It is possible to be safe while browsing the internet, but some common sense needs to be in place. Predators, bullies, and those who would use personal information for ill intent are everywhere online today.

Developed with funding support from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) Safety Pledge website provides free resources to help parents, educators, and caregivers learn more about the risks that children face online and how to respond safely. The Internet has opened up a whole new world for people of all ages. You can shop, plan a vacation, send a picture to a relative, talk with friends and even do research for school. This new way of.

95% of social media-using teens who have witnessed cruel behavior on social networking sites say they have seen others ignoring the mean behavior.

The CareerSafe online program is the first of its kind. It's an entirely online, built from the ground up learning experience that's available any time, and from anywhere. With over 1.8 million students trained across all 50 states, it is CareerSafe's ultimate goal to ensure every young worker in America has access to affordable safety training. Online Safety While the Internet is a great way to stay in touch with friends and family, predators oftentimes take advantage of this and actively stalk online meeting places such as chat rooms and social media sites to lure their victims. This week's free online safety guide focuses on eBay. EBay is the world’s biggest online auction platform: a digital emporium where you can buy practically anything, new or used. The guide takes a look at how to tackle a range of potential risks such as off-site communication, age-inappropriate and illegal items. Find out more Browse all.

Internet Safety

What this means is that people are trying to stick to themselves online. They don’t step in to lend a helping hand when it is needed. This means for the 55% of online users who see abuse happening frequently online, there is no place to turn for help. That’s why having an increased awareness of internet safety is so important.

• The number of children between the ages of 6-17 who say they’ve been exposed to hardcore pornography while browsing online: 42%.
• 29%. That’s the percentage of parents that allow their children to use the internet without restriction or supervision.
• 1 in 20. That’s the number of children who will meet strangers online and then arrange a secret meeting with them.
• The percentage of children who pretend to be older while browsing online than they really are: 25%.
• 1 in 12 kids have exchanged messages with strangers that were sexual in nature.
• The number of kids ages 6-17 who say they have sent graphic photographs of themselves online at least once: 1 in 25.
• A study by McAfee, found that 87% of teens have observed cyberbullying.

If something goes onto the internet, then it is going to stay on the internet for good. It might hit the dark net or it might be privately saved and stored, but it is going to be somewhere for public consumption. That’s why teaching kids about the need to be safe while online is so important. Children could very literally ruin their lives before they even get started. Setting up firewalls, monitoring computer activity, and receiving danger alerts for personal information sharing are all easy ways that parents can increase the safety profiles of their children.

Predators Are Everywhere Online Today

• Only 18% of youth will use an online chat room today, but almost all internet-based sexually based offenses against children are started in a chat room.
• Since it’s creation, the number of child pornography images that have been analyzed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: 80 million.
• 82% of predators will use social networking websites to determine what their victim likes and dislikes to make the encounter proceed more smoothly.
• 65% of online sex offenders used the victim’s social networking site to gain home and school information about the victim.
• Just 1 in 3 sexual crimes are reported to a trusted adult.
• At least 200 million girls and 100 million boys will be sexually victimized before they reach adulthood.
• 26% of online sex offenders used a victim’s social networking site to gain information about the victim’s whereabouts at a specific time.
• 4 out of 10 online sexual solicitors online is under the age of 18.
• 13% of 2nd-3rd grade students report that they used the Internet to talk to people they do not know and 11% of those kids say that they were asked to describe private things about their bodies.
• It takes 60 seconds or less, on average, for a predator to contact a potential new victim.
• Although unverified, it is believed that 40% of the missing children that are reported to authorities had a first contact with a predator in a chat room.

When we talk about internet safety, we tend to discuss keeping personal ID numbers and other data secret. What we overlook is the fact that our children today are trusting of many people, don’t like to keep secrets, and believe that all people are generally good. In a perfect world, this would be so. This isn’t a perfect world and there are children routinely exploited because of their innocence. This is why paying attention to current internet safety statistics is so important. It is the best way to discover how people are trying to get at kids today so they can be stopped.

Are We Selling Our Online Safety?

• 16% of all US adults state that they would be welling to share their online habits in exchange for receiving a better overall browsing experience.
• Two-thirds of Americans are willing to give companies access to their personal information to receive discounts, better products, or better services.
• People are more likely to share their mobile phone number online [71%] than they are to share their web browser history [61%].
• Internet users are more likely to trust a social network with their personal data [42%] than they are a search engine [35%].
• 82%. That’s the percentage of US adults who believe that wearable technology will create internet safety concerns.
• Only 39% of US consumers are concerned about the data that cookies are able to obtain about their online habits.
• Only half of people who access the internet regularly will regularly read privacy policies when they are offered.

We’ve all either seen it happen or have done it ourselves. When the window pops up for the privacy policy, the box that acknowledges that it has been read is just automatically clicked. Why waste time reading about privacy concerns when there’s an app to install, right? The only problem with this is that sometimes those privacy policies are as cut-and-dried as people think they are. Many hidden surprises can be lurking in the fine print regarding internet privacy and since the box has been clicked and approved, the contract has been signed. We need to pay more attention to what we agreed to do and treat our personal information less as a commodity and more as a part of who we actually are.

Your Apps Could Be Exposing Your Personal Information

• In a 2012 study of downloaded apps, 18.6% of them were able to access a user’s address book, including the personal contact details that had been saved to each entry.
• 1 in 3 apps has been given permission to display ads directly to users, even if the app isn’t active at that point in time.
• 42% of apps that send data out to third parties do not make any effort to encrypt that data.
• The percentage of apps that are authorized to track the locations of users, even when running in the background: 41.4%.
• 16%. That’s the percentage of apps that are allowed to post to Facebook as the user regarding app activities.

“This app wants to connect to Facebook, access your public profile, your friends list, and your personal contact information.” It seems so easy to click the “OK” button when that pops up, right? The app has been downloaded, it might have cost a few bucks to get it, and you’re excited to try it out. The only problem is that with the modern app, not only could you be selling your own data, but you could be throwing your friends under the bus as well. Privacy controls can help to prevent this, but more than half of Americans don’t know how to improve the security of their profiles. When it comes to internet safety, we really are our own worst enemy.

When Are We Most Concerned About Our Internet Safety?

• 71% of internet users say that they are concerned about their internet safety and privacy when accessing bank account information or financial data.
• The percentage of internet users who are concerned with internet safety while shopping: 57%.
• Internet users are 4x more likely to be concerned about their internet safety when accessing bank accounts when compared to accessing pornography.
• Only 10% of internet users are concerned about internet safety as they are looking up information about a past romantic relationship.
• 27% of people think about internet safety when they reference themselves in some way while online.
• 32% of kids in their teens hide their browsing history from their parents or guardians to try to prevent them from seeing which sites they visit.
• The percentage of teens that have a hidden email address or social networking account: 16%.
• 11% of kids who have access to the internet say that they know how to turn off the installed parental controls.

It is easy to blame everyone else for the lack of safety that is available on the internet today, but the fact is that we’re doing this all to ourselves. All it takes is one moment of trust for a child to access something online that they shouldn’t access. It is that one moment that can change a life forever. The same is true with adults. One Craigslist advertisement, one ill-advised social media post, or one mean-spirited individual can ruin a reputation or even take a life. Internet safety can be improved, but we have to do it at the individual level. Knowing internet safety statistics like these is a good first step.

Internet safety or online safety or cyber safety or E-Safety is trying to be safe on the internet and is the act of maximizing a user's awareness of personal safety and security risks to private information and property associated with using the internet, and the self-protection from computer crime.

As the number of internet users continues to grow worldwide,^[1] internets, governments and organizations have expressed concerns about the safety of children and teenagers using the Internet. Over 45% have announced they have endured some sort of cyber-harassment. Safer Internet Day is celebrated worldwide in February to raise awareness about internet safety.^[2] In the UK the Get Safe Online campaign has received sponsorship from government agency Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA) and major Internet companies such as Microsoft and eBay.^[3]

Information security[edit]

Sensitive information such as personal information and identity, passwords are often associated with personal property (for example, bagathink accounts) and privacy and may present security concerns if leaked. Unauthorized access and usage of private information may result in consequence such as identity theft, as well as theft of property. Common causes of information security breaches include:

Phishing[edit]

Phishing is a type of scam where the scammers disguise as a trustworthy source in attempt to obtain private information such as passwords, and credit card information, etc. through the internet. These fake websites are often designed to look identical to their legitimate counterparts to avoid suspicion from the user.^[4]

Internet scams[edit]

Internet scams are schemes that deceive the user in various ways in attempt to take advantage of them. Internet scams often aim to cheat the victim of personal property directly rather than personal information through false promises, confidence tricks and more.

Malware[edit]

Malware, particularly spyware, is malicious software disguised as software designed to collect and transmit private information, such as password, without the user's consent or knowledge. They are often distributed through e-mail, software and files from unofficial locations. Malware is one of the most prevalent security concerns as often it is impossible to determine whether a file is infected, despite the source of the file.

Personal safety[edit]

The growth of the internet gave rise to many important services accessible to anyone with a connection. One of these important services is digital communication. While this service allowed communication with others through the internet, this also allowed the communication with malicious users. While malicious users often use the internet for personal gain, this may not be limited to financial/material gain. This is especially a concern to parents and children, as children are often targets of these malicious users. Common threats to personal safety include: phishing, internet scams, malware, cyberstalking, cyberbullying, online predators and sextortion.

Cyberstalking[edit]

Cyberstalking is the use of the Internet or other electronic means to stalk or harass an individual, group, or organization.^[5] It may include false accusations, defamation, slander and libel. It may also include monitoring, identity theft, threats, vandalism, solicitation for sex, or gathering information that may be used to threaten, embarrass or harass.

Cyberbullying[edit]

Cyberbullying is the use of electronic means such as instant messaging, social media, e-mail and other forms of online communication with the intent to abuse, intimidate, or overpower an individual or group. In a 2012 study of over 11,925 students in the United States, it was indicated that 23% of adolescents reported being a victim of cyberbullying, 30% of which reported experiencing suicidal behavior.^[6][7] The Australian eSafety Commissioner's website reports that 20% of young Australians report being socially excluded, threatened or abused online^[8]

Online Safety Tips For Kids

Online predation[edit]

Online predation is the act of engaging an underage minor into inappropriate sexual relationships through the internet. Online predators may attempt to initiate and seduce minors into relationships through the use of chat rooms or internet forums. In a sample of 216 incarcerated sexual offenders, the behavior characteristics that emerged were categorized into three groups: A) manipulative - typically a child molester; B) Opportunist - typically a rapist and C) Coercive being a mixture of both rapists and child molesters. ^[9]

Obscene/offensive content[edit]

Various websites on the internet contain material that some deem offensive, distasteful or explicit, which may often be not of the user's liking. Such websites may include internet, shock sites, hate speech or otherwise inflammatory content. Such content may manifest in many ways, such as pop-up ads and unsuspecting links.^[10]

Sextortion[edit]

Online Safety Brainpop

Sextortion, especially via the use of webcams, is a concern, especially for those who use webcams for flirting and cybersex.^[11][12] Often this involves a cybercriminalposing as someone else - such as an attractive person - initiating communication of a sexual nature with the victim. The victim is then persuaded to undress in front of a webcam, and may also be persuaded to engage in sexual behaviour, such as masturbation.^[13] The video is recorded by the cybercriminal, who then reveals their true intent and demands money or other services (such as more explicit images of the victim, in cases of online predation), threatening to publicly release the video and send it to family members and friends of the victim if they do not comply.^[13] A video highlighting the dangers of sextortion has been released by the National Crime Agency^[14] in the UK to educate people, especially given the fact that blackmail of a sexual nature may cause humiliation to a sufficient extent to cause the victim to take their own life,^[12] in addition to other efforts to educate the public on the risks of sextortion.^[11]

See also[edit]

• Control software:

Groups and individuals working on the topic[edit]

• AHTCC – Australian High Tech Crime Centre

References[edit]

1. ^'Statistics'. ITU.
2. ^'SAFER INTERNET DAY'. Commonwealth of Australia 2013. Archived from the original on 2014-07-02. Retrieved 2013-09-24.
3. ^'Get Safe Online'.
4. ^'Internet Phishing Alert'. Archived from the original on 2018-10-10. Retrieved 2013-10-01.
5. ^'Cyberstalking'. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2013-12-10.
6. ^Litwiller, Brett; Brausch, Amy (2013). 'Cyber Bullying and Physical Bullying in Adolescent Suicide: The Role of Violent Behavior and Substance Use'. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. 42 (5): 675–84. doi:10.1007/s10964-013-9925-5. PMID23381779. S2CID30966940. ProQuest1326638707.
7. ^Bonanno, Rina; Hymel, Shelley (2013). 'Cyber Bullying and Internalizing Difficulties: Above and Beyond the Impact of Traditional Forms of Bullying'. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. 42 (5): 685–97. doi:10.1007/s10964-013-9937-1. PMID23512485. S2CID21315215. ProQuest1326638708.
8. ^'Cyberbullying'. eSafety Commissioner. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
9. ^Rebocho, Maria; Gonçalves, Rui (2012). 'Sexual Predators and Prey: A Comparative Study of the Hunting Behavior of Rapists and Child Molesters'. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 27 (14): 2770–89. doi:10.1177/0886260512438280. PMID22491218. S2CID206562651. ProQuest1038826658.
10. ^http://criminal.laws.com/computer-crime/types-of-computer-crimes
11. ^ ^ab'Sextortion (webcam blackmail)'. Archived from the original on 9 January 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
12. ^ ^ab'Webcam blackmail cases have doubled, police say'. BBC News. 30 November 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
13. ^ ^ab'The Skype sex scam - a fortune built on shame'. 27 October 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
14. ^''Sextortion': NCA releases awareness video'. BBC News. 30 November 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2017.

Online Safety Driving Course

External links[edit]

Online Safety Software

• Quotations related to Internet safety at Wikiquote

Online Safety Tips