001+Cybersafety



Frostburg State University [|GetWiseOnline], http://media.photobucket.com/image/cyber%20safety/GetWiseOnline/Owly_1.jpg?o=1 [|mel4576], http://media.photobucket.com/image/searching%20internet/mel4576/SEO/bigstock_Searching_the_Internet_815334.jpg?o=4 Carey, Chris. __sum001.jpg__. 1/15/1997. Pics4Learning. 21 Sep 2011  Photo By: Cyberagentx http://media.photobucket.com/image/cyber%20safety/cyberagentx/monitor_facebook.jpg?o=4

Tiffany Cupp Andrea Vance Whitney Glotfelty Ashton Carr Cyber Safety

Cyber safety is the safe and responsible use of the Internet and technology. It is very important to know how to stay safe on the Internet. It has become virtually impossible to get through life without using some sort of technology. Technology has now been included in many facets of life.

It is important to practice and educate about cyber safety in all different aspects. Some things that are important to practice cyber safety while doing include social networking, texting, making online purchases, and just being on the Internet in general. Social networking has become the new fad. It is very easy for someone to be sexually solicited or have their identity stolen through social networking. Some people put everything on social networking sites, which most of the time are open to the public to read. It is important to know how to protect one on social networking websites. Texting has also become very popular over the last few years. Not only can one just send text they can also send videos and pictures. It is extremely important to teach children what is appropriate to be sending through texting. “Sexting,” is a word that has been coined, which refers to sending sexual texts or multimedia messages. Parents should be practice cyber safety by monitoring what their children are sending and receiving from their cellular phones. Making online purchases is often more convenient than actually having to travel to a store to buy it. It is important to practice cyber safety when making online purchases by using a secure site. The Internet can be a dangerous place one should practice cyber safety by using virus protection and visiting secure sites.

So, is cyber safety really a problem? Let’s look at some facts. Every single day, there are roughly 77 million children using the Internet (Office of the Attorney General of Florida). Translated, roughly 93% of children ages twelve through seventeen are online Internet users. Likewise, over 75% of teens, again ages twelve through seventeen have cell phones (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children). Technology is everywhere in today’s society, guiding how we educate and communicate. Over half (64%) of online teenagers are “active”- meaning that they write blogs or post photos, artwork, or videos online (National Education Association Health Information Network). Technology can be a great tool, but there have been very serious problems that it has caused as well. About one-third of online teenagers (ages 12-17) have been cyber-bullied (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children). This figure is especially startling, because there is a good chance that many have not reported being bullied, so the results may be even higher. Another source stated that one out of every seven children will be sexually solicited at some point online (Office of the Attorney General of Florida). It is clearly evident that while technology has given society new ways to interact and learn, there can be many serious consequences if the Internet is not used properly.

Cyber safety can have a huge impact on children’s lives. In the past children has suffered from what they have seen on the Internet. Children have seen horrible things on the Internet and thought it was ok. For example, some bad things that children have seen online are porn, bullying, fighting and other harmful things to themselves and to others. Strangers could get information from children who do not realize that are giving it out to a stranger. The child could then be in a lot of danger. Studies have shown that children who are more online are more likely to have attitudes and treat teachers poorly. Cyber safety can really affect children’s lives and it should be monitored by parents and teachers.

Cyber safety is something that needs to be taken more seriously with today’s society. There are many ways to prevent you from being a victim of cyber crimes. Many different things play important roles in the ways to protect you. One of the popular things that are happening online is credit card fraud. People are taking your credit card information and using it on other websites. One way to prevent this from happen is to only use reliable websites. When ordering things from the Internet, make sure you check out the “About Us” section of the site. See where the site is out of and if there are any reviews about the site. Don't trust a site just because it claims to be secure. Also beware of providing credit card information when requested through unsolicited emails. Identity theft has also come to be a large problem due to the Internet. Be cautious of scams requiring you to provide your personal information, never give your credit card number over the phone unless you are the one making the phone call, monitor your credit statements weekly. Also be sure to report unauthorized transactions to your bank and review a copy of your credit report at least once a year to look for charges you did not make.

There is a lot of information that is stored on personal computers that is very important and private. When talking about cyber safety and prevention tips one of the main things that each computer own should have is a virus protector. There are a lot of different types of protections that can be purchased online or in stores like Best Buy. The top three virus protectors for 2011 are BitDefender, Kaspersky, and Webroot. These programs scan your computer daily to make sure that your computer is staying safe from harm. They scan the websites that you look on and the emails that are sent to you. If you do not have a virus protector on your computer you are at a very high risk for a virus and cyber crimes happening to you.

Cyber safety is an important issue we are facing in our society. Our children and adults need to be protected from the Internet. There are many actions we can take to protect ourselves and children from unsafe people on the Internet. Teaching your children and students about cyber safety and how important it is to not give out your information on the Internet could also prevent a lot of problems from happening. Cyber safety is important and should be taken seriously.


 * __ Citation: __**

National White Collar Crime Center. (2000, June). //Internet crime prevention tips: Internet crime complaint center.// Retrieved from []

Federal Goverment. (n.d.). //Computer crime & intellectual property section//. Retrieved from []

2011 Compare The Best Antivirus Software Products. (n.d.). //AntiVirus software review//. Retrieved from [|http://anti-virus-software-review.toptenreviews.com] National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. (2010). //Net smartz workshop//. Retrieved from []  Office of the Attorney General of Florida (2009). Cyber Safety. //Safe Florida.// Retrieved from http://www.safeflorida.net/.

National Education Association Health Information Network (2008). Tools for Adults to Help Kids Connect Safely. //BNetS@vvy.org.// Retrieved from http://www.neahin.org/bnetsavvy/ Last Updated: November 27, 2011

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