Internet Safety and Security

The show features an interview with Marsali Hancock, the President of the Internet Keepsafe Coalition on the subject of minors and Internet safety. The Internet Keepsafe Coalition works in partnership with the US Department of Justice/Office of Juvenile Justice and Deliquency Prevention to create the Project Safe Childhood initiative. The initiative involves the Department of Justice and an array of agencies to protect the Internet experience of children.

via INTERNET PREDATORS–DOJ’S PROJECT SAFE CHILD INITIATIVE | DC Public Safety Audio.

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Ask the majority of children from the age of 4 what the internet is and they will not only tell you, but they will demonstrate to you on how to use it. Because of this, the issue of Internet safety and security is on the forefront of parents minds.

The internet is a wonderful place, yet it can also be a dangerous place. Internet safety is a concern that every parent should be aware of and be thinking of some form of internet protection implemented. This will be one of the most important decisions made in their own house holds.

Internet safety is for all ages. Whether you are a child just learning to move a mouse and type on a keyboard, a teenager who knows there way around the internet, or the adult that is responsible for all the minds in their homes.

Safety on the internet is extremely important. It is all about the things you can see, the people you can meet, yet not know who they really might be. The internet can take you places of wonder, yet it is of utmost importance that children are informed and guided in the dangers that they may face while surfing the web.

There has been many a young person who has been violated while they were innocently roaming the internet. There are an increasing number of predators that will gain access to your computer to steal personal information, bully you and introduce you to filth that ought not to be seen.

Would you allow your child to surf in waters that are known to be shark filled? I dare to say you would not. Then why allow a child to surf the internet without protection from the sharks online that seek to destroy their young minds?

What do you do? You invest in a “shark cage”. Having your own shark cage is not a luxury, but a necessity in today’s world. There are different types of “shark cages” available online. Some are a type of monitoring system. Is this right for you? This type of software is considered to be the “Oops! Too late now.” It is comparable to turning on the 6:00 news and hearing about your child getting mauled by a shark and you would be too late to do anything about it.

A good internet filter is a better solution. This would be more like a shark cage that can withstand the likes of a great white shark. In this computer day and age, children are smart. The shark cannot get in, but what will stop the child from getting out?

The use of an internet filter coupled with a monitoring system is the most effective way to control your internet usage. This type of system will stop accidental misspellings that will take you to a dangerous site and the intentional attempts to get around the filter. You can avoid most of the dangers of the internet with a product like this.

There should also be communication with all who use the internet, the fact that the computer is being filtered and monitored should be known to all who use it. It is a great help knowing you are being watched. This will guide and direct you in not trying to get by with something accidentally or intentionally. This is a way to instill good behavior and not catch someone after the fact. The use of a good filter will aid in the turning away from temptation, and increase the safety guidelines set out by you. Internet safety and security is a growing concern for all that use the internet.

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Protect kids online with these tips

These ideas can help parents deal with cyber-bullying, predators and porn.

By Melissa Healy

January 26, 2009

Last week, the Supreme Court quietly let die a federal law dubbed the Child Online Protection Act, which made it a crime in the United States to post sexually explicit material on the Web for commercial gain without making provisions to block kids from gaining access.

A lower court in Philadelphia had struck down the law, arguing that parents could already shield their children from such material by installing Internet filters. Bush administration lawyers had appealed, countering that less than half of parents use such filters, leaving children in need of the laws protection. It was an argument the justices declined to take up, dismissing the case.

The legal wrangling underscored a long-standing truth about kids and the Internet: No matter how ill-equipped they may be, parents are their childrens last line of defense against smut, cruelty, adult predators and the poor judgment of youth online.

Installing Internet filters can be an effective block against pornographic images. But for many parents, they are daunting technology that can limit adults — and kids — legitimate searches as well, including those for information on sexual health.

They also are a poor defense against cyber-bullying and sexual solicitation on social networking sites.

Smart moves

Following are tips from the National Assn. of School Psychologists on protecting your kids online, even if your own online skills lag behind theirs.

Keep computers in easily viewable places, such as the family room or kitchen.

Talk regularly with your children about the online activities in which they are involved and Internet etiquette in general. Children should know the rule that many adults have learned from painful experience: Do not say online what you would not say in person.

Encourage children to be self-protective. Remind them that anything they say on the Internet or in phone text messages can be shared with others and misused. Ask them to consider if they want what they are saying and doing broadly disseminated. If not, they probably should not say or post it.

Be specific about the risks of cyber-bullying and their need to tell you if something that bothers them occurs.

Respect for adolescents privacy is important. But tell children that you may review their online communications if you have reason for concern.

Set clear expectations for responsible online behavior and phone use and consequences for violating those expectations.

Consider establishing a parent-child Internet use contract.

Consider installing parental-control filtering software or tracking programs but do not rely solely on these tools.

Be aware of warning signs that might indicate your son or daughter is being bullied, such as reluctance to use the computer, a change in the childs behavior and mood, or reluctance to go to school.

Document the bullying.

Be equally alert to the possibility that your child could be bullying others online, even if unintentionally.

Understand current local laws and your school policies. Work with your school to develop policies if they dont exist.

If you have concerns, contact your childs school to enlist the help of the school psychologist, school counselor, principal or resource officer.

File a complaint with the website, Internet service provider or cellphone company if you learn of problematic behavior.

Contact police if the cyber-bullying includes threats.

via Protect kids online with these tips – Los Angeles Times.

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Protecting Children Children, computer, Filtering, health, help, Internet, Internet Filter, Internet Filters, network, Online, parents, predators, privacy, protection, service, web

In today’s tech savvy world there are an increasing number of households obtaining Internet access and more than fifty percent of the households have more than one computer with Internet access.

With that said, implementing an Internet flitering tool in your PC has become a necessity in the home environment for child protection.

If you are a parent, you know that inappropriate material and potentially dangerous websites run rampant on the Internet. Just as you would protect your child from dangers on the street, the same rings true for the Internet, so an Internet filter is a must have for protection against offense and inappropriate content.

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of Internet filtering and the types of websites that can be blocked by the use of an Internet filter.

• Pornographic Material: A good Internet filter will block websites that promote pornographic material which will prevent you from worrying about your child accessing objectional subject matter.
• Violence and Hate Crimes: Internet filtering will block any inapproriate material promotes violence or hate crimes.
• Instant Messaging: Instant Messaging is a primary tool that online predators use to masquerade as someone else. An Internet filter will block all Instant Messaging chat programs and allows you to select the chat programs when you want to use them.
• Web-Based Email Sites: A Web-based email site is a site that offers a free email account. Some of these sites include Yahoo, Gmail (Google), and Hotmail and most of these sites have an Instant Messaging tool as well. These sites are frequently used by spammers and online predators. An Internet filtering tool is effective for protection against predators and prevention from being exposed to onjectionable material that often is communicated through spam.
• Websites That Promote Drug Use: There is a host of sites on the Internet that will explain how to obtain drugs as well as how to use them once they are in your hands. An Internet filter is a useful tool for blocking these types of sites.
• Websites That Promote Terrorism: There are websites that provide step-by-step instructions on how to make a bomb or perform a cyber-terrorist threat. An Internet filtering tool is beneficial in blocking these objectionable sites.
• Objectionable Game Websites: Many of the online games that are avilable contain objectionable and violent content and are offered for free. In addition, many of these websites have an online chat feature where predators can hang out and mask themselves as a child. Internet filtering is capable of filtering out these sites.
• Social Networking Websites: Social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook are infested with online predators as world news has so clearly pointed out to us. It is possible to block these sites throught the use of an Internet filter.
• Piece Of Mind: This is the final and most important benefit of using an Internet filter and knowing that everyone in the household is protected from offensive and inappropriate content.

The Internet can be an exciting and useful tool for communications and research, however, there is that one side that forces us all to protect ourselves. There are a host of different types of Internet filtering products on the market you should look for one that has filtering and monitoring built in together like Clean Internet.

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I have heard of people going online and collecting information by chatting with potential predators in chat rooms and then forwarding on the information to law enforcements. How do I help if I want to be involved?

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Dangerous Online Situations

Parents can call experts at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
An alarming increase in the number of incidents of adults enticing children online for sexual acts spurred immediate response from the Qwest Foundation to fund a resource that offers immediate help—and it’s as easy as picking up the telephone and dialing 1-888-NETS411. The scary news is: The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children announced that there were four times as many reports of online sexual enticement of children to the CyberTipline. That number rose from 2,660 in 2005 to 11,386 in 2007.

Although many groups are trying to raise online safety awareness through seminars and community forums, NCMEC decided it was time to grant the public access to CyberTipline experts in an effort to PREVENT online crime as well as accept reports after it has occurred.

The NetSmartz411 experts are highly trained, skilled professionals with an exceptionally high level of Internet knowledge. They are full-time employees of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and are trained in all areas of the Internet and emerging technologies used by child predators. This includes social networking websites newsgroups, chat rooms, E-mail instant messaging, online video games and peer-to-peer technologies. These are the individuals who work closely with law enforcement officers and industry leaders such as Qwest to stay one step ahead of these child predators.

The project is an expansion of NetSmartz411.org—an online help desk that was established in Feb 2007. Conversation promotes clarity, and often parents aren’t sure of the questions they need to ask, although they may sense potential danger. Now all they have to do is ask.

Parents can call NetSmartz411’s tipline — 1-888-NETS411- Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. — 8 p.m. ET.

Members of the U.S. Congress will present four, Spirit of Online Safety Awards to educators and police officers recognizing their outstanding efforts to PREVENT cybercrime. The award presentation will take place at noon, Thursday, April 3, in Washington D.C.

• Ernie Allen, President & CEO as well as co-founder of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping protect children from abduction and sexual exploitation.
• Paula Kruger, executive vice president, and leader of Qwest’s online safety initiatives, represents Qwest on the Board of Directors of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

Duration : 0:7:37

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Garrett Husveth of Latent Technology Group appears on New 12 in New Jersey to discuss Computer Forensics and Internet Safety at home and in the workplace. www.latenttechnology.com

Duration : 0:7:18

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Internet Safety computer, Forensics, Internet, Online, Pornography, predators, Safety, Spyware

A Public Service Announcement produced and developed by the Teen Advisory Board of the Mesquite Branch Library, Phoenix Public Library.

Duration : 0:6:15

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I’m writing an article and I find myself at a loss for information (just so you’re aware, I’m writing the article to advocate parental supervision as the best method. So, don’t suggest it if you want best answer for this one).

I use GabMail to be sure that the person wanting to talk to my daughter online is who they say they are. If they are a known contact or one who appears to be a safe person, then I add them to her addressbook; if they aren’t a good contact, they get added to our internet browser’s block list. In case you’ve never heard of Gabmail, visit www.freegabmail.com to see how it works. It is Free, doesn’t require special software, and doesn’t suck up your time in filling out registration information. You just record your video message and send the link to whomever (either via email, webpage, blog, etc.).
Yes, parent supervision is the primary neccesity in protecting children. Gabmail helps take the guesswork out of identity though. And, since I’d have their video link in my email, if that person were to step out of line, I’d have a video ID to hand over to the authorities. So, in my case, I use video emails to protect my child from internet predators. She’s never allowed to surf alone, and can only email people I have added to her addressbook. And the only way they get there is if I have viewed them through a GabMail.

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There is a substantial amount of obscenity available nowadays. Amazingly, 4.2 million plus pornographic websites can be found on the Internet today. And according to USA Today an extraordinary number of new pages of filth are created daily. What is the likelihood that you or your family could unintentionally stumble across some appearance of improper matter when surfing the net? The correct answer is 100% guaranteed. The pornographer’s efforts will discover you that are how they continue to increase. There are numerous ways to stumble upon porn when surfing on line.

1. Family members innocently typing in erroneous URL’s and accessing x-rated sites by error.
2. Cookies being placed in browsers by adult sites thereby permitting them to follow you and send you x-rated emails.
3. Inquisitive young searching for licentious sites (and they do). Mark Twain said it best, “Adam was human he didn’t want the apple for the apple’s sake; he wanted it because it was forbidden.”

Families need a trustworthy Internet filter service which includes accountability software built in.

It is important to note that, the typical household uses the computer alot more than the TV. Lamentably, most parents perceive that their children are not susceptible to harm while on line and do not need any monitoring. No one statement could be farther from the reality of life. While no one is capable of viewing their families surfing habits during all intervals of use, it is possible to prevent porn from being displayed. It is so important to defend the ones you love when they surf on line. Indecent material can be discovered on almost any popular website in the appearance of advertisement. The slew of filth seems not at all to be retarded from spreading trash all over the Internet. More than 60 million men and women claimed to have visited pornography sites intentionally and 70% of those admit to hiding that fact from others. The erotica effort grosses much more a fiscal year than the big three automakers totaled. That is astonishing information when you consider that the largest age bracket to view filth is the 12 to 17 year olds.

Do you ever considered how significant an Internet filter that stops filth from displaying in your house would be?

Studies maintain that shown that it isn’t just the obscenity but the danger of predators that create the call for to protection of our loved ones. One in five adolescence tolerate being approached inappropriately by a chat room visitor, yet less than 1/3 told any authority about it.

Accountability software is satisfactory, but preventing your loved ones from any time viewing the filthiness in the first place is superior.

Marriages and families are being disintegrated due to husbands and wives by an addiction to on line filth. There seems to be no end to the evil discovered on line. A strong Internet filter that combines accountability software is the solitary way to secure a defense for everyone in the house. Internet filtering will improve security for your household, providing safer participation on line. Pornography, gambling and Internet scandals are not benign activities, they are harmful and they will find you even if you are not looking for them! Clean Internet helps you safeguard the ones you love.

Accountability software united with a reliable Internet filter is the easiest most effectual way to shield families on line.

Clean Internet provides a remarkable bulwark for your families. There is a myriad of Christian homes nowadays that are vulnerable, or possess fallible security arrangements. Clean Internet was formed to battle these issues, to supply the essential tools for families and ministries to protect themselves wherever worldwide.

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