Social Network Security
Tech Snippet | Mobile
Govt shelves plans for Mobile TV services The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has decided to shelve its plans to launch Mobile TV services. The ministry has also decided to restrict Doordarshan’s digital capacity expansion. The decision comes after a ministers’ panel announced the allocation of 700 MHz wireless spectrum band for the 4G telecom services. According to reports, a policy for the launch of mobile TV service has been pending with the ministry for several years because of the unavailability of 96 MHz of spectrum in the UHF band. Presently, Doordarshan is the only player in the mobile TV
their cocoons and teach them skills they’ll need to survive in the business world. As with any phenomena on the scale of Facebook and Twitter, there are drawbacks that need to be contended with, especially when it involves education and the devel-
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market. The ministry was likely to make Rs 300 crore with the mobile TV services. However, unavailability of the spectrum and other factors prompted the government to reconsider its move. Doordarshan had sought 82-646 MHz in Band V for its digital capacity expansion. Also, the ministry had sought 96 MHz for mobile TV. The Department of Telecom, on the other hand, was insisting on restricting I&B’s projection to only up to 646 MHz instead of 698 MHz. The Defence Ministry also restricted I&B’s chances of getting more spectrum. With the availability of 4G telecom services, the industry does not seem very keen on mobile TV.
opment of young people. Privacy, security lapses and bullying are themes that have arisen as a result of social networking. Fortunately, these can be combated with the implementation of fair usage and the correct supervision, and not by blocking
Dos and Don’ts Do: Ensure you have internet security software installed and updated on your PC. Many mobiles platforms these days also have similar offerings available. Use good judgment while sharing personally identifiable information or pictures on social networking sites. Keep your home address, phone number strictly off your public profile and remember, the information you post will live on these sites forever. Exercise caution when befriending strangers. Evaluate them by checking if their profile information matches other online information, such as their Facebook or LinkedIn profile. Do make sure you understand how privacy settings work on social networking sites and only let your friends and family have access to your profiles, posts, photos and videos. Do talk to your parents or a trusted adult/counsellor if you feel you are being harassed or bullied online. They can help in ways you may not have thought of. Don’t: Don’t download files or click links from an unknown source. If you really think your friend is sending you a video clip on a social networking website, double-check with the friend to be sure before you click on the link. Users should especially avoid clicking on links that point to secure web sites, such as banking sites. Don’t post hurtful comments, gossip or attacks against others through IM, websites or online chat forums.
access to social networks. We spoke to a number of leading security experts and institutions that have evolved checks and balances for appropriate use of social media to look at the important considerations and choices you have to make.
Social Network Security Concerns In the campuses of today, social networking is closely linked with social identity and who and how you are on these networks can impact your real world influence; hence the importance students place on such media. However, the large user base and the ability to pinpoint real world activities with a high degree of accuracy makes for a potent combination, one that cybercriminals are only too eager to exploit. Effendy Ibrahim, Internet Safety Advocate and Director, Symantec Asia Consumer Business (makers of the Norton suite of security products) highlights one of the biggest concerns around social networking usage in educational institutions— the rise of ‘cyberbaiting’. As Ibrahim explains, cyberbaiting occurs when students first irritate or bait a teacher until he or she cracks, filming the incident on their mobile device so they can post the footage online, embarrassing the teacher and the school. He quotes the firm’s latest Norton Online Family Report 2011, which reveals that one in two Indian April 2012 EduTech
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