Just as any weapon has the potential to be used as good or evil, the internet is also susceptible to evil. Because so many choose to use the internet for their business and personal communication and have made the internet such a huge part of today's society, criminals flock to take advantage here of anyone they can.
Internet Scams
Scams on the internet are as common as the hundreds of unsolicited messages people get in their e-mail daily. These messages have actually been where many scams originate and claim their victims. Over the last four years, the number that have been deceived by these scams has been on the rise, 2005 showed $13 million were lost by US citizens to online scams. Durring hard times it seems even more people are scammed.
Scams don't employ the same technique every time they strike, they have multiple ways in wich they seek to deceive from very simple to very complex. There have been victims who learned the hard way that scam artist will even catch them through using big internet entities such as PayPal and E-Bay.
Computer Infections
One negative to the internet is the fact that there are many viruses that your computer can catch online that have been put there by malicious people. By just surfing on the web or opening up your own e-mail your computer could be at risk of contracting one of these things.
Unsolicited email sent by spammers is notoriously known for coming attached with malicious software, be it a virus, Trojan or worm. Once you open the attachment, your system becomes compromised and might spread the infection along to people in your contact list.
Programs known as adwares are even more potentially hazardious, because they can send you waves of advertisements that you don't want as well as spyware that can actually monitor your online actions and record your valuable information. Some viruses may only cause your computer to run slowly while other have the power to completely destroy every file you have and turn your computer into a paper weight.
Web 2.0 Social Media
There is yet another negative to the internet and it may not appear to be as danger as it can be at its worst. Online communities like MySpace are looked at as nothing more than fun and games, however, where evil can get in it does. There are so many people who will enjoy these sites and post stupid pictures of themselves or even personal information and not know the danger they have just placed themselves in.
MySpace profiles that are accessible to anyone can be viewed to prove that thousands of people will reveal their personal information and pictures without a second thought. Web sites like MySpace can and have been the focus of many offline crimes that result in simple arrests and also murder.
Practice Safe Internet Usage
There is no way to completely clean up the internet, but you can minimize the risks associated with it. Parents can begin by installing an internet filtering program to restrict their children?s access to explicit material, as well as anti-virus software to protect against the wide range of computer threats.
Furthermore, all internet users should be instructed to never respond to unsolicited email or give away any sensitive information to strangers online. By installing reliable security software and practicing safe computing, you can greatly reduce your chances of being impacted by the dangers of the internet.
Internet Scams
Scams on the internet are as common as the hundreds of unsolicited messages people get in their e-mail daily. These messages have actually been where many scams originate and claim their victims. Over the last four years, the number that have been deceived by these scams has been on the rise, 2005 showed $13 million were lost by US citizens to online scams. Durring hard times it seems even more people are scammed.
Scams don't employ the same technique every time they strike, they have multiple ways in wich they seek to deceive from very simple to very complex. There have been victims who learned the hard way that scam artist will even catch them through using big internet entities such as PayPal and E-Bay.
Computer Infections
One negative to the internet is the fact that there are many viruses that your computer can catch online that have been put there by malicious people. By just surfing on the web or opening up your own e-mail your computer could be at risk of contracting one of these things.
Unsolicited email sent by spammers is notoriously known for coming attached with malicious software, be it a virus, Trojan or worm. Once you open the attachment, your system becomes compromised and might spread the infection along to people in your contact list.
Programs known as adwares are even more potentially hazardious, because they can send you waves of advertisements that you don't want as well as spyware that can actually monitor your online actions and record your valuable information. Some viruses may only cause your computer to run slowly while other have the power to completely destroy every file you have and turn your computer into a paper weight.
Web 2.0 Social Media
There is yet another negative to the internet and it may not appear to be as danger as it can be at its worst. Online communities like MySpace are looked at as nothing more than fun and games, however, where evil can get in it does. There are so many people who will enjoy these sites and post stupid pictures of themselves or even personal information and not know the danger they have just placed themselves in.
MySpace profiles that are accessible to anyone can be viewed to prove that thousands of people will reveal their personal information and pictures without a second thought. Web sites like MySpace can and have been the focus of many offline crimes that result in simple arrests and also murder.
Practice Safe Internet Usage
There is no way to completely clean up the internet, but you can minimize the risks associated with it. Parents can begin by installing an internet filtering program to restrict their children?s access to explicit material, as well as anti-virus software to protect against the wide range of computer threats.
Furthermore, all internet users should be instructed to never respond to unsolicited email or give away any sensitive information to strangers online. By installing reliable security software and practicing safe computing, you can greatly reduce your chances of being impacted by the dangers of the internet.
About the Author:
Sam Garnebo has been helping parents with tools and knowledge to protect their children for more than ten years. Check out his blog on Internet Filters for tools and techniques. Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.
No comments:
Post a Comment