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Don't talk to strangers. Look both ways before you cross the street. Don't play with matches. Be careful. Do these safety rules sound familiar? They should, because you've probably heard them over and over again. All kids get the same warnings from parents, teachers, and other people who care. They're giving you one simple message: play it smart no matter what you do.
Wherever you are, being smart helps you to keep safe, and the Internet is no exception. The Internet isn't really a dangerous place. For the most part, it's lots of fun. On the Net, anything goes--that's why you'll find lots of wonderful stuff to see and do. But this freedom also has its flip side.
Just like dangers in the real world, problems on the Net include theft, intruders, nasty messages, hate literature, and people you want to avoid, who may be dishonest or dangerous or both. Because millions of computers on the Net are hooked up to each other, nasty messages from nasty people spread quickly across the Net. Computer illnesses, or viruses, are also very contagious. Your computer can "catch" a virus from Japan, for example, and pass it on to a computer in Boston. In just a few seconds, thousands of computers around the world can become "sick".
Luckily, it's easy to have fun and be safe. From buying a virus checker, a program that spots bad bugs, to being careful about the information you share, there are ways for you and your computer to be safe on the Net. The following will tell you about most of them, but no one can give you all the warnings. The most important thing to remember is this play: Play it smart no matter what you do.
This did happen...
To: XXXXX XXXXX
From: XXXXX XXXXX
Subject: Warn Your Friends
This is very scary and will make you think...
Shannon could hear the footsteps behind her as she walked toward home. The thought of being followed made her heart beat faster. "You're being silly," she told herself, "no one is following you." To be safe, she began to walk faster, but the footsteps kept up with her pace. She was afraid to look back and she was glad she was almost home. She saw the porch light burning and ran the rest of the way to her house. Once inside, she leaned against the door for a moment, relieved to be in the safety of her home.
She glanced out the window to see if anyone was there. The sidewalk was empty. After tossing her books on the sofa, she decided to grab a snack and get online.
She logged on under her screen name ByAngel213. She checked her Buddy List and saw GoTo123 was on. She sent him an instant message:
ByAngel213: Hi, I'm glad you are on! I thought someone was following me home today. It was really weird!
GoTo123: You watch too much tv. Why would someone be following you? Don't you live in a safe neighborhood?
ByAngel213: Of course I do. LOL I guess it was my imagination cuz' I didn't see anybody when I looked out.
GoTo123: Unless you gave your name online. You haven't done that have you?
ByAngel213: Of course not. I'm not stupid you know.
GoTo123: Did you have a softball game after school today?
ByAngel213: Yes and we won!
GoTo123: That's great! Who did you play?
ByAngel213: We played the Hornets. Their uniforms are so gross! They look like bees.
GoTo123: What is your team called?
ByAngel213: We are the Canton Cats. We have tiger paws on our uniforms. They are really kewl.
GoTo123: Did you pitch?
ByAngel213: No I play second base. I got to go. My homework has to be done before my parents get home. I don't want them mad at me. Bye.
GoTo123: Catch you later. Bye.
Meanwhile... GoTo123 went to the member menu and began to search for her profile. When it came up he highlighted it and printed it out. He took out a pen a began to write down what he knew about Angel so far.
Her name: Shannon
Birthday: January 3, 1985
Age: 13
State where she lived: North Carolina
Hobbies: softball, chorus, skating and go to the mall.
Besides this information, he knew she lived in Canton because she had just told him. He knew she stayed by herself until 6:30 p.m. every afternoon until her parents came home from work. He knew she played softball on Thursday afternoons on the school team, and the team was named the Canton Cats. Her favorite number 7 was printed on her jersey. She had told him all this in the conversation they had online. He had enough information to find her now.
Shannon didn't tell her parents about the incident on the way home from the walking home from the softball games. Parents were always overacting and hers were the worst. It made her wish she was not an only child. Maybe if she had brothers and sisters, her parents wouldn't be so overprotective.
By Thursday, Shannon had forgotten about the footsteps following her. Her game was in full swing when suddenly she felt someone staring at her. It was then that the memory came back. She glanced up from her second base position to see a man watching her closely. He was leaning against the fence behind first base and when she looked at him. He didn't look scary and she quickly dismissed the fear she had felt. After the game, he sat on a bleacher while she talked to the coach. She noticed his smile once again as she walked past him. He nodded and she smiled back. He noticed her name on the back of her shirt. He knew he had found her. Quietly, he walked a safe distance behind her. It was only a few block to Shannon's home, and once he saw where she lived, he quickly returned to the park to get his car. Now he had to wait. He decided to get a bite to eat until the time came to go to Shannon's house. He drove to a fast food restaurant and sat there until it was time to make his move.
Shannon was in her room later that evening when she heard voices in the living room. "Shannon, come here," her father called. He sounded upset and she couldn't imagine why. She went into the room to see the man from the ballpark sitting on the sofa.
"Sit down," her father began, "this man has just told us a most interesting story about you."
Shannon moved cautiously to a chair across from the man. How could he tell her parents anything? She had never seen him before today!
"Do you know who I am, Shannon?" the man asked.
"No," Shannon answered.
"I am a police officer and your online friend GoTo123".
Shannon was stunned. "That's impossible! GoTo is a kid my age! He's 14 and lives in Michigan!
The man smiled, "I know I told you all that, but it wasn't true. You see Shannon, there are people online who pretend to be kids; I was one of them. But while others do it to find kids and hurt them, I belong to a group of parents who do it to protect kids from predators. I came here to find you to teach you how dangerous it is to give out too much information to people online. You told me enough about yourself to make it easy for me to find you. Your name, the school you went to, the name of your ball team and the position you played. The number and name on your jersey just made finding you a breeze."
Shannon was stunned. "You mean you don't live in Michigan?"
He laughed. "No, I live in Raleigh. It made you feel safe to think I was so far away, didn't it?" She nodded. "I had a friend whose daughter was like you. Only she wasn't as lucky. The guy found her and murdered her while she was home alone. Kids are taught not to tell anyone when they are alone, yet they do it all the time online. The wrong people trick you into giving out information a little here and there online. Before you know it, you have told them enough for them to find you without even realizing you have done it. I hope you have learned your lesson from this and won't do it again."
"I won't," Shannon promised solemnly. "Will you tell others about this so they will be safe too?"
"It's a promise!!"
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Internet Safety
You can't "lock" your computer the way you lock your front door, but keeping intruders out of your computer is just as important as keeping burglars out of your home. You may not have important files or secret documents to protect, but that doesn't mean a hacker, a computer criminal, won't want to break into your computer. You see, if someone uses your ID to get onto the Net, then that persons becomes you on the Net. And anything that person does on the Net--good or bad--look like it's being done by you.The best security device you have on the Net is your password. The key to safety is keeping your password a secret. Most passwords are combinations of 36 common characters: the 26 letters of the English alphabet (A through Z) and the 10 numerals (0 through 9). Whatever your password is, you want it to be something that a hacker won't crack.
Your password might be a combination that you choose to use, it may have come with your software, or it could be a computer-generated combination that was sent to you by mail along with your Internet address. Most people don't need to know their password by heart because it's automatically programmed into their computer to speed up the process of logging on. You can use this kind of password, but make sure you have it written down some place safe because, it you forget it, you could be "locked out" of the Net.
Crack-proof Passwords
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This site was created by
Laura Parcell for the primary purpose of teaching and demonstrating computer skills.Any questions, comments, or suggestions concerning this page or this web site should be forwarded to