Introduction

The Internet is a wonderful place for work, learning and entertainment, but just like the real world, it can be at times dangerous. Allowing unrestricted access puts your business your family / your computer and your data at risk. In this series of articles we will explore the challenges that exist on-line and how you can minimise your exposure so that you can better protect workplace / your family and your personal computer(s).

There are a couple of points that we as Internet users & parents need to realise.

• We don’t know everything.
• But we need to know what we don’t know.
• Once you turn on your computer or connect with your phone / tablet you are exposing your Personal data to the Internet. – We will discuss ways to limit that exposure.
• Passwords are a necessity, not a scourge or a hindrance.
• Practically anything can be accessed on-line, from cute n’fluffy to pure nasty stuff. And age is no barrier.
• Your children may know more about accessing the internet than you do.
• They will be using the “latest” app or Social Media site before you are even aware it exists.
• As is always the case, as soon as you put a control system in place, their number one priority is to circumvent it.
• We teach them real life values, we need to teach on-line values also.
• When something is published / posted on-line, it stays on-line FOREVER! And those postings will turn up at job interviews.
• Education, knowledge and maturity do not necessarily go hand in hand.
• Children, even your little angel have the ability to be nasty and hurtful on-line.
• Children can now be isolated, bullied and scared in the “safety” of their own home.
• The importance of backups.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll delve into these points and more in greater detail, and hopefully we’ll emerge on the other side with:

• A healthy realisation of how wonderful the Internet can be.
• A realistic awareness of the pitfalls
• A simple set of steps that can help keep you and your family / business safer on-line.

The topics will include:

• Operating Systems
• Free Anti Virus Packages
• Email
• Net-etiquette
• Cyber bullying
• Safer Browsing
• Social Networking
• How much should we share