How to Protect your Child in Internet 

On the internet there are various websites that display offensive content. The content may be violent material or internet pornography. It becomes necessary to protect children who are less than 14 years. Offensive content that is shown on the internet is considered to be harmful for children.

It can have adverse effects on the child. In fact such information may spoil the child. Today internet is easily accessible to children. Parents need to keep on what their children are doing when they are surfing the net.

The child internet protection act is a law that is passed by Congress to restrict children from accessing offensive content. This federal law was passed in December 2000 to address the problems that may arise due to precarious information that is available on the internet.

According to this law schools desiring internet connection through “E rate” program are required to satisfy some conditions. E rate programs make internet technology available to eligible libraries and schools in an affordable manner.

Under this act a school will get internet connection through E program if it has an internet safety policy and a technology protection measure such as internet software that blocks or filters pictures that are obscene and harmful to minors. The school is required to enforce a police for monitoring online activities of students. Schools need to implement a policy that addresses issues related to access of inappropriate internet mater.

The policy also needs to address issues about the security and safety of children when they are using chat rooms or any other form of electronic communication. The policy should also be aware of unauthorized access in the form of hacking and other illegal activities. The policy also needs to restrict access of minors from any kind of harmful material.

Schools wanting E rate funding are required to have a certificate stating that they are having safety internet policies. This act mentions that there is no need to keep a track of internet use as long as the school has installed the child internet protection software.

It is necessary to implement child internet protect in every school so as to protect children from unpleasant content. Future of the world lies in the hands of children. Hence, for a healthier environment in school, this law needs to be implemented. Child internet protection is possible by using child internet protection software. There are many companies offering child internet protection software. You can always take the help of internet to find the websites that provide list of companies offering child internet protection software.

Child internet protection software blocks successfully any garbage content. So if you have children in your house and you don’t want your kid to watch any precarious information on the internet then this can be achieved by installing child internet protection software. You can block offensive emails and instant messages with the help of child internet protection software.

You can also stop unauthorized access to your private information using this software. Generally, hackers try to access your private card number through the internet.

Over the years, there have been countless innovations when it comes to the Internet so that it certainly has become a medium of boundless possibilities. Without question, these advancements pose immense value to Internet users the world over; however, the World Wide Web has also become a platform for cybercriminals to wreak havoc in. The latest form of cybercrime that proliferates on the Web is scareware, an even more malicious form of software designed to deceive users into downloading these so-called “solutions” only to find their computers compromised.

What is It?

Simply put, scareware is fake anti-virus software. It is also referred to as rogueware and in some cases may appear as helpful computer applications such as a firewall system or registry cleaner. Cybercriminals who use this scam to generate profit use scare tactics to trick users into purchasing the software. Typically, you will be notified that your computer has been infected with viruses and along with the notification, you will be encouraged to download the scareware that will supposedly get rid of the problem.

Prevention

Clearly, scareware presents grave dangers to users because not only does it compromise your privacy and security, but cybercriminals have become so sophisticated that the removal of such malicious software can be extremely difficult and in many cases, costly. They usually appear in the form of pop-up ads even in websites that are legitimate. Sometimes you are taken to the scareware website directly and clicking on the X button on the window actually activates the malicious program.

However, there are many measures that you can take to ensure you aren’t victimized by these scams. As in many situations, prevention is often the most effective measure against the threat of scareware. There are many good quality pop-up blockers that you can make use of and some of them are offered free. A good pop-up blocker will be one that targets not only advertisements but also spam as well as spyware. It is also a good idea to install a pop-up blocker that actively looks for and then destroys tracking cookies.

Social networking sites are a favorite target of cybercriminals simply because they are so popular and people do have a tendency to be negligent when they are on these sites. If you are a frequent social network user, choose a strong password and change it often. Beware of applications that you find on the sites such as games and other entertainment applications. In some cases, launching the application means you are allowing the third-party website to access information contained in your personal page.

Other Measures

Scareware websites appear legitimate with layouts that are very well-designed so you wouldn’t think of suspecting these attackers. Know that these scammers change the appearance of their websites often so as to reduce the possibility that they will be recognized by Internet users. Even if the site claims to be affiliated with legitimate companies, be wary of these claims, especially if there is no link that will take you directly to the authority site. Keep a list of trusted anti-virus software and check any new names against this list always.

“Five members of the same family were arrested in connection with sex crimes against children in a raid on a Missouri farm yesterday….’”

“A British daycare teacher has been busted for suspected involvement in an Internet pedophile ring after photos of naked children were found in her home… 

“Federal agents have arrested 56 child predators and criminal alien sex offenders in raids in New York and New Jersey… 

Articles and news items in the media report almost daily about child predators who commit vile sexual acts upon children, even to the point of murder to cover up the nefarious sexual crime. Today the Internet can be dangerous to young users who think they surf the net with other children of their age. Child sexual exploitation by child predators occurs in every economic, social, ethnic, and religious group. With the explosion of the Internet into a powerful, worldwide medium, the danger to children, whether they are from the USA to European countries has increased dramatically .Pedophiles and other sexual predators can use the Internet, with no precautions, to exchange names and addresses of other pedophiles and of potential child victims.

There is the old adage in the advice a parent can give to child on the way to her school or friends, ‘Never talk, take candy or a ride from a stranger’. In the past it was the parent’s greatest worry was the guy in the trench coat lurking on the edge of the school playground. Now, thanks to the Internet that child predator creep often hangs out with your young son or daughter in their bedroom. 

Child predators come in all shapes and forms of human misery, which could be a too friendly neighbor, the kindly shopkeeper, even the new pastor – cyberspace is their newest playground. 

There are ways and means to protect a child from cyberspace child predators:

1)  Install a reliable filter in your computer that is used by your child.

2)  One of the best defenses against inappropriate content is to block it before your child sees it. It would wise to visit some sites for kids, especially the ones that ask for personal information.

3) Set the computer in a public or secure place in your home.

4) Above all remind your child over and over again the dangers of communicating with strangers on the Net.   

5) Order Internet Safety 101 (www.InternetSafety101), which includes parental control tutorials, cyber security resources, etc….      For a more extensive coverage of Internet safety guidelines for your children as well for the entire family log in http://www.ccmostwanted.com/kids/iguide.htm, Remember the safety of your family and community depends of each individual internet user – that is you and me… 

‘A Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety’ a publication issued by the US. Department of Justice (Federal Bureau of Investigation) would be useful to recognize the dangers of child predators, the steps for prevention and to report violations against children.Note: Tired of obscenity on the web – fight back, complain to the right authorities – you can help by reporting a cyber crime.

“Enough Is Enough (EIE), a non-partisan, 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, emerged in 1994 as the national leader on the front lines to make the Internet safer for children and families. Since then, EIE has pioneered and led the effort to confront online pornography, child pornography, child stalking and sexual predation with innovative initiatives and effective communications.”  http://www.enough.org/.

 

Most people don’t know that everything they do on the internet can be traced back directly to their computers. This is made possible by each computer’s IP or Internet Protocol which is a unique code that is assigned to a particular computer by the ISP or the Internet Service Provider. Each computer only makes use of one IP while on the internet – it acts like the fingerprint of one’s computer.

The Proxy Server

For one reason or another, a lot of people continue to look for ways to protect their online identity. One of the best ways to do this is by making use of a proxy server.

A proxy server, or at least one that has been properly configured, allows users to perform their online activities without being traced back to their actual IP. Proxy servers appear like a single user on the internet, when in reality a good hundred people could actually working behind it. Although it may be possible to be traced back to the proxy server used, there is no way for people to go further than this which means that it is nearly impossible for one’s IP address to be tracked.

The Dangers

Proxy servers can definitely be beneficial for a lot of folks. However, issues begin to arise when these proxy servers are run by malicious entities that only intend to harvest information from unsuspecting users. This has become an all too common occurrence on the internet which has caused a lot of problems for a lot of people.

One of the biggest problems with proxy servers is that most of them do not make use of any sort of encryption. For the users, this means that all the data they pass through the proxy will be sent ‘as is.’ That is, all the information a user types in can be easily seen by someone who knows how to get around these servers. This is why it is never a good idea to visit sites that ask for personal details when using a proxy server. Users are generally advised to stay away from shopping sites as they require bank and credit card details. These types of information are surely those that one wouldn’t want to be going around.

Not Just for Cybercrime

Aside from being used to steal personal information, proxy servers are also used by some companies to mine data from. One will be surprised at the sheer number of large companies and corporations that make use of such a dubious method for their market research. Some retailers open free proxy servers to specifically serve this purpose. Once they have it in place, they can very easily get information on their users such as their buying history in order to come up with tailored marketing campaigns for each user. Although this may sound extreme, this is nothing more than a variation of the ever so popular loyalty card scheme – albeit, a bit more covert and without the user’s knowledge.

Before you even think about using a proxy server the next time, you should remember the consequences of this set up.

In the world today, there are many people who take advantage of children. It used to be that we had to worry about predators in parks and playgrounds, and in our neighborhoods. In today’s society, we now have to watch and protect them from online predators.

Statistics indicate that children who use the Internet often are targeted by online predators more often because they can disguise themselves as same age as the child using the Internet. There are however, guidelines for parents to follow in order to protect their children from the dangerous side of the Internet.

Protect Your Passwords

It is critical that you limit your child’s access to certain Internet sites. One way to do this is to password protect your computer and under no circumstances give those passwords to your children. Most children will share passwords with their friends and it defeats the purpose of having them. Passwords will also alert you when your children use the Internet, and you can keep a better watch over what they are doing. They will not be able to sneak on the computer when you are sleeping or at work because they will not know what the passwords are.

Monitor Computer Time

It is very important that you monitor what your children are doing online. Tell your child what is appropriate and what is not. Warn them of the dangers of online communication. Sit your child and watch what they do and say online. More importantly, watch what is said to them. If you are suspicious, keep a log of what is said and contact the local authorities.

Block Access

Blocking access to sites that are not appropriate will go a long way in protecting your child. Many Internet providers provide tools that will allow you to better control your child’s time on the Internet. Using parental controls to protect your children is advisable to all parents. With them, you can set the parameters to keep your children safe. With parental controls, you block sites and chat rooms that you feel may be unsafe for your children.

Parental Controls

Parental controls are a great resource for parents in the fight to keep children safe. However, it is not a parental replacement or babysitter. Studies have shown that parents who have direct involvement in their child’s Internet use have fewer incidents of predatory harassment.

Kid Safe Browsers

Because of the growing problem of online predators, safeguards have been developed. Kid safe browsers are specifically made for children and do not allow certain keyword searches to be performed.

Internet Safety

Children are extremely vulnerable to Internet predators because they are by nature very trusting. It is important that you teach them safety protocol. It is important that they understand that under no circumstances should they ever give out their personal information on the Internet, and explain to them why these precautions are necessary.

It may be difficult to explain why these precautions are necessary without scaring your child, however, being cautious is very important when it comes to online safety. Some children are willful and will give their information anyway. This is when it is necessary to restrict their online activity altogether until they are more responsible.

Pre-teen children should always have a parent present to monitor what their activities are. They may not appreciate you looking over their shoulder; however their safety should be your number one priority. When it comes to your child and the Internet, there is no such thing as being overprotective.