Internet SafetyBy: Brianna Brown

Index

•What Is Internet Safety?•Passwords•Cyber Bullying•Safety Tips•Quiz

What Is Internet Safety?

•Learn about llamas, read up on your favorite skateboard star, or study a stegosaurus. You can do all these things online and then email or text message your best friend about it. But when you're moving through cyberspace, you need to stay safe.

Passwords

•Keep your passwords secret▫Do not reveal passwords to others-keep

your passwords hidden, even from friends.▫Protect recorded passwords-Be careful

where you store passwords that you record or write down. Don't store passwords in your backpack or wallet.

Do’s and Don’ts of Passwords • Do:1. use four character types –

lower case letters, upper case letters, numbers and other eg punctuation

2. use long passwords – the longer the password, the harder it is to brute force. However, some older systems don’t allow this and have limits of 8 or 14 characters.

3. use variations on different accounts

• Don’t1. base a password on

personal data, eg dog’s name, car registration, username

2. choose a word found in a dictionary – password dictionaries make these particularly easy to crack in a ‘dictionary attack’

3. use simple transformation or substitution eg drowssap or Pa$$w0rd

4. use fewer than 8 characters and solely alpha- or numeric characters

Cyber BullyingWhen you're using the computer, it can be tempting to use a screen name as a kind of mask. It might seem fun to play a joke on someone — by teasing the person or pretending to be someone else. Or maybe you're angry with someone and it's easier to say something rude if the person doesn't know it's you.

Just like in the real world, it's mean and hurtful to do stuff like that online. Even if you're only kidding, they might not know that you're only joking and they might be very hurt or angry by what you said. It's a lonely feeling when you don't know who's messing with you. Is it someone just being funny or does the person really mean it?

Whether they're strangers or friends, the rule is: Be Kind Online. Schools, teachers, and parents are all getting stricter about what is OK or not OK to send as a message on your phone or computer.

Here's a good test: If you wouldn't say it to someone's face, don't say it to the person on the computer. And just like with regular bullying, tell a grownup if you know that someone is being hurt in this way.

Safety Tips• First, remember never to give out personal information

such as your name, home address, school name, or telephone number in a chat room or on bulletin boards. Also, never send a picture of yourself to someone you chat with on the computer without your parent’s permission.

• Never write to someone who has made you feel uncomfortable or scared.

• Do not meet someone or have them visit you without the permission of your parents.

• Tell your parents right away if you read anything on the Internet that makes you feel uncomfortable

• Remember that people online may not be who they say they are. Someone who says that “she” is a “12-year-old girl” could really be an older man.

Quiz

•Which of the following is the correct method for creating a password?

•A. Base password on personal info•B. Use long passwords•C. Choose a word from the dictionary•D. Use Substitutions

That’s Right!!!

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The End