Protect Kids Online with Internet Security Software

It is only natural for parents to worry as kids become more technologically savvy at younger and younger ages. Of course they want their children to excel, but a parent's number one job is to keep their little ones out of harm's way. That is why it is so important for parents to put limits on where and when their children access the Internet without invading their privacy or hindering their learning. Here are some reasons why using an Internet security software package is an effective way to protect kids online.One way that parents can protect their kids from harm is by talking to them about Internet safety.

 There are many organizations dedicated to protecting children online, and experts urge parents to talk to their kids about the dangers of cyberbullying and online predators. In a perfect world, children would always listen to what their parents say, but everyone knows that is not always the case. So, for parents who want to ensure their kids' safety while they use the Internet, there are Internet security software features that put limits on where and when their children can get online.

This type of security software allows parents to choose which websites their children visit. Because online predators and cyberbullies target chat rooms and social networking sites, parents can block these websites so their kids cannot access them. As kids get older, parents can decide to unblock certain websites based on their age-appropriateness. At the end of the day, every child is different and adults have different parenting styles; however, one thing remains the same: when it comes to online safety, it is important to use some level of Internet security software.

Parents can also limit the amount of time kids spend on the computer, which is important on a few different levels. First, the less time a child spends online the less likely they are to becoming involved in dangerous online activity. In addition, the amount of time children spend on the computer, watching TV, and playing video games has kept kids from spending time playing outdoors and exercising. Ultimately, Internet security software programs will prevent children from sitting on the computer for hours on end.

source:http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/protect-kids-online-with-internet-security-software-4556440.html

Why is Internet Safety Important?

Why is internet safety important? The number one reason is because there are pedophiles that seek out young, innocent children to prey upon by using the internet. This is a problem nationwide. If you read your syndicated newspapers, you will find numerous articles regarding this problem. Parents really need to safeguard their children. Every computer comes with safety features. Always go to "internet options" and set security levels on the computer that your child uses all the time. There are programs that parents can buy that has "parental guidelines". These programs allows the parent to actually see what websites and chat rooms that your child visits. You can also set a time limit on how long your child can spend on the internet.Why is internet safety important? Because it may save the life of a child. There are bad people that live in our world. They do not care about the person they are chatting with on the internet. Their only concern is what they can get from their victim, no matter what, no matter how. If you love your children, you will want to restrict and or monitor all internet activity that they are involved in.

The internet was not designed for just chatting purposes only. It was designed as a research tool. There is information on the internet about every topic, person, people, place or things all made available at the click of a button. But because people are people and because people are inquisitive, then you get pedophiles that seek out victims on the internet.

Why is internet safety important? There are terrorists in the world. Remember Columbine, Colorado. The two students that killed their classmates had a website that was linked to terrorists. Fifteen to seventeen year old students cannot buy guns or ammunition without an adult with them. Someone had to supply those kids with the weaponry that they used to murder the other students. Columbine was the only school shooting incident that was linked to terroristic activity. It is so important to know what your children are doing and what they are involved in.

Your child may very well not like the idea of you "getting involved'. But remember, YOU are the parent. Also, remind your child daily of how much you love them, and how much you want to protect them. Help them be aware of the dangers that they can encounter just by surfing the web. Your local police officers can get information for you that you can share with your children. Go so far as to have a local police officer talk to your child. By doing this, you could very well save your child's life.

source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-is-Internet-Safety-Important?&id=1620596

Kids' Internet Safety Software - How to Prevent Kids From Surfing Unhealthy Websites

Everyone knows that there is a lot of pornographic content on the web which is terrible for children to view, but many are not aware of the other damaging content that is out there as well. For instance, did you know that many young kids are now being influenced by "pro-ana" websites which advocate anorexia? If not, that is exactly the reason you need to take precautions to ensure your kids internet safety.The best thing you can do to protect your kids is to sit with them much of the time they are online. If you are not able to at least be in the same area of the home so you can look over their shoulder from time to time, then ask them not to be on the computer or purchase a laptop that can be moved around the home for monitoring.If that sounds like going to extremes, you may need to do some research online and discover all of the various elements of negative content that can influence kids today. You may be surprised to learn what is out there, and will find out why so many parents are concerned with kids internet safety today.No parent can sit next to a child or teenager on the computer every second and there may be instances where a child sneaks on without a parent knowing. How do you ensure kids internet safety in these situations?

You install computer monitoring and blocking software on every computer in the home, that's how! With this software you will be able to block out EVERY content from the internet you feel unsuitable for reaching your kids' eyes so it doesn't load on your computer. You determine what gets blocked with many programs, which gives you all the control.

The only way to ensure kids internet safety today is to have good blocking software that can definitely prevent your kids from surfing unhealthy websites. Being a parent today is hard, but worrying about negative internet content and online pedophile stalkers only makes your job harder!

Download kids internet safety software ! Learn how you can download and install the kids internet safety software that is compatible to all windows, OS and every web browsers even if you are a complete software newbie in best blocking software right away!

source:source:http://ezinearticles.com

Deputies Offer Tips to Keep Kids from Sexting, Other Cyber Threats

“Sexting” and sexual predators trolling for new victims are just some of the dangers that children face when they cruise the Internet, Orange County sheriff's reserve deputies warned local parents Thursday.Sgt. Josh Money and Lt. Jim Ellis presented an adults-only Internet safety course at Capistrano Valley Christian School and encouraged parents to keep tabs on their kids' Internet and phone use. The topics ranged from sexting—a combination of sex and texting, usually in the form of explicit photos—to identity theft to bullying.

“Our purpose was to first train the parents, and then we’ll start working with the kids, as young as second grade. We wanted to get the parents ahead of the curve,” said Jayson Beck, who is in charge of information technology for Capistrano Valley Christian. The night's presentation is the first step in implementing a new Cyber Citizenship program at the school.

Parents “don’t have to have a degree in information technology” to figure out what their kids are up to, so Money offered suggestions.

They can use the drop-down feature of the URL bar of the Internet browser or check the history to see where previous users have been. If a child has been on the Internet for two hours yet the history has been erased, that’s a sign parents should take heed that their child is hiding something, Money said.Besides talking with children, monitoring their texts—when they’re in the shower is the safest time to do that—and explaining the dangers, parents can also use their router to control Internet access to all of the home's devices, including game consoles such as Xbox and PlayStation that can also Web surf.

Going to the router manufacturer’s Home page and logging in will enable the administrator to block specific websites, set up hours of operation and more, Money said. In a residential setting, it’s important that parents are that administrator, even if their children are much more computer-savvy.The deputies presented many statistics from various sources, including a statistic from a January 2009 survey from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy that found one in five teens have sent suggestive photos.

While teens percieve sexting to be just like flirting, it is illegal for children under 18 to take naked or half-naked pictures of themselves. With that first act, they are violating the law. The recipient of the photo is also breaking the law.

“The average sexter assumes their dirty message or revealing photo is only going to be seen by one person," Money said

It’s often the girls who are hurt when their boyfriend forwards the photos to all his friends—even to his phone’s entire contact list, he said.

Beck said there are even websites available for spurned boyfriends to upload of their ex-girlfriends. So just because a boy doesn’t forward the photos immediately doesn’t mean they won’t end up for public viewing eventually.

“Most of the girls,” said Money, “if you ask them why do you do this, a lot of them will say [it’s] pressure from the boys.”

Girls can lack the maturity to figure out when someone is a sexual predator, Money said. These men will often pose as teens and are willing to chat online for months to build trust. They will either ask to meet or figure out where the girl is when she innocently posts a “Headed-out-to-the-movies” status on Facebook or tweet a similar post to Twitter.Photographs taken with a smart phone are also a danger (see video), Money said. They contain metadata that, when used with decoding and map apps, can pinpoint exactly where they were taken.

The term for it is “geo-tagging,” Money said. It can lead sexual predators right to children’s homes, schools, even their favorite hangouts. For adults, coupled with posts such as, “On vacation for three weeks,” there an invitation to an empty house, vulnerable to theft.

source:http://sanjuancapistrano.patch.com/articles/deputies-offer-tips-to-keep-kids-from-sexting-other-cyber-threats

Children Safety On The Web

The Internet exposes children to a whole new world which can contribute greatly to their education and can be very enjoyable.In our dynamic technological world where knowledge is power, parents want their children to surf the Internet, and learn as much as they can. With this wish there is also the desire to protect our children.The growth in Internet popularity is followed by a growth in immoral and criminal activities on the web. Hackers, crackers, web bullies, identity thieves, children predators all of them and more are out there in the cyber world.Since this generation of children possess high technological skills, the main problem that parents face is the need to create boundaries for their children in a virtual world where the authenticity of communication is questionable. In order to protect our children and educate them to safe and productive internet activities we should become Internet savvy and get familiar with our children's Internet experience.

Following are a few general guidelines:

1. Keep the communication channels with your child open. Show an interest in your child's internet activities. Supervise your child when surfing the Internet. It is important to try to understand your children experience when surfing the web, in order for you to guide and assist them.

2. Be a role model to your child. Constantly talk with your child on what is right and what is wrong when surfing the web.

3. Become Internet savvy. If you have knowledge about services and applications that are available on the Internet , you will be more effective when guiding your children. Sit with your children when they are surfing and try to learn as much you can about their habits. If you feel you don't have enough knowledge you can use Internet security websites in order to gain more knowledge and confidence. In addition, you can also talk with other parents.

4. Create a list of suitable websites. Give your children a list of websites that you find suitable for their age and that may interest them. Update this list on a regular basis with new websites in order to keep your kids interested. Once in a while, check if the websites you have selected are still suitable.

5. Make sure that the PC your child is using is in a family space , so you can supervise them.

6. Define clear guidelines for your children regarding Internet use. Different families may have different guidelines, but it is important that your children are aware of what you expect from them. Define the guidelines according to the child's age group. You can also define an Internet use policy that your child will be obligated to .

source:http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/children-safety-on-the-web-963484.html
 

How To Protect Your Child Against The Evil Side Of The Internet

In the world today, there are many people who take advantage of children. It used to be that we had to worry about predators in parks and playgrounds, and in our neighborhoods. In today's society, we now have to watch and protect them from online predators.Statistics indicate that children who use the Internet often are targeted by online predators more often because they can disguise themselves as same age as the child using the Internet. There are however, guidelines for parents to follow in order to protect their children from the dangerous side of the Internet. 

Internet Safety

Children are extremely vulnerable to Internet predators because they are by nature very trusting. It is important that you teach them safety protocol. It is important that they understand that under no circumstances should they ever give out their personal information on the Internet, and explain to them why these precautions are necessary.

Protect Your Passwords

It is critical that you limit your child's access to certain Internet sites. One way to do this is to password protect your computer and under no circumstances give those passwords to your children. Most children will share passwords with their friends and it defeats the purpose of having them. Passwords will also alert you when your children use the Internet, and you can keep a better watch over what they are doing. They will not be able to sneak on the computer when you are sleeping or at work because they will not know what the passwords are.

Monitor Computer Time

It is very important that you monitor what your children are doing online. Tell your child what is appropriate and what is not. Warn them of the dangers of online communication. Sit your child and watch what they do and say online. More importantly, watch what is said to them. If you are suspicious, keep a log of what is said and contact the local authorities.

Block Access
Blocking access to sites that are not appropriate will go a long way in protecting your child. Many Internet providers provide tools that will allow you to better control your child's time on the Internet. Using parental controls to protect your children is advisable to all parents. With them, you can set the parameters to keep your children safe. With parental controls, you block sites and chat rooms that you feel may be unsafe for your children.

Parental Controls

Parental controls are a great resource for parents in the fight to keep children safe. However, it is not a parental replacement or babysitter. Studies have shown that parents who have direct involvement in their child's Internet use have fewer incidents of predatory harassment.

Kid Safe Browsers

Because of the growing problem of online predators, safeguards have been developed. Kid safe browsers are specifically made for children and do not allow certain keyword searches to be performed.

It may be difficult to explain why these precautions are necessary without scaring your child, however, being cautious is very important when it comes to online safety. Some children are willful and will give their information anyway. This is when it is necessary to restrict their online activity altogether until they are more responsible.

source:http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/how-to-protect-your-child-against-the-evil-side-of-the-internet-246381.html

Internet Safety Tips From Toronto Police

Internet safety

Risks

There are many risks and security issues involving the use of the Internet. Children and their parents should be most concerned about:

Viewing inappropriate material

Physical molestation

Harassment

Frauds and Scams

Tips for kids

NEVER give out any personal information such as your address, telephone number, parents' place of work or their phone number, or the name and location of your school

NEVER agree to get together with someone you 'meet' online without first checking with your parents

NEVER send anyone your picture - Don't accept any pictures either

NEVER respond to any messages that make you feel uncomfortable

NEVER lose your common sense while online - Remember, you are talking to a stranger. The people you are talking to may not be who they say they are

NEVER send an insulting or rude message to anyone online. 'Flaming' is not good 'Netiquette'

Use a 'code name'

Report any harassment or inappropriate messages to your online service and to the Police

Set your browser to say NO to 'cookies'

Tips for parents

Learn about what your child is doing on the Internet - Know what Web Sites they are visiting, know what type of chat rooms, e-mail, and messages your child is involved in online

Find out about Filtering Software that is available to block out objectionable material

Set reasonable guidelines for computer use by your children - monitor the amount of time spent on the computer and when

Keep computer usage as a family activity by putting the computer in a family room rather than in the child's bedroom

Ensure your child does not give out personal information. Have them use a 'code name'

Be wary of any offers that involve your child going to a meeting or having someone visit your home - Remember that people may not be who they seem

source:http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/Internet+safety+tips+from+Toronto+Police/4545428/story.html