Children Safety on the Web

The Internet exposes children to a whole new world which can contribute greatly to their education and can be very enjoyable. In our dynamic technological world where knowledge is power, parents want their children to surf the Internet, and learn as much as they can. With this wish there is also the desire to protect our children.

The growth in Internet popularity is followed by a growth in immoral and criminal activities on the web. Hackers, crackers, web bullies, identity thieves, children predators all of them and more are out there in the cyber world.

Since this generation of children possess high technological skills, the main problem that parents face is the need to create boundaries for their children in a virtual world where the authenticity of communication is questionable.

In order to protect our children and educate them to safe and productive Internet activities we should become Internet savvy and get familiar with our children's Internet experience. It is not enough to trust our children in the hands of parental control products. These products can give added value only if they are joined with educational efforts and involvement in the child's Internet activities.

Following are a few general guidelines:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Instruct your child not to give away private information online. Private information may include: name, last name, home address, email address, home phone number, parents' work phone number or place of work, school, passwords etc. This private information should not be exposed on any of the online communication tools that the child is using, such as: email, IM (Instant Message), chatrooms, forums, virtual worlds etc.

Help your children to create a safe username. If your children encounter websites which require using a username or a nickname, help them to create a nickname that will not reveal private information. For example, never use year of birth in a nickname which can reveal age ("Sara1995").

Supervise upload of personal photos. Instruct your child not to send or upload to the web personal photos or family photos without adult approval.

Encourage your children to let you know if they encounter any strange behavior or behavior that caused them an uncomfortable feeling, when they surf the Internet.
You can use parental control products that filter and/or monitor Internet surfing in order to control your children's Internet activities.

Install and use firewall and anti-virus programs that protects the PC from installation of malicious software.

For more information on how to protect your children in the cyber world see - In3Go Internet Security Information

Steps You Need to Take to Protect Your Children From Online Predators

Stories of cyber creeps are plenty. Every now and then we come across incidents where questionable people have lured children in to divulging sensitive information to unknown people, of meeting perverts online and getting violated, the list could go on. As a parent, you are surely worried about the acquaintances your children make online. A nameless and faceless cyber world can pose serious threat to those who do not tread on its turf cautiously. If you are complacent, chances are that you will end up in trouble in the cyber world let alone the inexperienced teenagers or your ten year old!

Education is power! Tell your children why it is important to be cautious in the internet. Share with them stories and published guidelines on how to behave in the cyber world. Ask them never to divulge sensitive information like social security numbers, telephone numbers, contact address, etc. to unknown people.

Teach them. Teach them how to behave in the cyber world. Tell them what to do and what not to. Tell them how to talk and what to do in order to avoid unwanted attention. Ask them to follow internet etiquette diligently - this could mean the difference between security and total violation of safety.

Guide them. Sit with them and guide them how to access internet - the messages and language that may lead to questionable situations. Show them the websites that they should stay away from and why. Help them understand the best way to enjoy internet without compromising security and peace of mind.

Prevent them. Often teaching and guidance may not go all the way. In such a situation, use prevention.

o Bar the websites that you think may lead to unwanted situations. Most internet service providers give parental control options. Allow only certain websites and define the websites that you do not want your children to visit. Various anti-virus software also provide the option of blocking websites that may have adult content or are hosted in insecure web locations. Make full use of those features.

o Give them internet time only for a specific period and during specific hours of the day. Do not let them access the internet all the time. Do not share the password for internet connection

o Do not share passwords for areas in your computer that are protected for confidential reasons. Kids do not need to know that. In fact if need be prevent access to all those areas in your computer.

Observe them. Although no child would like their parents sneaking behind their backs, but initially it is a good idea to keep an eye on the websites that your children are regularly visiting. See if there is any website that you think may cause trouble. Discuss with them your concern. Children often understand if they are treated like adults.

Teach your children to enjoy the fruits of technological advances responsibly. As long as you are in a safe and secured environment, you will enjoy your online experience more. Treading on tough, murky areas is neither comfortable nor desirable.

Gregg Hall is an author living on the Emerald Coast of Florida. Now that you know a little more about computer security be sure that you get quality computer accessories by going to http://www.nsearch.com

Why Children Are a Prime Target for Identity Theft

As parents we most often carefully monitor our child's websites, emails, cell phone and text messages because we are concerned. Many times it is a concern for our child's safety. We worry about them being approached inappropriately online. We are concerned about sexual predators. But have we considered that our children may also be in a different kind of danger --the danger of identity theft?

Children are the perfect target for identity theft. They have a spotless credit record and because they are not using their credit it may go undetected for several years. They grow up and suddenly there discover their credit records are blemished. Can the information that we share about our children, whether it is online, to a school or medical professional allow the opportunity for identity theft? In 2005 the Federal Trade Commission reported that over half a million children were victims of identity theft. These cases include: the use of a child's Social Security Number being used illegally for income tax purposes and obtaining credit in a child's name. It's easy enough to do; just the other day one of my own children received a credit card offer in the mail. What if that fell into the wrong hands?

How can you protect your child from identity theft? The National Cyber Security Alliance calls social networking sites "billboards in cyberspace." Would you post on a billboard your child's personal information, such a social security number? To protect your child from identity theft you can take the following steps:

Limit access to your profile, photographs, blogs and other online sources. Limit access to your child's social security number. You can refuse to provide it to schools and medical providers. Educational or health benefits can not be denied based on keeping your information private. Keep a safe spot in your home for important documents. This can be a lock box or file cabinet with a lock on it.

When someone request your child's SSN know the reason for doing so. Ask for copies of the bank account statement or other verifying documents if they claim that they are setting up a savings account or other investment opportunity for your child. Note, in the event a family member or friend wants to create an investment or savings fund for your child establish the account yourself and note that deposits can be made by specific individuals on the account. This keeps your child's social security number private.

Do not carry important documents in your purse.

Do not provide your children with their SSN or Birth Certificate until they are older.

Destroy and/or shred any and all documents of a personal nature including credit card offers, medical claim forms (after paid) and any other document you do not need to keep. Invest in a scanner and scan the documents into your computer, save it to a disc and keep it under lock and key. Be sure to use your computer's parental controls, including spyware and anti virus software, not only for to protect your child's information but yours also.

Ask questions and distrust any website or telephone call that asks for your child's social security number. Make sure that any request for your child's SSN is valid, relevant and necessary before providing it.

Thoroughness and vigilance are absolutely necessary to protect your child from identity theft. In most cases, identity theft to children is committed by friends or family members, however more and more instances occur as a result of information posted on the internet; whether by yourself or your child. Don't worry about what people will think of you. Those that understand will see you as a concerned parent who is being very aware of the real world and its dangers, and one not only protects their child's future financial well being, but also sets the example to other parents by teaching them how to protect their children from identity theft.

Lisa Carey is a contributing author for Identity Theft Secrets: prevention and protection. You can get tips on Identity theft protection, software, and monitoring your credit as well as learn more about the secrets used by identity thieves at the Identity Theft Secrets blog.

10 Tips To Ensure Internet Safety For Children

Internet safety for children has become a major consideration for parents of teens and pre-teens. As the internet has evolved, so have the threats directed toward children. Although there are acts that have been enacted across the globe to protect children, it's up to each family to ensure that they know what is going on when their children are online.

With that in mind, here are 10 tips that you can implement to ensure the internet safety for children in your home. Get your children to agree to these basic rules and you will be a long way down the path to securing their safety online:


Never ever give out any of your personal information online with the express permission of an adult. Addresses, telephone numbers, work numbers are all ways in which your other details can be obtained.
If you come across websites or emails that are inappropriate or make you feel uncomfortable then let your parents know. By reporting these websites and emails to the authorities you will help to prevent the spread of this behaviour.
Never ever agree to meet someone in person that you have met online without first discussing it with parents. This is the most fundamental rule to ensure internet safety for children. It is impossible to know for sure who you care actually talking to online. If you do decide to meet then do so in a very public place and make sure that your mom or dad is with you.
It is very important that you don't send pictures of yourself to people you meet online. There is no way that you can know for certain who that person is unless you have personally met them.
There is a hug amount of bullying online. Never respond to rude or abusive emails or messages online. If the messages upset you or make you feel uncomfortable then let your parents know and they can follow up with the ISP or police. Many children have suffered at the hands of cyber-bullies. Don't be one of them.
Sit down with your children and set the rules for internet and email access. It is important to set the rules about what is appropriate to view online and how to handle situations online. Parents need to know what children are doing online. There is even software that will block unsuitable websites and provide reports of web history.
You must keep all passwords to yourself. It's amazing how a computer hacker can use a single password to access a whole host of your information as well as cause havoc with your life. Just don't do it. This is one of the best ways you can ensure internet safety for children. Also make sure that parents have the passwords to your internet accounts.
Don't download software without using adequate antivirus programs and getting permission from parents first. It is easy to compromise the data on your computer by inadvertently installing malicious software.
Make sure that children don't indulge in illegal behaviour online or hurt other people online. Internet safety for children is everyone's responsibility.
Kids are generally able to pick things up online pretty quickly. Spend time with your children online and you will learn quite a bit. Ignorance is not a defence. If you don't know what your children are doing online then you are not being a good parent.

These tips will help ensure the internet safety for children online; not just yours, but potentially someone else's child could be saved from being a victim of online crime.

This article was written by David Davies on behalf of Internet Safety for Children. Protecting your children online is important, that's why we take child Internet safety so seriously. Visit us today for more information on Internet safety for kids.

Online Predators - How to Protect Your Children on the Internet

Online communication is an important aspect of the Internet.

Online communication can be established on the web by various tools, all falling under the generic name - social software.

Social software covers a range of software and technologies used by Internet users to interact with each other. It covers different means of online communication techniques such as text messaging, voice communication and video in diverse Internet environments. Social software includes: email, IM (=Instant Message), P2P (=Peer-to-Peer networks), newsgroups, chatrooms, forums, blogs, social network services, virtual worlds etc.

When you use online communication you have the ability to choose how you want to present yourself in a specific situation. Online communication allows you to be open about who you are, be anonymous or make up a new persona. This aspect has a major affect on the authenticity of online relationships.

Anonymous online communication holds serious risk factors for children. They can easily become victims of abuse by individuals communicating with them due to lack of mature judgment skills. Sometimes they are not able to interpret the nature of the relationship correctly and can be misled, bullied, abused or fall victim to scams and ploys.

Child predators take advantage of the anonymity in online communication and target unsuspecting children usually for sexual or other abusive purposes.

In order for parents to protect their children from such predators, they should become involved in their children's web activities and learn how to recognize a problematic online relationship.

How Do Child Predators Work?

Child predators use the anonymous nature of online communication in order to contact children and gradually seduce them into an online relationship. This relationship might end in sexual abuse.

They use various forms of online communication, such as, IM, chatrooms, forums, newsgroups, and virtual worlds to target potential victims.

Child predators invest a lot of effort in targeting and seducing children into a relationship. They often pose as children. They are knowledgeable in children's popular hobbies and interests. They seduce children by giving them attention, affection, understanding, kindness and sometimes gifts. They try to target vulnerable kids who crave for attention and affection.

Who Is Vulnerable?

All children that use the Internet are at risk. It is more likely that children will be exposed to unsuitable material than encounter an online predator, but the outcome of such encounters is so severe that parents can not be indifferent to this issue. Although all children are at risk, young adolescents are the most vulnerable age group due to the specific characteristics of this age group. Children in this age group usually have good technological and language abilities that allow them to surf freely without adult help. They are frequent users of social software such as, IM (=Instant Message) , P2P (=Peer-to-Peer networks), social network services and newsgroups.

On the other hand, they lack the maturity and experience to help them understand the content that they encounter when surfing. They can easily misinterpret an online relationship, especially one which engages an adult with ulterior motives.

-They want to be free of their parents' control and to gain respect as grown-ups.

-They explore their sexuality and have the desire to socialize.

-They are in the rebellious phase of their lives and try to establish relationships outside the family. Child predators are well aware of these facts and exploit them.

Victims of child predators might be:


Seeking attention and affection.
New on the Internet scene and unaware of web ethics.
Lacking in social skills in the real world.
Unpopular in their social circle.
Rebellious.
Confused regarding their sexual identity.
Na�ve and unsophisticated in comparison to their age group.

What Can Parents Do to Protect Their Children?


Show an interest in your children's Internet activities. Nothing can be as effective as good communication when discussing means to protect them in the cyber world. Don't be judgmental. Try to understand their experiences and understand their frustration expressed against your efforts to manage their Internet use.
Be a role model. Direct your children to appropriate websites that could be of interest to them. Teach your children web ethics and explain to them about the threats exist on the Internet.
Become Internet savvy. If you have knowledge about services and applications that are available on the Internet, you will be more effective when guiding your children.
Supervise your children when they use the Internet. If you have young children, make sure that the PC they are using is in a family space.
Define clear guidelines for your children for Internet use. You can define an Internet use policy. Place the use policy near the PC that they use to keep the rules visible at all times.
Much in the same way you educate your children not to talk to strangers in the real world, educate them not to communicate with strangers online. Instruct your children not to answer IM or emails from people they don't know.
Young children should not use social software such as: chatrooms, IM, newsgroups, forums and so on. The risks far outweigh the benefits. As for young adolescents and adolescents, make sure that they only use monitored children's chatrooms, newsgroups or forums. Instruct your children never to leave the public chatroom area. (Chatrooms usually offer the option of a private chat were the conversation is not monitored and can not be seen by others).
Don't allow your children to meet with Internet friends in person without your approval and supervision.
Don't allow your children to use a private email account. Let them use the family account or an alias you have created for them in order for you to monitor the incoming and outgoing emails.
Help your children to create a safe username or nickname in the social software tools that they use. A safe username/nickname should not reveal personal information, gender or age.
If your children use the Internet in unsupervised places such as, libraries, school or friends' houses, check the security measures that are enforced at these places.
Instruct your children never to give away personal information online without your approval.
Instruct your children not to upload personal photos to the web without your approval.
Instruct your children not to accept photos or files from strangers without your approval.
Encourage your children to let you know if they encounter any strange behavior or behavior that caused them an uncomfortable feeling. Instruct them on what to do if they encounter such behavior. For example, turning off the PC and notifying a parent.

How Can You Recognize If Your Child Was Targeted By an Online Predator?

Your child may:


Withdraw from family and friends.
Seem depressed and moody.
Be aggressive towards members of the family. Child predators try to emphasize problems that the child has at home which can cause an aggressive behavior.
Spend a lot of time online, especially in chatrooms.
Have pornography on the computer. Child predators often send pornography to children.
Try to hide his/her Internet activities from you. For example, Opens a private email account, hides the computer screen or shuts down the PC when adult approaches.
Spend a lot of time on the Internet at friends' houses in order to avoid your supervision.
Receive presents from people you don't know.
Receive emails from people you don't know.
Receive phone calls from people you don't know. Child predators sometimes try to seduce children to engage in phone sex.

If you have suspicions, don't hesitate to confront your child about it.

Emphasize again the guidelines for safe web surfing to your child.

You can also monitor your child Internet activities by using Internet Parental Control software.

If you choose to do so without the child's knowledge, be aware that it can result in a loss of trust between you and your child.

If all the safety measures you have tried don't work and you find out that your child is a victim of a child predator or in initial contact with one, the most important thing is not to blame the child. Always remember that the blame is on the offender.

Immediately contact -


Your local law-enforcement agency.
CyberTipline 1-800-843-5678 - This tipline is managed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which has representatives from the FBI, the U.S. Customs Service (USCS), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at its headquarters. You can report incidents of child sexual exploitation, including child pornography, online enticement of children for sexual acts, child prostitution, child-sex tourism, and child sexual molestation.

For more information on how to protect your children in the cyber world see - http://www.in3go.com - Internet Security Information

Teach Your Children About Cyber Identity Theft

The web is a powerful tool, in the old days a person would have to visit a library to do most research or locate information about a specific topic. With a computer and the net now in homes that information is now just a click away.

The internet can also be a dangerous place. Viruses can be mass produced and spread around the globe, especially to countries with low computer security. It can be used to gain access to banking knowledge taking money from the owner. It can be a source of activity that is not appropriate for young people such as lewd acts, pornography, crime and cursing.

The internet is not a good place for children to be snooping around in. It is a good idea for parents to teach their children about the dangers of the internet. A child that happens upon a website that is not appropriate may have their life's changed forever.

By teaching children properly you are ensuring the safety of the entire family as well as their own. Any information that a child shares over the internet can endanger the entire family. Teach your children never to give out personal information, even it is just a name, a location, or even a phone number.

Teach your children never to give out passwords to anyone, even close friends. Having a password makes it much easier for criminals to get what they want without the risk of getting caught. A close friend might have a slip of the tongue and give out the password to the wrong person.

Cursing and other rude behavior should not be tolerated over the internet. Obviously anything that is put out on the internet is out there forever. You never know if the person that the ill feelings are directed at may be a computer whiz, and you may become the object of ill will which could endanger your data and computer.

Allow your children to have fun at the same time restricting them. Allowing them to have total freedom on the internet will usually result in trouble as they are mostly innocent and unsuspecting of those who seek to prey on children.

Place security restrictions on the internet browser. The computer should be placed in a common area, not in the child's private room. You will need to check in on the child from time to time, for their own protection.

S W Allen

Cyber Identity Theft

http://cyberidentitytheft.info/

Top Eleven Internet Safety Rules & Tips For Teenagers & Children

The internet is a valuable source of information for your children to use in their studies. It is also filled with dangers that must be avoided.

You can find pornography, internet sexual predators, pedophiles, cyber-bullies, con artists, hackers etc... all over the internet landscape.

With that in mind what can we do to help protect our kids from internet dangers? What advice can we give them? What rules should we lay down? How do we educate them on how to stay safe when on the internet?

Here is some advice you can use &/or offer your children:

*1. Never use your real name on the internet, especially in chat rooms or forums. There is no reason to give out that information and it is very dangerous to do so. Instead use a screen name. It can actually be fun to come up with a unique and interesting name to use.

*2. Never give out any personal information such as your name (see #1), the names of friends or relatives, your address, phone number, school you attend, places you hang out at, credit card numbers, internet passwords etc... Any of this information that you provide can create safety issues.

*3. Never post, email, or mail your picture or those of relatives, friends, your school, house, neighborhood, etc... that can be used by a person looking to identify you and or locate you. Just like your screen name, you can post some pretty fun images as your profile image without using your photo.

*4. If you ever get an email or message on the internet that seems threatening, intimidating, too personal or just makes you feel uncomfortable, immediately save it and notify your parents so that they can take action to prevent anything from happening.

*5. Absolutely never agree to meet anyone offline that you meet online. This is about as serious a danger as you can come across. Never agree to meet any online acquaintance at a specified location. If you are pressured to do so, or asked repeatedly, inform your parents immediately!

*6. Stay away from private chat rooms where you can be inappropriately pressured or solicited by a stranger. Stay in a public chat room or forum where others are present. Never use web cams!

*7. Instant massages are popular but can open your computer to hackers. I would never use one of these services myself and certainly would never allow one of my children to use one.

*8. Keep your child's computer in a family area, not behind closed doors or in their bedrooms. It will make it easier for you to monitor their activity.

*9. Limit the time your child uses the computer. If they know they only have a certain amount of time to accomplish their goals then they will be less likely to aimlessly surf the net and come across security risks or inappropriate content.

*10. Never respond to a threatening email or message. Notify your parents immediately and let them handle it with the service provider and authorities.

*11. Have your children ask permission before they go onto the internet. This is important as it makes them aware you know they are online and gives you a heads-up to be alert to their activity.

If you enforce these "Top Eleven Internet Safety Rules & Tips for Teenagers & Children" will go a long way to help insure their safety online.

I urge you to read my detailed report: Cyber-Bullying Suicides

It provides valuable information on internet safety for teenagers & children.

Why Children Are a Prime Target for Identity Theft

As parents we most often carefully monitor our child's websites, emails, cell phone and text messages because we are concerned. Many times it is a concern for our child's safety. We worry about them being approached inappropriately online. We are concerned about sexual predators. But have we considered that our children may also be in a different kind of danger --the danger of identity theft?

Children are the perfect target for identity theft. They have a spotless credit record and because they are not using their credit it may go undetected for several years. They grow up and suddenly there discover their credit records are blemished. Can the information that we share about our children, whether it is online, to a school or medical professional allow the opportunity for identity theft? In 2005 the Federal Trade Commission reported that over half a million children were victims of identity theft. These cases include: the use of a child's Social Security Number being used illegally for income tax purposes and obtaining credit in a child's name. It's easy enough to do; just the other day one of my own children received a credit card offer in the mail. What if that fell into the wrong hands?

How can you protect your child from identity theft? The National Cyber Security Alliance calls social networking sites "billboards in cyberspace." Would you post on a billboard your child's personal information, such a social security number? To protect your child from identity theft you can take the following steps:

Limit access to your profile, photographs, blogs and other online sources. Limit access to your child's social security number. You can refuse to provide it to schools and medical providers. Educational or health benefits can not be denied based on keeping your information private. Keep a safe spot in your home for important documents. This can be a lock box or file cabinet with a lock on it.

When someone request your child's SSN know the reason for doing so. Ask for copies of the bank account statement or other verifying documents if they claim that they are setting up a savings account or other investment opportunity for your child. Note, in the event a family member or friend wants to create an investment or savings fund for your child establish the account yourself and note that deposits can be made by specific individuals on the account. This keeps your child's social security number private.

Do not carry important documents in your purse.

Do not provide your children with their SSN or Birth Certificate until they are older.

Destroy and/or shred any and all documents of a personal nature including credit card offers, medical claim forms (after paid) and any other document you do not need to keep. Invest in a scanner and scan the documents into your computer, save it to a disc and keep it under lock and key. Be sure to use your computer's parental controls, including spyware and anti virus software, not only for to protect your child's information but yours also.

Ask questions and distrust any website or telephone call that asks for your child's social security number. Make sure that any request for your child's SSN is valid, relevant and necessary before providing it.

Thoroughness and vigilance are absolutely necessary to protect your child from identity theft. In most cases, identity theft to children is committed by friends or family members, however more and more instances occur as a result of information posted on the internet; whether by yourself or your child. Don't worry about what people will think of you. Those that understand will see you as a concerned parent who is being very aware of the real world and its dangers, and one not only protects their child's future financial well being, but also sets the example to other parents by teaching them how to protect their children from identity theft.

Lisa Carey is a contributing author for Identity Theft Secrets: prevention and protection. You can get tips on Identity theft protection, software, and monitoring your credit as well as learn more about the secrets used by identity thieves at the Identity Theft Secrets blog.