With the world of technology in a constant state of change, home computer users need to know that the basics of internet safety and cybercrime prevention remain the same. Computer safety expert and author Victoria Roddel shares five simple ways to protect home computer users from viruses, spyware, cybercrime and other threats regardless of the operating system in use or level of computer experience from "Internet Safety Family Guide", one of her three new books.
While identity theft and cybercrime are reaching an all time high, the home computer user has never been in more need of cybercrime prevention information and protection. "Internet Safety Family Guide" (ISBN 1411666631 & 1411666690) is the long overdue layman's guide to internet safety and cybercrime in straightforward and clear terms that the home computer user will not need an IT specialist for decoding. Topics include: children online, cyberstalking, fraud, home computer security, hoaxes, identity theft, infectors, legislation, piracy, scams, spam, spyware, and reporting cybercrime. For Victoria Roddel, computer safety is about more than just protecting the data in a computer. It’s about protecting every computer and everyone who comes in contact with the household computer. Roddel offers many resources to help home computer users find the legal help they may need at www.ccmostwanted.com and in "Internet Safety Family Guide". She is devoted to not only educating users about the risks and precautions that they can take while using the internet but also providing the steps they can take towards reclaiming their life and computer once a cybercrime or a virus attacks. The "Internet Safety Kids' Guide" (ISBN 1411666992 & 1411666984) is intended for middle school students emphasizing fraud, lies, strangers, piracy, privacy, spam, computer infectors, computer security, passwords, self respect and respect for others. The "Internet Safety Young Readers' Guide" (ISBN 1411667271) is intended for grade school students but can easily be used by adult limited readers. This book emphasizes usernames, passwords, secrets, avoiding strangers and respect for self and others.
We asked Roddel of the computer safety resource website www.ccmostwanted.com to share her top five ways to protect home computer users online.
1)
Don't leave the telecommunications cable (broadband modem, phone line) physically connected to your home computer when the internet is not in use. The only 100% safe computer is the one that is not connected to the internet.
2)
Protect, watch, and supervise your children online just as you do with all their everyday activities. Do not assume that your children are safe because they are in your home using a computer.
3)
Never open an attachment from an unfamiliar sender and scan suspicious attachments with a trusted virus scanner before opening.
4)
Use firewalls, anti-virus, and spyware detection software on a regular basis. Be sure to download and install from the software manufacturer's website all available security patches and updates for all installed programs on your computer on a regular basis.
5)
Protect your personal information and identity. Your life and the quality of your life depend on criminals not impersonating you to gain credit, money, a reputation, or committing a crime in your name.
“The most important thing for families to understand is that cybercrime is not different than any offline felony. True, the tools are newer and still unfamiliar to many people, but the classic criminals are still the same as the earliest days of civilization: the child predator, the robber, the scam artist, the stalker, the swindler, etc. When an individual maintains his personal health and protects himself and his family, he is contributing to the safety of his community, town, county, state, and country. You wouldn’t just leave the front door to your home wide open for fear that someone might destroy or steal what is important to you. In the same way, you don’t want to leave the household computer open to those who want to wipe out, take something from, or leave something in it. The household computer contains personal information.
Not just your shopping habits, your friend’s emails and what sites were visited for fun but also banking, tax, and other confidential information. Many people don’t realize the extent of the problems they could face when their computers aren’t protected and their family is not informed and supervised. Many parents, for example, don’t realize that if their children or children’s friends use their computer for illegal activities (illegal downloads, harassment, fraud), they are the ones legally responsible for the crime since the machine is most likely registered under their name and they are responsible for the safety and actions of their children. The responsibility is not different than their child accidentally breaking a neighbor's window”, says Roddel.
"Internet Safety Family Guide" is the first book for the home computer user that provides the basics of ALL aspects of internet safety regardless of the level of computer experience and despite whether the home computer user uses a Macintosh, Microsoft, or Open Source operating system. With more than 300 helpful links,the books are available at your favorite bookstore and Lulu Press www.lulu.com/InternetSafety.
