How to Protect Your Child from the Internet

When the Internet first came about, it was realized it could be quite the multi-tasking machine. These days people use it for just about everything, from downloading music to checking e-mail, and virtually making the rest of the globe closer all the time.

As a parent of a young child or a teenager, an issue of security is always on your mind (or at least it should be). While none of us like to speak about it, failure to provide this security has resulted in some children or teenagers being subjected to awkward situations. Not much more has to be said on the subject, but if you want to monitor your child's activities on the PC, read on.

There are many ways an unknown can get their hands on your child's e-mail address. You may or may not know it, but chain letters are one of these methods. They are popular among youth, but you should know the truth about chain mail letters. These days, with everyone being on one instant messenger service or another (MSN messenger is popular among youth) everyone seems to have a hotmail address, and chain mail letters usually circulate through hotmail servers. This is not to say they are at fault - of course they don't regulate these letters. But one chain mail letter has upon it's header portion the e-mail addresses of all those who have partaken in the distribution of the letter. If one wanted to add some of the hotmail addresses to his or her own MSN messenger, all he/she would need to do is take a random e-mail off the letter (or a few) and add them to MSN.

Voila, an unknown is suddenly talking to your child on the computer. It doesn't matter who the person is that the unknown added - he/she will find out after they begin speaking to your child.

Kind of scary, isn't it? I'm not trying to scare anyone, I'm just saying how easy it is for anyone to get ahold of a random teenager's or child's MSN address.

There are other ways, too. Chat rooms are another culprit. People meeting all kinds of other people they have never spoken to, but suddenly they're chatting it up about random subjects. Date lines, 1-800 numbers, text messaging...the list goes on.

So what CAN you do to protect your child? Good question. There is adequate measures you can implement to "keep tabs," so to say. You could try a keylogger software; this works by logging just about everything done on the computer by keystroke. You could turn on message archiving on msn; this means that any and all conversations on MSN are logged and you can review each of them.

To make sure your child isn't accessing the wrong sites, you could check the Internet history. These days, some PC users know how to erase this history as it is quite easy. To restrict your child from visiting the wrong websites, you could try a program like Net nanny as well.

If after monitoring your child using either a keylogger or checking their MSN history you realize they are speaking to the wrong people, you can go on their MSN and block and delete this person. Be sure to do both actions. By blocking the unknown, he/she cannot re-add or speak to your child again. And by deleting the person from the list, your child cannot unblock that person. (There are ways to unblock and re-add the contact but it will be more difficult).

Just let your child know what you have done and that it is for their own safety.

Remember, it's up to you to ensure your child has a safe browsing experience.

I am a young, aspiring computer engineer into Internet Marketing, hardware, software, web design, SEO and just about anything related to computers. Please come check out my growing PC forum at http://www.markspcforum.com

---

Three-pronged Trojan Attack Threatens Security on the Internet

Glieder (Win32.Glieder.AK), Fantibag (Win32.Fantibag.A) and Mitglieder (Win32.Mitglieder.CT) are not names... Read More

Top Five Spyware Fighting Tips

Spyware and adware are becoming major problems for online surfers... Read More

Make Money Online - Latest Scam Disclosed

Before we start, I want to make it clear that... Read More

A Personal Experience with Identity Theft

Some months ago, before there was much publicity regarding phishing... Read More

Secure Your PC From Hackers, Viruses, and Trojans

Viruses, Trojans and Spyware: Protecting yourself.No user on the internet... Read More

Parental Control - Dangers To Your Child Online & Internet Child Safety Tips

Did you know...? 1 in 5 children who use computer... Read More

Do You Know What your Kids Are Doing Online?

It's a sad statistic, but hundreds of unsuspecting kids are... Read More

Click Here To Defeat Evil

Microsoft routinely releases new security updates, many of which are... Read More

Identity Theft Offline -- So Many Possibilities

Chris Simpson, head of Scotland Yard's computer crime unit was... Read More

Watch Out For That Scam

The IFCC (Internet Fraud Complaint Center) received over 200,000 complaint... Read More

Another Fine Mess!

I'm in the Anti-Spyware business, and I'm doing a lot... Read More

How To Cover Your Tracks On The Internet

Every single time you access a website, you leave tracks.... Read More

How To Give Away Your Personal Information

Identity Theft and Your Personal Information Identity theft is... Read More

How Did This Happen to Me? Top 10 Ways to Get Spyware or Viruses on Your Computer

If you use the internet, you have probably been infected... Read More

Free Antivirus Security Software: Download Now to Eliminate Spyware, Pop Up Ads, etc.

Adware. Spyware. Pesky pop up ads. Internet congestion. Computer malfunctions... Read More

Data Security; Are Your Company Assets Really Secure?

Is your data secure? Think again. Securing data is unlike... Read More

Phishing: An Interesting Twist On A Common Scam

After Two Security Assessments I Must Be Secure, Right? ... Read More

Email Scams ? Ten Simple Steps To Avoiding Them

According to the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) email scams also... Read More

What Can Be Done About Spyware And Adware

Having a good Spyware eliminator on your computer is vital... Read More

Phishing ? Its Signs and Your Options

Phishing is the act of some individual sending an email... Read More

Online Cell Phone Scams and Spam

They're out there. Individuals trying to make a quick buck... Read More

Arming Yourself Against Spyware

While clicking from site to site on the internet you... Read More

Mail Forwarding - Why Would You Do It?

First of all we need to get some terms stated.... Read More

Secrets On Security: A Gentle Introduction To Cryptography

Let us take the example of scrambling an egg. First,... Read More

Detect Spyware Online

You can detect spyware online using free spyware cleaners and... Read More

Can I Guess Your Password?

We all know that it's dangerous to use the same... Read More

SCAMS ? Be Aware ? And Report When Necessary

The Internet is a vast International Network of people and... Read More

Web and Computer Security

Well, if that would have been said to me by... Read More

Is Shopping Online For Your Horse Gifts Safe?

Shopping for horse gifts or other gift items on the... Read More

How To Be Your Own Secret Service Agency

So you want to know who your kids are chatting... Read More

Spyware, What It Is, What It Does, And How To Stop It

Spyware is software that runs on a personal computer without... Read More

Computer Viruses - How to Remove a Computer Virus from Your Computer

Computer viruses infect millions of computers every day. Viruses can... Read More

Is The Internet Over Regulated

Today's Internet or World Wide Web is being over regulated.But,... Read More