The Annual Report of Hotline.ie launched by Mr. Dermot Ahern, T.D., Minister for Justice and Law Reform today is now available at www.hotline.ie/report2010

ISPAI Hotline.ie EuroISPA event 11 am to 4 pm Carlton Hotel Dublin Airport. This seminar looks at evolving measures supposedly to deal more effectively with misuse of the Internet - including how ISPs deal with suspected illegal content - which may not improve matters but threaten to burden ISPs with costs which must be passed on to the customer.

Safer Internet Day 2010 which has the theme 'Think B4 U Post'. It is coordinated by INSAFE the press release is » here.

The goal is to help raise awareness of parents and children that once they post something on the Internet, the poster loses control of it. So we encourage children to just hesitate before posting an image on the Internet and think of the consequences. "If you're not comfortable with it - don't post it".

Hotline.ie representatives attended the tenth anniversary of INHOPE, the international association of Internet hotlines, which was celebrated at the network's General Assembly held in Brussels from November 3-5. Hotline.ie is a member of INHOPE.
Through INHOPE images of child sexual abuse verified by one member hotline can be notified directly to another INHOPE hotline in the jurisdiction where that content appears to be hosted. This allows for swift action to be taken across borders to have the illegal content removed quickly and law enforcement notified so they may initiate criminal investigations.
Ruben Rodriguez, President of INHOPE and Director of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) opened the meeting pointing to “the great strides” the organisation has taken in the last few years. He said: “We have grown to 36 Hotlines from 31 different countries both in Europe and around the world. We have dramatically increased our outreach to industry and to law enforcement enabling us to develop collaborative projects and initiatives which in turn have increased our ability to remove child sex abuse images from the Internet”.
During the conference a second Czech hotline ,CZI, was admitted as a provisional member. The Luxembourg Lisa hotline was granted full membership.

Safer Internet Ireland partner NCTE and Irish Council for Civil Liberties have jointly developed the “Think B4U Click” resource for the Junior Certificate CSPE curriculum. Hotline.ie actively supports the need for children to guard their privacy, to be aware of the issues facing them when using the Internet and know that appropriate behaviour is at the core of safer Internet use.
» See “Think B4U Click” here.

Today the ISPAI published the annual report of Hotline.ie. It was launched by Mr. Dermot Ahern T.D., Minister for Justice, at an event held in Dublin this afternoon. The report summarises findings and actions resulting from complaints received from the public during 2008 about illegal content found on the Internet.
» the full report is available here.

INHOPE, the international network of hotlines, is ten years old. Through INHOPE images of child sexual abuse verified by one member hotline can be notified directly to another INHOPE hotline in the jurisdiction where that content appears to be hosted. This allows for swift action to be taken across borders to have the illegal content removed quickly and law enforcement notified so they may initiate criminal investigations.

We are delighted to welcome three new hotlines, two from Russia and one from South Africa, into the INHOPE network of international hotlines.
The expansion of the network to 35 Hotlines in 31 countries around the globe increases the ability of Hotline.ie to contact an organisation in any one of those countries which will request the relevant authorities to take steps to have child abuse images removed from the Internet.
At a special session convened in Luxembourg INHOPE welcomed the three new Members - the Film Publication Board (FPB)
from South Africa, the Friendly Runet Foundation and the National
Internet-Safety Node in Russia and commended their joining the network in the fight to stop the dissemination of illegal content.
Richard Swetenham of the Safer Internet Programme in the European Commission commented "I am delighted that new Hotlines from Russia and South Africa have joined the INHOPE Association. Fighting the distribution of child abuse images is a global task. Hotlines make a significant contribution to this. It is an important step forward, extending INHOPE's geographical coverage in Europe and, for the first time, in Africa."
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Don’t be duped by Internet scams offering such work opportunities.

Recently spam e-mails offering attractive earning possibilities have been on the increase. They sound really too good to be true – and that’s just what they are!

While there are countless genuine job opportunities on the Internet, you have to go and find them or use well known recruitment services. Be suspicious of jobs that miraculously find you!

These spam e-mails are a new version of “phishing”, where criminals try to trick you in to giving them your personal details. However, there are simple ways to spot these and protect your personal details from crimnal use.

Phishing is just the Internet version of the old "confidence trick". They offer something that seems a good oppportunity or bargain. Over a number of e-mail exchanges (and possibly phone calls) they ask you to provide information that appears to support and confirm their offer. When you show interest, they first ask for fairly innocent details such as name, address, qualifications and a contact phone number. If supplied, they then ask for your CV and maybe to respond to some questions. Once they believe they have gained your confidence they give “plausible reasons” (such as to set up salary and commission transfers to you) as to why they need your bank account details, PPS number, etc. If you are duped, you have just given criminals all the information they need to steal your identity for use in all sorts of fraudulent activities.

Tips:

• Check out thoroughly any unsolicited “job opportunities” you receive by e-mail.
  
• Genuine companies will have business contact details that can be cross-referenced from sources not supplied to you by the sender of the e-mail (e.g. telephone directory).
  
• The e-mails often use links to websites to support their claims, even if it appears to be a well known company - check that it really is their site.
  
• Is the phone number given in the e-mail or website different? You can always call the main company number given in a phone book and ask for the person who supposedly sent the email. (Don’t be surprised when they say “nobody of that name works here”!).
  
• Genuine companies are probably going to interview you for a job where you represent them, so alarm bells should ring if a job is given too easily.
  
• Never give your bank or credit card PINs nor give logon number, password or PIN for your Internet banking access, these are NEVER needed by a company to transfer money to you.
  
• Never sign vague “employment contracts” with a company that you can not properly verify and then send it by fax or scanned document returned by e-mail. You may simply be giving your signature to criminals to forge your identity on fraudulent transactions.
  

The European Economic and Social Committee is holding an event in Brussels on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009. Expert panelists will present and discuss their on-going work on this issue at various levels across and beyond the EU. ISPAI & Hotline.ie General Manager, Paul Durrant, will be speaking on actions that the European ISP Association is promoting to improve decisive action against illegal content being stored and distributed on the Internet. » more information here

Safer Internet Day is celebrated on February 10th in Ireland and across the European Union to promote the safer and more responsible use of the Internet and online technologies, particularly for children and young people.

The Safer Internet Day event is a global drive that aims to educate people using the Internet about the potential risks they might encounter while online and how to deal with them. The programme is organised by European internet safety network (INSAFE) and co-funded by the European Commission’s Safer Internet Programme.

As is the tradition, the celebrations will include local, national, and international events organised by a broad variety of organisations ranging from schools and youth clubs to industry, civil society and local and national government agencies. The aim is to bring together relevant public and private stakeholders, in as many countries as possible, to raise awareness about safe and responsible use of new technologies especially among children and young people.

What you can do?

There are numerous possibilities for your participation, from displaying the Safer Internet Day banner on your website to organising an event of your own.

Schools, organisations, government agencies, businesses and all those concerned in promoting responsible use of today’s information and communication tools are invited to join Safer Internet Day in Ireland.

What we are doing?

The Hotline.ie service together with the Office for Internet Safety, the National Centre for Technology in Education, the National Parents Council (Primary), and Childline will host a joint Safer Internet Day event in Dublin to launch a TV and online awareness raising campaign focusing on the issue of cyberbullying.

An online quiz quest competition for young people aged 10 to 15 years on both internet safety and different aspects of European culture is currently running; you can » register for the quiz here. A prize giving ceremony will take on 10th February 2009.

"Mobile phones: A parent's guide to safe and sensible use" has been published by ICIA which includes ISPAI members O2, Meteor, 3 and Vodafone. The booklet is a comprehensive guide for parent's to help their children keep safe while enjoying the benefits of their mobile phone. A full version of the publication is available » here (pdf 1.4 Mb)

EU adopts new Safer Internet Programme: € 55 million to make the Internet a safer place for children

The EU will have a new Safer Internet Programme as of 1 January 2009. Following the overwhelmingly positive vote on 23 October in which the European Parliament expressed its support for the new Safer Internet Programme (IP/08/1571), the Council of Ministers has adopted today the new Programme.

The new Safer Internet Programme covering the period 2009-2013 had been proposed by the European Commission on 28 February 2008 (IP/08/310) to protect children in the ever more sophisticated online world and empower them to safely use web services like social networking, blogging and instant messaging.

While 75% of children (aged between 6 and 17 years) are already online and 50% of 10-year-olds have a mobile phone, a new Eurobarometer survey published today shows that 60% of European parents are worried that their child might become a victim of online grooming (when an adult befriends a child with the intention of committing sexual abuse) and 54% that their children could be bullied online (harassed on internet sites or via mobile messages). The new Safer Internet Programme will fight grooming and bullying by making online software and mobile technologies more sophisticated and secure. From 2009-2013, the EU will spend € 55 million to make the Internet a safer place.

"Children today dive into the world of internet and mobile technologies very early and often become fully-fledged technology-savvy, web-surfing teenagers. Because these technologies help them study and give them exciting new ways to socialise with others, they are often faster to use them than their parents. We need to make sure that whenever they use online or mobile services, they can recognise potential risks and deal with them," said Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media. "I am glad that the Parliament and Council agreed to the Commission proposal so quickly, allowing us to respond to parents' very natural concerns and make sure Europe is a safe place for children to explore new technologies."

The Safer Internet Programme, for the period 2009-2013 was adopted today by the Council of Ministers and builds on the successes of its predecessor which covered the period 2005-2008.

The proposed new programme will co-fund projects to:

Increase public awareness: empower young people, their parents and teachers to make responsible choices online by advising them on relevant precautions to take.
Provide the public with a network of contact points that could be reached either via a website or a phone number, for reporting illegal and harmful content and conduct, in particular on child sexual abuse material, grooming and cyber bullying.
Foster self-regulatory initiatives in this field and involve children in creating a safer online environment.
Establish a knowledge base on new trends in the use of online technologies and their consequences for children's lives by bringing together at European level technical, psychological and sociological expertise.
The € 55 million budget for the new Safer Internet Programme will be distributed as follows: 48% should serve to raise public awareness, 34% to fight against illegal content and tackle harmful conduct online, 10% to promote a safer online environment and 8% to establish a knowledge base.

According to a new Eurobarometer survey conducted in all EU Member States, 75% of children aged from 6 to 17 years already use the Internet – a trend which continues to grow. Half of the parents who did not use Internet themselves said that their child had online access.

At least half of the parents stated that they talk to their children about their online activities. In addition, they take precautionary measures such as not allowing their children to disclose personal information online (92%) or to talk to people they do not know (83%).

59% of parents declared that they use filtering or monitoring software. Parents who do not use filtering tools say they trust their children (64%) or did not know how to access or use them (14%). The SIP Bench study on filtering tools recently published by the Commission shows that overall tools have improved over the last three years and have become easier to install.

The new Eurobarometer survey "Towards a safer use of the Internet for children in the EU – a parents' perspective" is available:
» by clicking here.

For more information on the Safer Internet Programme
» click here

CARI Conference     
Date: 10th October 08
Venue: Carlton Hotel, Dublin Airport.          

CARI is Ireland’s specialist provider of psychotherapy to children, families and groups affected by child sexual abuse. This year's one day conference examines the issue of paedophiles using the Internet to assist them gain access to children who they wish to exploit for sexual purposes. It will attempt to examine the scale of the problem and how it may be best addressed to better protect children.
» Click here for conference details.

Today ISPAI and ACMA are delighted to reveal the successful international hotline, ISP industry and police cooperation that led to the termination of a network of related illegal websites selling child abuse imagery on the Internet. The power of the public to instigate action was clearly shown when a single report received in Ireland resulted in this decisive action in Australia. » Read full press release here.

A set of spam emails are currently doing the rounds that have an email title that reads like a sensationalist news headline – celebrities dying, world war declared etc. When opened these messages will contain a link that suggests it goes to the news site so that you can find out more about this story. Some of the links don’t work at all, but the ones that do will try to download viruses, spyware and all other sorts of nasties onto your computer. These are files are mostly masquerading as updates to Flash or similar systems and will present themselves as a .exe file.

Hotline recommends that you simply delete these emails without opening them and if you do open them, don’t click the link. If you are left wondering if the news story hinted at in the email is true, then go to a reputable news source to check.

Hotline's 5th report covers January to December 2007 and provides an up to date insight into the current situation regarding Ireland's fight against the distribution of child pornography on the Internet.
 
The report » (click here to view the report) features detailed statistics and analysis of this issue along with information relating to other illegal content on the Internet, including illegal spam, financial scams, racism, and incitement to violence. The PDF version of the report can be downloaded from » here.

Press release announcing the official publication of Hotline's 5th report. To access the press release click » here.

The Internet Service Providers Association of Ireland (ISPAI) invites you to the launch of the 5th Report of the Hotline.ie service by Mr. Dermot Ahern T.D., Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, at Buswells Hotel (Georgian Suite), this Tuesday 22nd July at 1pm.

The event will provide an insight into the current situation regarding Ireland’s fight against the distribution of child pornography on the Internet. The report features detailed statistics and analysis of this issue along with information relating to other illegal content on the Internet, including illegal spam, financial scams, racism, and incitement to violence.

WHAT: Launch of the 5th Report of Hotline.ie
WHO: Mr. Dermot Ahern T.D. and Paul Durrant, General Manager, ISPAI
WHERE: Buswells Hotel (Georgian Suite) Molesworth Street, Dublin 2
WHEN: 1.00pm, Tuesday 22nd July 2008

For further information please contact:

E-mail: events@hotline.ie
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ISPAI Hotline.ie
24 Sandyford Office Park, Sandyford, Dublin 18, IRELAND
Tel: +353 1 294 5280 Fax: +353 1 294 5282
Web: www.hotline.ie

Don’t get netted by online phishing

According to technology news source SiliconRepublic.com, Internet “phishing” scams are “at an all time high”. “Phishing” is an attempt to fraudulently acquire sensitive data from individuals or organisations. It is most commonly carried out via email with criminals often pretending to represent a trusted company or government authority. The email asks the user to provide sensitive information like bank details, pin numbers, usernames and passwords or other personal information. People who receive the emails may often respond because they believe that the email has come from a trusted source. It is a favourite trick of scammers who send phishing emails to make them appear to have come from a bank, asking customers to confirm details like usernames, passwords etc. Most of these emails include a link to a dummy website which can look just like the company’s real website, where customers can input the requested data online.

Irish banks have already issued a number of public warnings this year for different attacks aimed at its customers. Fortunately Irish banks take these matters extremely seriously and are always making an effort to make their sites more secure and to educate customers about phishing emails. As a result of actions like this the public seems to be growing more alert and wary of phishing attempts. However, as public awareness grows, so too does the sophistication of the scammers and criminals, who employ ever more sophisticated techniques to try and get you to reveal your personal information. So how do you try to protect yourself against these attacks?

Do not open unsolicited or suspicious emails or other spam. Just delete them. If they are not trying to get something off you then chances are they are trying to give you something like a virus.

Never give out bank or credit card details via email, even one claiming to be from your bank. Irish banks NEVER ask you to provide sensitive information like this via email.

Never give out financial information, bank or credit card details or send/transfer money to someone you don’t know and trust. Take great care when shopping online. Only shop from trusted sources, and always read the terms and conditions.

If something sounds too good to be true – then it probably is! If you get an email telling you that you have inherited a fortune, won a lottery you never entered, or that Bill Gates has chosen you to receive €50,000, then they are most likely fraudulent. Look closely, nearly all of them will ask you to provide personal information, bank details, or money. Never send any money or pay any fee to claim a prize or lottery winnings.

Never, ever post your personal details in a public space. This is a particular concern when considering children and teenagers using the net, but adults do it too. For sites where you need to enter personal details like address and phone number, check to see what sort of privacy and security measures the site is using to protect your data.

Use your common sense. Remember that not everyone is trustworthy and if something seems unlikely or suspicious then it probably is.

NEVER agree to offers or deals straight away. Tell the person that you are interested or that you want to get some advice first.

ALWAYS get independent advice if an offer involves significant money, time or commitment.

Check your bank account and credit card statements when you get them. If you see a transaction you cannot explain, report it to your credit union or bank.

28/05/08 – Hotline network welcomes new members

The hotline network INHOPE has again been strengthened as three new members join. The new members are from Latvia, Cyprus, and Lithuania. This is the first member hotline from both Latvia and Lithuania, and the second member hotline from Cyprus. This means that there are now 33 hotlines in 29 countries fighting to make the internet a safer place for all users.

The Cyprus Neuroscience and Technology Institute have been operating since 2006 and they operate the SafeNetCY Hotline. In Latvia, the Secretariat of Special Assignments, Minister for Electronic Government Affairs has been operating the Latvian Hotline since July 2007. In Lithuania the Safer Internet LT Hotline is operated by the Communications Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Lithuania (RRT) and has been in existence since July 2007.

This growing network of hotlines is excellent news not only for other hotlines but for every user of the internet, especially in member countries. Now more people than ever have a way to report any illegal content they may encounter on the internet, securely and anonymously. And with the increase in member hotlines, it is easier than ever for confirmed reports of illegal material to be acted upon swiftly and effectively, making the online world a much more pleasant place to be.

Location: St. Anne’s Resource Centre, Shankill, Co. Dublin
Time: 8.00 p.m. Tuesday 15^th April 2008

St. Anne’s School, Scoil Mhuire and Rathmichael NS invite local parents to a presentation by ISPAI Hotline to discuss the dangers that Internet users, especially children, might encounter online. It will assist parents with techniques to better protect their children by applying practical safety measures and using filtering and security software. It will explain how action is taken against illegal material and how they can report it to the hotline.ie service or to An Garda Síochána.

(Directions: Heading south on N11 at Loughlinstown Roundabout take first left [signposted Shankill]. Go about 500 metres, see ESSO station on right side. The venue is almost directly opposite, on left side of road).

Make sure you keep control of your social network profile.
In recent months the Hotline has seen children have their social networking profile taken over by someone else. The profile thief then reveals private details or embarrassing events to bully the victim. They change the password so the real owner can't get back in to undo the false remarks. Worse, the bully starts placing comments on friends' profiles to try to make the victim's friends fall out with them. Ensure your children do not fall victim to "profile theft" bullying. Teach them:

Never give anyone your profile password.
Always use a strong password that can't be guessed. (Don't use your pet's name or your favourite band!!)
Tell your parents if somebody has taken over your profile.
Report it with your parents using the abuse button on the profile. State exactly what has happened in the description box that will appear.

Location: Buswell's Hotel (Georgian Suite), Molesworth St. Dublin 2

The new hotline.ie website was officially launched by Mr. John Laffan, Executive Director, Office for Internet Safety, Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, standing in for the Minister for Justice who was unavoidably diverted by events of the day in the Dail. For more information » click here.

The main objectives of Safer Internet Day are to raise awareness of Internet safety measures among Internet Users and to promote Safer Internet. The Hotline fully supports this yearly event which is coordinated by the » Insafe Project of the European Commission Safer Internet Programme and marked by activities in each EU state organised by National Awareness Nodes. The National Awareness Node for Ireland is called » "Webwise" and is run by the National Centre for Technology in Education » NCTE.

While this is just one day, safety of children using Internet facilities provided by » ISPAI members is of year-round concern to us. ISPAI runs and staffs this Hotline facility, contributes funds to the » INHOPE Association and provides Internet safety seminars to Industry or community groups nation-wide. ISPAI members financially support these essential activities. So please buy your Internet services from an ISPAI member.

The Government's Internet Advisory Board (IAB), of which ISPAI and www.hotline.ie are members, has published a new booklet "Get With IT - A Parents' Guide to Filtering Technologies" and an updated version of "Get With IT - A Parents' Guide to New Media".

They may be downloaded from the » IAB website.

These booklets explain Internet technologies in simple terms. They are intended to help parents understand the technologies their children are using for entertainment, communicating and obtaining information. The booklet concentrating on filtering systems describes why you should use these software packages and services to help protect your children from obtaining content that you regard as unsuitable for them.

If your children use the Internet and you feel they know more about it than you do - these two publications are well worth taking the time out to read.

The ISPAI www.hotline.ie service would like to warn users about a new wave of spam e-mail. These try to trick you into downloading a Trojan virus which gives control of your computer to spammers.

The spam e-mail looks similar to the example shown » HERE.

However, they change the name of the company and account log-on details regularly. So, it may look different in a spam you might get.

If you click on the link given in the e-mail, it brings you to a web site where the virus is stored. Do not be fooled; do not risk infecting your computer.

BE ALERT and DO NOT CLICK on links in e-mails from unknown sources.

More and more people are using online payment services such as internet banking. These services are secure but there are criminals who are trying to trick you to obtain your personal credit card and bank account details (PINs, passwords, etc.), so they can gain access to your accounts. This is called “phishing”.

Be aware of emails purporting to come from your bank and asking to confirm your account details. Never follow links provided in these phishing emails and never send reply messages.Remember: your bank will never ask you to confirm all of your banking details online.

You may report phishing spams to the Hotline using our » online form.

If you are in any doubt that a message may be really from your bank DON`T respond online but telephone your bank branch first!

This public consultation will run until 7th. June 2007.

Public Consultation - Safer Internet and online technologies for children The Commission has launched a public consultation to identify the most effective ways of making the online environment and communication technologies safe for users, in particular children. The current Safer Internet plus programme will end in 2008 and the Commission is conducting this consultation for creating a basis for deciding whether to propose a follow-up programme from 2009 to 2013 and how best to address issues relating to online technologies in the future. The deadline for contributions is 07/06/2007.

For more information about this consultation and how you can submit your opinion, please go » HERE.

This report describes the work of the Hotline and analyses results of reports made by the public in the 12 months to 31st. December 2006.
The full report is published online and and may be found at » report2006.

Don't be fooled by fraudulent e-mails "phishing" for your personal or financial information.

Recently, customers of Irish banks that provide online banking services have been the target of email scams. The criminals behind these "phishing" scams are trying to fool online banking users in to divulging their PINs and other account details. Don't become a victim. No matter how convincing either the email or the website to which it brings you may look, don't be fooled, your bank will never ask you to provide complete personal account details and PINs together. (Remember, your bank already has these details, after all didn't they give you the account numbers and PINs in the first place? So they don't need to ask you !! (Only criminals, trying to use the money in your account need such details).

IF YOU ARE EVER UNSURE ABOUT AN EMAIL COMMUNICATION THAT APPEARS TO BE FROM YOUR BANK - TELEPHONE YOUR BANK'S CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE AND CHECK IT OUT.

To help you to identify these scams so you can keep your information safe from Internet fraudsters, EuroISPA (supported by eBay) has produced the website » here. The site gives clear descriptions to assist you recognise and deal with these scams. The Internet Service Providers Association of Ireland which runs the www.hotline.ie service is a EuroISPA member.

The free public information service "Europe Direct" now provides answers to questions parents, teachers and children may have about safer use of the Internet and online technologies. For more information see the press release » here.

Contact Europe Direct at FreePhone 00800 6 7 8 9 10 11 or enter your question using this » HERE.

If you or your children have encountered or been the target of inappropriate or offensive content on a social networking website and wish to make a complaint, please first read the options you have for taking action on » www.webwise.ie.

The Hotline service and the International channels through which it operates, deal specifically with Internet content that has been assessed as illegal under criminal law by the Hotline's Analysts. Only if you think that the content you encountered is of such a serious nature that you suspect it may be illegal should you use the » online reporting form on www.hotline.ie website. For more information on what may actually constitute illegal content, click » here.

New booklets published by Internet Advisory Board.

IAB launches "Get With IT", a parent's guide to new media. This free Internet Advisory Board booklet aims to assist parents to understand the new technologies now used by children ranging from games consoles to the Internet and Mobile phones to digital/satellite television. It provides simple facts about the usage and benefits of these technologies, and the issues that can sometimes arise due to their use. It also outlines basic precautions that should be taken to help protect children. Click on the "Get With IT" image for more information and to get your copy.