Internet Safety: Sharing Information Online

1. Internet Safety: Sharing Information Online

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

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

4. 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

13. 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

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

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

16. 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 Investigate the possibility of ‘blocking’ the offender Teach your children that it is not acceptable to harass others or to tolerate harassment, either for themselves or on the behalf of others. If the harassment is related to a school or work environment, report it to the school or employer. Report the activity to the website where the abuse is taking place Reputable companies have an easily discoverable ‘report abuse’ function. Do not respond to the person, but document the behavior in case activities escalate.

17. Using public computers safely and identifying secure and trustworthy sites A secure connection is encrypted as a means to prevent others from reading or tampering with the information being transferred 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 not a guarantee of safety. It is an important safeguard, however. To verify that a connection is encrypted, look for the lock icon in or near the address bar.

18. 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

19. 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 can save money, find deals, and locate items you can’t find locally It’s fun! You don’t have to leave the house and your items come to your doorstep

20. WAY TO GO! Thank you for joining us today!