You cannot deny the fact that the Internet has opened an endless world of possibilities for our children. It is an amazing tool that can bring together information and people from around the world. It helps our children learn, explore their world, and socialize with their friends. But, the Internet can also make children vulnerable to certain risks and dangers to their privacy and personal safety.
Here are a few Internet safety tips from the National Crime Prevention Council to help keep your kids safe on the Internet.

• Keep the computer in a high-traffic area of your home and establish limits for which online sites your children may visit and for how long. Remember that Internet technology can be mobile, so make sure to monitor cell phones, gaming devices, and laptops.
• Set rules for social networking, instant messaging, emailing, online gaming, and using webcams.
• Discuss with your children what is personal information and why they should keep it private.
• Advise your children to never agree to get together with someone they “meet” online without first checking with a parent. If a parent agrees to the meeting, require that it be in a public place.
• Discuss with your children that they should not post pictures of themselves or others online that you (their parent) would consider inappropriate.
• Remind your children that if they wouldn’t say something to another person’s face, they shouldn’t text it or post it online.

It is important to familiarize yourself with what your children are doing online and to have an open dialogue with your children about online safety.

For added safety, you can install parental control software on your computer that will restrict access to unsuitable web pages and controls how your kids can use the Internet. You should also install an anti-virus software and anti-spyware software before your kids start using the internet. This will help to secure and protect your computer from online hacking. And with ImOn Communications offers Tech Home Services that includes both desktop security and parental controls for your online protection and peace of mind. For more information on ImOn’s Tech Home services, visit: http://www.MyImOn.com/TechHome.