Tips For Remaining Safe on The Web

Best Ways to Stay Safe Online

1. Never Give Out Personal Information:   

   • Address
   • Last Name
   • Phone Number
   • For Youth's
   • Parent's work address/telephone number
   • Name or Location of school without parent or teacher's consent

2. Protect Passwords:   

   • Do not give out your on-line passwords to anyone
   • Change passwords frequently

3. Careful Who You Send Your Picture To:

   • This applies to both adults and youth's. You never know who is on the other side claiming to be. Always check with your parents if a minor and adults should use common sense when doing stuff like this.

4. Don't Respond to Messages that Make You Uncomfortable:

   • Adults, again use common sense. Replying to messages that may be scams, only confirms your email is real and makes the situation worse. Other messages, you may want to block if on a social networking site.
   • Anyone living with their parents, should tell them or a teacher if they get a message that makes them feel uncomfortable in anyway, so they can contact the on-line service

5. Be Weary of Offers of Money or Gifts for Nothing:

   • This applies to anyone at any age. You never get anything for nothing and this may be a way for them to get personal information or something else from you, as part as a scam. If it sounds to good to be true, it most definitely is.

6. Never Tell Anyone On-line Your Home Alone:

   • Again, this applies to anyone at any age, since older adults can be at risk too, when alone. Remember, it does not matter how old you are, there are still risks and they should be avoided.

7. Know What Your Downloading

   • For the younger generation, make sure it is ok with your parents before you start downloading stuff. As for the adults, make sure you have anti-virus software installed in order to protect from viruses, especially when you are downloading.

8. Avoid Pornographic Sites

   • This applies to all ages. Many of these sites have viruses on them when they are free sites, as for youth's, there are better things to do then look at stuff like this. If you happen to come across this, tell your parents so they know that there might be a virus on the computer.

9. Know Dangers of Meeting People:

   • Women and men have to heed caution when thinking of meeting someone they have met online. There are a lot of weird and sick people out there and you just never know who you will meet.
   • Youth's, never meet anyone without the consent of your parents. If your parents agree to you meeting the person, meet them only in a public place with your parents and never at you house.

10. Teens Only

    1. Communicate with parents about rules for going online
    2. Do not use inappropriate language while talking online
    3. Ask parents before filling out guestbooks, due to viruses
    4. Never enter chatrooms or other discussion rooms without checking with your parents
    5. When in a chatroom an inappropriate discussion comes up, leave.
    6. Keep your computer in an open place so your parents can see what your doing online