LOS ANGELES, Sept. 9, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CyberDefender Corporation (Nasdaq:CYDE), a provider of Internet security software, utilities and Live PC Support services that work together to maximize online safety for consumers, today announced 10 very important tips for parents looking to keep their children safe online during the back to school season.
From online shopping scams to the dangers of chatting with strangers on Facebook, these tips will help parents keep everyone safe just in time for to the new school year.
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The new school year means new computers! Computers for young children should be placed in a 'common' family space in the home, rather than used privately in the bedroom - at least until parents are comfortable with a child's online safety knowledge and habits.
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Always ask your child to use an Internet "screen name" without any identifying information such as their birth year, gender or age, and to never use their real name online.
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Utilize parental control applications like those offered by your ISP or within the latest versions of the Windows Operating System. Parental control applications can help parents limit what their children can do online and provide information on what types of online activities their children are involved in.
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Spend time with your children online. Have them teach you about their favorite online destinations and chat buddies. Going back to school means new online friends and new "in" sites for parents to monitor.
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Review the websites and/or social networks accessed by your kids. It might not be possible to be present at all times when your children are online, but you can check later to see where your children have spent their time online. By reviewing the History list in Internet Explorer, Safari or Foxfire, you can see all the places your children visit online. To view your Internet History, click the History button on the browser toolbar.
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Find out what computer safeguards are utilized by your child's school, the public library, and at the homes of your child's friends. These are all places, outside your normal supervision, where your child could encounter dangers online.
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Teach your children about the danger of meeting strangers online and to never give out identifying information such as their name, home address, school name, or telephone number.
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Ask children to tell mom/dad if they receive ANY email or instant message chat from a friend or stranger that they find scary, upsetting or makes them uncomfortable in any way whatsoever.
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If you are letting a child shop online for gifts, monitor what they are doing and see what website they are on to ensure safety. Limit credit card use to well known shopping sites, use temporary online credit card numbers if your bank offers them, and monitor your credit for any unusual activity.
- Ensure computers have an Anti-Virus/Anti-Spyware program with the most current security definitions to help keep threats which could capture your child's personal information off the computer. CyberDefender's Early Detection Center, for example, offers protection from viruses, spyware, and phishing. For more complete protection, you might consider a 24/7 all inclusive computer support service such as CyberDefender LiveTech which employs U.S.- based technicians who can evaluate and fix a wide range of computer issues remotely, including cleaning up infections, which will speed up your system, connectivity issues, driver problems, installation of new software, backup issues, essentially the works, for more information visit CyberDefender.com.
A CyberDefender spokesperson is available to provide more tips or to comment on current online safety issues involving children and their families.
About CyberDefender
CyberDefender Corporation (Nasdaq:CYDE) is a provider of Internet security software, utilities and Live PC Support services that work together to ensure maximum safety for consumers in a digital world. The company develops and markets antispyware/antivirus software and remote, live tech support services. In addition, CyberDefender offers identity protection and computer optimization services. With millions of active users on its cloud based Collaborative Internet Security Network, CyberDefender leverages the power of community to protect its customers from the rapidly growing number of new online threats every year. CyberDefender products are fully compatible with Microsoft's XP, Vista, and 7 Operating systems. All products are available at www.cyberdefender.com. IR Site: www.cyberdefendercorp.com.
The CyberDefender Corporation logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=7874