Children are exposed to a host of risks on the Internet, from infection of computers by malware to people using false identities to entice them into a physical meeting. In this article we will look at the main threats and give you tips on how parents and children can combat them.

Instant messaging (through programs such as MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk, etc) has become a widely-used communication channel for young people. One of the major risks is identity theft. Predators can pretend to be other children, professional photographers and use other covers to try to meet potential victims. Viruses and malicious code represent another type of threat. Many malicious codes are designed to spread through instant messaging to infect more computers.

Email is still used as frequently as ever, but it has many risks which you ought to be aware of.

• Spam. Very often, this kind of junk mail is used to advertise anything from online casinos to pharmaceuticals. Children are much more prone to believing the messages that these emails contain and all the risks that this entails.

• Email Infection by viruses or other malware. Some messages can trick users into clicking a link or downloading a file (which causes the infection) using a wide range of enticing subjects.

File-sharing networks. File-sharing across P2P networks auch as emule or Kazaa, is another major source of infections. Many viruses and malicious codes are disguised as movies, music files, programs etc in order to encourage users to download and run them on their computer.

Social networks and blogs. These increasingly popular websites often see young people providing far more information than is advisable. It is particularly important to avoid publishing any data that could identify the user as a young person, or that could reveal their address or place of study. It is also best not to use a real name, but a false name (user name) or nick. Similarly, on certain social networks, such as MySpace, it is possible to share files with other users. Children should pay particular attention to what they share and who they give permission to view this information.

Mobile phones with Internet. Mobile phones are now widely used by children and adolescents. The risks are similar to those faced when accessing the Internet on a PC. Instant messaging services for mobile devices are now widespread. Children can enter chatrooms from wherever they are, and the risks are the same as those outlined above: identity theft, predators, malware infections, etc. Spam is also beginning to hit mobile phones. Advertising is often sent indiscriminately via SMS. Many of these adverts are related to pornography.

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR PARENTS

1. Speak to your children. The starting point for protecting children on the Internet is education. You must know what web pages they view, who they speak to online and what they like to do on the computer. You wouldn’t let your children leave the house without know where they are going and with whom, so you shouldn’t let them access the Internet without know what they are doing online.

2. Educate yourself and pass the knowledge on to your children. For many parents the Internet is still an unknown world. Some may use it when looking for information, reading the news, shopping or downloading music, movies and other files. But for many parents, the websites their children visit are a complete mystery. For this reason it is very important to be aware of everything the Internet has to offer young people and to know what the risks are and how to avoid them. When you become a Net savvy parent, you are able to advise your children on how to use the Internet safely.

3. Set firm rules for using the Internet. You should establish clear and firm rules on how your children use the Internet, with limits on the amount of time they can spend online. You might also want to consider the location of computers in the home. Set up computers in common areas such as the living room or dinning room, where you can more easily monitor what your child is doing online.

4. Tell your children not to give out any personal information. Make your children aware of the dangers of giving out their name, address and other identifying information on the Internet. Advise your children to use false names (usernames) in forums, chat rooms etc and show them how to create secure passwords using a mix of upper and lower case characters.

5. Teach your children to be wary of appearances. Things are not always what they seem on the Internet and your children need to be aware of the risks. Advise them not to give out any information and ask them to check with you first before downloading anything from the Internet.

6. Install an effective security solution on your PC. Choose an effective security solution which will provide protection from malware, spyware, spam, viruses and other malicious code. It is also a good idea to choose a product such as Panda Internet Security, which includes a parental control feature that will allow you to decide which web pages your children can see.

Source: Panda Security

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