Supporters need to be informed and ready to help people using the Internet stay safe. Print the article today to learn what you need to know about Internet Safety.
Things to do on the Internet:
- Keep in touch with family and friends
- Learn more about areas of interest
- Find things to do
- Plan a trip
- Buy things
Things to be aware of when using the Internet:
- Some people may try to take financial advantage of other Internet users
- Some people may have the intent to do physical harm or do something illegal
- Anyone using the Internet needs to know how to protect themselves
- First rule of the Internet - Keep information about yourself private. Never tell someone your:
- full name
- home address
- phone number
- Social Security number
- passwords
- names of family members
- credit card numbers
Other things to do to protect yourself:
- Make sure you have anti-spyware/anti-virus software.
- Don’t open e-mails from someone you don’t know or download attachments or software if you don’t know or trust the sender.
- Set up passwords that do not easily identify you and change them once in awhile, especially if you get unwelcome e-mails.
- Be sure to follow safety guidelines when using chat rooms.
- Make sure to set up maximum privacy settings when using social networking sites such as Facebook.
- If someone asks you personal questions or wants to meet you – DON’T answer their questions and DON’T arrange to meet them.
Cyber bullying:
- Some people – even people you know - may send mean and hateful messages to you online.
- If you get a message that makes you feel uncomfortable in any way, ignore it and delete or block the sender. Talk to someone you trust. You may want to report it to someone who can do something about it.