Safety on the Internet
There are a number of safety tips depending on what types of activities you are engaging in on the internet. Whether it's online shopping, downloading, chatting or socializing, it is important to protect your personal information at all times.
The following tips are just a few of the suggestions to increase your security online.
General
- Turn on pop up blocker settings in your browser.
- Install and maintain an anti spyware application.
- Be wary of storing personal information on sites. You can make up a screen name and password for sites requiring a login but not performing any financial transactions.
- Be careful of what you download! Know the source.
Shopping
- Use secure online payment services such as PayPal wherever possible.
- Always look for the security "lock" icon on the browser's status bar.
- Use credit cards rather than debit cards.
- Keep a record of what you pay for and always check your online purchases against your statements.
- Always check the privacy policy of a web site that requests personal details. If the web site is requesting personal information and does not have a privacy policy, do not submit your information.
Chat rooms
- Anything you type in a chat room can be seen by everyone who is using that chat room. So be careful what you type.
- Choose a non identifiable, non gender specific screen name.
- Never give out personal information (telephone, real name, cell phone, mailing address etc).
- Never accept files or downloads from people you don't know.
- Never arrange to meet someone offline that you only know through chat room conversations.
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