They’re fine, as are sites from legitimate news organizations covering the event, but approach other sites with caution, and do a little Web research about disaster relief and other charities. The official sites usually turn up at the top of search results. If you get a charity appeal, type the cause or organization into a search box and you’ll often find an official site along with numerous others that seem to be related. When disasters happen, good-hearted people young and old can be vulnerable to fake appeals for aid. Big news stories about famous people or natural disasters and other major events raise curiosity and web traffic, which brings out the scam artists. Make sure you’re dealing with a reputable security company. There are both paid and free programs for Windows and Macintosh computers and security apps for smartphones and tablets. It’s a good idea to have security software installed to protect your device. And if you update an app or program, check the privacy settings again to make sure they haven’t gone back to the default settings. This is especially important for operating systems and web browsers that can be more vulnerable to attack if not up-to-date (check to see if they update automatically). Regardless of whether you’re using a computer or a mobile device, it’s really important to keep your mobile and PC operating systems and your apps and software current, because it’s not uncommon for companies to discover security flaws and vulnerabilities that they fix with updates. There are easy ways to do all this, as we explain in Tips for Strong, Secure Passwords ( /passwords). If you need help remembering lots of passwords changed often, you can use password management software to remember and enter your passwords for you. Don’t use the same password on all sites. Having strong passwords and changing them periodically is fundamental to your and everybody’s security. Your best bet is not to click on the link but rather type the Web address (such as ) into your browser window and go the site that way. If you click on a link in the message, you’re taken to a website that looks legitimate but could be run by criminals trying to trick you to sign in with your username and password so they can capture that information. Phishing is when you get an email or a social media message that looks like it’s coming from a legitimate place such as a bank or a social networking site. They appear to link to something tantalizing but instead redirect you to a site that contains spam advertising, plants malware on your device or posts bad links on your own profile. Then there’s “clickjacking” – bogus links on social media pages that have been hacked. Rogue apps can look like and have similar names as legitimate ones they imitate. Often they look legitimate, offer something that is too good to be true or contain some type of “forbidden” content such as sexually explicit material, gambling or free movies or music. Malicious apps can also steal your information. These sites can install malicious software onto your device if you visit them or perhaps click on the sites’ links. Fake or malicious websites and apps (or legitimate ones that have been hacked by criminals) can jeopardize your device and the data on it. The social kind, often referred to as “social engineering,” is when people are tricked into putting their privacy and security at risk.Īlthough there can never be a 100% guarantee of safety and security online or offline, there are things you and your kids can do that can greatly reduce the chances of something going wrong: The digital kind involves apps and software that jeopardize the security of devices and the data on them. There are tremendous benefits to young people being online, but – for them and the rest of us – there are also some device and network security risks, both digital and social. Whether by using a smartphone, accessing the web, watching a video, texting or playing a game, chances are you’re “connected” whenever you’re using a digital device. Just about everyone is online these days, including the vast majority of teens and a growing number of young children.
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