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What to Know
This page summarizes some of the information from the Web sites you explored. This information helps you learn what you need to know for this activity about Internet safety. You may want to take notes to help you remember the most important points. You can return to the Web sites for more exploration if you want to learn more.
Guidelines for Internet Safety
The Internet is real, and what you say and do online matters. Whether you are sending e-mail, instant messaging, or surfing the Web, you should always use the Internet safely. Keep yourself and others safe by following basic Internet safety guidelines.
Never give out personal information online. Never give out information that someone could use to identify you, your family, or your school. Do not give out the following information online:
- Your name, age, location, phone number, and pictures of yourself
- Your home address, parents’ names, and parents’ work address
- Your school’s name, teachers’ names, and school’s address
- Any telephone number, including home, work, school, and cell phones
- Anyone’s social security number, credit card numbers, or bank account information
Remember that the Internet is real. What you say about other people online has just as much effect as what you say to them in person. Keep these suggestions in mind:
- Never talk to strangers online. It can be just as dangerous to talk with strangers online as it is in real life. In fact, an online stranger may be pretending to be someone else. Of course, never agree to meet a stranger anytime or anywhere.
- Do not be disrespectful to anyone online. Remember that bullying another student online is the same as bullying at school. You should expect to be held accountable by your parents and teachers for what you say and do online.
- Never download a file you have not legally obtained. Whether a file is a computer game, software application, music, or video, you must make sure all of your files are legal copies. You would not steal a game or a CD from a store, so do not steal one online.
- Do not be afraid to ask for help. Always ask a parent, teacher, or other trusted adult for help whenever you feel confused, uncomfortable, or threatened.
Use strong passwords and keep them secret. Passwords protect information by making sure that only authorized people can get access. They help prevent others from accessing your information, such as school records. You may also have a password to log on to a computer or to access some Web sites. Keep these tips in mind when creating passwords:
- Strong passwords are the most secure. A strong password is at least six to eight characters long and includes at least one lowercase (small) letter, one uppercase (capital) letter, one number, and usually one symbol. One strategy for creating a strong password is to change certain letters in a word into numbers and symbols. For example, the word password could be changed to paS$w0rd (but do not use this example for your password!).
- A password is only effective if you keep it secret. Create a password you can remember so that you do not have to write it down. Never share your password with anyone except a parent, teacher, or other trusted people.
- Sign out every time you sign in. Whenever you use a password to log on to a computer, network, or Web site, always remember to log off when you are done. If you do not log off, the next person who uses the computer can access your information.
- Change passwords regularly. Most experts recommend that you change passwords at least every three months. Always change your password if anyone finds out what it is.
Know the rules anywhere you go online. Many people use computers in more than one place, such as schools, homes, libraries, cafes, and friends’ houses. Always know the rules for using any computer. Whenever you are online, you leave digital footprints everywhere you go. Every computer on the Internet is identified by a unique number called an IP address. Authorities can use IP addresses to investigate what a person does when they are online.
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