Keep Your Identity Private

If you're in any type of public forum, avoid giving out your full name, your mailing address, your telephone number, the name of your school, or any other information that could help someone determine your actual identity. The same applies to your family and friends. Never reveal anything about other people that could possibly get them into trouble.

Never Get Together with Someone You "Meet" Online

The biggest danger to your safety is if you get together with someone you "meet" online. Remember, you never know for certain if people you meet online are who they say they are. If you do feel it's appropriate to meet with someone, discuss it with your parents and never go to the meeting by yourself. Arrange to meet in a public place like a coffee shop or mall that you, not just the other person, are familiar and comfortable with, and never go alone. The safest procedure is to have your parents talk with the parents of the other person and for both of you to bring your parents along on the first meeting. Remember, not everyone on the Web is who they say they are.

Never Respond To E-Mail, Chat Comments, Instant Messages Or Other Messages That Are Hostile, Belligerent, Inappropriate Or In Any Way Make You Feel Uncomfortable

It isn't your fault if you get a message that is mean or in any way makes you feel uncomfortable. If you get such a message, don't respond. Instead, show it to your parents or a trusted adult to see if there is anything you can do to make it stop. Sending a response just encourages the person.

Talk with your Parents About Their Expectations and Ground Rules for Going Online

It's important that you and your parents are on the same "channel" when it comes to your online activities. This includes when you can go online, how long you can stay online, and what activities you can do online. Communicating with your parents doesn't mean that you have to give up your privacy. It just means that you come to an agreement based on mutual trust and understanding. While you're at it, perhaps you can help your parents better understand the Internet, what it can be used for, and how it is helpful for teens.

Safety tips for parents

Here are some safety tips to consider as you guide your child online:

• Create a list of Internet house rules with your children. You should include the kinds of sites that are off limits, Internet hours, and guidelines for communicating with others online, including in chat rooms.
• Keep Internet-connected computers in an open area and out of your childrens bedrooms.
• Talk to your children about their online friends and activities just as you would about their other friends and activities. This includes talking to your children about their instant messaging list, and making sure they're not talking to strangers.
• Investigate Internet-filtering tools (such as MSN Premium's Parental Controls) as a complement - not a replacement - for parental supervision.
• Know which chat rooms or message boards your children visit, and whom they talk to. Encourage them to use monitored chat rooms, and insist they stay in public chat room areas.
• Insist that they never agree to meet an online friend.
• Teach your children not to download programs, music, or files without your permission. File-sharing and taking text, images, or artwork from the Web may infringe on copyright laws and can be illegal.
• Encourage your children to tell you if something or someone online makes them feel uncomfortable or threatened. Stay calm and remind your kids they are not in trouble for bringing something to your attention. (It is important that your teen does not think that their computer privileges could be taken away.) Read more about how to deal with online predators and cyberbullies.
• Talk to your teenagers about online adult content and pornography, and direct them to positive sites about health and sexuality.
• Help protect them from spam. Tell your teens not to give out their e-mail address online, not to respond to junk mail, and to use e-mail filters.
• Be aware of the Web sites that your teens frequent. Make sure your kids are not visiting sites with offensive content, or posting personal information or photos of themselves.
• Teach your children responsible, ethical, online behavior. They should not be using the Internet to spread gossip, bully, or threaten others.
• Make sure your children check with you before making financial transactions online, including ordering, buying, or selling items.
• Discuss online gambling and its potential risks with your teens. Remind them that it is illegal for them to gamble online.

These tips can help protect your computer from viruses, hackers, spyware, and other attacks.

Perform basic computer safety maintenance

Before you surf the Web, you should perform three key maintenance steps to help improve the computer's security. Visit our Protect Your PC section and follow the steps online to:

• Use an Internet firewall.
• Update your computer.
• Use up-to-date antivirus and antispyware software.

Don't open files from strangers

E-mail and instant messaging (IM) can spread viruses and worms if you aren't careful. (Most e-mail viruses are spread by people who are fooled into opening an infected file.)

You should never open a file attached to an e-mail or an instant message unless you recognize the sender and you are expecting the file.

For more articles on helping to avoid viruses and worms, visit Help Prevent Viruses. For tips on safer IM, read Instant messaging safety and privacy tips.

Help fight spam and online scams

You can use technology to help keep junk e-mail from deluging your screen. To see how, read Help keep spam out of your inbox.

Phishing is another threat to your privacy that could lead to the theft of your credit card numbers, passwords, account information, or other personal data. To learn more, read Recognize phishing scams and fraudulent e-mails.

Learn how to protect yourself from spyware

If your Web browser has been taken over by pop-up ads, or there are toolbars on your computer that you didn't download intentionally, your computer might be running spyware.

Spyware is software that collects personal information from you without first letting you know what it's doing, and without asking for your permission.

You might get spyware if you download music or file-sharing programs, free games from sites you don't trust, or other software programs from a suspicious Web site.

Take precautions when you go wireless

Many high school and college campuses now have wireless networks, so you can surf the Web in the library, cafeteria, or a classroom.

These networks are convenient, but they do come with a security risk. If you set up your own wireless network at home or in your dorm room, read Protect Your Home Network and pay special attention to the section on wireless network security.

Password protect your computer and lock it

Passwords are the first line of defense in protecting your computer from criminals. If you don't use a password to log on to your computer, anyone can access your computer and unlock it. Create passwords with a mixture of numbers and letters.

(To "lock" your Windows computer, hold down "Windows logo key + L." Follow the instructions on the screen to unlock your computer when you're ready to use it again)

Back up your work

The image of students losing their term papers because they forgot to back up their work has almost become a cliché. Still, many of us don't have the time to back up.

If you use Windows XP, you can let the Backup Utility do the work for you. To find out how, read Windows XP Backup Made Easy.