Surfing+the+web+safely

Surf the Web Safely Nishant Aggarwal and Pukar Mahat

Seeing the proliferation and penetration of viruses, adware, and spyware on and from the web, you may be looking for some ways on how to use the World Wide Web safely. One of the major threats on the Internet is that you can never be sure of what is true and what is false. If you meet someone on the Internet and they tell you that he is Gavin and is 15 years old. But, how do you know if he is telling the truth? Like cellphones, Internet makes it possible forus to have a conversation with a friend thousands of miles away, and at a lower cost. The way to do that is "chatting".

Here are some of the internet problems that one may face:


 * Exposure to inappropriate material:** You may be exposed to inappropriate material considered as sexual, hateful or violent, or dangerous or illegal activities. You should look out for it, because it can also come across these during a chat or emails.


 * Viruses and hackers:** You might be downloading an file containing a virus that could damage your computer or increase the risk of "hacker" gaining remote access to your information, but don't know that it contains a virus.


 * Legal and financial:** You might buy something from an unauthentic service, give out your credit card number and place the order. But, three months passed and your order never came. So, what you did was you gave your credit card information to an unauthentic person, and now he can use any how he wants to.

Here are some steps you can follow to make your web surfing safe!

Most people use Google. It is most probably the most popular search engine around. One of the easiest way to make your searching safer is to make an adjustment to Google. To the right of the text box that you type your words into find the Search Settings link and click on it. On the Search Language choose English. On the Safe Search Filtering click "Use Strict Filtering". On the bottom right of the screen push the save preference button. This way, you have a better and safer search engine!
 * Safe Search Engine**

Firewalls monitor traffic between your computer or network and the Internet and are your first and best line of defense. Most operating systems come with a firewall, but it won't help you if you don't activate it. So, activating a firewall is a crucial step in surfing the web safely. If you have a reliable anti-virus, like McAfee, Panda or Norton, then it is highly likely that your computer is firewalled.
 * Use a firewall**

Do not ever use an insecure wireless network. Always protect it with a password, or WPA. Don't let your home network's wireless router be a welcome mat for hackers. Enable the firewall on the router and regularly update the router's administrative password. Like mentioned before, make sure your router has a strong encryption, such as WPA or WPA2.
 * Secure wireless networks**

If you are a Windows user, make sure that you install any Windows Updates that are recommended for the computer. Sometimes these updates close internet security holes that are found on the Web and can be harmful to the OS.
 * Windows Updates**

If you use your computer in a public place,make sure to delete the browsing history and the cache from the web browser.
 * History**

Passwords are there for a strong purpose ("password1234" is not a strong password). Choose a complicated password. Try not to use the same password for all your accounts. And, never never use automatic login, because you don't when someone uses your internet browser.
 * Passwords**

You should always check a website's authenticity before downloading. Remember that sometimes an innocent site is really a cover for pornography.

Although more and more people are shopping on the internet, there are not still as many credit card users on the internet as much as electronic retailers would like.Cyber Shopping may be convenient, but credit card fraud is always a threat. To illustrate,a network TV reporter tipped off about loose security on an Web-hosting site and gained access to about 1500 customer records, including everything from credit-card numbers and payment records to comments about particular customers.

"Be aware of the signs that show your child might be at risk for being sexually exploited over the Internet:
 * __For Parents:__**
 * Your child begins to spend more time on the computer in an enclosed, private space
 * You find pornography on your child's computer
 * You receive phone calls from people whose numbers you don't recognize
 * Your child suddenly receives an abundance of gifts or mail
 * Your child hides his whereabouts or turns off the screen when you enter the room
 * Your child's personality changed to become more secretive and withdrawn." [from http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/what-are-some-internet-safety-tips-for-kids.htm]


 * Perform the following steps every two weeks or every month to avoid the storage of any viruses or hackers that may be present on your computer and may be sending your saved passwords and other private information to cyber thieves:**
 * Delete Your **Internet History**
 * Delete Your **Browser Tracking Cookies**
 * Delete Your **Internet Cache**
 * Delete Your **Temporary Internet Files**
 * Delete Your **Locked and Hidden index.dat Files**
 * Delete Your **Recent Documents List**
 * Empty Your **Recycle Bin**

__**Watch this video:**__
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Nowlearn. "How to Browse the Web Safely | EHow.com." //EHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Trusted Advice for the Curious Life | EHow.com//. EHow. Web. 28 Apr. 2011. .
 * References:**

"TLC Family "What Are Some Internet Safety Tips for Kids?"" //TLC "Guides"// How Stuff Works. Web. 28 Apr. 2011. .

"HowStuffWorks "Credit Card Safety"" //Howstuffworks "Business & Money"// How Stuff Works. Web. 28 Apr. 2011. .

"Internet Identity Theft." //Winferno Articles - Windows Security, Internet Privacy, Identity Theft & More.// Winferno Software, 19 Oct. 2009. Web. 28 Apr. 2011. [].

[]  http://www.unescap.org/unis/pub/teennet/teennet_en_final.pdf http://www.winnebagosheriff.com/index2.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=4&Itemid=106 __**Pictures:**__ [] [] []