Unusual query re computer hacking and employment of teenagers

[rosienickname]

OK. I could do with some advice here from people that know about employment rights, possibly internationally. And also nerdy teenagers...

My DSS is just turned 16. He's never been a sociable child, doesn't really have friends. Only social interaction is when classmates ask him round to help them build computers, which are his obsession.

He's been spending all his time shut in his room lately saying he's doing homework, but clearly isn't (school grades aren't great lately, for a bright boy at a pushy school). Recently he's taken to staying up til 2 or 3 in the morning online. We've now stopped this by turning the router off at 11, which he got quite upset about.

Anyway, he's finally told us what he's been up to. Turns out he's made contracts with people who work for a major international software company doing tests on new software. He's been working for them by attempting to break the software ( ie hack into it) as part of the tests they do. As part of this he's signed some declaration of not telling anyone about what he's up to.

He does have form for hacking having been in trouble a few years ago for hacking school computers, and I do think he's telling the truth. I'm concerned though that he could be being quite exploited by these people. He's not being paid as he says they don't pay anyone under 18. I would have thought if they don't pay them, then they shouldn't be getting them to sign aggrements, or giving them work to do. He is hoping to get an internship out of them when he's 18.

Some of his contacts are visiting quite near us (from the US) in a few weeks and DSS wants to meet them socially. DH has said he'll go with him to make sure all is OK.

I guess I'm concerned about him as he quite naive in many ways and probably really excited by the work he's doing and the new contacts/ friends. I'm concerned he could be being exploited by them to work unpaid. Or is this really something we should be proud of him having set up for himself? DSS can be very private/secrative so it's hard to get much out of him.

Woah!

How does he know this is legit? It sounds extremely strange - including the "don't tell anyone you're doing this work", rather than "don't tell anyone the contents of this work".

Is he, unknowingly, working for the bad guys?

be very very very careful There are all sorts of ways of dragging unwary teens into doing the dirty work of criminals, so the criminals keep their hands clean, and the teens are convicted it it all goes pear shaped.

We had a spate of this locally, it turned out to be money laundering. One boy got a criminal record, and one family had to move home.

Make sure he has a contract. Make sure the firm is legitimate. Speak to a solicitor, as one pp has already said.

precious I assume he does, but I haven't seen it, and don't think DH has either yet.

Yes I am concerned about whether these people are who they say they are. But I'm not all that clued up about hacking and who else might be doing it?

My concern with the lack of pay is more that this suggests it isn't legit, more that the money. To be fair, I think the thing he signed did just prevent him talking about the contents of what he was doing, though his initial reaction was not to tell anyone anything.

hijk that sounds very worrying

A minor in what sense though precious? He is old enough to get a job, and presumably to have signed this contract. Yes we do have control of the WiFi but I don't think that anyone employing him would have to talk to us about it would they?

Don't panic just because it is techy stuff - a lot of what you need to do is just normal parenting and common sense. What is the name of the company involved? Google them. Who is he meeting? Why? Where? What info has he given out about himself?

George The company he says they're from is well known, and are definitely legit. The issue that may be harder to verify is whenever they reallyreallyare from that company. They're based in the US so I'm not sure how you could find out. And that's assuming DSS tells us all he knows. I think he'll be quite hurt and insulted at the suggestion that he could be being taken advantage of. The trouble is he's not a child in his own eyes.

What he is doing may be illegal (and if he's hacking into US based companies there's a whole load of potential trouble).

I think phoning the company, through the official switchboard and asking to speak to the relevant people is a good way forward. If you explain he is a minor (a term they use in the States) and you have parental concerns I think that would be reasonable.

It sounds to me very like someone shady is using a naïve young lad to crack into the systems of this well known and legitimate company. I suspect that if you contact the company's HQ directly to ask whether this work is legitimate, you will find it is not. Be cautious though - if your son has been breaking the law, his ignorance of the fact may not be sufficient defence against him being prosecuted under US law.

Definitely keep using the word "verify"!

He'll be very familiar with its technical use if he's a hacker, and it's less emotionally loaded than "fooled" or "taken advantage of".

It may help him see real world verification as an interesting intellectual problem to solve, rather than getting defensive about being "had".

Thanks pausing - that's good advice on the angle to take. Though suspect his verification should probably have taken place some time ago.

Will speak to DH this evening about how to check out whether it's genuine. DSS is planning to meet the people in a few weeks, but that will only really tell him that they are real people, it wouldn't necessarily prove who they worked for.

Who would want to crack the systems of a software company though? Another company? Hackers that do it for fun? Criminals hoping to steel money? (from software ?) I may be being naive here - I'm not clued up on that world, though my DH is much more so so may have a better idea. Though DH didn't initially seem too concerned about DSS, which is odd given what you've all said.

Can you look at his computer or phone to see who he is speaking to online? What a nightmare.

No, he has admin rights and knows the password. DH wouldn't know it and I certainly don't.

The meet up thing doesn't sound right.

A colleague has a young nephew who is employed as an 'ethical hacker'

Basically he tests out the flaws/security in their software systems.

He is properly paid for this.

It's just a social thing the meet up I think - at a bowling alley. I think it can't be a bad idea for DSS to meet them in person, and DH plans to go with DSS and I think introduce himself when he drops him off. What sounds wrong with it ohmygrood?

ballletgirl - that's really interesting - Do you know how old your colleague's nephew is? And how he got the work?

I'm not sure. The topic came up because our new IT system has gone tits up & isn't functional & she said why wasn't it tested properly by someone like her nephew.

Why would someone hack into a company's systems? To steal ideas and/or discredit the company.

You do sound incredibly naive.

Let's be clear - there is a material risk that, unknowingly, your DSS is breaking not just one but many international laws.

You have to put all activity on this "project" on hold until you can verify whether it is legitimate. In the first instance, call the company your DSS is attempting to hack into and ask to speak to DSS's contact.