We are all aware of the predators that stalk unsuspecting men, women and children on the internet today. There are people who use their technical abilities to send viruses, worms, trojans and who knows what else to make internet users lives miserable. What about the criminal minds who are trying to steal peoples identity? If you have children, it gets even scarier because their innocence makes them such an easy target. In this article I will give some tips on precautions that may be used to protect your love ones and keep them safe online.
1. Purchase a good filter for your children. This will help you to screen out websites with inappropiate content. Utilize parental controls for email programs as well. Limit the amount of time children are allowed online.
2. Check the history on your computer regularly. Ignorance is not bliss in the case of the internet. Know what sites your family is visiting.
3. Social Networking. Make sure that if someone in your family is on a social networking site, be sure to add yourself as a friend or contact so that you can see who is communicating with your loved ones. Monitor their activities both online and off.
4. No computer in the kid's rooms. It isn't a good idea to allow children to be left alone with the internet. Keep their computer in a centralized part of the home.
5. Change your passwords every now and then and never share it with anyone else. Be sure that you purchase products only from secure websites. You will see a small pad lock icon on sites that are secure.
6. Purchase a good anti-virus program. A good program will take care of spyware, viruses, malware and some have anti-phishing capabilities also.
7. Be aware of " Cyber Bullying". There are very cruel and vicious people who bully kids on the internet. Just like there are bullies in the real world, There are even more on the internet.
Hopefully some of these tips will be a start for you and your family to enjoy the internet, and have some piece of mind.
