Author name: Jenny Nicole

Cell Phone Tracking, Employee Monitoring

How Careful Are You While Sharing Your Credit Card Information?

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It only requires few minutes for a skilled hacker to rip you off of your hard earned money from your bank accounts. It all starts with them getting into the vulnerable security systems on your phones and computers. Meanwhile, on a larger scale, international organization of criminals from around the globe work mutually and anonymously to perform a simultaneous attack. IT businesses suffer mighty losses when data leakages of their customer’s credit card information occur. Unfortunately, these firms are susceptible to both—hackers and their own employees—who have access to customer credit card details. So my question is, have you ever really thought twice before sharing your credit card information with an apparently legit party? How is a Scam Executed? In 2012, hackers withdrew $40 million dollars simultaneously from 26 countries. This is how they did it: Obtained credit card passwords from one of the largest bank in Muscat. Changed the pin code and credit limit on the cards. Hackers around the world were communicated and hired using these credit card numbers. Teams were set up and magnetic strip information was distributed. Blank credit cards were purchased. Gangs went to work withdrawing money from every ATM machine that they came across. A grand total of 36000 ATMS were robbed that day. Contemporary Ways to Steal Credit Card Information If that wasn’t enough, here are a few modern ways in which your credit card information can be stolen at an individual level: Skimmers are small devices that your local waiters carry in their aprons. While you are cherishing the final crumbs of that orgasmic strawberry tart, your credit card information is already stolen. A fail in employee monitoring from these restaurants? Maybe so. Credit card readers are replaced with a custom reader that can gather credit card data, every time a card is swiped. The hackers would come back any time soon and retrieve their modified device. Bluetooth skimmers that can send signals to nearby devices. Usually installed to credit card readers on petrol pumps, late night when the only petrol attendant is probably sleeping. One of your employees might be involved in stealing credit card numbers of the customers. This usually takes place when the credit information is shared to the employees during a product sale. What Can Be Done? Ask your bank to inform you of all your transactions through mobile alerts. The collateral damage can be minimized by taking the right measures. Ensure that employees don’t cross the lines by keeping a check on their activities. An employee monitoring app will suffice the purpose. Avoid making transactions from public computers and always remember to log out. If any fraud takes place, contact the local law enforcing body. You can also contact any good credit rating agency.

Cell Phone Tracking, Child Monitoring

The Truth Behind a Teen’s Browsing Habits

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Is your teenager showing some promiscuous behavior lately? Do they spend too much time scrolling through pages on their smartphone? If so, then there is a statutory need for some level of mediation to your child’s activities. These days, the average age at which a child gets his first cell phone is between 12 and 13 years. And it is very evident that internet has brought access to pornography at every person’s ease. (https://driventheatre.com/) One of the parenting failures then, is not able to revoke your child from accessing adult websites, mostly because they are unaware about what their children are browsing. Risks of Youth Pornography Teens with too much exposure to sexual content tend to face numerous problems: The likelihood of teenage pregnancy is twice for those viewing sexual content on the internet. Frequent sessions of pornography can result in feeling of alienation and severe depression. They can suffer from disorientation during this development phase which can adversely affect their sexual beliefs and morals. Media caffeine elucidates some stats about youth and pornography… Choosing a Course of Action Asking for your child’s phone to peer into his browsing history can bring a negative impact to your parenting… mostly because your child may not want to show you their phone. Or they’d delete all the shady stuff before you can look at it. So a more viable solution is: To have a parental control app that can remotely access your child’s browsing history, saving the trouble of your child’s aggression that he is being watched. Let your children know that you can access their phone remotely so that they get conscious of what they are browsing. It is important to understand your child’s attitude and then to choose either an active or passive response. Because these aren’t the only threats. This sort of negligence is what further grooms and develops into cybercrimes. Many of these websites require credit card passwords that are not trustworthy and hackers have their eyes on these loopholes. Take the case of Simon Bunce who was recently arrested after his credit card password was stolen and used for child pornography. Protect Your Child! There is a pertinent need for reliable parental control to ensure your child’s safety. You need an app that allows for cloud access to a phone’s browsing history. The option to remotely control certain features of your child’s smartphone, like locking the phone when you suspect they are up to no good is a pretty handy tool for any parent. It’s all part of being a more proactive eParent.

Child Monitoring

Teaching Your Kids to be a Good Digital Citizen

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It’s about time parents start integrating digital upbringing into their child’s ‘normal’ upbringing as well. You know how people say that a parent’s role in a child’s life effects their career prospects in later life? Or how a parent’s involvement in school makes a kid study better? I believe the same principle applies to a child’s digital life. You do teach your children the etiquette of conducting themselves in social settings when they’re growing up, right? The duty of teaching them the etiquette of cyber settings falls on your shoulders, too! And I’ve said before—a child’s life behind the phone isn’t much different from their life in front of it. Use your best judgment. And follow some of these basic rules. Anatomy of a Good Digital Citizen Here’s is an infographic by Common Sense Media that is as simple as it is effective… For starters, every parent can teach their kids these basic ideas… Be respectful of everyone’s opinion on the internet Stand up for yourself and others Don’t give away your personal information to strangers Don’t overuse your mobile devices Normal Etiquette vs. Digital Etiquette I understand that technology and mobile phones are not every parent’s strong suit. So let me put for you in a way that you understand. All you need to do is translate everyday etiquette into digital ones. Here is a helpful chart from ISTE… What I’m really saying is that bringing up a digitally responsible citizen is entirely in your hands. Once parents start giving as much important to the cyber-verse as the offline world, we might see problems like cyber-bullying start to dwindle down.

Cell Phone Tracking, Employee Monitoring

Learning to Protect Data the Hard Way: A Business Owner’s Tale

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The recent Sony hack is the finest example of the fact that not even corporations with all their finest resources are safe from cyber-attacks. Granted that in this particular case, the hackers were a third party, you’ll find that most data breaches or leakages are insider jobs. Take Microsoft for example, who had their trade secrets sold to a French blogger by a former employee. Or just this week, P&G sued 4 former employees for selling trade secrets to ShaveLogic. And now, one of our own users experienced espionage the hard way. Here is his story in his own words… I believe in taking chances, and my entire team consists of people that needed exactly this—for someone to take a chance on them. I trust my employees to do their best because I handpicked them when I started my company 3 years ago. When most startups of my kind would have failed by now, mine is doing pretty swell. Except a few months ago when it wasn’t. Not very long ago, we started to get a run for our money from a new entrant. And apparently, they were already starting to get a pretty good chunk of the market share, too. So I had to call a meeting to really dissect what was making the company get so popular so quickly when it took me 3 years to get to that point. And that’s when we began to see the patterns. They had a pretty similar marketing idea to ours. Eerily similar. Only difference? We didn’t even have the chance to execute the idea yet! You heard that right. The rival company had stolen a plan that was still in the works. A plan that was completely unique to us, and one that my team had come up with after months of deliberation. It’s almost like our rivals had someone give them our plans on a silver platter. And it occurred to me, that this was exactly what had happened. I had to be sure, or way more damage would be caused. I had employee monitoring software installed on the phones I had issued to everyone. I spent nearly 6 hours relentlessly going through the data I obtained from the software to see who could’ve been outing our marketing plans. And I found the answer in the very last person I would’ve thought to check—my own personal assistant. I found on his phone photos upon photos of contracts and plans. Emails sharing spreadsheets, minutes from our strategic meetings with the rivals. Our operations schedule defining what phases we’d take or when we’d execute plans… everything our rivals would need to stay one step ahead. And this came from a person that had been with me from the very first day of my venture, someone I had taken a chance on without evaluating the risks. Obviously, I’ve fired him now… and filed a lawsuit. My advice to everyone reading—don’t go down my road. It sounds idealistic to take chances and believe in people and imagine they’d do the best for you. But it’s downright foolish to do so without employee surveillance. That’s just how the world of business works. I learnt this the hard way. Does your story need to be heard? Contact us or leave a comment below!

Cell Phone Tracking, Child Monitoring, Cyberbullying, Tips

Your Child, and the Stranger With No Name

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A lot of internet forums that your child goes to has the option to participate anonymously. In a sense, that’s pretty good because at least it protects privacy. On the other hand—anonymity takes away responsibility. Anonymity on the internet means strangers have the license to be mean, obscene, threatening, and frightening without consequences. Online anonymity means that your child talks to strangers with no name. What is Anonymity on the Internet? Online forums, or certain social media platforms, or comment sections under creative content has the option for people to participate without using their actual name. They could be using a false identity, an alias, or no name at all. And under this guise of anonymity, they can wreak havoc. Take Ask.fm for example. In concept, it is a social media platform that allows people to ask each other questions. These questions can be asked anonymously, and needless to say, trolling ensues. And it is bad enough to drive 16-year-old Jessica Laney to hang herself after trolls told her she should die. She also talked of struggles on the page with the anons… And it is quite difficult to pinpoint who her true aggressors were because of the utter lack of transparency. It’s why people have turned to blaming the platform itself perhaps. Why Talk to Anon? Anonymous posting is quite common in interest based communities, or fandoms. You child may start talking to an anon to discuss their favorite televisions show, or books, or a movie. Prolonged contact could lead them to share personal details. Teenagers need someone to vent to, and venting to anons is quite the cleanse if you think about it—because they are under a guise, there are apparently no consequences. But the trouble is, the stranger with no name could be anyone under the son. They could be fellow teenagers. They could be bullies. Or they could be predators. In any case, mean or disturbing comments from a stranger with no name does take a toll on their wellbeing. And a lot of kids still don’t know how to come forward and explain that they are being bullied by an anonymous stranger on the internet—because to a parent, it sounds silly or absurd. What Needs to be Done By definition of anonymity, you wouldn’t know who these anons are. And your kids might not know the best way to tell you who is bullying them either. So, what can you do as a parent? First of all, understand that online anonymity gives way for trolling. When people take on anon, they let down all their inhibitions, so they are as unfiltered and as awful as they well please. When your child is at the receiving end of their tact, of course they would be upset. Bottom line—anons are proper bullies, even if they have no name. Take them seriously. Secondly, start monitoring their phones and internet activity. Point out the places (communities, fandoms, IM groups) the frequent and see what their commenting policies are like. Thoroughly check them for malicious anons. Finally, report any bullying you point out to the platform or website in question. Most social media platforms will have policies to keep their websites safe from cyberbullying. Be proactive in their online lives, and come up to speed with how they use the internet. Of course, we’ll be here to help you and guide you along the way.

Employee Monitoring, Mobile Phone Spy

What is the Financial Cost of Cyber Crime?

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Black market in the cyberverse makes more money than illegal drug trade. Now there’s a fact that puts things in perspective, isn’t it? I don’t think a lot of small businesses realize that when it comes to online fraud, they’ve got just as much of a target on their backs as corporations. With this blog, we’ve tried to educate parents on how they can avoid online scams and explained to employers how they can make sure they don’t fall prey to espionage. This has all been to help you manage risk and minimize losses. But putting it in numbers gives a much clearer picture, so here goes: the financial cost of cybercrime on the economy is nearly $445 billion per year. That’s how much you’re losing to online phishing, malware, identity and other cyber-attacks. Need more facts? HP conducted a study to estimate financial cost of put all data found into this infographic… What interested me in HP’s study was the fact that a significant amount of the loss statistic comes from malevolent insiders. A company’s own employee might be laundering all this data to Secure a spot in a rival company Start their own business Spite the management because of differences Which just goes to show how important employee monitoring is even today. In a previous blog, we discussed how employers feel that monitoring and autonomy juxtapose each other. And yet, these studies continue to prove that when any and all business operations have gone digital, employee monitoring is more important than ever.

Cell Phone Tracking, Child Monitoring

How to Use Parental Controls to Protect Your Kid from Bullying

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I believe so far in this blog, we’ve talked to you about how you can use parental controls as a way to check for cyberbullying on your child’s phone. And some parents pointed out to us that just because cyberbullying has increased, doesn’t mean that bullying in schools has disappeared. And they’re absolutely correct. I have always mentioned, albeit not in so many words, that cyberbullying and bullying in schools are not mutually exclusive. They coexist and complement each other. Bullying in schools transcends into the cyberverse. Kids are pretty well connected on social media, so the teasing and name-calling that happens in schools finds its way on Facebook walls, and WhatsApp text messages. It should’ve been enough that strangers on the internet like to be mean. But then people from their own peer groups come forward and make their lives even worse. Take a look at this infographic from Rossier… Keeping in mind that school bullying coexists with cyberbullying, here is what we suggest parents do: Obviously, keep the communication channel open between you and your child. Encourage them to inform you about anything bad or upsetting that happens in school. Many teenagers feel embarrassed to talk about being bullied—or they simply don’t want a target on their back by tattling. This is where a parental control comes in handy. Remember, you’re not just monitoring their phones to get them in trouble. You’re monitoring them to see if they are in trouble as well. Know what matters to interfere in and where to step back. Here’s a handy guide to help you out. Sometimes, you’ll find that your child might not be bullied—but they’d be the bully instead. Here is what you need to do in that case. If you find hurtful, abusive, or downright harassing messages on your child’s phone from another student, take it to the school right away. Make a habit of regularly checking through your child’s phone and communicating with them. Parental controls take care of your kids digitally, and in person. Because your child’s digital life is not isolated from their physical lives. Sure they’ll be things you don’t understand in the digital world, but don’t treat them separately—because now digital upbringing is an integral part of… well, upbringing.

Employee Monitoring

10 Reasons You Need an Employee Management Tool

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A lot of people ask me if employee monitoring is as important in this progressive business movement where autonomy is the hymn of the whistlers and engagement is their mantra. To that I say—absolutely, a sophisticated employee monitoring tool is probably more important in this time than it ever was. Managers now need a non-intrusive way to do their job.  Especially now when a lot of jobs are outbound. They need to give the employees their space, but they also need to see if they are not getting away with too much. Because let’s face it,  while we all agree that workers turn away from an all-supreme authority in the office, they won’t be their best if there is a complete absence of one. RAM, a vehicle training specialist posted the following infographic explaining all the extra liberties employees take when a manager is not around… When your employees are on the move, you have every reason to consider an employee monitoring tool. Not only will it help your business minimize losses, it will also help you separate the good employee from the bad. Monitoring does not have to mean breathing down necks or constantly looking over shoulders. But it must mean being vigilant and doing what is best for the business. Compromising monitoring to allow for autonomy won’t be your best call… there has to be a delicate balance. And an employee monitoring tool provides that. Recommended For You: Safety Tips for Kids Who Cannot Have Enough of Pokémon Go XNSPY Helped Me Build Trust With My Child Times When XNSPY Comes to the Rescue of a Single Father to a 16-Year-Old

Cell Phone Tracking, Child Monitoring

A Few Eye-Opening Stats for the eParent in Training

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Kids know way more about smartphones and tablets than their parents do, and that’s exactly the problem. Parents that didn’t jump the internet bandwagon as it began so naturally, they struggle to understand the true nature of platforms like social media. As a result, most parents find themselves playing catchup, so teaching internet etiquette seems like a longshot. When parents don’t know enough, they’ll either resort to banning phones and internet altogether. Which frankly, in this day and age isn’t probably their wisest choice. Or they’d leave their kids be with their smartphones, no intervention required. That’s not too good either. So today, we want those parents to go through a few stats that should open their eyes to how their children use their phones, what their habits and patterns are, and how they are effected by cyber issues. Take a look at this really informative infographic by Brandwatch: Here are a few things to take away from this infographic: Most kids share photos of themselves online 57% kids have admitted to accidentally accessing, or actively seeking out inappropriate content Most kids are fearful of being bullied online A shocking number of kids view content related to self-harm 83% parents still think their kids use the internet safely You, as parents, may not be very familiar with digital platforms, but you’d still be familiar with the content within. And that’s how you can tell if their habits are okay or not. You don’t have to be a tech expert or anything like that to be an eParent. Get a simple parental monitoring tool and go through what your child actually views and experiences on their phone. As long as you can point out the right and wrong in that, you’ll be fine.  

Employee Monitoring

How to Stop Workplace Procrastination?

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Out of the 8-9 hour workday, how many hours do you think your employees spend actually working? I’m not saying everyone is expected to work 8 hours straight every day. I’m just saying I put off writing this blog until I absolutely, completely had to. I had a cup of tea to get my mind going. Then I created a playlist of Springsteen’s greatest hits, because well, why not. I made myself a cup of green tea (an active mind is very important, okay?) then sipped it as I read a BuzzFeed post on how I can use cauliflower to replace carbs. Even though I might never ever try a single recipe that was on that article. Point is, procrastination is common. But when your employees can’t get themselves out of that time-wasting spiral, that’s when it becomes a problem. How is Time Wasted at the Office? It must have been a really clever man that invented the ‘look busy, do nothing’ maneuver. Because it makes a manager’s job all the more difficult. How on earth are you supposed to tell if your employees are actually working behind those screens? Breathing down their necks all the time seems counterproductive if anything. But it might help if you have a better insight into how time is wasted at the office. Here are some stats from Time Doctor: Minimizing Procrastination Employees will also use their phones and the office internet to their own will because they think they won’t be caught. Now that you’ve gotten to know what they do to waste time, you’ve got to work on finding a way to mediate it. But that’s what you’ve got to realize first… you can minimize but not completely eradicate. Make a habit of going through the internet activities of your employees. How much of their browsing is work related, and how much is procrastination? Going through their computers individually seems time-consuming, and is frankly going to make you seem like an unbearable boss. Which is why employee monitoring software seems like a better idea, especially if they have company provided phones. Use it to calculate their productivity, then address the situation if you find someone stepping over the line. And if you find yourself a repeat procrastinator at your hands, try helping them overcome their time-wasting problem. Here are some great tips from Essay Expert. They’re essentially for students, but any procrastinator can relate… People try two things when dealing with procrastinators: Letting them set their own deadlines Imposing stricter deadlines But the truth is, every employee is different from the rest. Procrastination occurs when work is too predictable or too difficult. (www.harveymaria.com) Find ways to keep your employees inspired and excited about their jobs, and you won’t be having this problem at all.

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