How to be Smart Online
May 28th 2011

The internet since the beginning has been a medium of human communication through a blurry veil.

There is still some uncertainty when online browsing but with new social networks and video mediums, there are safe communities online.

New online technologies are improving precautinary online measures everyday, but transfering common sense safety from the outside to the online world can also keep you safe online.

Still it does not hurt to have some ground rules when interacting with others on forums, chat rooms and general online communities.

Step by Step


If you decide to join a chat room or playing games online with other people, ask your parents if they think it is safe. Have a plan of defense if someone asks you personal questions that you shouldn’t be giving out to someone you don’t know. If you want to chat but aren’t comfortable giving away personal information, write down a fake name and a country where you’re not from to keep your identity safe.


Think about the risk. Ask yourself who are these cyber criminals, who is more vulnerable, how and why this is a serious issue and how are you putting yourself at risk. Think about what kind of information a cyber criminal would need from you, think like them and you know what to avoid.


In the cyber world you can pose as anyone you want, so who you thought was your ‘friend’ can turn out to be someone totally different like an adult with bad intentions.


Never reveal your true name, age address or any other information about relatives or friends that can be linked to you, cyber criminals can be very
smart and could track you down with just one piece of information.


Filling out online forms can be dangerous territory so make sure you have protective software that certifies pages on the web that ask information for registration.


Avoid posting pictures on your online profiles with ‘identifiers’ in the background, like your house, your car’s license plate etc. Cover these up or blur them out with photo editing software.



  Tips



Always think before you type.


Never be afraid to ask an adult for advice, they will only help you, they’re on your side.


Watch the Movie Catfish to gain an idea of how far some people will go to trick you into believing something that isn’t true.


If you receive a strange email from someone who you think you might know, do not reply just delete adn block this user, it is a scam to get you to trust them and hand over information.


If there is a new friend request on msn from an unknown someone decline the offer, this is dangerous, make sure you know someone before accepting them on your instant messaging list.



Notes



•Never reveal personal information to someone you don’t know.

•Avoid posting revealing images online about you or where you live.

•Never meet someone in person, if you’ve only met them online and don’t know who they really are.



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