Safe Internet Use

When using the Internet it is essential to take precautions.  Although the advent of email and the Internet has resulted in unprecedented advances in communication, education, entertainment, shopping and commerce, there are a number of risks you should be aware of, and protect yourself against.

Safe Surfing

The biggest risks when simply browsing the Internet are programs downloading themselves onto your computer, and insecure or fake sites.

Programs downloading themselves onto your computer

The vast majority of websites are safe and will not install anything onto your computer. The best defence against this is to install a firewall and use your common sense.  A firewall is almost like a protective barrier around your computer that will not let anything unauthorised slip through onto your PC without your knowledge.  If something tries to slip through the firewall will ask you if you want to install the program or not.  As a rule of thumb be very wary when installing anything on your computer.  Programs from reputable sources such as Google, Yahoo, or the BBC for instance will be fine, but if you have never heard of the program, do not install it and do some research about it first to see what other people say about it.

If a pop-up appears on a site when you are browsing stating 'Your PC is infected, click here to clean it' or something along these lines, ignore it, it is a fake warning trying to encourage you to download a program onto your PC.  Only pay attention to messages from a proper virus checker (see below) that you have installed on your PC.

Windows XP comes with a built-in firewall that you should ensure is kept up-to-date.  If you see a yellow shield in your start bar, this indicates an update is available, click the shield to download the update.  Free firewalls are available to download, but again, make sure you research a program to ensure it is legitimate.  One reputable and free firewall is called ZoneAlarm from Zone Labs.

Insecure or fake sites

Websites that request personal information, credit card or banking details for instance should use a secure connection to transmit your information from your computer to theirs.  If you are buying anything online, or using online banking, always ensure that the website is using a secure connection.  To do this you can look out for the padlock at the bottom of your browser, if you hover your mouse over it it should say it has 128 Bit level of security.  If it doesn't have a padlock, the site isn't secure.

In addition to the secure padlock, the address should start with 'https://' instead of the usual 'http://'.  The additional 's' indicates 'secure'.

Fake sites are sites that pretend to be legitimate, or pretend to be something they are not.  A shopping site that looks 'amateurish' may not be genuine, again, search for the website name to see if others have had good or bad experiences using it.  You could also ask family and friends to see which sites they have used and are happy with, or simply stick to household names that you have heard of.

Fake sites that pretend to be something they are not are the most dangerous.  If you receive an email claiming to be from your bank, be wary (please see email section below).  Or if you click on a link that says it is going to a bank website, check the address bar of your browser to see if it is a genuine address.  Fraudsters set up websites that copy legitimate websites in how they look, and then they save and use your bank details when you enter them in.  Fake websites will often have irrellevant or random addresses - familiarise yourself with your banks web address, and ensure your address bar has that address in it.  This is the best way to avoid online banking fraud.

Virus Checking

The types of programs that can sometimes make their way onto your computer include key-loggers (programs that record details you type, including bank and credit card details), ad-serving programs (that keep popping up adverts for unsavoury goods and services), and bot-programs (that use your computer to send spam and virus programs to other people around the world).

You should install a virus checker and scan your computer on a regular basis.  If your firewall is a protective barrier around your PC, the job of your virus checker is to sweep through the inside of your barrier ejecting anything that shouldn't be there.  You may choose to pay for a virus checking program, although free tools are available.  Again, make sure you research virus checking programs to ensure they are reputable.  An example of a free and reputable virus checking program is Ad-Aware by Lavasoft.

Safe Emailing

Email is the most common route for unscrupulous programs to install themselves on your PC, or for fraudsters to entice personal details from you.  The types of emails you may receive are as follows;

Emails with virus attachments

If you receive an email from someone you don't know, don't open it and delete it.  If you have a firewall, emails coming in to your computer should be scanned for viruses, although even if you know the person sending you an email, never open an attachment that you are not sure about.

Spam emails

Never click on any email advertising something to buy, and certainly never buy anything from a company who has sent a spam email.  These emails often originate from criminal gangs, and people clicking on their messages or buying their products only serve to encourage more messages generally, and personally to your inbox.  Emails from legitimate sites that you have registered on are OK however.

'Help me' emails

People often receive emails from people in other countries who claim to have inherited vast sums and 'need your help to invest it'.  There are many variations on this theme, but they all are after the same thing - your bank details or your cash.  Do not respond to these emails, just delete them.

Fake emails

Emails can sometimes pretend to be from your bank, or from a large company, when in fact they are not.  Spelling mistakes or poor English usually give them away.  Links to unusual web addresses are also a sure sign they are fake (see the 'Safe Surfing' section above).  If you are not sure, delete it.  If it is genuinely from your bank and it is important, they wouldn't use email to communicate with you, and no bank will ever ask you to confirm your login details.

Chain emails

Chain emails from friends are often seen as harmless or fun, but can actually clog up the Internet with meaningless messages.  Emails that say you'll receive good or bad luck by passing the email on are nonsense, and another common type of chain email states that a big company is tracking the email and will give x amount of money to charity for every email sent.  Again these are nonsense and should be deleted.

Safe Communications

Communication and meeting new people is one of the benefits of using the Internet, but when talking with strangers via email, chatrooms, forums or instant messaging, you should never give out personal information.  If you ever decided to meet anyone you have met online you should also take the necessary precautions, however long you have been communicating with them.  Meet in a public place in daylight, maybe take a friend, and let people know where/when you are going and who you are meeting.

Use of the Internet by children should be monitored, particularly if they communicate with strangers through the Internet.  The best way to approach the subject is through education, inform your children of the fact that people may not be who they say they are, and warn them of the dangers.  Try to encourage use of the Internet with yourself or another family member, or consider the use of a program that restricts the websites your child can access.

Summary

After reading of the dangers and precautions above you would be forgiven for thinking that the Internet is a dangerous tool. The Internet is in fact a wonderful tool that can enrich your life in many ways.  See the links below for some useful links, and also for more information about safe internet use.  Consider educating your family and friends of the potential dangers of Internet and email use, but above all, don't be afraid, just be cautious!

Links About Safe Internet Use

• Get Safe Online
• Safe Surfing Links from the Internet Watch Foundation.
• BBC Webwise - The BBC's guide to using the Internet.
• BBC Stay Safe (for children)

Useful and Fun Links

• BBC - One of the most comprehensive and well used sites on the Internet.
• Directgov - A portal to a vast range of public services and resources.
• Google / Yahoo / MSN - The largest search engines that will help you find information from the billions of webpages on the Internet.
• Wikipedia - A user edited encyclopedia covering over a million articles.
• Google Maps - Free to use maps of the UK, plot your route or view satellite photos.
• National Trust - Find National Trust locations.
• The British Museum - View objects from the British Museum's collection online.
• Shrewsbury Museums - Links and information about museums in Shrewsbury.
• BBC Weather - 5 day forecast for Shrewsbury.
• Have Your Say Forums - Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council forums where you can have your say on local issues.
• My50.com - Make an online list of things to do in your lifetime.
• NASA - The official NASA website.
• Yahooligans! - The web guide for kids.