Conveniently Safe: How to Securely Use the Internet to Make Life Easy

By: Bill Wardell
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:23:29
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The Internet has become the most valuable tool in everyones life since the telephone, but I’ll admit, it was a little scary at first. If you’ve never had contact with the World Wide Web, it’s hard to not be turned off by the countless stories of identity theft, fraud, and predators on the net. True, the bad guys log on as often as the good guys, but don’t let the fear of cyber criminals, swindlers and predators stop you from using the Internet. Honestly, the majority of the online experiences you have will be with good people, that have good values and want to be safe too. Even if you do not know how to protect yourself, it's better to be safe than sorry, here’s a beginner’s guide to using the Internet to make your life more hassle-free, while still keeping yourself and your possessions safe.

Learning The Internet is the largest library in the world, and you have access to it from the privacy of your own home. Whether you need a quick fact or want to read one of many articles on a specific topic, they are readily available at your fingers. The best way to find information on the Internet is by using a search engine.

Search engines are services that search the web for keywords. For example, if you want to learn about volcanoes, all you have to do to bring up more information than you could ever need is to type the word volcano into a search engine’s search box and hit enter. Some of the best and most popular search engines are Google, Yahoo, and Ask.com.

Be as specific as you can when typing in keywords. You can put quotes around words you want the search engine to look for together. Using the example above, typing the word volcano into Google will bring up hundreds of thousands of web pages. Typing “active volcanoes” will bring many less. Continue to narrow the topic until you have a manageable number of website to view.

Sometimes, certain more non-general search engines require you to sign up before using them. These smaller databases don’t search the entire web, but they can lead to more specific information, such as real estate records or literary articles. There may also be a fee associated with these services. Be wary whenever any site asks you for personal information. If asking for a credit card number or social security number, the site should advertise that it is secure. Read the entire terms of agreement, because some websites may send your email address to third parties or have other policies that are annoying or potentially dangerous. Search engines are a convenient way to get information without hitting the library, but remember that you always need to protect yourself. Also, remember that anyone can write anything they want on the net—unless you pay for a service, it cannot be guaranteed that you will find factual and unbiased information on the websites you visit.

Another way to learn on the Internet is by taking online classes. Many school's offer this option for adult students who have little time or students who live in areas where college is impossible. Online classes are a great way to add to your professional skill, but make sure you are taking them from a reputable college before you begin. If you plan to transfer to a physical college, call their college relations or academic advising department to get a list of online classes that will be accepted for credit when you transfer.

If you plan to complete your degree online, research your options before you pay for any classes— some “schools” have classes taught by unqualified individuals just trying to make a buck. Be especially wary of online schools that advertise their schooling as inexpensive; education is important, so quality will rarely be low-priced. Generally, just be cautious and protect yourself. You don’t want to finish a year’s worth of work and then realize that the school can’t offer you an official degree, only a certificate of achievement. Online schooling can make your life easy because the learning is on your own time, but make sure you are getting the services you want from your online school.

Keeping in Touch When kids move away from home, they don’t have a lot of money, so calling friends and family longdistance won't be a good option. However, as soon as they have signed up for an email account, they find out that not only does the Internet make communication easier, but it also makes it faster. Within a few days, they will be talking to all of their favorite people daily for no cost. If they wanted to they can even set up an account for there 85-year-old grandmother and teach her how to log on to her email at home or at the local library. Sure, it is much quicker for her to write a letter than type, but she receives replies from them, this way easily and instantly. A number of websites offer free email accounts. There’s really no reason to pay for email, unless you have specific needs that can’t be met by a normal account, such as would be used by a business. Keep yourself safe by using one of the better-known services—MSN’s hotmail and Yahoo are two good options.

Once you have an account set up, be selective with who gets your address or account information. No one at any website should ever ask for your password. Protect this as you would a PIN number for a bank account. Also, you’re bound to get some spam, no matter how careful you are with your email address. Spam is the Internet equivalent to junk mail, and is usually harmless. However, never click on any links or install any programs brought to you by spam, because this may install spyware onto your computer. By doing this, hackers really can spy on you to find out information such as bank account numbers, passwords, and social security numbers.

Shopping and Paying Bills Shopping on the Internet is dangerous for me—my collection of fun Internet toys has grown by at least 20 fold in the last month. It’s hard to stop myself when I see the awesome price that discount websites are offering. Not to mention the fact that I can shop at all of my favorite stores without leaving my house—everyone’s got an Internet store these days, and I’m loving the time-saving convenience. And what I can’t find on a store’s Internet site, I can find on eBay and usually for cheaper than the store price.

Of course, shopping online is the easiest way to get scammed, and the daily news proves that by running countless stories of the Internet bad guys making out with honest people’s money. It’s a shame, but this is where you need to be the most careful.

First, always be sure that your credit card company has some kind of insurance policy—you should not be liable for fraudulent charges if you report them right away. I recommend getting one credit card that you only use for Internet purchases. This way, if anything fishy happens, you can cut it off right away without having to wallow through a mess of past statements to find the information you need. Second, make sure your computer is clean before you make purchases. You should actually have a security program on your computer no matter what, but if you haven’t bought one yet, please do so. These types of programs can be a bit pricey, but don’t skimp so you can buy those extra leather sling backs—your security needs to come first.

Lastly, go with your gut. A store like the Gap is not going to cheat you or steal your information, and you should realize that. These well-known stores also probably do not have the best online prices, however, so you’ll probably be lured to an auction site or discount site. Make sure the seller is reputable before making any online purchases and be sure to read the fine print—sometimes a T-shirt will be advertised as only costing $1.00, but then the shipping and handling will be $40.00. Overall, just be cautious and street-smart.

Dating I recently saw a sign that read “Dating is hard—so is becoming the crazy cat lady.” With the Internet, though, dating isn’t that hard anymore! With websites like e-Harmony, which match you with people of similar interests, backgrounds, and needs, dating has actually become quite convenient. All you have to do to get started is sign up and create a profile. Some are very in depth and ask for your preferences about everything from spiritual life to workout routine, and then match you to people who’ve said similar things. Others create more of a community, where you write a biography of yourself to post and you can browse through singles in your area instead of being matching by a computer.

You can find truly compatible people with a few clicks of the mouse, and better yet, you can get to know a little about them before committing to a date. There’s still the element of adventure there, but it’s so much less risky—it’s like setting yourself up on a blind date. Plus, you can log on and read a person’s profile at your convenience whether it be day or night. Most sites make it easy to get in contact with a person so that you can chat and maybe, eventually, meet face-to-face.

Online dating is one of the best and scariest Internet tools. Online dating is a great way to make friends and find potential relationships, but it’s also a tool that predators can use to look for victims. Many people on these sites are simply looking for physical relationships, not long-term boyfriends or girlfriends. This isn’t necessarily dangerous, but it can be if the person is aggressive and sees something he or she wants. In any case, it’s important not to give away too much personal information about yourself, at least not right away. If you actually want to meet a person, sure you’re going to have to tell him a general location, but full addresses are not necessary. People can change a lot from a chat room to real life, and you’ll be better able to tell if a person is trust worthy in a face-to-face situation. When meeting someone, just be safe. Never give out your home address or have them pick you up somewhere. That’s how abductions occur. Instead, meet the other person in a location that is well populated, such as a restaurant or mall. Stay away from bars—you may lose some of the “he’s a bad guy” instinct after downing a few beers. Also, when possible, try to meet a person during the day instead of at night. Looks can be deceiving, so treat this person as a brand new acquaintance, even if you have been chatting online with him or her for weeks. Predators don’t always look and sound like what you’d expect them to look and sound like, so meet the person in public places for the first few weeks, as you would with any other random person you meet. Even after that, until you truly trust the person, be aware of your surroundings at all times, and protect possessions such as your credit card by always keeping them on your person.

The Internet Really is Conveniently Safe… …if you make it that way. Online criminals have become Internet-savvy, so your job to protect yourself, your family, and your possessions has become harder. However, the web is too valuable of a tool to give up completely for fear of becoming victim to a predator. The Internet is generally safe, and is definitely convenient for many tasks. Guard yourself online as you would in real life, and you can have an easier daily schedule without sacrificing the security that you want and need.

Article source: Expert Articles