Internet Safety Rules

The internet has become a big part of our lives in the 21st century.  Children begin using computers in kindergarten, some (many) are even more internet/computer savvy than their parents.  Be that as it may, parents must set some internet safety rules to protect their kids from all that lurks on the internet.

The internet is a wonderful place for researching any topic, shopping, entertainment, keeping up to date on current events, investments, learning, email, plus much more – although without internet safety rules it is a very dangerous place for kids.

The following are our internet rules to help protect our children and family from internet predators. 

• No computers in the kids' bedroom.  The placement of your kids' computer is of the utmost importance.   Kids should not be given unrestricted access to the internet – there are too many offensive sites.  Furthermore, there are people who are trying to gain the confidence of your child who do not have the best intentions in mind.

• A parent must be in the room while a child is surfing the internet.  Keep a close eye on your children (including teenagers) when they are surfing the internet. 

• When chatting online (adults or kids) with an unknown person protect your identity by not giving out any of your personal information such as: real name, gender, etc.

• Never give out personal information such as phone number, address, name, age even when someone asks for it.

• Never agree to meet anyone in person that you met online.  If someone asks to meet you in person tell your parents about it.

• Don't open an email from unknown sources.  Email can contain viruses, spyware, Trojans, etc.  If you are ever unsure about an email just delete it.

• Use passwords that are hard to guess and never give them out.

• Review the rules frequently, make sure your children understand them.

In addition to internet safety rules there are three software applications that you should have installed on your computer to protect your online privacy.

• Install a good firewall.  Firewalls make the ports on your computer invisible to hackers searching the web looking for an open port.  By using a firewall you are preventing outside access to your computer.

• Install a good anti-virus program.  Computer viruses are programs that infect other programs, and then spread (hence virus).  Some viruses also include instructions to damage an infected computer, or delete sections of the hard drive, etc.

• Install a good anti-spyware program.  Spyware programs can gather information about you, your shopping habits, your surfing habits, your passwords, your personal information, etc., and then send the data collected to some company or internet scammer.  Your personal identity could be at risk.

Keep all your software, such as firewall, anti-virus, anti-spyware, internet browser, etc updated with the current security patches.   These programs are constantly changing to protect you from the latest threats – just make sure you stay current.

When shopping online – only buy from reputable sources that offer secure site transactions.  When you arrive at the sites payment page,  you should notice that the URL has changed from http to https.  Also notice that the lock on the bottom right hand of the page changed from unlocked to locked.

Internet safety requires constant vigilance so that children and family don't fall victim to the latest scams. Remember to always use common sense and don't click on anything if it looks suspicious.

 

Resources

Download ZoneAlarm Antivirus, Free After Rebate - Need Anti-Virus Protection? Try ZoneAlarms Antivirus for Free after mail in rebate.(limited time offer)

Save $10 Download ZoneAlarm Security Suite - Save $10 on ZoneAlarm Security Suite. (limited time offer)  ZoneAlarm also offers a free firewall, and many other internet security software applications.

Copyright © 2005 www.1stSpywareRemoval.com | Internet Safety Rules