Internet safety

Internet safety or online safety is the security of people and their info when using the Internet. Numerous groups, Internet sites and governments have expressed concerns over the safety of children using the Internet. In the UK the Get Safe Online campaign has received sponsorship from government agency SOCA and major Internet companies such as Microsoft and eBay. Several crimes can be committed on the Internet such as stalking, identity theft and more. Most social networking and chat sites have a page about safety.

Issues

The main issues with Internet safety include:

Avoiding 'net nasties' including: phishing, malware and viruses.

Avoiding unwelcome sites, particularly pornography and other sites that may be unsuitable for children.

Organisations

Many organisations are involved in making the Internet a safer place. This includes governments, global associations such as Insafe, non-profits and businesses that are affected by problems on the Internet, such as banks.

Tools

https allows websites to encrypt traffic between the browser and the server. This helps protect against stealing passwords.

Filtering at the computer, with filtering software, such as Net Nanny or OnlineFamily.Norton from Symantec. See Parental controls.

DNS filtering

Website filtering at the ISP or country level