Internet Safety

Imagining today’s world, that’s striving for efficiency and growth, without internet is not at all a possibility. We all have got so much used to internet that it has become our important need and necessity. The dilemma at our hands is that we do not acknowledge the fact that even though the Internet might help with our day to day work, the Internet is also the main contributor to social and personal chaos and society's demise.

Social networking websites are the most visited websites on a daily basis. Posting all your information on your profile puts your own security and private information online. Numerous sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, exist so that people can communicate with everyone from different countries. Here is the most surreptitious thing you might not know about the people on social networking sites. A stolen picture from there might get used at porn sites putting your privacy at risk. Remember once it is on the internet, it stays there forever, leaving a mark behind.

Internet safety has become a serious issue for everyone connected to the net. Even if you don't think you have anything worth protecting on your computer, it's still important that you keep it locked down. Your files are not the only thing at stake here. If someone gains access to your computer, it can be used for hacking into other computer, hiding the trail of the person who is actually doing it. How would you like to get a call from your local police telling you that there's been a virus attack that has been traced back to your computer? No, even if your computer isn't used for anything critical you need to run security software providing you full proof internet safety.

These programs will keep your computer "hidden" from prying eyes over the internet, as well as protected from viruses and other malware that can be spread through email or other methods.

You also need to make sure you're familiar with the different types of security threats so you can deal with them if they ever come up.

Internet, itself represents an insecure channel of exchanging information. So it becomes very important for us to use internet securely and safely through varied internet safety techniques. Internet safety establishes certain rules and measures that need to be stressed upon to tackle various cyber crimes such as phishing, intrusion, fraud etc. Cyber crime, which now resembles an industry, is witnessing double digit growth from the last few years.

Internet Safety

From time to time people ask me "Why is Internet safety important?" "Why should I worry about it? I've got nothing to hide." If you're not thinking that Internet safety is important, then you're making a mistake.

Now the Internet is a wonderful thing, and I use it constantly every day without fear, but that doesn't mean I use it heedlessly and without thinking about Internet safety.When you're on the Web, you should think of it kind of like walking down the street -- if you live in a small town you probably don't think much about walking around downtown, and you probably feel pretty safe.

And even if you live in a big city, you may feel pretty comfortable, too, since you know your way around and you know how to handle yourself.But on the other hand, how would you feel walking down the street in the most crime-ridden part of a bad city in the middle of the night by yourself, dragging your wallet or purse on a string behind you while heedlessly listening to music on headphones and never looking at your surroundings?

The thing people don't realize about Internet security is that even if you live in a safe, secure small town with no crime, when you go on the Internet there is no real border between the "good neighborhoods" and the "bad neighborhoods", so you need to take a few basic precautions to protect yourself on the Web.

Here are a few suggestions:

1) Make sure you use a good firewall program on your computer; regardless of whether you use a Windows PC or one of Apple's Macs, this is absolutely essential

2) If you have DSL or cable Internet access, get a router and hook it up between your DSL or cable modem and your computer. Not only does a router allow you to share the connection between multiple computers, it also has a firewall built in to it, which adds another layer of valuable protection against threats from the Internet. And yes, this should be *in addition* to the firewall program on your computer

3) If you have a Windows PC, make sure you have a good antivirus program such as Kaspersky antivirus, that is still activated and up-to-date. Many people have poor quality antivirus programs and it's common for them to have expired after a trial period or the yearly subscription has run out, which means they're no longer protecting you.

Mac users do not at this time need an antivirus program, but this will likely change in the future.

4) Use a strong password, preferably a mix of letters and numbers that is at least 8 characters long, and which is not easy to guess like your name or a pet's name, etc., and don't use the same password for everything.

5) If you post in public forums online, or use a social networking website like Facebook, don't put too much personal information in your profile.

It is extremely common for people to share all kinds of information about themselves on their profile page, including birth date, pet names, children's names, address, etc. -- all of which might give a clue to passwords, answers to those "reset your password" security questions that you're asked if you forget your password on a website, and other clues that could be used for identity theft.

Most social networking sites let you set your profile to private, so only people you've added as friends can see what's on the profile. This is also a good idea.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

kids Monitoring Software

With the introduction of internet, kids are now knowledgeable in online research and the use of the so many applications, thus the need for kids monitoring software. Through kids monitoring software parents can scrutinize every message sent and received by their children, as well as the different applications they run on the web.

This is the greatest solution for parents to supervise the online activities of their kids. Devices like this can easily track down the message contents, web activities, and even provide random screen shots.

Through this software, you can be sure that your child is secured when using the computer. Some people disagree to its use because of privacy issues, but its advantages can prevail over this. You can always discuss your plans of installing a software to your family to safeguard them from unwarranted sources. They can also impose rules with the use of the internet which they need to follow.

When parents do not control the use of computer, their kids will freely visit anywhere on the internet. This could start with a simple interest that grows deeper as they access inappropriate materials that can affect their minds and decision making.

Having an open communication with your family regarding the use of monitoring software in your home computer will somehow lead them not to make an effort going on prohibited sites and sources. They will take precaution when using the internet by being aware that their moves are monitored. To guide you more in safeguarding your children from internet predators, take the following into account.

Let them be aware of the potential risks that lurks around the web and advise them to be cautious about these. Do not have a computer unit in any of your kids rooms. It should be positioned in an area where anybody can visibly perceive what the user is accessing to like the living room.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

Internet Safety Dangers - 3 Chilling FBI Points on Child Safety Online

Are you concerned about internet safety dangers? In this article I am going to talk to you about 3 chilling FBI points on child safety online.When I was a kid the internet in homes was just beginning to become a reality to just about everyone. Today the internet is the number one interest of many of our children. The dangers on the internet continue to escalate.Since so many kids are becoming internet victims to various dangers the FBI released some statistics that would get people to wake up. Allow us now to look at 3 chilling FBI points on child safety online.Pornographic material is a huge problem for parents. It's a widely known fact that 1.8 billion adult sites can be accessed by kids without any problem at all. Even if kids are not looking for pornographic images or videos 25% of kids are have seen these types of images. Some of the images can be quite disturbing and may shape a child's view of sex in the wrong way.

Pedophiles

At any time, when you wake up, when you go to bed, when your child is trying to find a new friend in a chat room, there are 5 million pedophiles online looking for their next victim. 75% of our children may even share their private information with people that they do not know online.

Cyber Bullying

Cyber bullying is a big problem. Even if our kids don't tell us what is going on 33% of them have had to deal with some form of cyber bullying while trying to enjoy their online experience. Having to go through this may leave them depressed. Some kids get depressed enough to either hurt themselves or commit suicide.

Conclusion

You do not have to stand by and let your kids but used and abused. There are things that you can do to make a difference and possibly save their life or a life of a close friend of theirs.

source:http://ezinearticles.com

Web Monitoring Software for Kids

The Internet is a huge medium, and all kinds of information (both good and not so desirable) can be found just by making a simple search. Some parents are fearful of letting their children spend time on the Internet because of the kind of information that they may come across.This is unfortunate because the Internet offers a wealth of good information - if you know where to look. The goal is not to avoid the use of the Internet. Instead, the advantages of the internet innovations should be accepted by schools and by parents. It's just part of society communication evolution. The challenge has become to manage internet usage by web monitoring.In other words, use technology to help your children embrace the Internet. More savvy parents have learned that by using web monitoring software, they are able to monitor the web activities of their children. This is a practical solution because no parent can ever spend all the time watching over what their kids are doing on the Internet.

If you find anything suspicious from the chat logs, you can immediately take action and block the application or simply remove the application.As for websites, you can setup keyword alerts so that the monitoring software blocks the sites before your children have a chance to surf them. If there are specific websites that you would like to block, simply enter the URLs into the software and the sites will be inaccessible. For instance, you may find that your child is spending too much time on an online game, and you want to block the site. Just enter the URL into the software, and the site is blocked. You can always remove the URL during the school holidays (or after exams) so that your children can enjoy the game again.

Email is another area that parents should monitor. Children are getting more and more savvy these days and they tend to send emails to friends on a daily basis. Sometimes, they even reply to emails that are from complete strangers! This is where the danger lies.Using the web monitoring software, you can easily track these activities from any computer. Simply select the appropriate tab - Instant messenger, email, chat, websites and you can immediately access the relevant information.

source:http://www.articlesbase.com

The Significance Of Software Monitoring And Why You Should Buy It

Software monitoring is a program that allows the owner or user of a personal computer to scrutinize the activities being undertaken by other individuals who share the computer network. It is one of the most sophisticated inventions that allow a computer owner to control online activity among other uses. This program has proven helpful to many individuals as it prevents users sharing a computer network from accessing in questionable online material.

With so many websites that lead children astray, it is vital that every parent installs this program to protect their children. While the internet has overwhelming benefits, there are certain aspects online which may impact negatively on children. This calls for filtering of such information and blocking of any sites which might be negative to the children.

Since there are many programs in the market to help one gain control over the internet, there are factors to consider when purchasing the monitoring programs. Top on the list is the eligibility of the buyer. In order for one to buy the programs they must fulfill one of three criteria used. The emergence of social networks, has brought social risks and vulnerabilities upon every user especially children. Apart from predators who prey on minors, there are other aspects such as internet bullies and addiction which put your child at risk.
This calls for monitoring and controlling such sites to ensure that your child's developmental process is not interfered with. Monitoring programs also allow parents to assess the friendships that the children keep especially via emails and chat messages. If there is any problem, the parent can tactfully curtail bad relationships. The main advantage of this program is that the child might not even know that they are being monitored. The key logger in this case the parent can keep it a secret and block any site that they deem questionable on the child.

The key logger who acquires this program can also access passwords of email addresses and accounts of different individuals. This enables them to access the content or block it altogether. This program is so unique such that other users cannot be bale to reverse actions undertaken by the key logger for example, unblocking blocked sites. They are also unable to block the key logger from the computer.

To acquire the software monitoring program one needs to certify that they are either parents to a minor, owner of a computer or they have the consent of other users of the network to install the program. Illegal installation of such, monitoring programs leads to spyware and this poses legal threat to the owner of the computer.

source:http://technology.ezinemark.com/the-significance-of-software-monitoring-and-why-you-should-buy-it-31f54034060.html