Great family online safety hacks

You set a curfew when children your kids go out, you should also set ground rules for online activities. According to a survey by the Media Awareness Network, 38 per cent of young people say that their parents know nothing or very little about their online activities.

10 Internet Safety Tips for Families

Encourage your kids to share their Internet experiences with you.

Teach your kids to trust their instincts. If they feel nervous about anything they see or hear online, they should tell you about it.

If your kids visit chat rooms, use Instant Messaging (IM) programs, online video games or other activities on the Internet that require logging in by name to identify themselves, help them choose a login name and make sure it doesn’t reveal any personal information about them.

Insist that your kids never give out your family’s address, phone number or any personal information, including where they go to school.

Teach your kids that the difference between right and wrong is the same on the Internet as it is in real life.

Teach your kids how to respect others online.

Insist that your kids respect the property of others online.

Tell your kids to never meet online “friends” in person. Those “friends” may not be who they say claim to be.

Teach your kids that not everything they read or see online is true. .

Control your children’s online activity using advanced Internet software.

via Ian's Messy Desk

Top 10 Internet Safety Tips for Kids from Geeks On Call

Don’t open e-mail attachments or instant-message attachments unless you are completely sure they do not contain viruses.
Don’t click on links inside e-mails or instant messages.
Use a screen name (a fake name) in chat rooms.
Never agree to meet a fellow chatter in real life.
Don’t click on Internet pop-up ads because they might install spy ware on your computer.
Don’t use passwords that people can guess (like your pet’s name or the name of your favorite sports team).
Never give out personal information about yourself, your family, or your friends .
Don’t believe everything you read or see on the Internet because some of the information on the Internet is fake.
Don’t download pirated songs or movies and don’t install pirated software or video games you haven’t paid for, because you can get in trouble with the police.
Children should immediately tell a parent or teacher if he/she is threatened by a cyber-bully.

via securitysoft

Top 10 safety tips to keep your child safe online

Consider using internet filtering software, walled gardens and child-friendly search engines.
Check out what child protection services your Internet Service Provider (ISP) offers - do they filter for spam, for instance? If not, ask them why.
Keep the computer in a communal area of the house, where it's easier to monitor what your children are viewing.
Tell children not to give out their personal details. If they want to subscribe to any services online, make up a family email address to receive the mail.
Children love to chat, but make sure they only use moderated chat rooms and encourage them to introduce you to their online friends.
Encourage your children to tell you if they feel uncomfortable, upset or threatened by anything they see online.
Involve your children in writing your own family code of acceptable internet use. Remember that what's acceptable for a teenager isn't necessarily OK for a primary school-aged child, so get their input.
Computer kit is expensive so bear in mind that a child with a laptop may be vulnerable when carrying it to and from school.
The web's a great resource for homework, but remember to use more than one site in research to get broad, balanced information and always reference your research sources.
Surf together. Go online with your children and become part of their online life.

via parentscentre

10 things you can teach kids to improve their Web safety

1.	Encourage your kids to share their Internet experiences with you. Enjoy the Internet along with your children.
2.	Teach your kids to trust their instincts. If they feel nervous about anything online, they should tell you about it.
3.	If your kids visit chat rooms, use instant messaging (IM) programs, online video games, or other activities on the Internet that require a login name to identify themselves, help them choose that name and make sure it doesn't reveal any personal information about them.
4.	Insist that your kids never give out your address, phone number, or other personal information, including where they go to school or where they like to play.
5.	Teach your kids that the difference between right and wrong is the same on the Internet as it is in real life.
6.	Show your kids how to respect others online. Make sure they know that rules for good behavior don't change just because they're on a computer.
7.	Insist that your kids respect the property of others online. Explain that making illegal copies of other people's work—music, video games, and other programs—is just like stealing it from a store.
8.	Tell your kids that they should never meet online friends in person. Explain that online friends may not be who they say they are.
9.	Teach your kids that not everything they read or see online is true. Encourage them to ask you if they're not sure.
10.	Control your children's online activity with advanced Internet software. Parental controls can help you filter out harmful content, monitor the sites your child visits, and find out what they do there. via microsoft