The RCMP and Internet Safety

Protecting Your Child - Internet Safety

INTERNET SAFETY

The World Wide Web can be a wonderful tool to access endless information or to email friends and family across the world. However, there are some individuals who use the Internet as a tool to cause harm and to commit criminal acts. It is important for users to protect themselves by learning the possible dangers.

Definitions:

Internet: A global “network of computers” that is not governed by any entity and hold files of information. Although, the Internet contains information on nearly every topic imaginable, there are no limits or checks on the type of information that is maintained or accessible.

Internet Users: Those individuals who crawl the web. If you search on the Internet to shop, send email, do research or chat, you are a user.

Email: A form of electronic mail that can be transmitted from one computer to another via the Internet. Documents and pictures can be “attached” to an email and sent to the receiving computer/individual where it can be viewed and printed.

Usenet Groups: Also known as News Groups, these are postings on specific topics, where the comments and/or pictures follow one another in a bulletin board style.

Chat Rooms: Also known as Internet Relay Chat (IRC), these areas are where participants can talk to each other in “real time” with their remarks appearing as they enter them. Basically, two or more users are having an online conversation.

Cookies: These are pieces of information generated by a web server and stored in the user’s computer for future access. Without the user’s consent or knowledge, a cookie is created and stored in the user’s computer every time the user book marks a page, personalizes their search engine, or participates in an online web contest. Basically, the cookie is a tagged string of text containing the user’s preferences and is then stored on the user’s computer and browser for future reference.

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PROTECTING YOURSELF AND YOUR CHILDREN

1. Learn about computers. Take a computer or Internet course and then discuss with your children.
   
2. Talk to your children about their use of the computer and discuss any possible dangers they may encounter online. If necessary, create a list of rules they must follow when on the Internet.
   
3. Learn how to access the I.S.P (Internet Service Provider) home page to determine the number of computer hours used each month. Accounts can be set up so each individual has their own access code and separate records. Examples of I.S.P are MTS, Shaw and AOL.
   
4. Keep the computer in a common area of your home, so that children’s activities can be easily monitored.
   
5. Limit time allotted on the computer. Watch to see if your child is withdrawing from friends and family. Excessive computer usage may indicate a problem.
6. Watch for computer files ending with the letters: .GIF, .JPG, . MPG, .AVI, .MOV, .BMP, .TIF, .PCX, DL or GL as these contain photographs or movie images which could contain pornography or violence.
   
7. Block access to chat rooms or accompany your child when visiting a chat room. You can also consider routing your child’s email into your own email account first in order to screen any unwanted email messages.
   
8. Obtain a software-filtering package that can block access to Internet sites or email messages that you deem inappropriate for your children. This software can also log all of your child’s activity on the Internet so you can review it later. Remember, this software is not foolproof and cannot take the place of parental involvement or supervision. It can only assist you.
   
9. Call your Internet Service Provider and find out if you have filtered or unfiltered feed. The filtered feed will not allow access to the majority of sex-related Usenet Groups. However, as a parent you should be aware that this is not foolproof, and there are other ways for your child to access this information.

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FRAUDS AND OTHER VALUABLE INTERNET INFORMATION LINKS

Even adults must always be aware of the possible dangers when online.

1. Everything you read online may not be true. “D” Division receives email complaints daily from users who have been victimized by Internet frauds or scams. Remember if it is too good to be true, it usually is.

2. Never give out your credit card number to anyone unless you trust that person or site. If you are buying an item online or doing Internet banking make sure that you are on an encrypted site and that a lock or key symbol appears in the lower right hand corner of the screen.

3. Be very cautious when downloading software programs from the Internet. These can contain computer viruses that can damage or cripple the information on your computer system.

4. If you receive an email that promotes a scam please contact
PhoneBusters at:
Toll Free: 1-888-495-8501 or visit their site at:http://www.phonebusters.com

5. Child Find Manitoba’s Cybertip!ca is a Canadian Internet tip line for receiving and addressing reports from the public regarding child pornography. For more information or to file a complaint please contact:http://www.cybertip.ca