There are many manufacturers of anti-virus software including BullGuard, BitDefender, Frisk, Grisoft, McAfee, Sophos, SymantecandTrend. Some, such as Grisoft, even supply a free version of their AVG anti-virus software, while others, such as Trend, offer a free online virus scan.
McAfee Plus offers proactive PC security to prevent malicious attacks, so you can protect what you value as well as surf, search, and download files online with confidence.
AVG offers All in one (Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, Anti-Rootkit, Anti-Spam, Firewal, Safe Downloads, Safe Instant Messaging, Safe Search, Safe Surf, System Tools, Technical Support)
with AVG antivirus, the signature updates are seamless and unobtrusive. The way security updates should be. But as a user - besides AVG offering a freebasic version of its software.
I like AVG Antivirus because it delivers on a simple promise, and not a fantasy of how information might be managed in the future
Friday, 2 May 2008
Tuesday, 8 January 2008
Be Careful when meeting people
Many people have gone on to from lasting friendships with people they have originally met online, but you must be very careful if you are asked to a real-life meeting with someone you have only met online. You should think about why they want to meet you for real.
If you do decide that you want to meet them, arrange the meeting in a public place and take along a parent or an older friend that you can trust. Anyone who won't agree to these arrangements probably has something to hide.
Go to the Netsafe web site and view the video entitled "Be cautious about meeting online friends".
You've now reached the end of this section of the course. You can return to any topic by using the menu at the left-hand side of the screen, or you can return to the home page for the course by clicking the NetSafe logo at the top left of the screen.
If you do decide that you want to meet them, arrange the meeting in a public place and take along a parent or an older friend that you can trust. Anyone who won't agree to these arrangements probably has something to hide.
Go to the Netsafe web site and view the video entitled "Be cautious about meeting online friends".
You've now reached the end of this section of the course. You can return to any topic by using the menu at the left-hand side of the screen, or you can return to the home page for the course by clicking the NetSafe logo at the top left of the screen.
Be Cautious with E-mail
The best way of dealing with e-mails from an address you don't recognise is to discard them completely. That way, they can't cause any harm to you or your machine.
You should never open an e-mail attachment from anyone you don't know. The attachment could easily be a virus or some kind of objectionable material - this is one of the commonest ways in which viruses are spread.
Many e-mail programs prevent users from opening attachments with any kind of "active" content, ie: anything which runs a program or script which could damage your computer.
You should also avoid following hyperlinks in e-mail messages from anyone you don't know, as they can lead to web sites which will infect your system with a virus or spyware, or display objectionable material.
Finally, never reply to unwanted emails. That simply lets the sender know that your e-mail address is genuine and is likely to lead to more unwanted emails in future.
You should never open an e-mail attachment from anyone you don't know. The attachment could easily be a virus or some kind of objectionable material - this is one of the commonest ways in which viruses are spread.
Many e-mail programs prevent users from opening attachments with any kind of "active" content, ie: anything which runs a program or script which could damage your computer.
You should also avoid following hyperlinks in e-mail messages from anyone you don't know, as they can lead to web sites which will infect your system with a virus or spyware, or display objectionable material.
Finally, never reply to unwanted emails. That simply lets the sender know that your e-mail address is genuine and is likely to lead to more unwanted emails in future.
Reporting Abuse
A moment ago, we mentioned that you can report abuse online to CEOP, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre by clicking on the Report Abuse button:
If you click on this button you'll be taken to a page where you'll be warned that you must agree to the content of your report being shared with international law enforcement agencies and that you will be required to enter your name, age and at least one means of contact. If you are not willing to accept these conditions, you can click another link to be taken to a page where you can make an anonymous report.
If you agree to these conditions, you will be directed to another page where you will be asked whether you want to report online content or online abuse. Once you have made your choice you will be asked to enter your personal details, then directed to the appropriate reporting site.
If you click on this button you'll be taken to a page where you'll be warned that you must agree to the content of your report being shared with international law enforcement agencies and that you will be required to enter your name, age and at least one means of contact. If you are not willing to accept these conditions, you can click another link to be taken to a page where you can make an anonymous report.
If you agree to these conditions, you will be directed to another page where you will be asked whether you want to report online content or online abuse. Once you have made your choice you will be asked to enter your personal details, then directed to the appropriate reporting site.
Be Careful in Chatrooms
Chatrooms are generally designed to allow groups of people to chat, and allow anyone to contribute their comments. However, many chatrooms allow the facility to move away from the public area to a private chat, where only those invited can take part.
This is fine if you want to have a private chat amongst a few friends, but be wary if anyone you don't know asks you to take part in a private chat. Why do they want to talk to you alone? What do they want to say that they don't want anyone else to know about? If anyone in a chatroom says anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, tell someone you trust, such as a parent or teacher.
You can also report abuse online to CEOP, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre. Many social networking web sites now display CEOP's Report Abuse button which you can click to report abuse instantly:
This is fine if you want to have a private chat amongst a few friends, but be wary if anyone you don't know asks you to take part in a private chat. Why do they want to talk to you alone? What do they want to say that they don't want anyone else to know about? If anyone in a chatroom says anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, tell someone you trust, such as a parent or teacher.
You can also report abuse online to CEOP, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre. Many social networking web sites now display CEOP's Report Abuse button which you can click to report abuse instantly:
Guard Your Personal Information
You wouldn't give out your e-mail address or telephone number to a stranger you met in the street or at a concert, so why give it out to someone you have met via the Internet? Remember that if you give out information in a chatroom, everyone in that chatroom can see it - not just those you want to see it.
If the wrong people get hold of your mobile number you could find yourself receiving unpleasant or threatening text messages, or even being attacked by a mobile phone viruses. In the worst cases, you may be forced to change your mobile number, which can be a major nuisance for both you and your real friends.
Similarly, giving out your email address too freely can lead to unwanted spam or other undesirable e-mail. If you feel you have to give out your e-mail address online, it's a good idea to use a disposable e-mail address, such as a Hotmail or Yahoo address, and keep your real e-mail address secret. That way, if anything unpleasant happens, you can simply stop using the affected address and sign up for another one.
If you do start to receive abusive texts or emails, let your parents or a teacher know. Telephone companies can often trace the source of text messages and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) may be able to trace the senders of e-mails. Your e-mail program may also allow you to block e-mail messages from specified addresses, or even restrict the messages you can receive to messages from friends already in your address book.
If the wrong people get hold of your mobile number you could find yourself receiving unpleasant or threatening text messages, or even being attacked by a mobile phone viruses. In the worst cases, you may be forced to change your mobile number, which can be a major nuisance for both you and your real friends.
Similarly, giving out your email address too freely can lead to unwanted spam or other undesirable e-mail. If you feel you have to give out your e-mail address online, it's a good idea to use a disposable e-mail address, such as a Hotmail or Yahoo address, and keep your real e-mail address secret. That way, if anything unpleasant happens, you can simply stop using the affected address and sign up for another one.
If you do start to receive abusive texts or emails, let your parents or a teacher know. Telephone companies can often trace the source of text messages and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) may be able to trace the senders of e-mails. Your e-mail program may also allow you to block e-mail messages from specified addresses, or even restrict the messages you can receive to messages from friends already in your address book.
Know Who You're Chatting To
Unfortunately, the Internet makes it easy for people to give out false information about who they are, for example their age, gender, location, hobbies or interests.
There's a famous cartoon showing that On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog, but the ability to hide behind a false identity can have more sinister implications. In particular, people trying to take advantage of children or teenagers will often lie about their age and pretend that they share interests with those they are talking to, so that they can gain their trust.
You may come across things that make you feel uncomfortable when you are chatting to someone, for instance, they may push you for personal information, such as your address or mobile number, or they may be reluctant to answer your questions. You should be particularly suspicious of anyone who asks you to keep your chats secret.
If anything makes you feel uncomfortable, you should tell a responsible adult, such as a parent or teacher. If the situation is innocent, no harm will be done, but if it is not, you may protect yourself or someone else from danger.
Go to the Netsafe web site and view the video entitled "Online friends may not be who they say they are"
There's a famous cartoon showing that On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog, but the ability to hide behind a false identity can have more sinister implications. In particular, people trying to take advantage of children or teenagers will often lie about their age and pretend that they share interests with those they are talking to, so that they can gain their trust.
You may come across things that make you feel uncomfortable when you are chatting to someone, for instance, they may push you for personal information, such as your address or mobile number, or they may be reluctant to answer your questions. You should be particularly suspicious of anyone who asks you to keep your chats secret.
If anything makes you feel uncomfortable, you should tell a responsible adult, such as a parent or teacher. If the situation is innocent, no harm will be done, but if it is not, you may protect yourself or someone else from danger.
Go to the Netsafe web site and view the video entitled "Online friends may not be who they say they are"
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