Internet Privacy Safety

Internet Privacy, IP Address and Proxy FAQ

2009-04-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

What is an IP address?

A string of numbers assigned to you by your Internet Service Provider whenever you connect online.

Can I be traced through my IP address?

Your IP address reveals only the location and name of your ISP. Your ISP itself may have records of your computer using their service at such and such a time, but an ISP will usually not disclose this information without a search warrant / court order.

How long does an ISP keep logs of user IP addresses?

No one knows, but it could be anywhere from months to a few years. This is necessary to monitor bandwidth usage.

Someone online has threatened they can find me through my IP address. Can they do this?

Most likely they're bluffing. Unless you run your own server or live in the same building as your ISP's office, a stranger can't find you using just your IP address.

Can someone find out my username or password based in my IP address?

No. Your ISP is the only one that knows these details.

Do my emails display my IP address?

Yes. To send email anonymously, you'll want to use an anonymous remailer or an anonymous proxy.

What is a proxy server?

A third party server used as a go-between by a client computer that doesn't want to connect directly to the Internet.

Can a proxy server give me internet privacy?

Not if it's just a proxy server. A mere proxy server will announce to cyberspace that it's acting as a proxy for such and such IP address user (your computer), so you can still be traced through it.

What type of proxy server should I use to be able to surf anonymously?

You need an anonymous proxy server that's secure, reputable and reliable. You will most likely have to pay a fee.

How can an anonymous proxy server protect me?

Mainly by hiding your real IP address and blocking malicious scripts and programs from entering your system. You may get a different IP address each time you use the proxy. Additionally, some anonymous proxies claim they can't disclose your data even if subpoenaed (court ordered) since they don't store user logs.

How much does it cost to get an anonymous proxy server?

Could be $19.95, or $29.95 or $99.95. It all depends on the server and the service features. Go check out the anonymous proxy server's website and compare their product services.

Are free proxy servers safe to use?

Not if you're serious about your security and privacy. Many free proxies are either incorrectly set up, or owned by malicious people who want to use your data for their own ends. Beware of using free proxies and anonymous proxy servers that don't allow secure connections. And no matter what server you use, always encrypt private data.

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2009-04-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

Two out of five identity theft victims surveyed by the Identity Theft Assistance Center (ITAC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting identity theft through victim assistance, research and law enforcement partnerships) know how their personal data was stolen. This knowledge provides valuable insight about how identity theft occurs.

When ITAC surveyed 275 identity theft victims who worn the ITAC's open tune over a one-month episode, 160 customers (58%) did not know the supply of their identity theft. Another 115 customers (42%) did know how their information was compromised. These 115 customers attributed their identity theft to the next supplys:

* contacts, relatives, in-home workers - 26 gear, or 22.61% * notebook hacker/virus/phishing - 25 gear, or 21.74% * letters (stolen or fraudulent address change) - 24 gear, or 20.87% * abandoned/stolen wallet, checkbook or believe excess - 15 gear, or 13.04% * shady venture or worker - 12 gear, or 10.43% * records betrayal - 8 gear, or 6.96% * House burglarized - 4 gear, or 3.48% * minute believe - 1 casing, or 0.87%

receiving accurate information about the supplys of identity theft is trying because identity theft - the notch of a fraudulent new account or account invasion - is regularly confworn with other types of fraud, like the unauthorized use of a believe excess.

Nevertheless, it is up to each of us to be on safety against the possibility that our documents, or nastiest yet, our processors, could be compromised. Sometimes it may look like a behind fight, but they are some steps we can take to avert suitable the next victim. Here are some precautions:

* Do not keep your communal wellbeing excess in your wallet.

* If your communal wellbeing number is on your driver's excess, detach it. (In some states it is now banned for a driver's excess to be issued with a communal wellbeing number.)

* When shredding important documents, make surely you use a irritated-cut. "If it is tattered in strips and not irritated-cut, I can put it down right in front of me and put it back together and there you have it," says "John", who uses his skills as a processor safety specialist to shelter you, and is skilled in the conduct of hackers and thieves and can ruin your believe and your life.

* "Don't use wireless for something that you would not want put in a open newspaper. still it's a careful convenience, your information is frankly hovering in mid-air. I could be two blocks away with a high-powered receiver selection up his information."

* The key is safety in deepness or layers: opposing-virus, processor patches, and firewalls, and most importantly, updating them once a week. There are types of shelterion for wireless but they can be hacked in as little as twenty resume.

Because cybercriminals are suitable smarter and more sophisticated in their operations, they are frank threats to your personal safety and privacy. Your money, your processor, your family, and your venture are all at menace.

Spybot There are hundreds of Adware deletion programs on the push. Your best bet is to go to a place like Spybot Download It lists the best Adware Removers presently on the push. Or just google the speak "adware remover". Like I said, you'll find hundreds. Some are good, some aren't. Free Spybot is a great situate for you to see which ones work, but I know some of you just like to google, and that's approval too ;). Just get one, I feel bad having to current so wholly for something so nominal.

Some Ethical Issues of Internet Privacy

2009-04-30T19:14:00.000-07:00

If you are concerned about the ethical issues of internet privacy, then good for you. There is a movement right about now that is gaining traction. And the scary part of this is the fact no one is really talking about it. Maybe it is because people do not believe it is really a big issue. Or, maybe it is just because people do not know about it. But, right now, your every movement is being tracked on the internet.

You see, there is now a database being built of everywhere you have been on the internet. I personally found this out the other day when I clicked on an ad, and the headline said something about the city I lived in. At first, I thought: Holy smoke! This is a local person. But, the more I looked at it, it seemed a little strange out of all places my city is where this event happened.

So, I tried something a little different this time. I just changed a setting on my computer. Then I went back to the website, and clicked the ad. The ad now said the event took place in a different city. And, I now know this was because the internet could tell where I was. Once I realized this, just a little bit of fear began to set in. If people are using this information just for ads, then what else could they be using it for?

The setting I changed was my IP address. This is the location of the computer you are on. And, IP addresses are set up by locations, or cities. So, the internet knows if you visit a website, it can track your geographic location just by the IP address of your computer. But this is not the worst of it.

Now, there are companies building online databases of all of your internet movements. They know every place you go. Then, they begin to build a profile of you, via your IP address, and will begin to use this information to advertise to you. But the ethical question here is: Who gives them the right to collect this information? And better yet, who is over seeing all of this information?

I always have a concern when people know what exact phrases I am searching for on the internet. Or, they know every website I go to. This is why it is extremely important to hide this information. And, since they track it by your IP address, if you can change or hide your IP address, then they can not track you any more. All of your data ends up on another IP address. Pretty sneaky huh?

So, how is this done? Just by using a software that will hide your IP address, you can change your IP address whenever you want to, and as often as you want to. This will then prevent anyone from actually knowing where you have been, and more importantly, from building a personal profile of your internet usage. I honestly believe this is a serious ethical issue of internet privacy being invaded. This is why you need to do something about it.

The simplest method to prevent people and companies from invading in your internet privacy is by hiding your IP address. Right now, you can download this IP masking software for free to try it out.

Teaching your kids about the Internet

2007-09-06T03:38:00.007-07:00

The Internet is something that is very powerful. It provides a whole lot of information without much of the hassle associated with looking for them in an encyclopedia. Search engines have made looking for particular data an ease – it is literally typing a few words and clicking. The Internet provides news in real time, even if the events going on are a few thousand miles away from where you are.

That being said, the Internet can also be dangerous. It is used to mass produce viruses and spread them around the whole world, able to affect any nation, especially those lacking in computer security. It can be used to hack into bank accounts and robbing money away from an unsuspecting owner. It can be used for terrorist functions. It is filled with dirty material – pornography, lewd acts, cursing, and crime.

The Internet is a place that you don’t want your kids to go snooping around in, due to the dangers associated with it. This is why it is very important for parents to teach their kids about the wonders and dangers of the Internet, and not just one side only. Show them the whole thing; the big picture. A child who views something not suitable for him may have his life changed forever, something that even parents can't do anything about.

By teaching your kids properly, you are ensuring not only their safety, but the whole family’s safety as well. Any information a child shares over the Internet to someone who is a total stranger can endanger the whole family. Teach your kids never to share information, even if it is just a location (e.g. Los Angeles), a phone number, or even a name. Tell them that it is for the protection of the family.

Tell your kids never to give out passwords, even if they are shared with close friends. Passwords make it much easier for perpetrators to get what they want without the risk of getting caught and you never know, a close friend might have a slip of the tongue and give out the child’s password to a total stranger. By then, if you are unsuspecting, the perpetrator may have gotten away with what he wanted already.

Teach your kids never to tolerate nor entertain cursing and other foul, rude language over the Internet. It is very easy to respond in a negative way to a person over the Internet since you can't be seen and you can be anywhere in the world. However, you might not know if the person the child curses is a computer expert or not, which could endanger your computer and data.

Allow your kids to have fun while at the same time restricting them. Giving them total freedom on the Internet will only lead to danger, as they are mostly innocent and unsuspecting of those who want to prey on children. Place security measures on the Internet browser. Place the computer in the family room instead of the child’s room so that you can check in on the child from time to time, which will be to his protection.

Tell your kids never to accept any file that is sent over the Internet without consulting you first. This file can be anything – a virus, a nude photo, a gross photo, a prank program, etc. It is better to exercise caution and prevent a negative occurrence rather than try to control any damage done after the file is executed.

Tell your kids to exercise caution in chat rooms and social networking sites. Tell them that there are perpetrators out there that lurk and wait for the unsuspecting child to come and befriend them. These people ought to be treated as strangers. It would also be better if the child would tell the parents every time he meets a new “friend”.

The Internet is very dangerous. A child can't hope to combat viruses, spyware, and lewd material on his own. It is far better to prevent that from ever occurring, and often times, teaching a child is the best way to go. Tell them of the rules, decorum, and other necessities in using the Internet. More importantly, tell them to have fun without the risk of exposing themselves.

Internet safety solutions for kids

2007-09-06T03:38:00.005-07:00

Thanks to the birth and subsequent growth of information technology, particularly the Internet, millions of people from all over the world have access to each other. Chat rooms, social networking sites, and various internet forums make this connection a virtual reality. Unfortunately, there is a bad side to all the wonders that the Internet showcases. One of these negatives is that children are exposed to various dangers which are very difficult to control.

You can't blame children for wanting to use the Internet for their own satisfaction. As it is often said (which is true), children copy adults around them, especially those that they look up to as role models – including their own parents. As such, when the kids see parents or their role models on TV playing with computers and the Internet, their curiosity is quickly aroused and they want to copy what these role models do. When they get a hold of the Internet, it is very difficult for them to look back.

One solution to this problem of constant exposure to the Internet’s dangers is for the parents to regulate the Internet access of their children. Microsoft Windows has various user accounts in which a child can be included. All the administrator has to do is to limit the web sites that the selected user can access, and around half of the danger is already eliminated as a result of this. All it takes is a little computer knowledge from the parent.

Another way is the Internet security feature usually found within the Internet options in Windows. If a web site is accidentally visited and it contains explicit material that isn't suitable for children, a warning is displayed. This feature can be adjusted accordingly, from high security to low, with custom settings a possibility as well.

However, these measures are only half of the overall solution to the overall problem. It is very easy to say that this can be avoided if you, as a parent, completely disallow your child to use computers and/or the Internet. However, you also don't want to deprive your children of the technology that is within their generation. That is why educating your children on the dangers of the Internet is very essential – you need to teach them the benefits of using the Internet while making them aware of the potential dangers and bad things that can happen.

This is perhaps the best way – training your child. Not only will this be beneficial for them, as a parent, this is beneficial for you too. You will get close to your child, spend quality time with him/her, and share your life together during these moments. Along with that, you are teaching him/her to be responsible when using the Internet. Tell them that it is all right to surf the Internet, provided that an amount of caution must be exercised.

A common problem arises when children go into Internet chat rooms and social networking sites to interact with people who also do the same. However, there are many users out there who claim to be 15 years old, when in reality, they are around 20 years or older! These people take advantage of innocent children by pretending to be their friend, asking certain personal questions, and just giving the child confidence that they have a friend they can talk to. However, in real life, they are securing information that can be used against the child and his family.

This is one reason why teaching and training a child is important. Tell your child never to give out personal information, no matter how subtle it may be. Tell your child never to give a photo of himself or of his family and friends. It may be all right to meet new friends online, but tell your child never to go out and personally meet these so-called new friends without asking you parents to accompany him.

In extreme situations, a good solution would be to call in some help, if you don’t think you can handle it. It is ok to admit that there are certain things that can be difficult to do. Remember that it is for the protection of your child. An example is if you want to place Internet restriction but don’t know how to. It is perfectly fine to seek help.

Internet Child Security: Monitoring Your Kid's Online Safety

2007-09-06T03:38:00.003-07:00

Teaching our children online safety is every bit as important these days as teaching them the basics of "real world" physical security. The old adages of "don't talk to strangers" and other similar sayings now have their own electronic counterparts, and you should be aware of all of the possibilities to ensure the safety of your kids when they go on the internet. Here are the major hazards of children going online, along with a few bits of advice on how to deal with them.

Hazardous Programs/Software Online - viruses, spyware, worms, and trojans are some of the major threatening software that can be encountered online. Having security programs that detect and block incoming threats isn't always enough. Since these programs can ride piggyback disguised as or attached to harmless looking email, make sure that your children never accept email from any sources they don't know, and even to reject ones with suspicious sounding names even from sources that they DO trust, as their friends' computers might have gotten infected and the emails sent out automatically by the viruses. On a related note, teach your kids the importance of maintaining a firewall and anti virus shield. Show them how to operate them, and tell them NEVER to turn it off just because the firewall may be doing something "inconvenient" like blocking a game site.

Verbal Abuse Online - wether in chat rooms, forums, clubs, and online gaming, there are enough vicious, small minded, stupid, and harmful people that might heap verbal abuse on your children, swearing at them or making sexual advances on them, or even striking at their religious or ethnic backgrounds. Teach your children that they do NOT have to put up with this online any more than they have to in real life. They should know how to get recordings or screenshots of the instances, and take them to you. You can then ensure your child's safety by contacting the moderator of the forum, game, site, etc. in question and having them ban the offending parties. If the abuse is excessive, you can even opt for taking legal action against the person or people involved, just as you would push a slander and abuse charge if they did it on the street. The internet's advantage in such cases is that screenshots and official records from the sites can be used as hard evidence, unlike real-life verbal abuse cases where the evidence is usually gleaned from reliable witnesses.

Phishing - another danger online is the crime of phishing. This involves people contacting you or your children claiming to be something harmless like a bill collector, law enforcer, government employee, salesman, etc and attempting to get you or your children to give them sensitive information over the internet. This usually involves things like credit card numbers, home phone and address, social security numbers, etc. As in real life, the best defense against this is to teach your children to never divulge any information to someone they don't personally know, and to avoid giving out extra-sensitive information (credit card!) to anyone, even those they DO know. One type of software that helps defend against these cases is the supervisor monitoring program. These packages are usually meant for office use to monitor the times a user logged into a computer, what sites they visited, whch programs were run, what was downloaded and uploaded, and even what was typed. While this will not directly avoid phishing in case your kids DO give out information inadvertently, it WILL at least allow you to find out after the fact and to take appropriate legal measures using that hard evidence against the parties involved.

Stuff You Don't Want Them Seeing - lastly there are, sadly, many sites out there that we don't want our kids seeing. Aside from the obvious pornographic sites there are also ones involving graphic displays of extremes of violence, or have teachings and ideologies we'd rather not have our kids exposed to. To prevent this, parental lock programs and timers can be used to limit which sites your children can visit and how long they can stay on the internet. These types of software mesh perfectly with the supervisor monitoring program (mentioned in Phishing, above) to allow you to know what your children are doing online when they think you're not looking.

What Are Some of the Dangers of the Internet?

2007-09-06T03:38:00.001-07:00

The information superhighway and the Internet revolution have allowed people of all ages, races, genders, and inclinations greater access to knowledge and communication. With more information stored online, more people can read about their favorite subjects without having to run to the library, or purchase an expensive encyclopedia set. With more knowledge organized in a format that can be easy to search through, retrieve, and work with, more people can learn faster and do more research online.

This revolution in information technology and presentation comes with its own disadvantages. Not all information presented online is true or edited, and nothing can surpass power of a real encyclopedia or reference book in terms of veracity of the information presented. Not all online forums seeking to help people are populated by experts or, much less, decent Internet users. Not all websites are safe to access, and not all files that you download from the Internet are free from malicious programs that can give hackers access to your computer.

Our children are the greatest beneficiaries of computer and online technology, and they are certainly its greatest victims. While the Internet can help your primary school student look for facts on Thailand, it may lead him or her to sites that advertise on the country’s teeming sex trade. While the World Wide Web can allow your secondary school student to do research on stem cells, it may ask for his or her credit card to purchase certain articles or books – only to turn the tables on you and allow hackers access to the credit card itself. The Internet is home to information as well as dangers, and in order to protect your children best, you will need to know the dangers.

• Because children are easily impressionable and can easily place their trust in someone who does good things for them, many ill-meaning people can prey on them and ask them to give information that they shouldn't. Such predators can operate at many levels, and in many sites. They can come to forums in the guise of someone who can counsel teenagers or help children with their homework. They can come to chat rooms and introduce themselves as grandfathers or grandmothers who want to learn about the Internet.

Predators come in many forms, but their aim will be the same: they will use children for their own selfish ends. They can ask children important information about the children’s parents, leading the way for the predator to break into the house or office and steal important, valuable items. They can ask children to meet them, leading the children to be kidnapped and sold off to the sex or slave trade.

• Child pornography, despite the efforts of international governments, has shown no signs of slowing down. More and more children are lured by child pornographers to pose for lewd pictures, participate in indecent, often disturbing acts, and ultimately destroy their fragile childhood. Like predators, pornographers will prey on children’s innocence, and pose as trustworthy people.

• Purchasing items through online merchants can make shopping easier, especially for housewives who have no time to hop over to the nearest grocery store or mall for things they might need. Online transactions, however, require credit card numbers and addresses, along with other important contact information.

Not all sites are created equal. Site security is becoming more of an issue as identity thieves have stepped up in their efforts to hack into accounts, steal money, and use stolen credit cards to make their transactions. Many online merchants keep a constant vigilant watch over their sites in order to ensure that no hackers enter and steal credit card numbers.

Not all Internet sites and users, however, have the technology to recognize hackers or thieves. Children will usually be the target of such people, as the online medium offers the cloak of invisibility that thieves need to dupe their victims. By posing as someone who works for a child’s father, or an aunt needing money desperately, or even a schoolmate who has met an accident, identity thieves can get credit card numbers from children. Hackers can also access a computer and fetch important information from it, thanks to their techniques of making children believe in their trustworthiness.

The Internet is an exciting marketplace, but it is also a dangerous one. Children are among its greatest victims. While the Internet revolutionizes lives, it can also change them, and sometimes for the worse.

Using the Criminal Justice System Against International Abduction

2007-09-06T03:37:00.005-07:00

The times are truly changing. Because almost all essential transactions can now be coursed through the Internet, even crimes are emerging into new forms to underpin the rising popularity of the online medium.

Thus, you can hear of numerous reported cases of cyber crimes, or crimes that are perpetuated through the Internet. Take note that criminals and law offenders are equally effective when they operate online as they operate personally during normal circumstances.

Online crimes are new to almost all nations and governments, there are still not enough legislations and international treaties that would appropriately deal with such unique crimes. Thus, the online predators or perpetrators of crimes through the Internet are freely roaming the Web to find prospective prey.

Online abduction

In the United States alone, the volume of filed online abduction cases are on the rise. The US Department of Justice has revealed that in all abduction cases in the country, about a quarter had been perpetrated through emerging online technology.

About 49% of kidnapping incidences in the United States are committed by family members, when the child is abducted either by his dad or his mom. Such cases occur especially when the parents are separated.

On the average, about 27% of abduction cases in the country involve acquaintances or new friends of the child. Take note that the police identifies online chat rooms and interaction as the prime venue where kids meet new friends, that lead to abduction. The remaining 23% of kidnapping incidences are committed by total strangers.

How is online abduction committed? The process can be very simple and suspicious, but still, many kids fall for the trap. The abductor gets in touch with the child, befriends him or her, asks for personal details like address or invites the kid for a personal meeting, or popularly termed in online lingo as an eyeball.

The abduction of course isn't committed online, but the Internet becomes the facility that makes the crime possible. Criminals purposely meet kids over the Internet for the aim of kidnapping. They either disguise themselves as a boy or a girl who is of the same age as the prospective victim.

Experts and investigators analyze that the popular social networking sites are often the sites wherein strangers and kids meet. Online criminals target these sites, register to them and log in to them so they could meet kids who would be very easy to lure and convince.

What about international abduction?

International abduction is committed when the kidnapped child is taken abroad after being abducted. The criminal takes the child offshore so the parents can't easily trace their kids' location.

Also, international abduction somehow provides protection to the abductor. For one, federal police aren't as free to roam around and flex its muscles to find the abducted child and the kidnapper. It takes time before the parents and the police figure out that the case was an international abduction.

You might be wondering how the abductor can take the child abroad. As you see, there are many ways a criminal can take a child without proper documents. Crossing land borders can be one, as well as processing a fake or fictional identification for the child.

You might be asking, "Does it really happen?" The answer would be, "Yes, a lot!".

How to pursue international abductors using the criminal justice system

The criminal justice system is primarily instituted to protect the rights and legal privileges of US citizens. If they have been aggrieved by foreigners, there can still be justice using this system.

In the case of international abduction, you will have to file reports to the police first. After establishing that the child has been taken abroad, that is the time you will be advised to pursue the criminal through the federal criminal justice system.

The US has extradition treaties with many countries. If the criminal is staying in a country that has an extradition agreement with the US, then the criminal will be apprehended and arrested and brought to the US for prosecution.

If there is none, the criminal justice system will cooperate with the country's justice system, so the respective justice system will prosecute the offender accordingly. This can be possible especially when the law provisions violated by the criminal are the same with the provisions he violated under US legislations.

Overall, it surely won't be an easy fight, but it will be all worth it, if you want to get your child back. To prevent such problems, watch the online behavior and habits of your children and monitor the friends they make online.

Computers and Kids: Should You Violate Your Child’s Privacy?

2007-09-06T03:37:00.003-07:00

The Internet is both a marketplace and a library: while thousands of companies are vying for the attention and money of consumers, thousands of informational materials are available to cater to everyone’s need to learn. The age of Web 2.0 has also turned the Internet into a soundboard for the world’s whines and pains, as blogs, diaries, and e-books proliferate. As the information age comes, so does the age of uncensored free expression, where everyone and anyone can post his or her thoughts online, in any shape, manner, or form.

As the once valued prize of privacy is constantly being violated online, and as the lack of private thoughts is lauded on the very much open World Wide Web, the privacy of Internet users is becoming more and more an issue. Credit card theft runs rampant on the Internet, due to the ability of hackers to get into home computers and bank records to retrieve the information they need. Whole websites can be destroyed by malicious software. Students lose years of information and files after their computers are damaged by viruses.

There is a privacy of a different sort at play when Internet usage is concerned. It involves the right of every human being to read, view, and listen to what they want online. This privacy is something that every website owner holds dear, hence the lack of inhibitions on the Internet. Anyone interested in reading more about the Middle Ages is given a chance to do so, thanks to various history-related websites that feature timelines, footage of reenactments, and even pictures of important historical sites. Anyone who wants to cook can do so, and well, thanks to online culinary courses, and free recipes.

At the same time, anyone who wants to read or view pornographic materials can do so on one of the millions of pornography websites available online. Anyone who wants to see footage of child prostitutes can do so through websites linked to the sex trade. Anyone who wants to steal your credit card, your children, and your life can find a link to you, hunt you down, and do what they want with you and your possessions.

All these claims may seem overblown, but with the lack of inhibitions online, and lack of security of most websites, they aren't entirely unfounded. According to research, over a quarter of all families surveyed become victims of credit card fraud and identity theft because their children were preyed on by seemingly trustworthy online thieves. Thousands of children are kidnapped each year by predators who introduce themselves as well-meaning adults in forums or chat rooms. Even more children are abused, sold to the slave or sex trades, or exploited.

So should you violate your child’s right to see what he or she wants online? The answer is a resounding yes. You as the parent have the right to safeguard your child’s interests, and it is certainly in your best interest to protect your child from disturbing images, lewd materials, and possible predators. It is you duty to raise your child in the best way possible, and to do everything in your power to give your child the chance to be a better member of society.

You also have the duty to monitor your child’s computer activities, which is especially important if your child has his or her own computer, and his or her own unlimited access to the Internet. You may get into quarrels with your child, so be persuasive, not defensive or combative. You must explain briefly how your intrusion is for his or her good.

How do you check your child’s computer activities? An easy way would be to check your child’s history folder, which you can access through the Internet browser. Through this, you can see what files and sites your child has accessed and when. Your child, however, may constantly erase the contents of his or her history folder. If you check your child’s computer regularly and find that this is the case, check the Internet options to see if your child has set the computer to never store items in the history folder. If the computer has been set to store items, but the history folder is empty, then you may have to confront your child. Incessant erasing of history folder items may be a sign that your child is accessing pornographic sites.

You may also need to check your child’s email, especially his or her deleted items, which can contain items that are being hidden, out of parents’ reach. If you have the time, check any recently downloaded or saved files, and see the nature of these files. All of these measures may be difficult to do if your child’s computer has a password, or if certain files are hidden or hard to find, but you will certainly find a way to investigate your child’s activities as a caring, helping parent.

The Internet may be a cruel world for a child to walk through, but if you have the right principles and the heart of a truly devoted parent, then you can walk through this world together. All you need is perseverance and patience, and the ability to monitor your child’s activities, so that his or hers, and consequently, your privacy is protected.

Child Security and Phishing

2007-09-06T03:37:00.001-07:00

Phishing is an internet term used for a certain kind of modern crime performed over the internet. It basically involves people masquerading as something harmless, like a bill collector or online survey taker, in an attempt to gather sensitive information and/or insert harmful programs like worms, spyware, and viruses into your computer.

More often than not, children are the biggest security breach in this case. While adults have often been victims of phishers as well, children are often in a greater area of danger because of their inexperience and lack of knowledge. As in the old days, teaching your children to defend themselves is one of the best thigns you can do to avoid this problem. Here are a few things to do:

1) Explain Phishing to Your Kids - let your children know about phishing. Explain to them that people CAN pretend to be your business associates or government representatives online, and that they should NEVER give out any information to someone they don't know.

2) Drill Your Children in Anti Phishing Procedures - aside from refusing to give information, treat this as you would the old case of what you teach your children to do when approached by strangers: that they should contact you if you're available, or play safe and run away (go offline and disconnect the internet) if the stranger is persistent. Also remember that phishers can come in many forms, even over something as harmless seeming as an online game.

2) Install Simple Firewalls and a Computer Activity Monitor - these two programs are essential. While they may not prevent the actual act of a person getting information from your kids via phishing, they provide their own security measures as well. Firewalls insure that, in case your children accept a hermless seeming survey form, no viruses or worms get inserted into your PC. Also, in the even that a phisher manages to get information from your kids, a system activity monitor program will allow you to trace what happened while you were gone, so that you can forward the recorded information over to your local police if you wish to have them investigate what happened.

3) Know and Teach your Children about Alternate Phishing Methods - Phishing does not simply involve people trying to access your information by contacting you and your children online. There are other, more indirect methods that they can employ, so make sure your children (and you yourself!) keep aware of the following:

3-a) Link Name Manipulation - this is a common trick used by some phishers. They take the name of a famous and trustworthy site and alter it's name slightly to appear, at a casual glance, like the original site. A common trick used is to substitute a small letter "L" for a capital "i" in the name, or to replace a capital "o" with a zero "0". Aside from these simple naming tricks, placing an extension at the end or middle of a URL, like say, sitename.com.realname.com, is another common way of masking a hidden site. These sites will often sport a front page that looks almost exactly like the home page of the site they're mimicking, and as soon as you enter your user name and password, the phishers will have it on file and you're in trouble.

3-b) Phone Phishing - sometimes, in an offer to "validate" themselves, phishers will offer to call the victim's home to "prove" that they exist and have a "physical office" (As if you could see that over a phone! You'd be surprised at the number of people who fall for this though). As above, remind your children that this does NOT prove anything, and they should avoid any offers of such contact. Under no circumstances are they to give the home number, and if the caller already knows it and calls but you have caller ID, have them take the number down on paper for the authorities.

4) Anti Phishing Programs - there are a few licensed anti phishing programs that interact with most major firewalls. Get the latest one. These will have the names and locations of known phishing sites, as well as the programs commonly used by phishers to build their sites. These licensed programs also update themselves from their own secure websites on a constant basis to keep up to date with any changes and new information. This added security acts like a firewall or antivirus program but is dedicated to blocking, detecting, and tracing phishers.

3 Steps to Protect the Safety of Your Kids on the Internet

2007-09-06T03:36:00.007-07:00

Relying solely the safety of your kids while they use the internet to different security softwares you have installed is a complete misinterpretation of what these softwares are all about. You must understand that computer programs designed to keep your kids from accessing certain sites aren't the solution to keep your kids safe. Because believe it or not, your kids can still visit bad sites even if your computer has all sorts of web filtering systems available. How? By disabling it or finding a way to bypass the current security configuration of your computer.

It is important therefore that you get personally involved with the activity of your kids online. Thus, these are the things you should do: (this is not to say, however, that web security software isn't useful; it only says that parents shouldn't use security features from web security software, search engine, and web browsers as alternatives to actual physical presence and proper guidance.)

1. Educate yourself.

Knowing what you are doing ensures that you get the things you want to achieve. This also goes when it comes to the safety of your kids on the internet. Make sure that you know what you are taking about so that they will understand what you are saying and in turn, will yield to the result you are expecting.

You can't simply tell them "do this and don’t do that" without knowing why. So, learn the internet, understand the threat, know where threats can come from, learn the language your kids use online, and go to number 2.

2. Teach.

Teach your kids how to safely use the internet. Here are some of those:

• Follow specific guidelines on the proper use of the internet.
• Never give personal information to other people they meet online.
• Never visit bad sites.
• Never use real name online.
• Never become an online bully.
• Never open spam mails. Never download attachments from unknown senders.
• Tell parents right away if they feel uncomfortable with someone or something they encounter online.

3. Remind

Sometimes, it isn't enough to teach your kids what they should do and what they shouldn’t in one sitting. You need to keep on reminding them about it all the time. The effective way to do it though isn't through constant verbal approach but through the paper. Make a list of the things that your kids should and shouldn't do while using the internet. This will stand as the rules. Post it near the computer where they can easily see it.

How to Protect Your Kids if They Keep on Outsmarting You

2007-09-06T03:36:00.005-07:00

No matter how hard you try to protect your kids, they will still find a way to navigate the internet and manage to access sites that you block. And if at the moment they can't access these sites, I say to you that it is just a matter of time before they break your security lock and proceed to their online activities without you knowing.

First of all, there is something you should know. There are many ways your kids can manage to break through the security wall of your computer. They will and they can keep finding ways as long as they see something to block their access to forbidden sites. They can use proxies, other IP address, disable security settings, and download software that can counteract the security setting.

What's the use of web security software then?

Take note that even web filtering software manufacturers will admit that their products aren't 100% foolproof. So if you have different security software installed on your computer, your kids can still access sites beyond the security line. Web security softwares are only effective if you use it properly and if your kids don't know how to unlock it or use other ways to bypass your setting.

What should you do then?

If you have different security filters on your computer and still your kids are able to make access of the following sites, then you have to know which method they are using. This is the only way where you can outsmart them.

Learn more about the computer, the proxies, RDP, SSH, VNC, Google translator and Tor. These are the things that are commonly used to crack security access. Ask your kids about them. Suspect that they are bypassing your security setting if they can explain these vividly to you or if they are obviously avoiding discussing these topics.

Create access passwords so that they can't disable your web filtering software. Change it regularly.

Most of all, you need to talk to your kids about this issue. They may resist what you say and may argue with you on this but if you talk to them good then they may reconsider. The thing is, good parenting coupled with open communication is the key to make sure that they are always safe when they are online. Try to invest in these things early and you can reduce the risk of your kids being put in danger.

How Parents Can Get Involved in their Kid's Online Activities

2007-09-06T03:36:00.003-07:00

Online tools such as web filtering software and web monitoring software can't replace the actual presence of parents when it comes to ensuring the kids total safety while using the internet. Thus, the active role you can provide to your kids will ensure that they use the internet properly and stay on good sites.

Here are the things you can do to keep your presence with your kids:

1. Sit with your kids while they use the internet. Not only will this ensure that the sites they visit are safe, it also helps them to respond properly when they encounter online bullies, online predators, and inappropriate websites.

2. Be computer and internet literate. Know how to navigate the computer properly. Learn the basics and advance techniques on web security. Learn how web browsers and search engines work especially the way to enable the security settings. The point is, you should know more on how to operate the computer and internet than your kids.

3. Learn the chat lingo. Abbreviations such as brb (be right back), lol (laugh out loud), and btw (by the way) are some of the more common terms used in online chatting. There are more. Make sure you learn them so you understand what your kids are typing.

4. Create a family email account. If your kids are still too young to handle their own email account, create one for your family. This way, you can monitor the mail they receive and scan if the mail is safe or not.

5. Be open. Keep the communication open between you and your kids. Encourage your kids to share with you’re their online experiences. This will also help them to easily open up to you if they encounter any problems while you are away.

6. Help your kids bookmark their favorite accounts for easy access in the future.

7. Set rules that you both agree to. Set a corresponding consequence if any of these rules aren't followed.

8. Teach your kids the online safety rules. This includes not giving personal information to strangers, not to accept gifts, not to meet personally people they only met online, not to open sites, the right time to use the computer, and the proper way to treat others online.

9. Always be there for your kids whenever they need your help. Take them seriously and respond immediately if they report something to you.

How to Use Google and Yahoo! as an Internet Security Wall for Kids

2007-09-06T03:36:00.001-07:00

Buying a software that filters the sites allowed to be accessed from your computer may not be a good solution to keep your kids from visiting porn sites and webpages with graphic contents. However, this isn't the only way. Believe it or not, the ones you always use to search for your desired webpage has the capacity to filter unwanted sites, which gives you a peace of mind and makes it safer for kids to surf while you are away.

Yes, Google and Yahoo! can do it for you. Here’s how:

Google.

1. Go the Google homepage (www.google.com).
2. Click the Preferences link on the right side of the dialog box.
3. Just at the bottom of your screen, you will see the "SafeSearch Filtering".
4. Then click on this: Use strict filtering (Filter both explicit text and explicit images)
5. Click "Save Preferences".

Note: The Google preferences are saved on the "Cookie". If the Cookies are erased, the settings will be lost.

Yahoo!

1. Go to Yahoo! homepage (www.yahoo.com).
2. On the search tab on top of the page, click "more" (located beside "shopping").
3. Click the "All Search Services". A new page will appear.
4. Click web search. The address would show: http://search.yahoo.com
5. Click the "Search Preferences" link. That’s right before the last line at the bottom of the page beside "Search Services".
6. Then click the "Edit" button on the Safe Search menu. Choose, " Filter out adult Web, video, and image search results - SafeSearch On".
7. Then save.
8. Click Finish.

You can also go directly on the Yahoo! search page and follow the procedures from 5 to 8.

Note: If the changes on the search preferences are made when a Yahoo! account is logged-in, the changes only affect the user of the account. If you want these changes to take effect to the computer, make sure that there is no one logged on before making any changes. Or, if you want to apply these changes to your kids' personal account, log-in to their account first and do the procedure.

Google and Yahoo! preferences settings only take effect if your kids use any of these 2 search engines and will be useless of your kids type-in the URL on the address. Therefore, if your kids don't rely on their web navigation through these two search engines, use other types of security tools.

Internet Safety for Kids: Why Web Filtering Software is Effective?

2007-09-06T03:35:00.007-07:00

There are many ways to keep your kids safe while surfing the net. The best way of course is to sit with your kids while they are online and supplemented by strict guidelines on the "do's and don’ts of using the internet". However, even if you have done both of these, your kids will still try to sneak out from you and access bad sites and do things online that are included on your don't list…

That is if you don’t use a web filtering software.

What is a web filtering software?

A web filtering software is a computer program that lets you take control of the traffic happening on your computer. Since the internet is two way traffic (data comes from the web to your computer and vice versa), the web filtering software can block the entry of data from the web and block the request of the computer user to go through the web.

This way, internet-based treats in the forms of pornography, graphic images of violence, explicit content, sex, nudity, online sexual and financial predators, viruses, and spyware will have to pass through the security wall you setup with the web filtering software. If the sites or data requested are considered banned, the access won't go through.

Some popular web filtering softwares are Norton Internet Security, Cybersitter, NetNanny, CyberPatrol, K9 Web Protection, and ContentBarried (OS MAC).

What specific security features are included in a web filtering software?

• Application Blocking
• Chat Blocking
• Chat Filtering
• Chat Monitoring
• Customizable Port Blocking
• Editable Filter Lists
• Email Blocking
• Email Filtering
• Filter Categories
• FTP Blocking
• IM Port Blocking
• Newsgroup Blocking
• Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Blocking
• Popup Blocking
• Predator Blocking
• Web traffic monitoring

Take note that different web filtering softwares have different features so it is important to choose the right software that fits your security requirements.

Why is web filtering websites effective in keeping your kids safe while using the internet?

It keeps your kids from opening …

• websites and IP addresses you have blocked,
• predetermined programs such as instant messaging and chat rooms,
• pornographic sites, and
• websites with spyware and viruses.

It keeps your kids from downloading…

• files from illegal sites,
• using p2p programs, and
• email attachments.

And most of all, it keeps you in control.

Helping Your Kids to Stay Safe when Using Social Networking Sites

2007-09-06T03:35:00.005-07:00

Social networking sites such as MySpace, Friendster, Yahoo! 360, and others may seem to be a good way for your kids to connect with their friends, know more about the people they meet at school, and to find new people online. However, these sites may also become a venue for online predators to search, know, and target your kids which may definitely put them in danger.

The question now for parents would be: How can I ensure the safety of my kids when they use social networking sites?

To answer this question, you need to focus on 3 things: personal identity, profile privacy, and photos.

Personal Identity.

This includes your kids' name, home address, home phone number, cell phone number, email address, school information, interests and others. Teach them not to post their personal information on these sites. Explain to them why. That way, your kids will know that it is dangerous. The alternative? Instead of giving their name tell them to use a handle; instead of complete address, just the state or town; and instead of using their primary email address, tell them to create a secondary dedicated for this purpose. And, tell them not to post their phone numbers online. The key is: be vague on posting personal information to their profile.

Profile Privacy.

Most social networking sites give options that will give the user the option to secure their profile from access. This way, the information that your kids have in their profile will only be viewed by people whom they are directly connected. This will also keep unwanted people from viewing their profile and using it in a predatory purpose. Thus, tell your kids to keep their profile secured.

Photos

Online predators often view photos of users to judge if that person is a good victim. So, to keep your kids from being a target, review all the pictures they want to post on their profile. Make sure that all photos they will post don't reveal identifiable landmarks that can trace them easily such as street names, doorsteps of your house, and plate numbers of your cars.

Other helpful ways in keeping your kids safe when using social networking sites:

Set clear rules about their limitations on using these sites such as schedule and frequency. Make sure you both agree on these. Also set a consequence if they break this rule.

Tell your kids not to post any blogs that contain their emotional vulnerability since online predators can use this as a weakness to victimize kids.

Finally, sit with your kids and make their profile open to your access.

Keep Your Kids Safe with a Thick Firewall

2007-09-06T03:35:00.003-07:00

Your kids have the potential to attract malicious internet attacks and unwanted people from taking over your system. This is because they may not have the ability to know if the sites or programs they are visiting and using are safe or not. And this is not their fault. As a parent, you should always take the initial move to take care of your kids whenever they go online. One way to do it is by setting up a good firewall.

A firewall is a computer security device that prohibits illegal access to your computer. In physical analogy, a firewall is like a main door of your house with security lock the separates you from the outside world. If someone wants to enter through your door without a pass, that someone can't enter. The firewall can automatically decline the entry attempt of other network from your computer.

What does this say to you and to the safety of your kids?

Kids can accidentally or intentionally enter unsuitable websites, receive unsolicited email, or engage in scandalous online conversation without their parents knowing. And without something to block these things, kids may be standing in direct danger, as well as the computer.

A firewall allows parents to dictate the traffic of your system; just like the power to dictate who is allowed to hold the pass to your house. Parents can set and configure the security level of the computer which can protect your kids from illegal access that can protect your kids' personal file and personal information. This is called pin-holing. A firewall makes sure that the system inside your computer is safe from the outside threat trying to get inside as well as those coming from the pre-existing programs of your computer attempting connect with the internet.

It must be made clear that a firewall isn't capable of protecting your kids from phising, scams, and online predators. They are a whole different treat altogether. So if you want to protect your kids from these threats, you need to get a different program like web filtering software. A firewall only prevents these dangers from happening by blocking the access to these sites.

Again, firewalls enable parents to keep the computer clean from maliscious attacks and protect your kids by making sure that they don’t attract anyone who tries to takeover your computer and get vital information about your family.

Playing Online: Tips for Parent to Keep Kids Safe

2007-09-06T03:35:00.001-07:00

Kids spend a lot of time playing games online. This equates to kids having more chances to meet strangers and less time to do the house chores, school duties, and personal responsibility. This also means that there is a great chance that they expose themselves to inappropriate venue, unsafe people, and improper games.

Thus, you should do something about it. This doesn't mean that you ban online games from your kids; you just have to make some modifications on the way you let your kids play games online.

• Learn the basics. As parents, you have the responsibility to your kids and the things that influence them online. Make sure that you are familiar with the game ratings and the sites that offer online games that are appropriate for the age of your kids. It is better to read reviews from gaming sites to know appropriate games for your kids to play.

• Set rules. This must be done before your kids play for the first time. Discuss with them the specific time, day, and conditions they are allowed to play online; and the dangers of giving out personal information online including their name and the place they live. Make sure that they understand them pretty well.

• Use handle or nicknames. As was mentioned, your kids shouldn't tell their personal information to anyone online. Encourage them not use their real names online. Aside from the security, using a handle is cool.

• Watch and Suggest. Know what games your kids play and whom they play with. Make sure that the games are appropriate for their age. If they don’t know where to find a gaming site for their age, find one for them.

• Monitor game messages and chats. Most interactive games online allow players to talk with each other. And there are instances where players use offensive words. Teach your kids to mute the voice message or block their messages from these players. You can also report these players to the administrator of the game through chat, email or feedbacks.

• Play with them. There is no better way to ensuring the safety of your kids online than by sitting and playing with them.

• Be open. Teach your kids to approach you if they encounter bullies online or if they feel uncomfortable with what they experienced during the game. Respond to them immediately.

Internet Safety for Kids: The Secret to Keeping Your Privacy

2007-09-06T03:34:00.005-07:00

Parents often remind their kids not to fill out forms on sites that ask for vital personal information such as name, address, email address, and telephone number. But, parents are often underpowered by the desire of their kids and the smart tactics of some sites. The problem is, parents often fail to teach their kids how to respond so that their personal information isn't disclosed.

If you are one of them, then you need help. Here's how to teach your kids the proper way to respond to sites asking for personal information that would definitely keep their privacy at the same time while enabling them to still use the site.

If the site asks for the real name…

Use a handle or an alias.

If the site asks for the address…

If the site only requires your town and state, then it is probably safe. But if the site asks for a complete address including the house number, teach your kids to ask you first before filling this space out.

If the site asks for the email address…

If this field is required, then teach your kids to create a separate email account for this purpose. In this way, their primary email won't receive junk mails from unknown senders.

If the site asks for the telephone number…

If the completion of the form is only to grant access to online games, then the number is completely unnecessary. But if the site needs the number to send a verification code or access code through text message, then a cell phone number that isn't registered may be the safest way to give. But still, you may want to tell your kids to approach you first on this issue.

Sites have no capacity to know if the information that your kids have given are true or not, unless of course if your kids input their credit card number. So if the site asks for this kind of information, teach them to consult you first or better, click the back button and ignore the site entirely if the information asked has no relation to the service your kids want with the site.

What is important is to fill up those required fields on the form.

Bottom line is, the website can't verify if the information given by a user is true or not. They only rely on the information given to them. And if the sites are clever enough, then you teach your kids to think ahead in order to make sure that their privacy isn't revealed.

So, the secret to keeping your kids' privacy is teaching them common sense by knowing if the site is fooling them or not and by not revealing something that threatens to violate their privacy.

Ways to Teach Your Kids to Protect Their Privacy Online

2007-09-06T03:34:00.003-07:00

Kids make a lot of visits to different websites. And if they aren't careful, they may stumble on sites that ask them about their personal information which can be picked up by other people for malicious intent. Other than that, some sites even deliberately ask for your kids' personal information in the forms of survey and non-existing contests that may lead them to your family's information. All these can put your kids and your family in great danger. Thus, helping your kids protect your privacy online is the best way to avoid the possible online threats.

1. Teach your kids that talking to people online is more dangerous than to talking to strangers on the street. Their names, address, school information, telephone number, email address, password, and bank information should be kept from strangers at all times.

2. Online strangers exist in chat rooms. But chat rooms are very in to kids and it is unlikely that they will follow when you tell them not to enter chat rooms. So the best way to make sure that they are safe when inside chat rooms, tell them not to entertain private chat, stay on public and moderated rooms, and ignore strangers that ask them about their personal information.

3. Teach them not to fill out forms from unsecured site. Tell them to always look for privacy policy statements before they give personal information to a site. This will ensure that the information they will give is secure. Security status can also be seen at the bottom right portion of the browser in the form of a padlock.

4. Tell your kids the risk of giving out personal information on instant messaging. Since instant messaging aren't encrypted programs, anyone using the right software can pick up their conversation and use your kids' personal details against them.

5. If they have personal profiles on the net, make sure they are private and no other people can see it aside from the people they know.

6. Tell them to always use alias and nickname when using the internet. Also teach them to create alternative email so that whenever they are going to fill out online forms, their primary email is still safe. Alternative email address is also helpful if they are going to use computers outside your home.

7. Instruct them to use an alias when posting blogs online.

5 Tools to Keep Your Child Safe While Using the Net

2007-09-06T03:34:00.001-07:00

It is essential to maintain the safety of your kids anywhere they go and whatever they do. And with the internet becoming a whole new venue for kids to interact with other people, engage in activities, and encounter unlimited information, threats have never been more rampant.

Therefore, keeping your kids safe while using the internet is as important as keeping them safe outside your home. Here are the effective tools that make sure you realize this:

1. Child-friendly online browsers.

Kids love the internet because of the new experience it gives. But this experience should be safe too. So to make sure that you satisfy both the new experience and safety, you have to have a child-friendly web browser. This ensures that your kids stay on educational, fun, and relevant websites suited for their age. This prevents them from entering non-approved sites that may have unsuitable contents.

2. Search engines.

Most search engines have customizable search options or advance search options where the user can change the security settings that influence the search results. This feature blocks most of the adult sites. The good thing about filtering search engines is that it is free. However, this feature can easily be disabled by your kids. They can also use another search engines to look for their desired sites or just type the URL of the site they want to visit.

3. Internet filtering software

Many internet filtering softwares can block bad websites and webpages with undesirable contents. Take note that not all filtering softwares are the same. There are those that only block pre-determined words or websites that are included in the system database of the software manufacturer. Other internet filtering software can only allow sites that are approved by parents. The bottom line is, if you are going to select an internet filtering software, choose one that fits your needs.

4. Monitoring software

Monitoring software focuses on reporting to you the activities of your kids through email. The software will provide you the details about your kids' visited websites, sent and received email, online conversation, opened and closed applications, and opened and printed files.

5. Internet filtering from ISP

ISPs with internet filtering system are becoming more and more convenient for parents since they don't need regular updates. The IPS will automatically update the system plus it further enhances the security of your kids from bad sites.

Internet Shopping Safety: Guidelines for Kids on Picking the Right Online Store

2007-09-06T03:33:00.005-07:00

E-commerce has been growing around the world in recent years and traditional shopping has been replaced by a more convenient online marketplace. But with the growth of the number of shops shifting from malls to websites, there has also been a significant growth of non-existent online shops that only aim to victimize unsuspecting people. And since the targets are mostly kids, you should know how to avoid this scam by picking the right online stores.

1. Shop with your parents – There is no better way to shop online safely than by doing it with your parents. If you want to buy something online, ask them to spend time with you. They surely can tell you the good sites from the bad.

2. Go to tried and tested auctions sites – eBay, Yahoo Auctions, Bidz.com, uBid, MSN Auctions, and Amazon.com are some of the tried and tested auction sites. Just make sure that you bid from a reputable seller by reading feedbacks left by their previous buyers.

3. Choose reputable companies – Every clothing company, electronic company, toys manufacturer, and everything you see on the mall have at least one online store. So if you don’t to go to the mall, then shopping at their online stores is generally safe. They also have a good after-sales service.

4. Avoid too good to be true advertisements – If you find an online store selling an item with a price that is, as we say, too good to be true, then better doubt. This is one of the ways where kids like you are lured to drain your cash to them. They are probably a scam.

5. Avoid shopping from sites you get from spam. Spam mails are often the source of "too good to be true" item and scams. So better avoid them and settle for reputable sites.

6. Don't judge websites by design – Remember the saying, "Don’t judge the book by its cover"? Then it is similar to this. If you want to know if the website store is real or not, verify the site by looking for a business address and contact number. You may also want to verify the existence of the site by dialing up the number.

Shopping online is risky but keeping these guidelines will make sure that every time you purchase an item online, you are sure to get it at your doorstep.

Internet Filtering Software: Why Use One?

2007-09-06T03:33:00.003-07:00

Internet threats to kids come in different forms and sizes; and they are everywhere on the web too. So keeping your kids protected may be impossible if your computer itself isn't armed with the right tools to block these threats. Your question then is, "How am I going to protect my kids from these internet threats?"

The most logical and probably the best answer is by using internet filtering software. (Names such as web filtering tools, content-control software, filtering software, web filtering software, web blocking software, and blocking software are also used to describe the same thing.) Internet filtering software lets you protect your kids from accessing undesirable web sites. It is designed to let you take control on what contents are permitted and not permitted to enter to your computer.

Aside from the site, the internet filtering software allows you to filter unwanted emails and annoying popups.

Since kids may develop curiosity on topics such as sex and violence, installing an internet filtering software to your pc will make sure that they are incapable of accessing pornographic sites and sites unsuitable for their age.

Furthermore, an open access to the web may prove to be very dangerous for your kids as they may open sites that will lead them to disclose personal identification that can be used by online predators against them, and maybe against your family. An open access to the web will also put your computer at risk since many sites that are probably visited by your kids may contain spyware, adware, and viruses.

The internet filtering software is fully customizable nonetheless. You can add or remove websites whenever you want. Or, you can set passwords to some websites you don’t want your kids to access.

Popular internet filtering softwares are ContentProtect, CYBERsitter, NetNanny, Cyber Patrol, FilterPak, Cyber Sentinel, Child Safe, Cyber Snoop, Norton Parental Controls, and McAfee Parental Controls. Prices range between $17 and $70.

One type of internet filtering software is provided by an ISP which parents can subscribe to eliminate up to the highest possible risk level. There is also a type of internet filtering software that is provided by the same server that gives the connection.

Pornography, sex, violent and graphic images, nudity, and gore; you surely don’t want your kids to access sites containing these things. So better get an internet filtering software and all these will remain off your computer. Most of all it's inexpensive and effective.

Avoiding the Risks of Online Shopping

2007-09-06T03:33:00.001-07:00

Pay attention kids because this is important!

You may have seen it from your parents or have heard from a friend but shopping online isn't as simple as paying at the counter of a grocery store.

Sure, millions of people around the world buy items from online store and auctions sites without any problem. But this doesn't disregard the fact that scams do exist. And if you fall for them, you might end up losing your money, not to mention the words you may receive from your parents.

Online shopping may be a good alternative to going to the mall but it certainly has certain risks. It can be that the items delivered don't match the description, delayed delivery, not receiving any delivery at all after an online purchase, and skimpy after-sales service. There are also reports where the buyer received empty packages which were supposed to contain the item they purchased.

What should you do to avoid these risks?

1. Ask your parents before you purchase online. Ask them to teach where to safely buy on the internet.
2. Find a website with physical address and contact details. Verify the information. This is an assurance that the site really does exist.
3. Find a reputable seller. Read testimonials and feedbacks from other buyers to make sure that the seller offers a good service.
4. Check the site's or seller's return policy as well as privacy policy. Doubt if they have none of these.
5. As much as possible, stick with sellers within the country. Be extra cautious about overseas sellers.
6. Doubt if the price of the item looks too good to be true.
7. Stay with reputable companies.
8. Advertisements and offers you receive from unsolicited senders or spam should be ignored.
9. Make sure that the site is secured before giving out any personal information. To check on this, look for padlock on the bottom right portion of the web browser window. Click on this padlock and check the certificate details (validity, expiration, the issuer, etc.) See if the address starts with the "http://". The padlock though may not fully guarantee that the site is secured or not.
10. Use an accepted and safe way to pay online.

The given information combined with a little bit of common sense is the keys to ensure that you won't end up with online scams and get the right item you've bought.

Proper Conduct and Safety Tips while Inside the Chat Rooms

2007-09-06T03:32:00.007-07:00

Kids, listen up. I'm sure that you have an email account. And you certainly are using instant messaging system or IMs to talk to your friends or entering chat rooms to meet new friends online. However, hidden beneath the fun and excitement of chat rooms are the dangers from online predators you can meet, viruses your computer can have, and from ordinary users that may seem to be good people but actually aren't.

So, it is always best to know what these internet safety tips are while you are inside these chat rooms.

1. Always be polite. Learn the golden rule: "Do unto others what you want others do unto you." What if you encountered rude people online? Leave the conversation or ignore them from your list.

2. Never accept any gifts from strangers. Online predators' main targets are kids like you: naive and unsuspicious. They give gifts to make you think they are nice. But the reality is, they may have other intentions that may put you at risk.

3. Don't give your personal information including your real name, home address, email address, passwords, bank or credit card information, and school information. There are 2 reasons for this. First, the person whom you are giving this information with may use them against you in predatory ways to gain financial or sexual advantages. And second, most chat rooms and instant messaging programs aren't encrypted. Simply put: it isn't safe. So anyone who has a right tool and wrong intention can pick up your conversation and may put you in great danger.

4. As much as possible, stay in public chat rooms which are moderated, child-friendly, and safe. These can keep you from bad people who would try to say something that can make you feel uncomfortable.

5. Never accept or download files from people you don’t trust inside the chat room. You don’t know the contents of this file. Also, if you ask for the file, make sure that you check it for viruses before opening.

6. If you receive messages that make you feel uncomfortable, don't reply. Print it and show it to an adult immediately.

7. Don't display or share photos to someone you don’t trust or don’t know.

8. Don't allow others to view your webcam if you don’t know them.

Internet Safety for Kids: Do's and Don'ts

2007-09-06T03:32:00.005-07:00

Staying away from the possible threats of the internet is the very first thing you should know after you learn how to navigate the web. Here are those:

Do's:

Do follow the rules that your parents have set regarding the time you are allowed to use the internet, the purpose of your use of the internet, the sites you are allowed to visit, and the limitations they have set.

If you are using instant messaging or entering chat rooms, DO stay on public, monitored and child-friendly rooms.

Do tell your parents immediately if you have encountered any problem while using the internet or if you have engaged in an uncomfortable situation.

Do use an alias or nickname every time you enter chat rooms and forums.

Do avoid posting your personal profile on the web. This may be used by online predators against you.

Do visit good websites.

Do close the web browser immediately if you see any images of violence, nudity, pornography, sex, and other contents that aren't right for your age. Do tell your parents about this immediately.

Do practice politeness while talking to your friends online just like practicing politeness when you are on the phone.

Do ask for permission from your parents before buying something online.

Don'ts:

If you are using instant messaging or entering chat rooms, DON’T allow others to harass you or put you in an uncomfortable situation.

Don’t reply to or start a conversation with people you don't know. Don’t accept gift offerings from them.

Don’t give your real identity to anyone you meet online. This includes your real name, address, school information, email address, password, and bank account information.

Don't fill-out any survey, membership, or application forms asking for your personal information from an unsecured site.

Don’t disable any security setting your parents have set such as antivirus, firewall, site filtering, and site monitoring programs.

Don’t open, reply or download attachments from spam or from unknown senders. These may contain viruses or other threats that can harm your computer.

Don’t download any files that are given to you by people you've met online. Don’t download any files from your email, unless they are solicited.

Don’t use free and downloadable peer-to-peer file-sharing programs (e.g. Kazaa and Grokster). These are known to have spyware.

And most of all… DO practice honesty and DON’T hide anything from your parents.

10 Internet Safety Rules for Kids

2007-09-06T03:32:00.003-07:00

Monitoring your kids' use of the internet by sitting with them is the most ideal way to keep them away from all the threats possible online. But this isn't possible all the time. So, to make sure that your kids are safe using the internet when you aren't around, there are a number internet safety rules that your kids should know.

1. Follow the specific time to use the computer. Explain to them why there is a need to set internet time. Let them develop obedience as a virtue and a sense of responsibility for their actions.

2. Never share personal information to strangers you meet online. These include: name, home address, phone number, email address, password, school information, bank account information, and credit card numbers. Online predators are everywhere and their main targets are your kids who are innocently giving their personal information that can put their safety on the line.

3. Never engage in online gambling. Gambling is simply, taking risks. And most of the time the risks are high.

4. Use a pseudo name or nickname when using instant messaging or entering chat rooms.

5. Avoid filling out online contests, surveys, and registration forms. They ask too much personal information including email address. Take note that spammers can collect email addresses from the web using programs such as bots, crawlers, and spiders.

6. Never open, download attachments, and reply to emails from unknown senders. The best way for spammers to know if the addresses are correct is by receiving a reply. So teach your kids to remove spam immediately from their inbox. Also, attachments from spam usually contain viruses that can cause damage to your file and computer.

7. Stay in moderated public chart rooms and avoid private chats. This will keep your kids away from harassing other people.

8. Teach them to ask permission first before meeting up with someone you meet online. The rule of the thumb is clear: never trust anyone you meet online. People may not be who they say they are.

9. Check before downloading anything. There are free downloadable programs on the internet with free spyware and viruses as well. Ask your parents first about the program even if the programs come from reputable sites.

10. If you see some images or web contents that are disturbing, tell your parents right away.

Internet Safety for Kids: The Don'ts and the Why's?

2007-09-06T03:32:00.001-07:00

Being extra cautious when using the Internet is important; I bet your parents have mentioned these so many times already. But why? If your parents have missed explaining them to you, then here are those:

Don’t…

Give any private information about yourself to other people you meet online such as your name, home address, phone number, email address, password, school information, and bank or credit card number.

Why?

Online predators use instant messaging and chat rooms to look for kids like you who are open to giving information about yourselves. The information would then be used against you whether for financial or sexual purposes. Making sure that they don't know things about you keeping you safe. So, if a stranger asks you these things, ignore them immediately.

Don’t…

Reply to, download attachment from, or open spam.

Why?

Replying to spam only confirms that your email address is accurate which results to more spam to come. Spam is a good source of computer viruses so unless you want to crash your computer down and lose all your files, never download attachment from spam. What is the best way to avoid spam? Delete it immediately.

Don’t…

Arrange a personal meeting with anyone you meet online.

Why?

People aren't exactly who they say they are online. There may be several nice guys out there but a significant number of people using the internet particularly the instant messaging and chat rooms are online predators that so betting say no immediately. Never hide from your parents if you are asked by a stranger to schedule a meeting with them.

Don’t…

Change the security setting or filtering software that your parents have configured.

Why?

Your parents know what are good and bad for you and they know what sites are right for your age. Okay, you may be growing up and are curious about adult websites or engage in online activities but still, you shouldn't suppose to visit them. If you really want to know things about sexuality, then visit medical sites. Also, if you change your computer's security settings or disable filtering software, you can attract spyware, adware, and computer virus which may affect the performance of your computer and may put your files at risk.

Don't…

Use peer-to-peer file-sharing programs.

Why?

Sharing files using peer-to-peer file-sharing programs may be the best thing in the world for you but remember this: viruses, spyware, and adware are known to thrive in these programs. Avoid using these programs and you avoid all these internet-based threats.

Internet Safety: How to Watch Over Your Kids while You are Away

2007-09-06T03:31:00.003-07:00

The most ideal way to watch over your kids is to sit beside them every time they use the internet. But this is simply impossible. So to make sure that your kids are kept from bad websites and other internet-based threats while you are away, here are the things you can do:

1. Keep your kids' computer account "limited". This will allow you (administrator) to limit your kids' activity the way you want it like automatically blocking downloads;

2. Review recently visited websites from the web browser's history. If you want to know your kids' web visits while you were away, you can access it through the web browser's history. Click CTRL H or open the history button of the web browser to see the recently visited webpages.

3. Open the temporary internet files from the internet options folder. This can be accessed either from your web browser or from your My Computer folder. It allows you to see images, pages visited, and files downloaded by your kids. It is important to maintain the automatic saving of temporary internet files enabled to continuously see what your kids have visited and viewed.

4. Setup firewalls. Firewalls limit the access of your kids the way you want. It blocks access to some sites and blocks entry of unwanted files from your computer.

5. Utilize web filtering services. Web filtering software enables you to block the sites you don’t want your kids to access.

6. Block the sites you don’t want your kids to access. Do this by adding the URLs of the websites you want to block in Windows' "Hosts" file. You can find the Windows' "Hosts" file in C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\Etc folder of your My Computer. Open it with the "notepad" and add the websites you want to by at the lowermost portion of the text, below 127.0.0.1 localhost.

Your edited portion will look like this:

127.0.0.1 localhost
127.0.0.1 www.blocksite.com
and so on…

Save it and the sites you have entered are automatically inaccessible.

7. Use web monitoring software. This will secretly monitor the activity from your computer while you are away. It allows you to log in to your kids' chat conversation, opened and printed files, opened and closed application, website visits, sent and received email, and internet connections.

All these aim to either know the websites that your kids visited or keep bad internet contents inaccessible to them; and aren't designed to act as replacements for your actual guidance.

Using Chat Rooms and Instant Messaging: Internet Safety Advices for Kids

2007-09-06T03:31:00.001-07:00

Chat rooms and instant messaging are potential havens for online predators and opportunist on kids' weaknesses and innocence. Unfortunately, these means of communication are so popular among kids and it is very difficult, if not impossible to ban the use of these. So to make sure that you are still safe while using chat rooms and instant messaging, it is important that you understand properly the dangers of these services and the ways to avoid them.

Important Safety Advices for Kids

• Don't trust anyone you meet in the chat rooms. People aren't necessarily who they say they are online.

• Chat rooms often ask for profiles, make sure that you don't give personal information and leave as much blanks as you can.

• The best way to create relationships is by meeting people personally and not in the chat rooms. In this regard, it isn't safe to build relationships online and meet them personally afterwards.

• Choose moderated and child-friendly rooms. Stay in public chat rooms and don't engage in private conversation with people you don't know. Ignore any private messages from unknown people.

• If you entertain private chat, don't give any personal information such as your name, phone number, address, email address, credit card or bank account information, pictures, and school details. IM softwares aren't encrypted so sending sensitive information such as bank account or credit card numbers can be picked up by other users with the right tools.

• If you aren't comfortable talking to someone online, ignore his/her message. Stay away from people harassing you. Report them if necessary.

• Talk to your parents if you have experienced unpleasant or uncomfortable conversation to others.

• Don't use your real name; use a nickname.

• Don't use your primary email; use an alternative one.

• Don't allow other people to view your webcam. Don't use a webcam if unnecessary.

• Don't accept unsolicited files from other people. Disable automatic downloads. If you ask for a file, scan it first with your antivirus before opening.

• Listen to your parents.

• Don't engage in fighting with anyone in the room.

You may not follow everything stated above but remember this: you make consequence through your actions so better be safe at all times than suffer the consequences later.

Keep the Internet Kid-Friendly with these Tips

2007-09-06T03:30:00.003-07:00

The benefits of the internet are vital to your kid's growth, but it may also impose some danger when used incorrectly. So as parents, you should know the ways to keep your kids safe while using the internet.

1. Create a set of rules on how to use and what time your child can use the internet. It would be advisable if you discuss it with your kids or create the rules together with your kids. In this way, both of you can agree to each rule that you impose. This will give your kids a level or responsibility when they can participate on rule-making.

2. As much as possible, keep the internet connected computer where adults can see it (and not in your kid's bedroom). In this way, you can monitor the websites that your kids visit.

3. Speak to your kids about online pornography. You can direct them to websites about sexuality and health.

4. Block websites with malicious content. Although there are several ways to do it, the easiest way is to follow these steps: Keep one user name for the computer and one internet browser e.g. Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. This will allow you to monitor and access the internet activity of your kids. For the Internet Explorer, you can change the setting of your security access by implementing the security zone on your Internet Options menu. This way, you can restrict website access and block specific websites that your kids shouldn't see.

You can also use a firewall to block any unwanted content to enter your computer. There are several softwares that allow you to do this.

5. Show your kids how to use the internet properly. Although this may be taught in school, it is always good to spend some time with your kids while they use the internet. This way, you also bond with them and can direct them to websites that are right for their age.

6. If you allow your kids to enter chat rooms, make sure that they remain in public rooms. Tell him not to talk to anyone in private and absolutely no personal information (school, parent's occupation, address, etc.) should be given to anyone.

7. Tell your kids not to give his password to anyone, even to his friends or classmates.

8. And, make the computer area free from clutter so that your kids will enjoy the time on their computer.

Internet Safety for Kids Age 14-17 Years Old

2007-09-06T03:30:00.001-07:00

Kids at this age start to exercise full freedom and independence. Sometimes, they try new things in order to test their capacity. But still, they lack the experience to judge things the right way and must be guided in areas where they are likely to commit mistakes, including the use of the internet.

Internet threats to Kids Age 14-17 Years Old

Kids at this age play online games, download music, and shop online. Most boys of this age engage in online gambling, look at explicit adult sites, gore, violence, and adult humor. Both boys and girls enter chat rooms and engage in private chats or use instant messaging like Yahoo! Messenger or MSN Messenger.

They are more welcome to accommodate online acquaintances and build relationships online that would possibly end up in a real-life meeting. They are more prone to receive pornographic spam and will likely end up clicking links that contain explicit material. They can easily be persuaded to join online contests and fill out forms that ask for personal information.

These may not seem to be a danger for them since they "are just trying out new things." But these are the things that you should watch out for.

Safety tips:

• Keep the internet-connected computer outside their bedrooms
• Create a rule on how to properly use the internet. Set a time where they can access the internet. Make sure they follow it.
• If they are using the instant messaging, ask them on discuss their friends on the list. Tell them not to talk to strangers. Tell them to enter friendly and moderated chat rooms only.
• Encourage them to talk to you about the people they meet online.
• Tell them not to trust anyone online.
• Set firewall or filtering software so that they can't access websites that contain explicit materials such as violence and pornography.
• Remind your kids on the risks that online gambling may bring.
• Tell them not to give up any personal information such as names, addresses, and bank account numbers.
• Teach your kids to check with you first whenever they make online financial transactions including selling and buying online.
• Tell your kids to exercise ethical behavior online and not to engage in fights and bullying.
• Tell your kids not to open junk mails or download attachments from unknown senders.

They may show some resistance but it is important to explain to them the dangers that can happen when they insist on not following these safety tips.

Internet Safety for Kids Age 11-13 Years Old

2007-09-06T03:17:00.001-07:00

The transition from childhood to adolescence is where kids develop their curiosity on the world they are living. Kids at this age encounter rapid changes in their body as well as in their lives. They test their capacity although they are still dependent on their parents. They test new things without consulting in someone older and think of themselves as grown ups. Kids of this age are the most vulnerable to danger.

Internet threats to Kids Age 11-13 Years Old

Kids age 11-13 start to utilize the internet for school projects and research. They also use the internet to play online games, visit pop star sites, use instant messaging, use e-mail, and download music.

They also start building relationships from online acquaintances, develop sexual interest and may look on pornographic sites, and can easily be lured to enter personal information through registration forms, contests or surveys or reveal personal information to strangers.

To protect them from internet dangers, here are the important safety tips.

• Set up rules on when and what purpose the internet should be used. This doesn't mean though that you restrict them from using the internet outside school-related work. Just make sure that they are guided in the right ways to use the internet.
• Take time to surf the internet with your kids. In this way, you will know the sites they are visiting and you can recommend sites that are suited for their age.
• The internet connected computer should be placed in an open area and not in the kids' bedroom.
• Place a security setting on the computer so that your kids can't access or accidentally open sites that aren't suitable for them.
• Tell them to ignore spam mails and not to open email attachments from unknown senders.
• Talk to them about pornographic websites and direct them to good websites for health and sexuality.
• Tell your kids not to disclose any personal information about them or your family including your names, address, their schools, email address, passwords and bank account numbers.
• Warn them about the danger of online chat and talking to strangers online.
• Teach your kids to become responsible to their actions online and not to engage into fights and bullying.

Since kids of this age still lack correct judgment and feel otherwise, online is a place where they can encounter great danger. Imposing these safety tips will help reduce these dangers.

Internet Safety for Kids Age 8-10 Years Old

2007-09-06T03:16:00.003-07:00

Kids from 8 to 10 years old are still dependent on their family but starting to show interest in the activities that older people do. They begin to imitate older people that may seem to be a rehearsal of their entry as pre-teens.

Internet threats to Kids Age 8-10 Years Old

Kids at this age begin to play games online. They may to stick to one site but they can easily experiment the search engines to look for other gaming sites or things that may interest them which may lead them to undesirable sites. They are vulnerable to fear from portrayals of dangers, violence, and threats online.

Kids of this age may have their own private email address or may be using instant messaging or entering chat rooms. They are also vulnerable to danger these things can bring.

Although they may have no intention to enter into danger, they lack proper judgment to differentiate the good sites from the bad. Innocence can be their weak point. To protect them, here are the things you can do:

• Create rules on how and when to use the internet.
• Kids at this age should use the internet with adult supervision.
• Sit down with them to make sure that you know the sites they are entering.
• Keep your internet-connected computer in an area where an adult is around and not in your kids' bedroom.
• Set up a firewall on your computer so that they can't enter prohibited websites. Use this as a tool and aid – not a replacement for your guidance.
• Teach them to properly use email. It is much better if you create a family email address that you share with your kids so that you can access and monitor the entry of emails.
• Let your kids know that they shouldn't open and why they shouldn't open emails and download attachments from unknown senders.
• Encourage them to make friends at school and not online. Tell them not to answer emails or talk to strangers online.
• They shouldn't use instant messaging at this age or if you are allowing them to use it, use strict guidance.
• Encourage them to share their daily online experience with you.
• Teach your kids to ask permission first before doing something online like entering a contest or joining a group.

Internet Safety for Kids Age 5-7 Years Old

2007-09-06T03:16:00.001-07:00

Kids from 5 to 7 years old are very dependent on what their parents or older people tell them. They don't question people's authority although they are curious on finding out the "whys?" of everything. They are trusting and interpret the world as they see it.

Internet threats to Kids Age 5-7 Years Old

Kids from 5 to 7 years old have knowledge on the basic operations of the computer like manipulating the mouse, using the keyboard and turning the computer on and off. However, the internet may be complicated to them so they are very dependent on adults to find web sites and explain the information given online. They have little capacity to use the internet alone.

Since they can't discern what is real from fictional, they are vulnerable to believing everything they see online as true. They can accidentally enter websites that aren't proper to their age.
They may not exactly understand the text from websites, but they clearly understand the violent images. Since they are trusting in older people, they can easily be persuaded to provide personal information through instant messaging, surveys, or similar forms.

These vulnerabilities should be protected at all times. Here are the things you should do to ensure the safety of your kids while using the internet:

• Never leave your kids alone in front of the computer. Always sit with them whenever they use the internet.
• Have a list of friendly websites saved on your personal bookmark so that you can easily access his favorite sites. Teach your kids how to direct the mouse to it.
• Enable the security settings of search engines.
• Keep the internet-connected computer where you can see it.
• Use filtering devices such as firewalls or setup a security system wherein the forbidden sites can't be opened (intentionally or accidentally).
• Teach your kids the importance of honestly and privacy. Let your kids know that it is okay to discuss with you their internet experience or whenever they encounter threat or felt fear online. At the same time, teach them to hide personal information from strangers.
• Teach your kids not to click on everything they see online.
• Use popup blockers or disable Java from your computer to make sure that your kids can't encounter malicious pop-ups.
• Let them use kids-friendly web browsers.

Internet Safety for Kids Age 2-4 Years Old

2007-09-06T03:15:00.005-07:00

Toddlers and preschoolers start to discover things from their limited capacity. Their brain has the ability to store lots of information acquired through their active senses. They may still be dependent on older people but are pretty much capable of harnessing their motor skills.

Internet threats to Kids Age 2-4 Years Old

Kids from 2 to 4 years old have the capacity to operate computers. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 67% of kids of this age use the computer and almost 1 of 4 use the internet. Although online activities may not be very interesting to these kids, the sounds and images that the internet has add to their learning experience and can stimulate broader imagination.

Since they take sound and images they see on the internet at face value and don't have the capacity to discern fiction from real, anything that they see and hear on the internet that may be disturbing can result in fear. They can take the portrayals of violence, danger, and threats as true and real. Thus, it is dangerous for kids at this age to be exposed to webpages with disturbing images and sounds.

To protect your kids from this, here are the internet safety tips you should know:

• Don't leave your kids alone in front of the computer. They may accidentally open hyperlinks that lead to unsuitable sites.
• Keep a list of websites that are right for your kids' age. Bookmark these websites for easy reference.
• If you want to look for other sites, do it without your kids.
• Keep the computer in an area where you can easily see it. Always sit with your kids or have an adult to guide them whenever they will use the computer or the internet.
• Use filtering devices and security settings to prevent your kids from accidentally opening scandalous websites.
• Download kids-friendly internet browsers.
• Keep the popup blocker "on" to prevent unwanted sites from opening to your screen. Disable Java to ensure that the popup is neutralized.
• This age is the best time to teach your kids about the importance of privacy. Teach them not to give any private information to anyone, online or offline.
• Encourage all family members to act as a role model to the kids on the right use of the internet.
• Encourage your kids to share with you their experience while using the internet.

How to Block Bad Sites

2007-09-06T03:15:00.003-07:00

Protecting your kids' safety from the violent and malicious contents of the internet should be your first priority. And there are several ways to do it. One of which is to block access of bad sites. How? Here are the 4 popular and easiest ways:

1. Use effective web browsers

Web browsers have the capacity to block unwanted popups, banners, and advertisements but their effectiveness still depends on the settings you've made. For example, the Microsoft Internet Explorer can be set in such a way that the sites containing violence, sex, nudity, and explicit language are blocked. The Mozilla Firefox, another web browser, is very effective in neutralizing popups and other annoying sites. Other web browsers like Netscape, Opera, etc. have their own way of keeping bad sites or popups off your computer. Again, they should be set first.

2. Add entries to Windows' "Hosts" file

Adding entries to Windows' "Hosts" file ensures that the bad sites that you don’t want to access are filtered and blocked. To do this, open the "host" files located on the C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\Etc folder of your My Computer. Then, choose Notepad as program you want to open it with. You will see these texts:

=====
Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows…
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host

127.0.0.1 localhost
=====

Add the list of websites you want to block below this field: 127.0.0.1 localhost

It will look like this:

127.0.0.1 localhost
127.0.0.1 www.unwantedwebpage1.com
127.0.0.1 www.unwantedwebpage2.com
127.0.0.1 www.unwantedwebpage3.com

Once you have listed all the unwanted files, click "save" from the "file" menu.

All the websites you have listed are now inaccessible.

3. Use site-blocking software or third-party website-blocking software

There are several site-blocking softwares available online. Some are downloadable for free and some come with a price. These softwares work by blocking the list of websites you've entered, just like Windows' "Hosts" file or by blocking addresses that contain objectionable words and images.

4. Use Proxy Auto Configuration file

Proxy Auto Configuration file or PAC file lets the browser determine the sites that shouldn't be accessed through the built in list of "bad" words. So if the URL contains a word that is considered "bad", then the browser won't recognize it and won't make a connection. What about the URLs that don't contain bad words but with pornographic contents? If the website is passed through a search engine, then the access is still impossible.

However, some companies that hold proxy servers charge fees in order to use their service.

Internet Safety: How to Monitor Your Kids' Use of the Internet

2007-09-06T03:15:00.001-07:00

Setting up surveillance cameras is too much, not to mention ineffective, if you want to monitor your kids' activity on the internet. What you need are the right tools and processes to ensure that your kids' internet experience is enjoyable and most of all, safe.

There is no better way to monitor your kids than by sitting with them while they use the internet. This way, you are assured that you know the sites they visit and the things they do online.

It is also important to keep the internet-connected computer to open area of your house so that you can easily see what they are doing online. Having said that, an internet-connected computer inside their room should be avoided since you can't monitor them if they go online in the middle of the night.

But you can't sit with them or guard their every move online so there are ways to prevent your kids from accessing websites that aren't right for their age.

For younger kids particularly those at the age of 2 to 10 years old, it is highly recommended to download or purchase online web browsers for kids. Specially-made browsers for kids have pre-approved websites that kids can access. These browsers also filter websites which may contain inappropriate information for your kids. Other cool features of kids' browser are fun, colorful, and easy to use interface, safe, educational, and kids-friendly environment.

For pre-teens and teenagers who won't enjoy the kids-browser, one way to monitor their activity by reviewing the website history. If they aren't clever enough, they won't know how to erase it. If you find websites that are inappropriate for them, block them by adding them to Windows' "Hosts" file so that the next time they try to access these pages, they will be blocked. Or, to protect the entry of the unwanted sites from your computer beforehand, setup an internet filtering software such as Cyber Snoop, ChildLock, AOL Parental Controls, BSafe Online, FilterPark, McAfee Internet Security Suite, Net Mop, and more.

It is also encouraged that you, as parents, should teach your children the right way of using the internet. Direct them to good websites about sexuality and health, and not pornography.

Setting up hardware like router with internet filtering capability is another way to prevent your kids from accessing inappropriate websites.

Remember that hardware and software should act only as aids and not replacements to your physical guidance.

How to Prevent Your Kids from Downloading Computer Virus and Spyware

2007-09-06T03:14:00.003-07:00

Older kids and teenagers are often the victims of computer virus and spyware. This is because they frequent sites that contain spyware or share computer viruses from computer to computer. So, if you have kids who share a computer with you, then it is highly possible that your computer is home to viruses and spyware.

To prevent further invasion and a possible computer crash, it is important to teach your children how to avoid attracting computer viruses and spyware.

1. Avoid peer-to-peer sharing. As human viruses are transmitted by person-to-person contact, computer viruses, are transmitted from computer to computer, often via p2p file-sharing. It is essential, therefore, to teach your kids not to use these programs. Peer-to-peer file-sharing softwares known to hold malicious contents are Kazaa and Grokster. If possible, get the paid versions of p2p file sharing softwares since they are virus, adware, and spyware free.

2. Avoid entering lyrics and music sites. Many of these sites tend to insist that you download ActiveX control first before you can enter their websites. If you are going to think about it, ActiveX control has no relation to viewing music lyrics as they are just ordinary texts. To make matters worst, kids aren't aware of the danger of downloading such programs from these sources; so spyware can easily penetrate and bring you inconvenience.

3. Don't click on banners, advertisements and popups from webpages. Often, viruses, adware, and spyware enter the computer because kids ask for it. The sad thing though is that kids are unaware that the things they do are the exact things that invite these malicious programs. What you should do is to tell them that they should never click on any banners, advertisements and popups they see online.

4. Don't download email attachments from unknown sender. Kids are eager to open emails. But if they are from unknown senders, then they may contain viruses, spyware or adware. Tell them never in any circumstances would they download attachments without your permission.

5. Give you kids limited computer accounts. Whether your kids have their own computer in their room or share one with you, keep their accounts "limited" so that you (administrator) have the control on the things that can be done by your kids.

Remember this: It is your responsibility to tell your kids about the dangers that these threats can give.

Teach Your Kids to Surf the Internet Safely

2007-09-06T03:14:00.001-07:00

Your kids are the primary target of internet-based threats like computer viruses, adware, and spyware through the websites they frequently visit and misleading information they receive. This is the reason why, as parents, it is important to discuss with your kids how to surf the net safely and away from any internet-based threats.

Downloads

Downloading files from unknown source is one of the most common reasons why the computer is infested with viruses and spyware. Free games, flash animations, bundled emoticons, jokes, screen savers, and even free spyware removal downloads are potentially unsafe. Teach your kids to assess the safety of the site before clicking on these ads or tell them to ask you first before making any moves.

Peer-to-Peer File Sharing

Free and downloadable peer-to-peer file-sharing software or p2p software has the potential to transmit internet-based threats from one computer to another. This is why it is equally important to make sure that your kids avoid using these programs.

The rule of the thumb is, never in any circumstances will you allow your kids to download programs from the internet without your permission. Ensure this by keeping their account "limited".

Safe Sites

You can't detect if a particular site contains internet-based threats on your own so if your kids are young enough to use kids-friendly web browsers, then it is advisable to do so. These web browsers are downloadable - some are free while some come with a reasonable price. The good thing about these web browsers is that they only allow access to pre-determined and pre-scanned websites so your kids are assured good sites every time they use the internet.

Junk mails

If your kids have their own email addresses, make sure that you tell them the danger of downloading attachments from unknown senders for these often contain dangerous and malicious file that can corrupt your computer.

Misleading Dialog Boxes

You often see dialog boxes saying: "Your computer might be at risk!" or "Warning! You may have critical errors on your PC." "Or your computer is running slowly." You may ignore these but your kids may not. So it is very, very important that you tell your kids that whenever they see any misleading dialog boxes appearing or just popped out from their screen, ignore them or call your attention immediately.

Explain to your kids that you tell them these not to limit their enjoyment on the internet but by making sure that they are protected from any harm these internet-based threats can bring.

How to Keep Your Kids from Downloading Illegal Files

2007-09-06T03:13:00.007-07:00

Peer-to-peer file-sharing is very popular among kids. But using this may involve illegally downloading, sharing or copying copyrighted files which is considered piracy and punishable by law. So to keep your kids away from the possible risks of p2p file-sharing program, here are the things you can do:

1. Inform your kids about the impending risk.

Piracy is considered stealing. And any civilized society imposes penalty on those who steal files from other people. Also, p2p file-sharing is a venue for spyware and viruses to enter your computer and infest the files on it.

You may experience that it isn't enough to tell your kids that it's bad so it will help if you discuss further the consequences of doing such things.

• P2P file sharing can put your computer at risk from viruses and other internet-based threats like spyware and adware.
• The computer and other files associated with illegal downloads such as disks and flash drives can be confiscated.
• A fine of $30,000 can be imposed to the pirate according to the U.S. copyright law.

2. Keep your kids' internet activities monitored.

Sometimes, warning them about the dangers and possible consequences of downloading illegal files online are still not enough, so further increase their security by keeping their activities monitored.

• It is recommended to keep the internet-connected computer in an open area and outside the bedroom so that you can easily see if your kids are illegally downloading files.
• Create a list of rules on the do's and don'ts of using the internet.
• For younger kids, specially designed web browsers for children can prevent them from accessing inappropriate webpages.

3. Lead your kids to legal download websites.

There are many sites such as iTunes and MSN that offer legal downloadable games, mp3s, movies, and softwares at a very low price. Tell them to use these sites.

4. Set a limited account for your kids

To make sure that you are in control, maintain your kids' computer account "limited". This will prohibit them from downloading, receiving or sharing illegal files. You on the other hand should maintain an "administrator' account both if you share your computer or not.

Keeping your kids from downloading illegal files can appear to your kids as an act of restricting their freedom and fun to use the internet. Your task then is to make sure that they understand very well the points you are trying to make.

Internet Safety: Kids' Protection against Spam

2007-09-06T03:13:00.005-07:00

Your kids' email addresses may be bombarded by unsolicited junk emails or spam everyday. So it is very possible that they open emails and download attachments from unknown senders. Since spam is known to be a growing source of computer viruses, your kids may be inviting internet-based threats unknowingly. Thus, it is very important that they know what to do to avoid attracting junk mails and keep their computer free from viruses.

Teach your kids to protect their email addresses. Make sure they know that it is dangerous for them to share their email addresses to someone they don't know through instant messaging, online chatting, and signing up to websites for access. This is because, spammers (those who send spam) use programs like crawlers, bots, and spiders to collect email addresses from the web and add them to their spamming lists.

If they are currently receiving spam, tell them to not open and download attachments from unknown senders. They should also be advised not to download attachments from known senders unless they have solicited them.

Tell them to resist from posting their primary email address through forums or use it to gain access from websites. Instead, create a dummy email or secondary email address that will be used for these purposes.

Teach them to ignore emails that offer products or warn them they are being tracked.

Remind your kids that they should never reply to spam or even unsubscribe to newsletters. This will only makes things worst since they are simply saying that their email address is accurate.

Tell your kids not to join mailing groups. This is because mailing groups can be searched publicly and can easily be traced by spammers. It makes their job easier since they only have to add one email address that can reach to multiple email addresses.

If they are creating an email address for the first time from a free web-based email service, tell them not to subscribe to any additional promotions or services or to be included to the internet directory.

Teach them how to use email filters. Most web-based mail programs have email filtering options that allow the user to block unwanted emails or control spam.

The rules are simple: DO NOT GIVE email addresses to strangers, NEVER OPEN spam attachments, and NEVER REPLY to spam. If your kids know these, then your computer will be free from internet-based threats.

Internet Safety: Preventing Your Kids from Internet Addiction

2007-09-06T03:13:00.003-07:00

Internet addiction isn't common to parents and teachers; and it isn't that widely recognized in the medical community as well. But it doesn't mean that you can ignore it as a serious health condition.

Here are the things you should know about Internet addiction…

Internet Addiction Symptoms

There are several symptoms visible to kids with internet addictions. Physical symptoms include headaches and migraines associated with the use of the computer, carpal tunnel syndrome, backaches, neglect of personal hygiene, lack of sleep and inconsistent sleeping patterns, and dry eyes.

Psychological symptoms include inability to end the use of the computer, depression when not at the computer, neglect of friends and family, significant increase of time in using the computer, and feeling of intense happiness while at the computer.

Preventive Measures

Make sure that you place your internet-connected computer in an area of the house where you can monitor their use and not in their bedrooms where they can freely use the internet as often as they want.

Create a list of rules that specifically state the time they are allowed to use the internet and on to what purpose they can use it. Make sure you do this in the beginning to prevent uncontrollable use.

If you see signs of internet addiction, ask yourself if your kids' use of the internet affects their performance at school, relationship with friends and family, and overall health. If it does, make some restrictions on the use of the internet but don't ban the use of it.

Take time to sit with your kids when they use the internet.

Keep a good firewall program or website filtering software to ensure that your kids don't enter pornographic sites and those that contain graphic images of violence and gore. Often, kids on pre-teens and teenage years start to busy themselves browsing through these sites so if your computer blocks them, your kids will divert themselves to other much meaningful sites… well that is the theory.

Teach your kids about their responsibility and accountability on the use of the internet. These values will keep them guided on the dos and don'ts of using the internet.

And finally, act as a good example. Take note that you are seen as their role model so if they see no one to follow, any warnings, restrictions, and other forms of preventive measures will do no good.

Internet Safety for Kids: Protecting Your Kids from Online Predators

2007-09-06T03:13:00.001-07:00

The internet exposes your kids to lots of information. This is why it is encouraged that they should start using the internet as early as possible. But it doesn't end here. The internet can also expose your kids to several threats including online predators.

Online predators are people who exploit vulnerable internet users particularly kids for sexual and financial purposes. Although they can come from all over the web, they often use chat rooms or instant messaging to lure kids.

Since you can't sit with your kids to monitor personally their online activity, you should do certain things that will ensure the safety of your kids and protect them from online predators.

Here are those:

Teach your kids about the value of privacy. They should know that personal information such as name, address, school, age, birthday, and credit card number should be kept secret especially from strangers they meet online.

Talk to your kids about the dangers of engaging in private chats. If they use instant messaging and enter chat rooms, encourage them to not add names of people they don't know. Also encourage them stay on public rooms so that the arbiter or chat administrator can monitor the conversation. Tell your kids to ignore private messages.

Tell them not to open emails from unknown senders, download unsolicited attachments, and reply to spam.

Discourage them from using websites where they can post their profile that can be viewed publicly. MySpace for one has received great attention from online predators since this site is open and any information posted can be used against the user.

Tell them to avoid giving their personal email addresses to strangers. Also, tell your kids to avoid giving their email addresses in forms of registration, contests, and surveys. Although some of the sites offering these are relatively safe, online predators can have the access to these websites through programs such as crawlers, bots, and spiders. These programs collect email addresses from the web which will be added to their mailing list.

Keep your computer in open areas where you can easily see it – outside your kids' bedroom.

And, set rules about personally meeting online friends. This should include telling you about the scheduled meeting and your presence on the actual meeting. Keep an open communication between you and your kids to make sure that they don't hide this information from you.

15 Effective Ways to Protect Your Kids from Internet Threats

2007-09-06T03:11:00.003-07:00

Violence, sex, nudity, and explicit language, pornography, online gambling, online predators, viruses, spyware, and adware; these are some of the threats that your kids can encounter while using the internet. And since you can't monitor them all the time, you need to find ways to protect your kids from these threats. Here are some of those ways:

1. Teach them to stay secure. Talk to them about personal security while using the internet. Tell them to refuse giving any personal information to people they meet online. Avoid filling out membership and survey forms that would entail them to state their personal information.

2. Place your computer in a place where you can monitor your kids' use of the internet and not in their bedroom.

3. Set up house rules to limit your kids' internet access.

4. Keep your kids' computer account "limited. This will keep you in control over the significant access to the computer.

5. Discourage them from making personal profiles using online networking websites that can be viewed by anyone. Sites like MySpace create venues for online predators to access different personal information for their predatory purposes. If your kids already have profiles posted on the web, make sure that you know what pictures and personal information they post. Also, view their personal blogs.

6. If your kids are young enough to use the regular web browser, download web-browsers that are made for kids. They filter bad websites and limit your kids' access to pre-approved webpages.

7. Tell them to avoid peer-to-peer file-sharing softwares. This is because viruses, spyware, and adware can freely enter your computer through these softwares.

8. Use internet filtering software to block bad websites from your computer.

9. Use internet monitoring software to secretly track the activity of your kids from websites visited, chat rooms entered, downloads, conversation, and IMs.

10. Attend to your kids immediately if they report any uncomfortable online exchanges they have encountered.

11. Share a common email address so that you can monitor their messages.

12. If they use instant messaging, make sure that you know who are on their list.

13. If they enter chat rooms, tell them to stay in the public room so that the chat room administrator can monitor your conversation. Tell them to ignore private messages.

14. Tell them not to meet personally with strangers they only met online.

15. And, teach them to approach you whenever they have any doubts on the emails and messages they receive, window popups that appears, and forms they were asked to fill-out.

List of Kid-Friendly Resources and Other Surfing Safety Tips for Parents

2007-09-06T03:11:00.001-07:00

The Internet, for all intents and purposes, is ultimately a good thing, and it allows access to an unlimited amount of knowledge. The vast resources of information, however, are its strength and weakness at the same time. On one hand, the Internet gives your children every chance to learn about what he wishes to know, but it also gives them the chance to gain access to the wrong type of information at the same time.

Kid-Friendly Resources for Your Kids

Use of Kid-Friendly Search Engines
Sometimes, kids end up accidentally gaining access to websites that display information they shouldn’t be exposed to. Unfortunately, although the intention wasn’t there initially, exposure to such websites may be more than enough to catch their interest.

You can, however, reduce or prevent accidental exposure to such sites from happening by teaching your kids to use only kid-friendly search engines. With such search engines, they can type whatever they want and they’ll still end up at a website that’s designed for their age. An example of such search engines is as follows:

Yahooligans (http://kids.yahoo.com) – created by Internet giant Yahoo for kid users, Yahooligans does not only offer a search engine database for them to use but access to games, music, movies, sports, jokes, and other educational and recreational activities as well.

KidsClick! (http://www.kidsclick.org) – This search engine is managed by the University of California and is based in Berkeley. It is also described as a web search created by librarians for kids.

Kids Net (http://kids.net.au) – This search engine is based in Australia.

AOL NetFind – A search engine by American Online for kid users.

Searchopolis – Another kid-friendly search engine.

You can also learn about more kid-friendly search engines in websites like Kids’ Search Tools, Safe Kids, and Searching with Kids.

Filtering Search Options
Another way for you to reduce or prevent accidental exposure to adult content for your children is by monitoring each and every Internet session they have and making sure that you filter the search engine options before allowing them to use it. You can do these with search engines by Lycos, Ask Jeeves, and Go Network.

Other Educational Online Resources for Kids
Homework Central – This website provides categorized information regarding a broad number of topics. It’s divided into three sub-categories: Homework Central Junior - which is meant for kids in primary school, Homework Central – which is designed for people in middle and high school, and lastly Encyclopedia Central, which is dedicated for college and adult users.
Cybersmart – This is an US based online portal that teaches kids, teachers, and other school officials various ways for children to properly explore the Internet. Free tools and resources are provided to aid teachers in teaching Internet surfing safety.

Lycos – Another well-rounded website created for parents, teachers, and kids, The Kid Zone of Lycos can be divided into four zones: the Fun and Game Zones which provides recreational outlets, the New and Cool Zone (which is self-explanatory for kids), the Homework Zone – which provides “safe” websites containing information about a wide array of topics, and lastly is a zone that provides pertinent information for teachers, parents, and guardians alike.

Purple Moon – This is a website that’s primarily designed for young girls; it has a search engine and provides links to games, online discussions and projects, and informative resources.

Families Connect – If you wish to explore the Internet together with your children, you’ll achieve your goal more easily and in a more fun-filled way through this website. The activities and options offered here are designed to allow families to become closer and learn about the Internet together at the same time.

Black Hole Gang – This place provides people an exciting, fun, and safe way for kids to learn about science. Among others, it gives kids the opportunity to play detective and uncover the mysteries of science.

Other Surfing Safety Tips for Kids
As much as possible, don’t allow your child to surf the Internet alone. Kids are still kids, after all, and accidents do happen. You can’t blame them entirely if they do end up gaining access to a website that contains adult content.

Make the filtered options for search engine results permanent.

And lastly, clearly explain to your kids the dangers of breaking “surfing rules” you’ve put down and its possible consequences.

Know Who You Should Contact

2007-09-06T03:10:00.003-07:00

Children of the pre-teen years all the way up to the teens rarely play with toys anymore – certainly much less than those of the earlier generation, thanks to the advent and rise of modern technology, most notably the Internet. Games can be found on computers and the Internet, even for kids, which are most often the substitute for actual playing with other kids. Times have indeed changed with children preferring to interact online rather than for real.

While computers and the Internet are good sources of amusement and entertainment for children, dangers lurk around every imaginable “corner” of the Internet, from the actual gaming sites to hardcore pornography sites which can pop up with one simple click of the mouse. Social networking sites like Friendster and MySpace, known to attract those of the younger generation, are also the haven for perpetrators looking for innocent, unsuspecting victims that they can find easy to trick, such as children, who are the most vulnerable.

As a parent, you need to find the various ways possible to protect your child from the dangers of the Internet, while still allowing him/her the privilege of exploring it. However, it is understandable that at times, the child can be secretive and will lie to his/her parents. Yes, he/she is only exposing him/herself to the dangers of the Internet, but a parent can only do so much when the child lies. If all avenues of protection have been exhausted and the child still gets into Internet trouble, as a parent, you need to know who to call.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is usually the agency that handles cases like these wherein the child is exploited by unknown perpetrators on the Internet. Perhaps the perpetrator sent or allowed the child to view pornographic materials, whether photo or video. Since this is bound to have a significant deal of psychological effect, the agency mentioned will help your child deal with that fact. The hotline for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is 1-800-843-5678.

If the act occurred on a social networking site such as MySpace or Friendster, you may try calling the site owners and/or operators and give the username of the perpetrator if you’ve managed to obtain it. Although this could be somewhat of a long shot (due to the fact that it is accessible from any computer in the world, including in countries without specific laws dealing with these situations), you could still try it as the very least these social networking sites could do is to ban the user from their sites.

Of course, if any sexual act, criminal activity, and/or suspicious behavior occurred, you have to notify the local law enforcement agencies. If the police are able to catch the perpetrator, it could prevent him from victimizing other children. Also, the police are very adept with modern technology and can catch a perpetrator during any criminal activity or just prior to.

It is also important to notify your internet service provider. If a perpetrator tricks your child into going to a questionable site, you can have the internet service provider block that particular site and also warn them to warn the other clients of the said service provider. That way, the effect of the questionable site is greatly lessened.

Aside from the social agencies, law enforcement agencies, and others that will help in this problem, it is also good to inform other parents who are experiencing or will experience the same problem of a child spending a lot of time on the Internet. Should your child be victimized, warn the other parents, whether they are the parents of your child’s schoolmates, family friends, or those in social clubs, of the dangers of the Internet and how to prevent a child from being exploited. This will go a long way into helping solve a problem that affects the whole world.

Schools should also be notified, beginning with the school your child attends. Schools can give pep talks regarding the dangers of the Internet, what to do when faced with questionable circumstances, etc. Sometimes, schools have a way of reaching the children the way parents can’t.

Knowing who to contact will definitely help solve this world-wide problem of child exploitation via the Internet.

Knowing Who Your Kids Are With Online

2007-09-06T03:10:00.001-07:00

The Internet is for everyone. All people will find the online medium useful because everything is in there. There are lots of educational information, entertainment and socialization going on and circulating within the Web.

Thus, your children will be more than willing to get online. Furthermore, they could also be forced to get into the Internet, because almost all their classmates and friends do so. Homework and research projects could also be done more easily, accurately and conveniently using Internet sources.

Because kids are kids, they still lack enough experience and insight to protect themselves from opportunists. No matter how smart and aggressive they can be, they can still fall vulnerable to the traps and dangers of online crimes and offenses.

If you are a responsible parent who have kids that are regularly visiting online sites, you should be assertive and firm in instituting several online safety measures to protect your kids. The volume of crimes and offenses done to children online is constantly increasing, so you should be protective enough to make sure your child doesn't fall a victim to online predators.

Cyber crimes

There are numerous cyber crimes committed against children online nowadays. Take note that these crimes and offenses are actually regular crimes that took the form of online technology. Example of which is online abduction.

Kidnapping is a problem in almost all countries throughout the years. But more recently, the first reported and celebrated cases of abduction done through the Internet have been taking the limelight. That is because in the past few years, people never imagined such crimes would be possibly perpetrated.

How is it committed? The criminal befriends the kid over the Internet, asks for personal details like addresses, or invites the kid for a personal meeting. The unsuspecting child, being a natural inquisitor and adventurer, might be going out of the house for an eyeball and voila, the abductor takes the opportunity to kidnap the child.

Other forms of online crimes are the online child pornography, identity theft and online child molestation and harassment. The Internet is full of pornographic materials that children shouldn't see. If unguided, your kids might cross onto one of these sites.

When a child sees porn and violent materials over the Internet, his mind is eventually being polluted. His concept about life could be altered, and he would be aware of the concepts that shouldn't be exposed to him until the proper time. Thus, he could be exposed very early to sex.

Tracking your child's online friends

Almost all children across the globe are told by parents and guardians not to talk to strangers. Buts and criminals know such advices. So, these online predators cease to be strangers and instead disguise to be online individuals who are in desperate need for friends.

Your child might encounter them and be friends with them. When the criminal thinks he has befriended your child well, he then attacks. He might organize a personal meeting, or monitor your house and take the opportunity to abduct the child when nobody's around.

Experts advise that you should be very stringent and watchful when it comes to knowing who your kids are with online. Yes, you as the guardian of the kids must know who these online friends are. You should follow up and check out the identities of the online friends your kid has.

How could that be? It may not be easy, but it's not too hard as well. Some kids find it alright if the parents directly asks about the information about their friends. However, some kids won't find it acceptable because that is a clear invasion of privacy.

In such cases, watch over your child's online activities by becoming a simple spy. You can check the records of the computer to check out the sites your child has visited online. You should also ask the Internet service providers about safety pins and measures to prevent your child from accidentally and intentionally getting onto porn sites.

If you want to find out about the email communications of your child with his online friends, you could volunteer to create the email account for your child. Take note of the passwords. Or you could share the same email with your child.

That way, you could monitor what is going on and know the activities and motives of your kid's online friends. You could also get into several social networking sites where your kid has a membership. Constantly check out your kid's social network profile and the friends on his list.

It would be very advisable if you would take time to do the above measures to protect your child. The Internet is a wild jungle out there. Don't let your kid wander alone.

Chatrooms, social sites, and your child

2007-08-25T18:38:00.005-07:00

Due to the emergence of modern technology, which includes computers and the Internet, loads of information can be easily accessed with one simple click of the mouse. A person can know the happenings in a place like China even if he/she is located thousands of miles away – like North America or Europe. Such is the power of the Internet. Unfortunately, there are dangers associated with it as well, especially for unsuspecting children.

Children, including those going into their adolescent years, are often fascinated with the thought of meeting new people through the Internet, especially via chat rooms and social sites (e.g. Friendster, MySpace, etc.). While there is nothing wrong with social networking using technology as a means, it can be dangerous, particularly if someone finds out about the child’s age and tries to exploit him/her into revealing unnecessary information. This is why it is important for parents to take good care of their children, more so in this so-called Age of Information.

One of the most reported cases of child exploitation in chat rooms is related to sexual exploitation. A perpetrator usually spends hours in a particular chat room that he thinks will interest children, waiting patiently for an innocent child to talk to them. Some young girls (as is often the case) are more than willing to speak with seemingly friendly individuals, often for them to confide in and just share thoughts with. Little do these young ones know that the perpetrator is actually preparing them for sexual activity.

When the innocent child and the perpetrator get better acquainted via chat and/or instant messaging, the perpetrator gets more and more confident and begins to make advances, such as an “eyeball” (an actual meeting of the once virtual chatmates). This will eventually lead to an invitation to the perpetrator’s place, where the actual sexual activity occurs.

The child may find it quite difficult to let go of the virtual relationship because he/she feels that there is an actual friendship going on, when in reality, the perpetrator is actually setting him/her up. As such, the child will more often than not reveal information that is usually not revealed to strangers or people hiding behind chat room nicknames. When this happens, the perpetrator can do a lot of things, such as robbing the family of the child, sexual activity, even to the extent of kidnap for ransom, and worse, murder.

A less serious threat that can occur (but nonetheless a threat) is acquiring viruses, spyware, and unwanted files through the chat room or social sites, which will damage your computer and in some cases, break it down totally. Computer owners will find it a great hassle to be dealing with viruses, particularly if the infection is a deep one, and more so if they aren't adept at dealing with viruses and/or spyware. Sometimes, an anti-virus program isn't enough, especially if the user is a child who doesn't know that the files he/she might receive are infected.

This threat becomes more serious when the computer is used as a means of income, meaning a person works off of his computer. Should a computer break down due to a child’s ignorance in the chat room, a lot of work could be lost, which will lead to loss of income, definitely something you don't want.

Another cause for concern is that the chat rooms and social sites are often times found with adult material in it. A child could possibly have his/her life changed forever if his/her morality is questioned and lost at such a young age. Nude pictures and videos aren't uncommon within such areas of the Internet, even though there are some sites that try to eliminate these.

Social sites and chatting is fine, so long as the children are kept away from the evils that are linked with these uses of the Internet. Should a child become exposed to these dangers, there is no telling what the overall effect in his/her life would be. One way of parents protecting their children is by checking on them from time to time, especially when they are using the Internet, a powerful yet potentially dangerous tool.

Caught in the Middle: How the Internet Can Improve and Destroy Lives

2007-08-25T18:38:00.003-07:00

Our access to information has never been as convenient. In ancient times, only young men were allowed to go to school and learn about philosophers and literature. When the ultra-conservative Middle Ages came along, knowledge was left in the hands of the religious, and wouldn't see a renewal until the Renaissance. As the centuries passed, people were granted greater access to information, until our modern day scholars decided to make things easier for everyone.

From libraries stocking books in order, we moved to databases that stored information in a way that it could be stored, searched through, and retrieved. These databases and the way they were managed were brought online, where they came to the Information Superhighway. The Internet has since revolutionized the way that knowledge is accessed, and has given people from all over the world a chance to learn more and do more.

People are also now, more than ever, eager to share their expertise on specialized subjects, and help out those in need through the ease of online communication. What are some of the advantages offered by the Internet?

• Some sites offer knowledge and information for free or a minimal fee. The online free encyclopedia Wikipedia, for instance, has allowed users to post their knowledge on certain topics, and has given users the chance to access this knowledge as they would a real encyclopedia. There are also many other sites that offer information for free, such as science sites offering modules that science teachers can use when performing experiments, or clothing sites offering online courses in fashion design.

• Not all libraries carry the books that we need, so online merchants such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble sell books, allowing more people all over the world to buy them. With the advent of the electronic book, or e-book, people can now read books on their computers without having to pick a real heavy book up.

• Knowledge is offered in different media, depending on the learning abilities of those who need information. If a person is more visual, he or she can choose to watch a video or read an online book or pamphlet on the information he or she needs. If a person learns better through listening, however, he or she can choose to listen to audio files. This flexibility and versatility of the Internet has allowed more people to learn in the format that they want and are most comfortable with.

The beneficiaries of this technology are undoubtedly our children. They will have an easier time doing their research for school, since information is easy to retrieve online. They can buy the books they need if their local libraries don't have them. They can learn through all means possible.

These benefits, however, come with their own risks, and we as parents are caught in the middle of a war between free speech and censorship. While there are thousands of students who benefit from the knowledge offered by the Internet, there are also thousands more who become victims of predators, such as credit card thieves or worse, pedophiles. While there are thousands of students in developing countries who find their minds opened constantly by their exposure to new mindsets and cultures, there are thousands more who find themselves duped by once trustworthy people online.

If you have a child who uses the Internet constantly, then you may want to take note of these disadvantages to better monitor your child’s Internet use.

• While information is easier to retrieve online, it can also encourage your child to simply cut and paste information, with little or no effort devoted to analysis. This can make your child lazy, and may even lead to your child being accused of plagiarism by perceptive teachers.

• Not all information online is true, and not all information online is edited. This has led to many schools banning the use of online sources and Wikipedia as references in important reports and assignments.

• Many online help forums are actually a venue for child predators to stalk new victims. Because children and teenagers often seek affirmation and help from people outside their family circle, they are more susceptible to such attacks.

• Pornography is rife online, and some multimedia sites may actually contain pornographic or disturbing images or footage. While your child learns from useful multimedia files, he or she may also be traumatized or wrongly indoctrinated if he or she accesses the wrong ones.

The Internet has its advantages and disadvantages, and we as parents have the right to be alarmed and vigilant. The wealth of information online has also allowed wrongdoing to proliferate, and we can often find ourselves caught in the middle. All that we can do is protect our children, and make sure that they have access to real books and research materials, so that they don't have to rely completely on online sources for their work.

Actual Case Studies of Kids on the Internet

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As people are quickly becoming more and more dependent on technology for their everyday needs and desires, particularly the use of computers, business developers in the software industry have constantly tried to look for ways to take advantage of the trend, for their own profits and for the growth of the information technology industry as a whole. Some of these include sites and software that are geared towards the younger generations, like public chat rooms and social networking sites. With the number of hits these receive daily, it is no question that these are things that children and adolescents of the present look for.

While social networking sites and chat rooms promote socializing with one another (even if it is mostly text), there are dangers that are associated with such. Some of these include exploitation, extortion, pornography, sexual advances, etc., just to name a few. Perpetrators are aware most of the time that they are dealing with children and young adults, which is why they have more confidence to do the things they do – children are far easier to trick than adults.

Actual cases of these have happened, many of them in the United States. Just recently, a female teenager in Texas sued the site MySpace, a social networking site wherein a person can meet anyone from anywhere in the world. A MySpace page can be filled with pictures, videos, and other multimedia. A fake profile of a person can be made up easily, thanks to the power of computers and technology.

The lawsuit stemmed from the fact that this female teenager was sexually assaulted by an older teenager whom she met on MySpace. This man apparently put up a fake profile in MySpace, complete with fake pictures and fake data. Through this MySpace profile, they met through the Internet; he got a hold of her phone number, met each other personally and from there, the assault took place.

Incidentally, the girl’s lawsuit didn't win. In order to prevent such incidents from occurring, one should exercise extreme caution, especially in chat rooms and social networking sites such as MySpace. The case study proves that the danger on the Internet is ever present. However, that shouldn't deter children and adults from using the Internet freely – it is just important to exercise caution when doing so, something that this young girl apparently failed to do.

In addition, the girl herself lied about her age as well, claiming that she was an 18 year old when at that time, she was actually just 13. MySpace provides the privilege of using their site only for those 14 and above. Clearly, these actions show that the young girl didn't exercise caution and was exposing herself to danger by lying about her age and flirting with other male members older than her.

Other cases also involved instant messaging chat rooms and social networking sites, such as those when perpetrators tried to steal passwords and other valuable account information from MySpace users by sending them a fake HTML code (MySpace users can insert their own HTML code into their own profiles, for the matter of customization). However, since some users are children, they are unknowingly exposing their accounts which could possibly expose their location, phone numbers, and other valuable information that should be kept private. Most of the children don’t understand HTML code and they don’t know if the effect can be positive or negative.

There are many more cases in wherein children are taken advantage of through the Internet via chat rooms or social sites. As parents, it is your duty to protect and preserve your privacy from strangers, who could use your children to get what they want. Protecting them can sometimes mean restricting their Internet time, no matter how unpopular or how unconventional that seems nowadays.

With the case of the young girl, it can be seen that parents didn't exercise much caution as well because of the fact that she was able to get by pretending to be someone she was not. The chances of the act happening the way it did could have been lessened had the parents been more careful, as well as the girl herself.

Free Firewalls and Children Protection Programs

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The internet is an established part of our world, and modern education has included it in the education of our children. Unlike past generations, where the internet was as much a source of games and amusement as a tool for adults, these days our children are immersed in it. Given that it is a part of their daily lives at school, it naturally follows that we can't keep them from their computers at home so they can do research and homework on it. With that in mind, we have to keep a close watch on the things our kids do online so that they don't unwittingly become security risks in this day and age of computer-related crimes.

There are two types of programs that will help our home security over the internet immensely; the first is firewalls, which keep out viruses and spyware that our kids may accidentally touch on in the course of conducting their research. The second is child safety software, which are programs especially geared towards helping parents monitor and control their children's online time. Here are the top three free picks for firewalls and child safety programs you can download.

Firewalls

1) Comodo Firewall - one of the top picks among both free and purchaseable firewalls, comodo scans all incoming internet traffic before actually allowing it to touch any other part of your PC. It's main feature is a program behavior analyzer that detects if programs have any unusual activity that may signal a virus or worm in the program. For inert viruses it also has a trojan protocol detector that is constantly updated online.

2) Kiero Personal Firewall - this is a software that has been reported by users to offer them minimal headache in operation and use. While it's protections aren't as sturdy as some other firewall programs, it offers reasonable defense nontheless. It's main strength is it's ease of use, so that you can teach your children to operate it, giving them the benefits of learning internet security early in life.

3) Zone Alarm - this is rated as a cross between comodo and kiero. It offers more security options than Kiero and is easier to use than comodo. The most balanced choice between ease of use and security. Depending on your preferences, it can also be taught to your children, but it's advanced settings may actually cause them to mess up your firewall, so it might be a good idea to keep the operation of this software to yourself.

Child Security

1) EZ off - this program is essentially a time management software for your computer. It will automatically turn the PC on and off at scheduled intervals, allowing you to control how much time your children spend on the net. This is best used to keep your kids from playing video games past their bedtime. The timer also features a calendar and scheduler, so that you can even keep the PC running for set intervals when you're not at home.

2) Windows Supervisor - this is an office program that can also be used at home. It's main purpose is to monitor all logs made on the computer, so that you will be able to tell not only WHEN your children access the internet, you'll be able to tell what activity was running when they were there, including what sites they visited, files they up or downloaded, programs executed, and even keyboard typing done.

3) StopGame - for those who want to let their children enjoy the internet from time to time, a less-strict version of EZ off is similar to a firewall in that it lets certain, specified programs and web sites be accessed at certain times of day by the computer. If your kids are, for example, doing homework from 6pm to 8pm and you let them have game time from 8pm to 10pm, you can set this program to allow them access to certain games (that you specify) from the 8 to 10 slot. Also, taking a cue from Windows Supervisor, it will be able to monitor past activity as far as the allowed game programs listed are concerned, as well as attempts made by your kids to access other sites.

All About Online Abduction

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The fact that the Internet is rapidly expanding backs the notion that more people are regularly using the online medium. Thus, everyday, there are tons of reports over cyber-crimes committed by online predators worldwide.

Because the Internet is an open medium for people from all walks of life, you can't always prevent your kids from getting there. When logged on the Internet, your child can be exposed to a lot of dangers. There are many predators out there that are ready to feed on innocent children within the Internet.

The Internet is a place to meet people and expand a person's social circle. However, be reminded, and also remind your kids, that not all people you may meet online are 'friend material'. Like in actual life applications, you should never easily provide trust to anybody.

Online abduction is among the most popular cyber-crimes committed by scrupulous individuals over the Internet. It isn't surprising that there have already been reports of kids getting kidnapped by people they meet over the Internet. Abductors can't abduct your child online, but there are tactics that could help them do the dirty intentions.

Because kids are just starting out in life, they have to learn things and lessons in life the hard way. It is during the childhood and puberty years of kids that you should be able to extend your protection and guidance to your kids.

Some worst case scenarios of online abduction

To learn more about how online abductions are widely committed, it would be helpful if you would be informed about how the predators do their thing. Take note that online abduction strategies are alike in many ways, so by learning the usual worst case scenarios, you can understand the process better and prepare to prevent them from occurring.

Worst case scenario 1

Your child is logged online. Because almost all his friends are raving about friendster.com, MySpace.com and several other social networking sites, it is natural that he keeps his own account. Through the site, your child can interact with his friends through the in-site interactive features like private chats, emails, bulletins and posts.

Because social networking sites are social function systems, there are features that allow people to surf the entire system to meet new people. This is where the danger sets in. There might be individuals who would befriend your child. The individual may disguise themselves as another kid the same age as your child.

The process doesn't happen over night. Cyber criminals are so patient that they are willing to spend days, weeks, months or even years establishing the friendship with your child. When your child is at ease with the person, that is when the cyber criminal attacks.

The cyber criminal can ask your kid for an eyeball, wherein they would be meeting each other personally. Most online abduction cases ever reported are committed this way. When the kid is out to take an eyeball with his friend, it turns out the meeting is a set up and the disguising friend will then abduct the kid.

Worst case scenario 2

In chat rooms and interactive channels, your kid might meet people who are out there to socialize so they could victimize innocent people. The cyber criminals might lure your kid into doing something that could compromise his safety, as well as your safety and the safety of all on your household.

The cyber criminal can ask your kid about addresses, credit card numbers and personal identification numbers on bank accounts. Since your kid is unsuspecting and is treating his online friend with so much trust, he would be willing to disclose the information asked by his friend.

When your kid divulges your address, the cyber criminal then will be able to track and monitor your kid and abduct him when there is a chance. The abductor might kidnap your kid when nobody's home except your child, or during the middle of the night when everybody is asleep.

What to do when your kid is abducted

The best thing to do when your child has been victimized by online abduction is to report the matter to the authorities. The police will extend their help in helping you find your missing child. Also retrieve the information on the Internet about your child's friends, who can be suspected of committing the cyber crime.

Keep your cool and do not panic. Experts are advising you not to give in to the demands of the abductor. If you do, you might be contributing to the continuity of such crimes. If you don't, give your full cooperation to the authorities.

Online abduction can be prevented if you educate your child about the dangers of meeting strangers on line. Do your thing now.