Explaining Online Virus Safety to Parents?

DrRobin asks: "For the past couple of years, some of the techie parents in my town (Needham, MA) have been giving talks for parents of local elementary schools about online kid/family safety. I know there are a lot of weighty issues here in general but I want to ask if people here have any specific thoughts about the sub-topic I am supposed to cover: viruses (and worms, trojans, etc.). The parents are pretty sharp in general but not necessarily clued in to the net world. I have been on the net since '83 but my principal expertise is the little bitty wetware viruses that make you ill, rather than the software kind that infect computers. Any pointers people think would be helpful to parents would be appreciated."

Comments

explaining to the unwashed masses

[digitalmuse]

well, extend the analogy. macious self-replicating computer code is often refered to as a 'Virus' for good reason. I have always based my discussions with non-tech-savvy people on this premise. A virus comes in contact with your machine via e-mail, infected applicaitons, networking exploits (ingestion, tainted food, inhalation, etc...) and may or may not take root in the host (your boxen) based on several arbitary factors (patch-level, ignoring security warnings, timed/stateful infection criteria). If your machine is infected, it becomes a host for these unwanted processes that drain your resources and possible infect other people.
Anti-virus technolgy runs the same way. You can limit your risk of exposure to infections vectors (don't download anything from someone you don't know, "I are sending you for your input"), proper use of updated anti-virus tools, and using antibiotics when you are infected.
While I admit that this is a vast over simplification for adults (and I sure as hell wouldn't want in insult the intelligence of all those parents in Needham, the lawsuits would be ridiculous) you can use the parallels to reduce the distrust and sense of the 'unknown' that most normal (non-geek) folk endure when dealing with these sneaky little buggers.
good luck

Re:explaining to the unwashed masses

[martyb]

I agree it helps to explain things people don't know using things they DO know. The challenge is often in determining just what they do know, AND the environment in which they are going to try and apply what you are teaching. Thus, it is helpful to establish a baseline, and then go into specifics.

Most users, I suspect, would like a "recipe" of steps they can take to protect themselves... in other words they'll quickly fade out with the technical mumbo jumbo, and just want a step-by-step approach for what they need to do.
The problem is, the steps differ depending on each user's:

• ISP: AOL, Earthlink, @Home
  
• Mail program: AOL, Outlook, Outlook Express, Netscape, Eudora
  
• Web browser: Internet Explorer (4.0, 5.0, 5.5), Netscape
  
• Operating System: Windows (95/NT/2000/Me/XP), Macintosh, Linux
  

It's good you reached out for the experiences of others here on /. but I'd suggest extending your search more widely. So very often, I find it helpful to ask myself "Am I the very first person to have this problem?" if not, then the next obvious question becomes: "Where can I look to find the answers that others have already found?"

• Search for on-line resources: Do a search on google for "computer virus primer"
  
• Look for primers on anti-virus sites: Norton Anti virus, McAffee, IBM, etc.
  
• Check with your local public library: Needham belongs to the Minuteman Library Network and has access to a wealth of materials that can be shared among the network's members.
  
• Local geeks: Ask for help from the Information Services department of where you work, from tech-savy people you know, etc.
  

Also, it may be a good idea to expect this to be more information than can be covered in a single session. People are receptive up to a point and then reach overload. The benefit of 4 sessions of 15-minutes each can be MUCH greater than a single 1-hour session.

Lastly, think about giving back what you've found. What about the folks who move into town next month or next year? Rather than make periodic presentations to accomodate a growing/changing audience, have the info you've collected put on a web page for later reference (and feedback to keep it up to date!)

Good luck!

A couple of suggestions

[scotpurl]

The best way is not to use technical terms, but to relate the topic in everyday terms.

First, mention that the use of a quality prophylactic (an anti-virus program) can prevent a lot of harm. However, someone can still walk in on you and your attachment, and then you'll have a lot of explaining to do. Plus, no prophylactic, aside from abstention, is 100% reliable. (For an extra laugh, mention that abstention has only one known case where it didn't work, and that happened to this nice lady named Mary about 2,000 years ago. It may take several people a long time to get the joke.)

Second, whenever you're at a party, and there's food you've never seen before, you always ask, "What's in it?" If someone hands you an email attachment, email back, and ask what it is, just as you would if they handed you mystery food. If they're the type of person to spike the punch, or bring hash-brownies, don't open it, and delete the message. But even then, make sure you've got a good anti-virus program.

Mom, Dad, it's time we had a little talk....

[JohnTheFisherman]

Watch the look on their faces.

But seriously, KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid). Forget any extensive dissertations on the differences between a worm vs. a trojan, help them set everything up, and WRITE IT DOWN or at least print it out for them to keep in a very safe place - that document on the computer does them no good when it won't boot.

A good anti-virus program helps a lot, and again, WRITE DOWN configuration information, or instructions. Make sure they know that email (candy) from friends can still have razor blades in it. Also, if it's Windows, turn on the file extensions for viewing, and make sure they scan any executables, and really debate about whether they REALLY want to run it.