General Session -  August 19, 2004

    Internet Safety

Our presenter was Mark McCoy from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (0SBI). His topic was Internet Security - a subject that is frequently in the news. Personal Computer users are vulnerable to all kinds of attacks. So it is important to be aware and have installed on your computer the necessary software that will prevent loss or compromise of your data.

Dr. McCoy spoke of privacy, frauds, scams, viruses, hackers and child safety all issues that can pose serious consequences. He shared with us his 10 tips for safe computing.

1.     Thou shall not create easy passwords

2.     Thou shall not maintain a browser cache

3.     Thou shall not enable file sharing

4.     Thou shall not preserve a history

5.     Thou shall not accept cookies from strangers

6.     Thou shall not talk to strangers without protection

7.     Surf anonymously, lest they information be laid bare

8.     Thou shall not surf without a firewall

9.     Thou shall not reveal information needlessly

10. Encrypt thy e-mail

Some of the above are more appropriate for business rather than individual computers users. However, if you maintain sensitive data on your computer you may want to consider his tips.

He finished his discussion with protecting children on the internet. There is an estimated 24 million children accessing the ‘net’ and 1 in 5 is victimized. The ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) Program was formed in Oklahoma in 1999. Designed to encourage communities to adopt a multidisciplinary, multi-jurisdictional response to this threat, the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program ensures that participating State and local law enforcement agencies can acquire the necessary knowledge, equipment, and personnel resources to prevent, interdict, or investigate ICAC offenses.

Policing in cyberspace presents new and unique challenges for American law enforcement. In cyberspace, traditional boundaries are ignored and the usual constraints of time, place, and distance lose their controlling influence. Because very few cases start and end within the same jurisdiction, nearly all ICAC investigations involve multiple jurisdictions and require extensive multi-agency collaboration. However, multi-agency collaboration is challenging. Federal, State, and local law enforcement organizations have legitimate, understandable concerns about initiating cases based on information that may have been gathered by other agencies. The OSBI participates in this program.

In summary, it was an excellent discussion. Dr. McCoy provided a lot of information on how we can protect ourselves and our children from being victimized.   

Mark R. McCoy, Ed.D. - Deputy Inspector, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI). Deputy Inspector McCoy has worked in the Investigative Division of the OSBI for almost nineteen years and is the supervisor of the OSBI Computer Crime Unit.  McCoy has a Masters degree in Forensic Science and a Doctorate in Occupational and Adult Education.  He is a member of the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialist (IACIS) and is a Certified Forensic Computer Examiner (CFCE).  Dr. McCoy is also an adjunct faculty member in the Criminal Justice Department at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Door Prize winners:

Naomi Robbins – Links 2003               

Velva Dokes – Flip Album 4.0