by Dawn Hawkins

Created on: February 27, 2009   Last Updated: December 26, 2011

Surfing the World Wide Web is a fun and interesting activity for people of all ages. It can also be a dangerous place for those who don't know the basic tips on internet safety.

There are people living in your computer that will intentionally do you harm if given half a chance. These can range anywhere from predators to thieves. In any case, they will jump on any chance you give them to turn your world topsy-turvy.

There are steps that you can take to lessen your chances of being hit by one of these criminals:

Anti-Spyware

These programs will help you keep the nosy people out. You may find an influx of spam in your email. They seem to know what you have been doing and where you have gone on the internet. That is because they do know. Keeping an anti-spyware program running on your computer keeps your business your own.

Shopping at secure sites

This is fairly simple. There is no problem with shopping online if you stick with sites that are secure. Most sites that are selling any kind of product will have security measures in place. Look for the Veri-Sign logo. Most of the secure web sites will give you information on the security they have in place. These sites will keep all of your credit card information securely away from the hands of would-be thieves.

Anti-Virus Protection

Every computer that is connected to the internet needs this. It is very easy to catch a virus from any given website. That is because there are people out there that love to wreak havoc on other peoples lives. It is beyond this writer to understand why it gives them such satisfaction, but it does. Keep your protection on to avoid these situations.

Chat/Blogs/Social Networking Precautions

It's great that you can keep in contact with friends and family. It's fabulous that you can meet people from around the world. What is not so fabulous is that some of those people are there to cause you trouble. It is easy to keep them out of your life. Keep your personal information private. This includes your address and phone number. You wouldn't believe how many people will publicly post their phone numbers and addresses in public forums. It's not a bad idea to keep, at a minimum, your last name private.

Anyone that knows you will know your last name. All others don't need to know it. Stay away from private messaging with people you don't know. This gives them a greater chance of stalking you or extracting information that you aren't even aware you are giving them.

Use the tools that websites such as Myspace make available. You can block users, make your profile private and report any improper behavior. Reputable sites will have many user tools that allow you to keep the bad people out. They want good experiences to come from the use of their sites. That is how they stay in business.

Following the above tips will help keep you and your computer safe and secure. They aren't difficult by any means but can leave your money in the bank account, your computer healthy and your body intact. There is absolutely nothing to lose by putting them into action and everything to lose if you don't.

Learn more about this author, Dawn Hawkins.
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