in the first place and by blocking them from taking you places you don’t want to go.  We’re also going after them using the power of the law and law enforcement.  Recently we won a $230 million judgment against some notorious spammers and worked with law enforcement to prosecute hackers and phishers.

For additional educational sites covering online security, visit the National Cyber Security Alliance, Department of Homeland Security and OnGuardOnline.

Online Safety and Back to School: How To’s and Don’t Do’s

At MySpace we recognize that parents are the first line of defense when protecting their teens and teaching them about online safety, security, and privacy. We also realize that in today’s cyber connected world, everyone can play an important part – parents, teachers, and social media companies like ours. And so, we’ve spent the past several years building education programs on our site and through our partnerships to help us advance that mission.

And now, as our teens get their back to school shopping done with new clothes, new pencils, new notebooks, and new cell phones, it’s time once again for parents to step up and re-embrace the role they have always had offline into their teens’ online worlds – and that is of teaching our kids to be tolerant and respectful and not to be the school cyber bully or cyber hater.

This role isn’t just for parents to embrace, teachers too must step up and embrace the same mission. In fact, Congress just recently passed a law requiring schools to teach online safety.

For most schools this means teaching their students the “don’t do’s”. Don’t talk to a stranger online, don’t meet someone in person you don’t already know, don’t post something you aren’t willing to share with the entire school.

And, here are just a few “don’t do’s” we’ve talked about:

You can read more of our tips online.

That said, we have an opportunity here that teachers and parents can embrace and that is to teach our teens the “how to’s”. How to text with respect, how to post photos that show the good in your friends, how to stop the spread of hurtful comments.

And, here are just a few “how to’s” to get us all started:

You can read more of our information for parents.

It’s a start and we can still teach the don’t do’s. But, when coupled with the how to’s, we will nurture our teens to know how to protect themselves, how to be empathetic towards their fellow students, and how to become leaders in the digital world.

The task is simple and the future for our teens is a bright one.

So, let’s join together to do our part to create a world of cyber students that embrace the don’t do’s and the how to’s to become responsible cyber citizens

Read this and other MySpace blogs in our new Press Room.

It’s All a Matter of Perspective

Recently, I was driving back from a weekend soccer tournament with my then 8 year old daughter. Not surprisingly, we hit Los Angeles freeway traffic much like every other Sunday night in the LA area when everyone is hurrying back from Santa Barbara, Las Vegas, San Diego, or San Francisco.

“Oh look, a candy cane,” announced a sleepy voice from the back seat.

I started to think my daughter, who had fallen asleep in the back seat, was going to show me a candy cane she found hidden away somewhere in her soccer backpack. Instead, she leaned forward and pointed straight ahead. I looked at all the billboards, but didn’t see any sweet red and white candy anywhere. I looked at the hills surrounding the freeway, still no sweetness anywhere.

A bit frustrated, my daughter said it again, “No, no, look at the cars – they look just like a candy cane, yummy!”

And there before me curving into the hills, intertwined in all the cars moving ahead of me with their red brake lights and all the cars coming towards me with their white head lights, was the sweet image of a red and white candy cane made of mint and sugar.

I smiled.

“See, I told you!” my daughter said with confidence, as she slowly leaned back and began to rest comfortably again.

I thought for a moment and suddenly the rush of traffic had turned into the peace of kids enjoying their favorite holiday candy.

It’s all a matter of perspective – just like when you think about approaching your teens about safety and privacy. In your mind, you might be wondering whether your child will think you’re intruding in their online space, so you decide not to say anything. But maybe that’s just your perspective – dividing up the online from the offline and treating them differently. We all have no problem teaching our teens about driving safely and not talking to strangers in the offline world. For kids and teens, it is just one world – no distinctions, no separation. So why not approach it from their perspective. They have let you guide them before, they will do it again.

Get empowered. Learn about our safety and privacy features and talk to your teens about some of the tools they can use to guard their privacy and be safer online.

Click here to learn more.

And remember, it’s all a matter of perspective.