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The Internet has opened a world of new opportunities and is so much a part of our lives that it would be impossible to imagine living without it.
Singapore has one of the highest Internet penetration rates in Asia, with two-thirds of the population online. It is no surprise that high-profile cases of online identity theft and computer viruses are fuelling concern about safety and security on the Web.
To ensure a more trustworthy Web experience, parents and their kids need to understand the constantly-evolving risks and threats that exist online.
The good news is that today's online threats are for the most part manageable and avoidable, and there are solutions — both technological and behavioural — for the various problems and risks.
Once you understand this, the next step is to set up appropriate and adequate defences against them. Adopt a three-pronged approach: Protect yourself, protect your family and protect your computer.
Protect Yourself
Before you download any files, whether it is clicking on a link from an email or upgrading software from the Web, ensure they are from a trustworthy site.
Files you download can be a vehicle for malicious content such as malware (malicious software) and spyware.
It is also important to use passwords that have eight characters and include numbers, letters and symbols. Do not open unknown emails or attachments and do not reply to unsolicited or suspicious emails.
Manage your personal information carefully. When shopping or making payments online, read through the company's policies on Internet security to understand how they will handle your personal information and ensure they use secure online forms for purchasing; never send your credit card or financial information by email. The secure site should ideally have an address starting with "https" and have a locked padlock icon at the bottom of the page.
Protect Your Family
A recent survey done by the Singapore Broadcasting Authority found that the topmost concern of parents is their children accessing undesirable material on the Internet (77 per cent), followed by the worry that the children would reveal their personal information online (68 per cent).
It is important for parents to know what their children are doing online, and to find a way of doing this without intruding upon their privacy.
Key to this is having regular, open conversations to understand what kids are doing online. Learn about the websites they visit, who their friends are and what games they like.
At the same time, set clear rules on Internet usage. Discuss what activities are appropriate, what information to share and how much time to spend on the computer. You can use family safety software to help you set limits on what your children see and do online.
Protect Your Computer
Cyber crime is growing. Home computers have been hijacked for the purpose of identity theft and insecure websites have been turned into launching pads for spam and phishing scams.
The first step in protecting your computer is to turn on your firewall. A firewall helps to manage the information that enters and leaves your computer from the Internet.
Also, run the latest antivirus and antispyware software. Antivirus software protects the computer from viruses and other malicious software, while antispyware protects the computer against pop-ups, slow performance and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software. You should run software updates at least once a week. - TODAY/sh
The writer is from Legal and Corporate Affairs, Microsoft Asia-Pacific
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