Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Internet Safety

Parents today often voice their concerns about the tremendous job of keeping their children safe. As a result of ever-increasing technology, parents have many questions about keeping kids safe in a variety of settings including the Internet. The Internet is a great tool that can be utilized by a wide variety of people to find or share information, keep in touch and communicate. While the Internet provides convenience and an abundance of information, there are also risks to consider. The following tips can help to keep you and your loved ones safe while enjoying the Internet.

1. Remember that anything on the Internet can essentially be viewed by anyone. Many sites provide user names and passwords to help keep your information safe but these systems are not foolproof. Keep in mind that anything you post on the Internet could be viewed by anyone and post accordingly.

2. Protect your personal information by limiting what you share and who you intentionally share it with. For example, if using a social networking site carefully consider how much personal information you share. Providing your city/state of residence, place of employment etc. gives potential strangers a lot of information about you that you may not want them to have.

3. Use discretion when posting pictures or videos. Just like anything else on the Internet a video or photo could potentially be viewed by unexpected people. Think about what images you are using and whether or not they are images that you would allow anyone to see because they could!

4. When it comes to children or other vulnerable persons using the Internet, vigilance is essential. There are a variety of programs that allow you to block specific types of content and monitor use on home computers. Other safety policies could include keeping computers with Internet access in common areas of the home and talking with Internet users about the importance of safety.

5. Use extreme caution when giving out any personal or identifying information over the Internet. Chat rooms or instant messaging services may provide a way to easily connect with others but they can also be dangerous, particularly for children or vulnerable persons.

Keeping everyone safe while using the Internet is an ongoing task. Becoming aware of the potential risks associated with the Internet is a first step in keeping your loved ones safe. To obtain additional information on this topic you may visit this external link: http://www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide/pguidee.htm

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