Aside from the endless hours we spend on Gchat at work, online chatting is mostly a kid’s game. But the responsibility falls on adults to know the basics of safe chatting so that they can educate their children. It can be difficult to get the point across to your kids that online chatting can be a dangerous pastime, so here are five tips to help accomplish that task.
Don’t choose an online ID that uses your real name, and never give any information during a chat that can be used to identify or locate you. This includes your last name, photos of you, what school you go to, where you hang out, and locational information such as your state, city and, obviously, your street address.
It’s fine to chat with your friends online, but know that people online are sometimes not who they say they are, so you should never meet anyone in person who you only know online. Even if you’re sure you know who someone is, remember that predators are really good at creating personas to deceive kids.
You should always use a secure chat room, but even those aren’t completely safe just because they are observed by moderators, as that won’t stop some people from starting inappropriate conversations and saying things that can make you feel uncomfortable. And IM chats aren’t necessarily safe either; don’t accept a chat invitation from anyone you don’t know personally, and never give your IM or chat password out to anyone, including friends.
Parents need to talk to their kids about what type of chat rooms they are using, and what kinds of conversations are appropriate. Allowing kids to chat only with people that both the kids and the parents know personally is a safe approach. Kids need to feel free to talk to their parents when a chat starts to become uncomfortable or inappropriate.
When it comes to online chat, never let your guard down. There are a ton of predators out there who are really good at deceiving and earning the trust of children, so both parents and kids alike need to always be vigilant about who they are chatting with, what they are chatting about, and what information they are sharing.
As more people bank and shop online, proper internet security is more important than ever. Safeguarding your information can be as simple as consistently reviewing your bank accounts and reporting any suspicious activity. But there are a number of other things you can do to stay safer online. Here are ten tips to help protect you and your money.
Use strong passwords
A strong password (one that is not easily guessed by a human or computer) will have eight or more characters, including letters, numbers and symbols. Make sure to use different user IDs and passwords for your financial accounts and for any other sites you use online. Check out our best tips for creating a strong password.
Be mindful of the numbers you use
Don’t use any part of your Social Security number (or any other sensitive information, such as credit card numbers or birthdays) as a password, user ID or personal identification number (PIN). If someone gains access to this information, it may be among the first things used to try to get into your account.
Look out for strange emails
Don’t respond to emails that claim to be from your bank (or any other company) requesting your account details. No bank is ever likely to approach you this way to ask for personal information.
Beware email attachments
It’s never a good idea to click on email attachments or free software from unknown sources. You could end up exposing your computer (and the information on it) to online fraud and theft. Keep in mind that links you receive in emails or in messages on social networking sites can be harmful or fraudulent, even if they appear to come from friends.
Watch how much you share online
The more you post about yourself on social networking sites, the easier it might be for someone to use that information to access your accounts, steal your identity and more. Maximizing your privacy settings on social networking sites can also help protect your personal information.
Be careful about what (and where) you click
Look for security-enables website addresses that start with “https” (the extra “s” indicates security). These sites take extra measures to help secure your information. This is particularly important if you’re making purchases using your credit card. If you receive requests for personal information while surfing the web, or calls for immediate action, these are almost always scams. If you suspect a link might give you a virus or steal personal data, don’t click on it. If the link was sent to you, talk to the sender directly to verify where it came from.
Secure your smartphone
Many mobile devices give you the option of locking your screen, which helps keep data stored on them secure. Depending on your phone, this can come in the form of a passcode, a pattern you draw on your phone’s touch screen or even your fingerprint.
Don’t keep sensitive information on your phone
Sensitive information includes your bank account numbers, identification information, passwords and other personal details such as answers to your security questions. If you bank via mobile app, don’t worry. Banks won’t expose your account information or passwords.
Think before you download apps
It’s a good idea to review the privacy policy and understand what personal data an app can access before you download. It’s best to purchase or download apps from authorized stores.
Keep your technology up to date
Make sure to update your computer’s operating system, your internet browser and the software on your mobile devices. Updates generally include the latest security patches. Be sure to also use antivirus and anti-spyware software: These programs help find and remove malicious programs from your computer.
By following these online and mobile security tips, you can help protect your personal information from falling into the wrong hands. If you suspect information related to your bank account has been compromised, contact your bank immediately for assistance addressing the issue.
Twitter is now the second largest social networking website on the planet. Still, there remains a lot of room to grow for this social network. Internet security and how it relates to Twitter continues to be a hot topic.
Follow these steps to optimize your account security when using Twitter:
Change Passwords Regularly
As with almost any other website, frequently changing the password is a good way of staying safe. Sometimes, passwords are stolen by computer hackers. In other cases, someone may simply figure out what your password is if they see you type it in or if it is just too obvious. Thus, changing the password on a regular basis can help minimize the chances of the account being compromised.
Here are some other best practices teens can use for optimal password security:
Avoid anything on a list of most common user passwords - sequences of numbers like 123456, names of family members or pets, or the word "password" itself should all be avoided.
Don't make a password too short. Generally eight characters is considered the minimum for security.
Lowercase and capital letters matter in passwords, so mix both in.
Adding numbers to the password is also a very good way to improve security, though try to avoid things like birthdays.
Ideally you would choose a series of numbers and letters that don't spell out anything - something like "ix5SgB2QEn6".
It's important to use different usernames and passwords on different sites.
Reserve Your Real Name
Twitter offers usernames on a first come, first serve basis. You should consider reserving an account that includes your real name even if you do not plan on immediately using it. You can always tweet under a different name, but saving your real name for a future time when your tweets may be more carefully reviewed costs you nothing and could be of a real benefit to you.
Make Tweets Private
Check the settings of your Twitter account to enable tweets to only be accessible to your own followers. This will ensure that anyone who perhaps locates your Twitter account through an Internet search is unable to access any tweets that have been posted. This can be achieved by going into your account settings and checking the "Protect My Tweets" feature, located under Security and Privacy < Privacy Tweet < Privacy.
Be Wary of What You Write
The trouble with this specific social network is that people feel that their tweets are directly written to just their followers and the nature of the network can leave users to feel comfortable tweeting anything and everything. The network operates as a kind of press conference of personal thoughts delivered from a user to their network.
Twitter is indeed designed for short little thoughts and burst of information. However, not carefully considering what is being written there is how so many people get in trouble. Oversharing is a major concern with this kind of social network. Even if a Twitter user utilizes privacy settings, making tweets available only to followers, any follower has the ability to screen shot a tweet and, thus, make a tweet permanent on the Internet.
Twitter can be an excellent means for teens and tweens to express themselves, further connect with their peers, develop interests, and explore other ways of thinking. However, as with all social networks, safety precautions must be made in order to make sure that digital dangers are minimized. Parents may rest assured that kids are safe online through the use of a tool like uKnowKids, which enables them to keep tabs on kids' mobile and digital activities.
