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

Parents Monitoring Software - Monitoring Your Kids Computers

Something to consider for your home computer is parent monitoring software. This kind of software program can give you insight into all activities that are being conducted on your home computer. The best part about parent monitoring software is that you do not need to be in the room or even at home. All activities are recorded in one central log for you to view at your convenience. This means that every email sent and received, every chat log, every website visited, is all captured in the log.Hopefully, you are starting to understand just how powerful parent monitoring software can be and how it can help you to keep a watchful eye on your children. Now your children may use the computer and you do not have to stand behind them while they access the web or do other things on your computer. It is all recorded in one convenient place and you can look at it at any time.

You should have a talk with your children about internet safety if they are going to be accessing the web. This is important because there are many predators who lie in wait online so that they can find their next victim. Predators can pose as anyone they feel that your child would like. That is why they love to use the internet for this type of activity. Your children will be fully unaware of just how dangerous the situation really .
If you use a monitoring program, you will know right away if there is anything that you need to be concerned about. Better yet, you will be able to take action, if needed, to deal with the problem before it gets out of control. Children need our protection both in the real world an in the virtual world, so a monitoring program can take the guesswork out of doing this important job.

source:http://ezinearticles.com

7.5 million Facebook users are under minimum age

A newly published survey by Consumer Reports reveals that millions of Facebook users are actually below the social network’s minimum age limit, reports CNet. According to Facebook’s terms of service, no one under the age of 13 is permitted to have an account. By Consumer Reports’ count, about 7.5 million have slipped beneath the bar.The survey corroborates evidence found in a 2010 study my security firm McAfee, which showed that about 37 percent of 10 to 12 year old are on Facebook. In total, about 20 million Facebook users are under the age of 18.

“Using Facebook presents children and their friends and family with safety, security and privacy risks,” said Consumer Reports in a press statement. “In the past year, the use of Facebook has exposed more than five million online U.S. households to some type of abuse including virus infections, identity theft, and–for a million children–bullying.”In an attempt to preemptively extinguish the inevitable fires of outrage from parents, Facebook said before the study’s release that “recent reports have highlighted just how difficult it is to implement age restrictions on the Internet and that there is no single solution to ensuring younger children don’t circumvent a system or lie about their age.” The company added that “we appreciate the attention that these reports and other experts are giving this matter and believe this will provide an opportunity for parents, teachers, safety advocates, and Internet services to focus on this area, with the ultimate goal of keeping young people of all ages safe online.”

While critics may accuse Facebook of skirting its responsibility to keep young children off its site, the social network’s recommendations that parents teach their kids which websites are appropriate, and monitor their online activity to ensure they aren’t doing something they shouldn’t echos the findings of the Internet Safety Technical Task Force (ISTTF), which worked with MySpace in 2009 to find out if age verification on websites actually works.According to Larry Magin, who served as a member of the ISTTF, Facebook’s requirement that no one under the age of 13 be allowed to use the site stems from regulations outlined in the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which was enacted in 1998. According to COPPA, websites must receive parental permission before it can allow anyone under age 13 to log in.

source:http://www.digitaltrends.com

Internet Safety For Children

 The subject of children internet safety is a very important one. It is a topic that needs to be addressed to all parents in all homes. A new year has dawned upon us and new changes in the area of technology have taken place. In 2010, what can we as parents do to help ensure children's internet safety?

1. Learn to talk to your children: The simple lack of communication is one of the biggest reasons why children enter websites they are not supposed to or do things online that they are not supposed to be doing. Why? The reason is some children are never given the internet safety talk. Consequently, children end up not knowing that they were not supposed to visit a particular site or that they were not supposed to set up meetings with any strangers. If parents would engage with their children and communicate with them about the dos and don'ts of online browsing child internet safety would become less of a problem.

2. Position your home computer in the right place: Now what I mean by this is that the family computer needs to be in an open space where everyone can see it. If you are a parent make sure that you do not put the home computer in a place like the basement if you hardly visit the basement. Observing this rule of thumb will definitely help internet safety for kids. When children know that they may be caught browsing a website that they should not be on they will be less likely to open it.

3. Create offline activities for your children: Between the T.V. and internet children are becoming batmen and women who stay in a cave all day. The more time kids spend on the internet the more they are likely to access the wrong material or engage in conversations with the wrong people. Try to involve your children in outdoor activities like soccer or basketball to keep the time online at a minimal. Not only will they get some exercise and fresh air this will help protect them from becoming child victims online.

source:http://ezinearticles.com

Know About Computer Monitoring Software

Computer monitoring software installed in a computer automatically monitors and records every activity done on the computer secretly. Using this software, you can monitor and record computer activities such as files accessed, websites, chat rooms, instant messages, email, web surfing, program logs, etc. Thus you can record your computer activities to monitor your children, catch a criminal, watch over employees, protect against fraud and learn the truth about someone who uses the computer.There are many computer monitoring software available in the market. They can be used to monitor and record all details of computer and internet activity in your home or office. Some software can be installed directly on your computer, and some allows you to remotely install the software on any computer through email. Once installed, the software secretly monitors and records the computer activities. You can view the monitored reports from anywhere in the world through the Internet.

Some of the benefits of using computer monitoring software are as follows: It offers the complete monitoring and reporting features. It enables to monitor and record all computer activities such as chats and instant messages, email, websites, files accessed, web surfing, program logs, keystrokes, etc. It enables to remotely view the recordings from another PC. It enables to view everything done on the computer in the exact order. The software is simple to use even by computer illiterates.It helps you monitor and protect your children from unsafe use of computer. It helps you monitor computer activities of employees and hence prevent abuse of office computers and office time.

source:http://www.articlesbase.com

Internet Safety for Kids

Parenting covers a lot more than just meeting your child's education, clothing and all other basic needs. It leans ensuring that your children are brought up in a morally upright way. The Internet Safety for kids is a must read for every parent who wants to succeed in doing this. This very handy manual provides information and guidelines on learning some of the acronyms used on the Internet. You may be shocked to learn that the language your child uses on the internet is very different from the everyday language as we know it. This is a good manual especially when you need to know danger spots your child may get caught up in.Net Safety for kids will equip you with knowledge of the tools you will need to use in tracking your child's Internet activities. While it's important to know what your kid is up to on the net, care should be taken not to interfere with the kid's privacy. Doing so may lead to inevitable conflict between the two of you and intentional disobedience. It's up to you to go the extra mile in ensuring that your child remains safe even from bad influence, when they are browsing or playing games on the Internet.

The Internet is like an open market where anything goes. It contains the most informative, educative sites with the most valuable information. It also contains the most repulsive, violent, vulgar, and pornographically laden sites which are harmful to a child's developing mind. As a parent, get a copy of the Net Safety for kids manual and stay keep up with the dynamic cyber world.

Most parents have neglected child safety on the internet thereby exposing their children to contents that may destroy their morality. A parent should know that the internet is also a host to "predators" who are cunning whereby most kids and even some adults who are computer-literate may not understand. In addition, you may not be aware that kids using the internet are growing up with a language that you may not understand.

source:http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/internet-safety-for-kids-852169.html