Posts from — December 2008

One issue that has been plaguing our family is internet safety.
All six of us (even the 3 year old) are somewhat techno savvy – at least we like to think so. Our two existing computers are in constant use and may soon require a sign up sheet with time limits.
It is definitely time to upgrade! But what does that mean? Choosing the right system for our busy home is a difficult process.
In a perfect world where budget, space, and internet dangers are not issues I suppose each of us would have our own laptops so we could happily compute anywhere to our hearts desire. That, of course, does not exist.
However, I am tired of sharing a computer with my children. My computer is my modern day filing cabinet and it is quickly becoming disorganized. Having different user accounts has only added to the clutter. And logging someone else off and myself on every time I need access is time consuming.
Clearly, two computers are the way to go. One for me and one for them. Now internet safety rears its ugly head. The dangers are out there, no doubt. But the internet is also a rich and wonderful resource. Knowledge of all things “tech” will help the children go far in whatever career they choose and the wealth of information available on any subject is mind boggling.
How should I balance the two sides of the internet? With all the “parental controls” out there, I could make a career out of monitoring my family’s internet usage. Definitely not practical. So, I will begin our upgrade process with the following considerations:
Location
First, is the location of the kids computer. If I station it in our living room, yes – LIVING ROOM, I will be more likely to be involved in where they are surfing or what they are doing online. The living room works for me because it is adjacent to the kitchen and because it is not an area where the kids normally play. So, if someone has a school project (like Ancient Egypt), they have a somewhat quiet area in which to do their research. As computers become more sleek, perhaps they will blend better with the decor.
Desktop vs. Laptop
A Laptop is tempting, especially if it is in the living room. What could be better than tucking the computer away when company arrives? NOT a good idea. I can forsee my not-so-future teenager wanting to squirrel the laptop to his room where it is quieter and less chaotic. Of course, he will play the education card – saying that he will do better schoolwork in a calm environment. And I will either cave or suffer an argument. So a big behemoth of a computer is probably the best choice.
Open Communication
I continually speak to my children about using caution on the internet. I go down the list about personal information, no chat rooms, etc. But if we come across something inappropriate, I try to be matter of fact and not make a big deal about it. A frank discussion about what happened seems to work. By giving them respect, I hope that they will continue to reciprocate by using the internet wisely. Keeping in mind that forbidden fruit is always more attractive, I have not ventured into many blocking techniques. Right now, I channel them to websites and applications that I think are appropriate and that they enjoy.
There is only so much computer time in the day and if they use this at sites they like then hopefully they won’t have time to go elsewhere.
To see more tried and true tips for busy moms and families visit my blog “A Mom’s Life” at http://neenmachine.blogspot.com

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Almost daily, the news is filled with reports of new types of threats to computers. It is increasingly important for PC owners to be proactive and make sure that they have software installed and running that can help keep their computers safe. While there are many such programs on the market, the Kaspersky internet security package has gained one of the highest ratings for this category of and is considered one of the best ways to protect a personal computer system.
Technology continues to advance rapidly, especially in terms of how people can access the internet and the types of information and multimedia that is available online. At the same time, because of the way that the internet is evolving so quickly, the internet threats that are posed to computer users by “cyber criminals” and determined hackers is also advancing steadily and it is important to stay on top of the current internet security trends in order to stay ahead of these digital miscreants.
The Kaspersky internet security package is sophisticated software that provides a number of essential features that can significantly reduce the risk of exposure and infection of your computer by internet viruses. This alone helps to improve the internet security protection that you can enjoy, but the Kaspersky software doesn’t stop there.
The fact is that computer viruses are not the only internet threat these days, nor are they the only tool that cyber criminals use to hack into your personal computer and your life. Other common internet threats are found in things such as phishing schemes and spyware, and hackers who are intent on cracking into your system to search for sensitive financial information or information that will allow them to steal your identity.
If your computer is hacked into by one of these internet gangsters, then any sensitive personal information on your computer, including passwords to your bank accounts and other important data, can easily be accessed and used to steal your identity. The statistics clearly show that identity theft is on the rise, right along with computer internet security issues. It is quickly becoming one of the most common crimes in America.
The Kaspersky security suite will automatically scan any website files and all emails for any type of malware. These are malicious programs that pose threats to your internet safety and these programs come in the form of spyware, adware, and various viruses that are constantly being developed in an attempt to get past the protection internet security you might have in place.
With all of these constant internet threats in mind, the Kaspersky internet security software is programmed to check with the publisher’s website every hour for any new updates and security downloads. As long as the computer is on and has access to the internet, these updates will be automatically downloaded, providing the highest level of protection from new viruses and malware of any company that offers internet security software. Getting such frequent updates will keep your computer protected from even the very latest virus attacks.
Mike Selvon has some great informative articles. If you enjoyed this article, please visit his website for part 2 on Kaspersky internet security, and also learn more insider internet safety tips.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

If your child is like most, they enjoy going online and chatting with friends; and sometimes even meeting new people. There is nothing wrong with this if your child is responsible, and they know the safety rules of chatting online.
If you are concerned with your kids internet safety there a few things that you can do to help.
1. Giving your child a set of rules to follow will help to ensure their safety. In addition to the rules make sure that they know why they have to follow them. This will make it more likely that they will actually listen.
2. When it comes to kids internet safety it is important that your child feels comfortable talking to you about their problems. If they know that you are understanding, they will be more likely to come to you with a problem that is stemming from online.
3. If your child is simply not listening to you, and you are gravely concerned, you may want to look into banning them from online activities until they straighten up their act. This may seem harsh, but it may be necessary in order to keep your child safe. In addition, you can also block certain websites if you feel that your child should not be on them.
Overall, kids internet safety is very important to every parent. If you stay up to date with what your child is doing, and set down rules, you will be greatly increasing your chances of keeping them safe while they are online.
WebSafeKid.Com has the latest articles and information to help keep kids and teens safe, A Parents Guide to MySpace and the internet. Visit WebSafeKid.Com for the latest information about My Space safety.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Did your child access the Internet yesterday?
Do you know what he did when he was using it?
Are your kids really Internet safe and does he follow rules for Internet safety. Do you know or do you just assume he does?
Thousands of children will be putting themselves at risk on the Internet today. Is your child one of these?
Girls are often more at risk than boys because of the way they like to chat and because of their sex but boys can a risk too.
7 Rules of Internet safety
Things you should teach your child not to do on the Internet. The don’t of Internet safety.
1. Don’t give out any personal information. This includes name, hobbies, favorite singing group, telephone number, email address or school information.
2. Don’t post anything on the Internet that they wouldn’t want the whole to see.
3. Don’t continue any conversations that make them feel uneasy in any way or with someone whom they feel even the slightest suspicious about.
4. Don’t ever agree to meet anyone you chat to on the Internet unless you talk to your parent about it and they go with you.
5. Don’t use your real name in chat rooms or a name linked to a hobby or favorite television program.
6. Don’t believe everything someone tells you when you chat to them via the Internet. People may not be who they profess to be.
7. Don’t allow to strangers who contact you to be added to friends in some circumstances this can lead to them accessing posts you make to your friends.
In the UK police receive 400-500 reports a month from people concerned about Internet abuse and and this number is increasing.
Make sure your child understands how to keep himself safe but don’t negate your responsibility.Make sure you know your child’s Internet safe.
There are things you can do yourself but there is also software you can use that will help you monitor what your child is actually doing on his computer.
And you can find out more about this software for keeping kids internet safe
Make sure you know the rules for child internet safety and keep your child safe.
Maureen the English nanny with over 25 years of experience is concerned that you learn how to keep your child safe. http://www.rulesforinternetsafety.com

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Has your child seen any adult images online? You might not think so, but recent studies show that more than half the children who use the Internet have been exposed to indecent material and only one in six parents is aware of it. As a parent, there are some things you can do immediately to stop it.
Today, any computer-literate child can view anything, from adult material to graphic videos, online chats, live adult shows, virtual adult parties, user-generated offensive material, and material that is illegal and subject to prosecution. Children are given all this access free of charge as a means to lure them into becoming victims and to get them to reveal information about your family.
There are legitimate sites for children but predators have easy and anonymous access to children online where they can conceal their identity and roam without limit even on legitimate sites. While more and more law enforcement agencies are setting up cyber crime units, for now, it is the responsibility of parents to play cyber cop to protect their children and family.
Explain to your children that talking online to strangers is a very bad idea. Be as direct as you can, even to the point of frightening them. Stress that they may be endangering not just themselves but your entire family by exposing details to a predator. Being online is not as anonymous as most people believe. Predators have ways of easily finding out real names and addresses of children they chat with.
Explain to your children, male or female, that child molesters frequent chat rooms on the Internet. If you are not familiar with chat rooms, it is time that you investigated what they are and how they work. If your children have access to the Internet, they have access to chat rooms. Child molesters pose as children or “confidants” trying to develop friendships with unsuspecting children. Child molesters lure their victims with promises of friendship and material goods. Many adolescent Internet users look for anonymous friends, someone they believe they can safely chat with while their unsuspecting parents are not present. And, too often, it works!
If you are not computer savvy, ask your children to show you how it’s done or take some night classes. Do not just watch your kids surf or just talk to your kids about what they are seeing or doing online. Get involved. This will help everyone, including you, understand better what is going on.
Your child may be more tech savvy than you, but do not let that intimidate you, says Frank Gallagher, education and media literacy director at Cable in the Classroom, an industry-sponsored nonprofit group. Ask lots of questions. Learn to use the computer and the Internet yourself so your children cannot fool you and hide what they are doing online.
If you fear confronting your child, you can take a hidden approach. There are many software programs available that can be loaded into your computer that will track everything your child does without them being aware of it. Check local computer stores or online for programs. There are even some that are free online. You will be able to see exactly the sites they visit, who they are talking to, and what is being said without them knowing.
You can also have a tech person set up parental controls on your child’s computer. Parental controls are already built into all windows based computers so it’s there and it’s free. It can be password protected so your child is prevented from accessing adult related material. Only you will know the password so you will be able to approve or deny access to sites they want to visit. This could create some friction between you and your child but it will give you a chance to discuss the dangers presented by online predators.
With these tips you can practice proper online safety. Your children will not be taken advantage of and, the fact is, these Internet safety tips will go a long way to keeping your whole family safe from online predators.
Jim DeSantis is an award winning broadcast journalist who provides a new ebook Internet Safety For Your Kids – here!

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Internet Safety? Is you child on the Internet? If they are, I hope you have internet safety rules already in place. If you do, how well is your child following them?
Your child following the rules you set up for them when they are online is as important as knowing basic Internet safety practices.
Not following your internet safety rules should be treated as seriously as wearing a seat belt any time they get into a car. Its about being as safe and preventative as they can be.
Kids will break the rules for any number of reason. First, you need to find out what the reason was for the breach of the rules. If they simply forgot, reinforce them, one-by-one, again.
Two, clear up any mis-communication and expectations. Be sure that they are clear on your rules. Make sure they understand, in their language, what it is you are setting in place for them to follow. Be clear, give examples, and have them mirror back or repeat back to you what they hear and interpret the rules to be. Be gentle but firm. Then, restate that you want them to start following the rules right away.
If your child still isn’t following your internet safety rules all of the way, one final warning is in order. Let them know that there are serious consequences to their actions. However, if you suspect that your child is communicating with strangers online, like those who may be sexual predators, bypass the final warnings, as your child may already be in over their head.
A valid response for repeated rules violations is banning your child from using the Internet. This is the strictest form of punishment and likely the one that will send the clearest message. If your child must use the internet for school, like for a school research project, only let them do so when you are sitting right next to them.
You can also block the websites that you want to keep your child away from. Blocking websites intentionally because you child won’t follow your rules however, does not teach them to take a serious subject like Internet Safety seriously. It puts you in the role of being a cop and watchdog. They may then lack the skills and attention and responsibility for their own safety when they get back online.
You might consider a “middle ground” where they use the computer for a period of time when you are home or in the room. If they have their own computer, make them relocate it into a well traveled area, such as your living room. They could have these restrictions until they demonstrate they can and will follow your rules you put in place as their parent, for solid internet safety.
Joyce Jackson is a #1 International Bestselling author and child safety expert. For her great esafety tips for busy parents go to eChild Safety.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Nowadays, staying safe online has become a never-ending battle – for children as well as adults. Because cybercriminals are becoming smarter and more sophisticated in their operations, they are real threats to your personal security and privacy. Your money, your computer, your family, and your business are all at risk.
However, with a little common sense and some knowledge about what to do and not do, one can surf the ‘net unscathed. Here is a great set of rules for kids while they are online. I found these rules at safekids.com. Parents, Employers, and Managers, you can take some notes from these rules, too:
1. I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parents’ work address/telephone number, or the name and location of my school without my parents’ permission.
2. I will tell my parents right away if I come across any information that makes me feel uncomfortable.
3. I will never agree to get together with someone I “meet” online without first checking with my parents. If my parents agree to the meeting, I will be sure that it is in a public place and bring my mother or father along.
4. I will never send a person my picture or anything else without first checking with my parents.
5. I will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel uncomfortable. It is not my fault if I get a message like that. If I do I will tell my parents right away so that they can contact the service provider.
6. I will talk with my parents so that we can set up rules for going online. We will decide upon the time of day that I can be online, the length of time I can be online and appropriate areas for me to visit. I will not access other areas or break these rules without their permission.
7. I will not give out my Internet password to anyone (even my best friends) other than my parents.
8. I will check with my parents before downloading or installing software or doing anything that could possibly hurt our computer or jeopardize my family’s privacy
9. I will be a good online citizen and not do anything that hurts other people or is against the law.
10. I will help my parents understand how to have fun and learn things online and teach them things about the Internet, computers and other technology.
Although you may follow the rules religiously, you, your computer, and your family might still be at risk because cybercriminals leave you with three choices:
1. Do nothing and hope their attacks, risks, and threats don’t occur on your computer.
2. Do research and get training to protect yourself, your family, and your business.
3. Get professional help to lockdown your system from all their attacks, risks, and threats.
Remember: When you say “No!” to hackers and spyware, everyone wins! When you don’t, we all lose!
Etienne A. Gibbs, Independent Internet Security Advocate, consults with individuals, small business owners, and home-business entrepreneurs regarding online protection against spyware, viruses, malware, hackers, and other cybercrimes and pc-disabling issues. For more information, visit http://www.SayNotoHackersandSpyware.com/.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Like most families in 2007, your family probably has at least one computer in the home, if not more. Many children and teens have workloads in school that require excessive PC-usage. Alright, so even if your kids use the World Wide Web for chatting and downloading games, they still need to be protected. There are plenty of parental internet control software options available to concerned mom’s and dad’s, but it’s still wise to heed the following tips.
Protecting Your Children:
• Be aware of your children’s friends and if they begin mentioning someone they don’t hang out with at school or at home.
• Limit their Internet use. Giving each child an hour a day can lessen the chances they’ll run into dangerous situations and you’ll increase family time.
• Most parents know the best way to find out is to “ask.” If you have concerns or advice to give, ask your kids for 10 minutes to chat.
• Don’t berate them. You remember what it was like to be 13 and craving independence. Allow your pre-teens and teens to make some of their own decisions, while you coach them.
• Remind youngsters not to give out any personal information without consulting you first.
• Change allotted computer-time depending on how old your child is. Have a teen? They obviously need more Internet time than an eight year old.
• Check for warning signs: If your 11-year-old knows how to clear the browser cache and sets up her own passwords, you might want to keep an eye out.
• Try parental control software products. They don’t guard against everything, but they are a great start.
For you frustrated parents who don’t have any idea how to combat Internet predation and trash-sites, it is well worth your time to consider parental control software. 6StarReviews.com notes that a leading software product, Content Watch’s Net Nanny 5.5, completely logs all Internet activity and downloads.
What exactly can the infamous Net Nanny do? It blocks inappropriate websites, logs instant messages, and can monitor everywhere little Johnny’s been on the Web from any place. While you may have some reservations about essentially spying on your kids, catching your child in risky situations early-on can prevent a world of future hurt.
Kelly Liyakasa is a staff writer for 6StarReviews.com. Kelly Staller is site manager at 6StarReviews.com, a site dedicated to giving YOU, the consumer, the best product and service reviews around. If you like saving time and money by having someone else review leading sites and products, then Visit our site at 6StarReviews.com.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

With more and more people getting online everyday by the thousands, safety precautions become all so important. Especially for teens, as the internet use has become so prevalent with them. Teens love to use them to talk to their friends and chat and make new ones.
This is where the dangers lie, as child predators routinely hunt for new victims online. Children and even for that matter adults should never give out personal information about yourself, your family, your phone number, or esp. where you live.
Parents must advice their children with this information! The younger they are the more they are at risk. These predators pose as nice people who want to get to know your children. They try to befriend them and become their friends.
Young kids especially have to be very careful in chatrooms. When in chatrooms remember that not everyone may be who they say they are. For example many of theses child molesters pretend to be someone else. Many of them pretend to be a child themselves looking for other friends to meet and have fun with. This is how many of theses monsters start to befriend your children!
Let your kids know if someone harasses you online, says anything inappropriate whether sexual or not, or does anything that makes your child feel uncomfortable; contact your Internet service provider. Let them know what happened and they can further investigate the matter.
Instill the fact into your children that they can always come to you for any problem or question. And that no subject is to wrong or embarrassing to ask you. Often kids feel funny talking about sexual matters with parents, but let them know it’s important to talk and share problems with you esp. when it comes to the internet and strangers. And you may end up not only saving your own child but millions others out their online.
Frank G
Owner of http://www.SafetyRus.com
Safety infomation and products

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/