Internet Security

1. Be careful about the information you put online , like if you put your photo or video or your account details will stay for a long time and who ever connected will see it. Sometimes attackers may morph your photo and may misuse them.
2. Generally, business people will see as part of hiring process to know about everyone views and interests. However bad people over internet will use these sites to collect the personal information and may misuse them.
3. Remember don’t put anything personal like sensitive information about your family details, addresses, personal photographs they might be misused.
4. Most of the sites and services provide options for privacy settings and use them to prevent attackers to view your information.
5. You can also set the privacy settings according to whom you want to allow seeing your information.
6. If you want to meet a social networking friend in person, Think before you meet, it may not be true identity posted on a web site. If you are going to meet then inform to your parents and do it in a public place during the day.

Hey Kids!   Do you access Internet?

If yes, Internet has considered itself as a greatest platform and technology in this century and become an integral part of our daily lives. It helps us as a learning and communication tool and offers us a wide range of opportunities. It is an invaluable source of knowledge and encourages creativity and imagination.

Do you follow ethics?

Internet ethics implies your behavior while using Internet .You should be aware that you should always be honest, respect the rights and property of others on Internet

Step 1 : Do you share about Internet access with your family?

Sharing about Internet activity with family members is the first step to being safe in Internet. Our parents always love us and look about our safety so that they would be with us in all difficult periods. So let we share each and every thing what we do and face in Internet.

Step 2 : Do you use family Computer?

If yes, we need to follow guidelines and rules of family for accessing Internet as our family members may use for different purposes like banking, shopping etc. and sharing such sensitive information with online friends may cause for huge losses in financial terms. So before using family computer, follow family rules.

Since most online games or videos may required credit card requirement to play or see to access and sometimes family members may left this information in common computer. Without their permission, we do not use the same.

Step 3 : Do you love to see videos?

Watching videos in Internet always fun and enjoyable. But the same time there are risks like malicious links that could take you to inappropriate or illegal content. If you encounter any such activity, intimate to your family member.

Remind Family Members that people met online may be strangers

Step 4 : Do you follow any celebrity in Internet?

Like any other children, we follow and chat online about our favorite celebrities in all kinds of fields. There are lots of celebrity sites, and the ones operated by the celebrities themselves or entertainment news publishers are fine.

We need to be extra care of fan sites that turn up in search results but aren’t actually run by the celebrities and the people who cover them. Its not always easy to tell, but at least they’re usually lower down in the search results

Step 5 : Do you believe everything is right in Internet?

It's common for students to think, Everything is on the Internet is true. But it is collection of lot of member views as they can write and post without any guidance and control. The Internet contains a wealth of valuable information, but it often is difficult to accessibility, low cost and wide distribution, the Internet is great medium for disseminating falsehoods and inaccuracies. It is very valuable, of course, but you should realize there are still biased views and information to market their products and agenda. We need to be careful and confirm the same by going in to various sources of Internet.

Step 6 : Do you love to play games?

Yes, Children love to play games. We always love to play online games and extend our arms to further with unknown members Internet is great opportunity for all of us to extend our friend circles. Some web sites are needed credit card details to play even though they are free. But we always play free games in Internet.

At the same time, we also should know that there are risks that if we share credit cards of family and the same time automated charges are also burden to family. The details and identification passed to the web site may open to others so that the identification theft may occur.

Step 7 : Do you love to be Social?

Yes, Children are social. We always in touch with friends and extend our arms to new members. Internet is great opportunity for all of us to extend our friend circles.

At the same time, we also should know that there are social reasons why kids are hacked. The bullying is common as some of kids or hackers tries to post embarrassing messages by using shared password or post links to malicious sites.

We should not to share passwords, even with their closest buddies, and always to close out of accounts when they’re finished using computers shared with other people ? especially those used in public, such as at school or public libraries.

Step 8 : Do you keep open your identification?

For Hackers or Attackers, Children Identification is much valuable. The criminal gets as much as information about children such as name, address, class, school name to target them. The collected information may be useful for guessing passwords of children and their parents as in general passwords of family members and related with family names. Also further they may use the same information for making friendship through online with you to get know about your family and consequently they may apply credit cards on your family member names. It is suggested to children for not to share any information related to sensitive and financial aspects in social networks and maintain privacy with known and unknown members.

Internet safety is every ones responsibility. It’s all about being able to have fun online – to be able to chat with your friends, to post a video that you’ve made or a song that you’ve written, to be free to find out more about information you’re interested in and check out the latest trends - without being bullied, annoyed or scammed, or having your ideas stolen including identity theft.

Internet safety is a lot more than just about ensuring that your computer has the latest anti-virus and firewall software installed. It’s about being smart about how you handle yourself online and savvy about how you deal with other people (especially strangers who you meet online), and not falling prey to an online scam artist who takes advantage of your ignorance.

Why is it important to stay safe online?

Most of us are ‘connected’ via our laptops, mobile phones, tablets or personal computer. The potential for the internet to be a valuable and a fun resource for entertainment, making friends, keeping in touch and learning is huge. But if you use the internet without safety awareness, you could be at risk of illegal activity or abuse - be it bullying, fraud or something more serious. Unlike seeing someone face to face, on the net, people aren't always what they first seen.

In the same way you learn about safety when you leave the house, it is important to learn how to stay safe online. These are skills that will stay with you for life time.

Some Golden Rules to follow when you’re online -

1. Don't give out personal information such as your address or phone number.
2. Don’t send pictures of yourself to anyone, especially indecent pictures.
3. Don't open emails or attachments from people you don't know.
4. Don't become online ‘friends’ with people you don't know.
5. Never arrange to meet someone in person whom you've met online.
6. If anything you see or read online worries you, tell someone/inform your parents about it.

ISEA-Awareness Program will always give you tips and suggestions for the teenagers/students for online safety. Do follow these guidelines/ steps before using the internet.

Step 1 : Using a Web Browser

The internet is a way to stay connected with friends and family. For many Students, it’s also a way to stay current on news, research information or shop online and downloading books, online applications etc.,. The Internet has also become a popular method for banking, paying bills and completing and submitting applications and forms.

Using the Web browser is easy, to do things online, but there can be some hidden dangers to you and your computer. These risks can include exposure of sensitive personal information and infection by malware, which includes viruses, spyware, and adware. Safe browsing means being aware of these online threats and taking the necessary precautions to avoid them.

It only takes a little bit of effort, a few tools, and some basic information to be safe as you browse the Internet. Follow these guidelines to protect your personal information and your computer online.

1. Install and maintain up to date anti-virus software on your computer or device.
2. Keep your internet browser up-to-date.
3. Be alert to unusual computer activity or problems.
4. Install and maintain a firewall on your computer.
5. Use a modern browser with features such as a pop-up blocker.
6. Avoid storing sensitive material indefinitely on your computer.
7. Change your passwords often.
8. Beware of links sent via instant messaging and e-mail attachments.

Step 2 : Making ‘Friends’

We all know it's not healthy to spend hours and hours in front of a computer screen. But another problem with social networking is the pressure you can feel to make sure you have lots of ‘friends’. But here are some things to remember:

1. Friendships made online are made by clicking a button rather than talking to people and sharing experiences.
2. Being online ‘friends’ with someone is much less meaningful than face to face friendship.
3. You can easily fall out with an online ‘friend’ because of a misunderstood comment.
4. It is far easier, and healthier, to sort out arguments and problems when you can talk to someone face to face.

So although you might know someone who likes to boast about how many ‘friends’ they've got on their social networking site, remember that real friendships aren't made by computers.

Tips to stay safe on social networking sites

1. Make sure you're old enough to join
2. Maybe use a made up name or nickname on your profile.
3. Do not make friends you don't already know personally.
4. Maybe use an email address that does not include your name.
5. Use the strongest privacy setting when you set up your profile. This means that only your friends will be able to view your information.
6. Pictures and Videos can be shared very careful when uploading-even if you only share it with friends, it can easily be spread much further.
7. Be very careful about sharing content online - especially if it isn't yours to share. Illegal downloads definitely should be avoided.

Step 3 : Smartphone Security

We no longer rely on our phones for just calling friends or family. With modern smartphones we can do a wide range of tasks; everything from browsing the Internet and paying your bills to checking your bank statement and accessing work emails. Because smartphones are so advanced many of the security issues we’re exposed to through our computers now exist on our smartphones.

What risk does it pose?

1. Device loss or theft. Losing a device to mishap or theft can cause lost productivity, data loss, and potential liability under data-protection laws.
2. Loss of sensitive data. Many mobile devices may contain sensitive or confidential information, for example, personal photographs and videos, email messages, text messages and files.
3. Unauthorized network penetration. Because many mobile devices provide a variety of network connectivity options, they could potentially be used to attack protected corporate systems.
4. Intercepted or corrupted data. With so many business transactions taking place over mobile devices, there is always a concern that critical data could be intercepted via tapped phone lines or intercepted microwave transmissions.
5. Malicious software. Viruses, Trojan Horses, and Worms are familiar threats to mobile devices it has become a significant target.

How can I avoid it from happening?

1. When choosing a mobile device, consider its security features and ensure they are enabled.
2. Install and maintain an Anti-Virus application on your smart device.
3. Do not follow links sent in suspicious email or text messages.
4. Carefully consider what information you want stored on the device.
5. Be cautious when selecting and installing applications.
6. Avoid joining unknown Wi-Fi networks and using unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots.
7. Disable interfaces that are not in use, such as Bluetooth, infrared, or Wi-Fi.
8. Delete all information stored in a device prior to discarding it.

Children and the Internet

The Internet is an increasing part of today’s culture, especially for children and youth, for whom schoolwork, online gaming, and social networking are among the most popular activities. However, the lack of common agreement about the right approach to educating and protecting children adds further challenges to a child’s online experience and expression. Additionally, cultural and geographical differences in legal and social norms reflect the fact that there is no universally accepted view of what defines a person as a child, or of what is appropriate for children, making “inappropriate content and behaviour” hard to define.

Internet ethics implies your behaviour while using Internet .You should be aware that you should always be honest, respect the rights and property of others on Internet.

What happens if you not follow the Game Rules in your school ? You may be abondoned from the game by your teacher, and punished. Similarly while using Internet also, its very important to follow the Rules/ethics, you may be denied from some of the Internet facilities.

Lets now see the What Internet Ethics are available -

1. Acceptance : The World Wide Web is a place where values are considered in a broadest sense, so we need to take care while shaping content and services. We should recognize that Internet is not separate from public society, but it is a primary component of it. Thus, as you behave politely and humbly in the public society, similar behavior should be followed in the Internet world also.
2. Sensitivity to national and local cultures : It belongs to all and there is no barrier of national and local cultures. It cannot be subject to one set of values like local TV channel, a local news paper and we have to accommodate multiplicity of usage.
3. While doing school Work : Internet must be used to gain knowledge and to do a school work. You must not copy the information and say it is our own content. If you say that the content is your own the copy rights issues will be raised and will punished so it is recommended not to copy information and say it is of your own. For example, say you have written a very good assignment/article and published in the Internet through blogs/email etc, and one of your classmate copied your content from Net and submitted it as if its his assignment to your teacher. How do you feel in such scenario?
4. While using Email and chatting : Internet must be used for communication with family and friends. You should not use the Internet for chatting or communicating with strangers and forwarding the e-mails from strangers.
5. Pretending to be someone else : You must not use the Internet to pretend as someone else and fool others by hiding our identity. Similarly, as you don’t want others to pretend as someone else by hiding their true identity and communicate.
6. Use of Bad Language : You must not use rude or bad language while using email, chatting and blogging with others on the Internet. You should not criticize anyone on the Internet.
7. Hide Personal Information : You should hide our personal details from strangers like revealing your home address, telephone numbers, hobbies and no photographs should be sent because it might be misused and shared with others without your knowledge.
8. While Downloading : Internet can be used as a learning tool or for entertainment and for keeping intouch with friends and family. You must not use it for downloading them or share the copyrighted material. You should respect one’s property and we should not copy or distribute without their permission.