Internet Safety: Sharing Information Online

What are the risks of sharing information online? IDENTITY THEFT : steals your personal information and uses it without your permission INTERNET FRAUD : tries to trick you into sending them money or account information in order to steal from you COMPUTER VIRUSES : infects your computer with software to do some type of harmful activity PHISHING : pretends to be someone they are not to fool you into sharing personal information PERSONAL ATTACKS : uses your shared information to monitor your movements CYBERBULLYING : uses the internet to harass you WIRELESS ‘SNIFFERS’ : accesses your open wireless network to steal bandwidth or access your internet activities

What can an internet predator do to you? Open a line of credit and damage your credit score Impersonate you Commit a crime Find revenge Steal your tax return Gain access to medical care and prescriptions

What type of information are they looking for? Social security number Mother’s maiden name Driver’s license number Credit card numbers Bank account information

How can you protect yourself? Do not share your Social Security number Shred any documents you discard If it is too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t fall for it. Use strong passwords Change your password often

What should you do? Cancel your credit cards or consider a credit freeze Place a fraud alert on your credit file Monitor all accounts for unusual activity Get your credit report and check for discrepancies

and chat room safety tips Use a spam filter Don’t reply to or unsubscribe from spam s Do not provide sensitive information Use ‘automatic reply’ only when needed Avoid ‘forwards’ and don’t open attachments on s from unknown sources Don’t trust that an message is from who it says it is from Use anti-ad and anti- spyware software protection

Tips to create strong passwords Use different passwords everywhere Treat your passwords like you treat your underwear Avoid common words and numbers spell a word backward Use a simple password but move your fingers on the keyboard one place to the left or right Substitute numb3rs f0r l3tt3rs Insert cAPital lettERs in unusuAL plAcEs Add ?special? ^character$ Think of a phrase you can remember and use the first letters of each word in the phrase Longer passwords are harder to crack

Online dating tips Ignore any requests for money or financial information Guard your personal and online access information Report any suspicious behavior Tell others where and when you are meeting your date Always meet in a public place for your first meet- up Carry a cell phone Don’t travel together– take your own car Choose the right site for the type of relationship you are looking for

Blogging Consider making your blog ‘invitation-only’ to view Leave detailed personal information out of the blog Keep information about other people private Pretend your boss is reading your blog Imagine your post as a news article in the local newspaper– would you still post it?

Social networking sites Use caution when you click links Read the fine print Don’t allow sites access to your address book Be selective who you accept as a ‘friend’ Be careful about installing extras Assume everything you post is permanent Think twice before using social networking sites at work Keep an eye on your child’s social networking activity

Chat rooms and forums, online quizzes and surveys Use a genderless screen name Never assume you are truly anonymous Report issues to site manager Teach children early how to be safe online Companies learn a lot about you from the quizzes and surveys you submit to them Read the fine print if you aren’t sure

Sharing images Choose a platform with privacy settings Choose images carefully Use the privacy settings Limit identifiable information associated with the image Be aware of the GPS coordinate information stored in digital photos

Gaming online Is it a reputable site? If it requires a credit card, be cautious and know what you are paying for Some games can carry viruses or spyware

Banking and finances Payment services Shopping online Spending and saving online Classified ads and auctions Investing

Cyberbullying – what to do if your child is being harassed or bullied online If you feel your child is in any way unsafe, contact the police immediately Report the activity to the website where the abuse is taking place Reputable companies have an easily discoverable ‘report abuse’ function. Investigate the possibility of ‘blocking’ the offender If the harassment is related to a school or work environment, report it to the school or employer. Do not respond to the person, but document the behavior in case activities escalate. Teach your children that it is not acceptable to harass others or to tolerate harassment, either for themselves or on the behalf of others.

Using public computers safely and identifying secure and trustworthy sites Remember to log out when you are finished using a public computer When using free wireless networks, remember that others could be ‘listening’ and monitoring your activities A secure connection is encrypted as a means to prevent others from reading or tampering with the information being transferred To verify that a connection is encrypted, look for the lock icon in or near the address bar. A secure connection is not a guarantee of safety. It is an important safeguard, however.

Network safety Secure your wireless network using WPA protocol on all devices Keep your wireless router central to your usage area Keep your operating system software updates current Keep your firewall turned on Use anti-virus and anti- spyware software

After hearing all of this information today, why would you share any information online? Easy and efficient It’s a great way to connect with your friends and family On rare occasions, it can create job or career opportunities You don’t have to leave the house and your items come to your doorstep You can save money, find deals, and locate items you can’t find locally It’s fun!

WAY TO GO! Thank you for joining us today!