Showing posts with label Internet Safety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Internet Safety. Show all posts

Protecting Yourself from Fraud on Black Friday

11/25/2015 12:45:00 PM Amanda, End User Support Technician
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. And for a lot of people that means gearing up for the big Black Friday sales. However, recent events have a lot of people wonder how safe it is to shop - both online and in person. So how can you stay safe and enjoy all those savings? We have some tips for you. This week we'll be talking about shopping in person on Black Friday. Next week we'll discuss staying safe when shopping online on Cyber Monday.



Cash Only
The fool-proof way to avoid identity theft or fraud when shopping is to use cash. Many people swear by cash only, saying it no only protects them from fraud but from overspending as well. However, this isn't always feasible for everyone. It can be a different kind of dangerous to carry around enough cash for the big purchases that are often made on Black Friday.


Use Credit Card instead of Debit

Using a credit card  versus a debit card can offer more protection if you are hacked when shopping online. Under the Fair Credit Bill, consumers are responsible for up to $50 of fraudulent charges. Some banks offer similar protection if you use their debit cards, but it's not the same at every bank. It can change if you don't catch it and report it within a certain time-frame. So if you're purchasing big ticket items it can be safer to use a credit card.

Don't have a credit card? Many debit cards are now supported by Visa. This gives you the same rights as a Visa credit card holder. That means you can choose to run it as credit at the store and have more protection. Remember this can mean that your purchases may not show up on your account right away.




Use Common Sense

  • Like most things in life, common sense can be your best defense. 
  • Don't use your card at machines where the card slot looks loose or damaged. This can mean that someone has been tampering with the machine. 
  • Keep your card and cash in a secure location. Pickpockets are prevalent during the holiday season. 
  • Don't leave your purse unattended. We know, this one seems like a no-brainer, but it can be easy to get distracted and step away from your cart for 'just a minute.' 
  • Check your bank account before and after you shop and monitor it closely for a few days after.
Image found here. 

Don't miss next week's blog when we discuss tips for staying safe while shopping online - just in time for Cyber Monday! 

If you have an idea for blog posts or questions/comments, you can contact us on Facebook or Twitter. 

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Online Safety - Do you know what apps your kids are using?

3/27/2015 04:46:00 PM Amanda, End User Support Technician
This week on the blog we're talking about keeping kids safe online. This week the Shreveport Times reported that the Bossier Parish Sheriff office had warned against a troubling new app that is rising in popularity among area youth, called BurnBook. You can find the article on the Shreveport Times website here.




The BurnBook app - named after a concept found in the movie Mean Girls - allows you to connect to a local community, such as a school, and share secrets and comments about other users in the community. 

The BurnBook app gives it's users the illusion of anonymity and freedom from consequences. What would you say to someone if you believed they would never know it came from you? However, with this app as with all apps the anonymity is just an illusion. There is no such thing as anonymous. Any users issuing threats can and will be tracked by law enforcement. 

Burnbook may be the newest app to worry parents, but it is just one of many. That is why it is important to be familiar with the apps on your child's phone. 




According to the 2013 McAfee Digital Study, 
Seventy-four percent of parents admit to not knowing about their children’s online behavior, but 46% of youth say that they would change their online behavior if their parents were paying attention.
The CommonSenseMedia.org website has an in-depth list of apps that parents should be on the lookout. You can find the list here on their website.

How well do you know the apps on your child's phone? Do you recognize the symbols below?


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Staying Safe Online --- with Social Media

10/24/2014 03:09:00 PM Amanda, End User Support Technician
Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram are great ways of keeping in touch with family, reconnecting with old friends, and making new ones. However, it is important to make sure that when using these sites, you're sharing information with only the people you want to and not strangers on the internet. Some unsavory people on the internet can and will use information that you post against you.

For example, posting on Facebook that you're on vacation can be a fun way to share the experience with your friends, but it can also let potential thieves know that you are out of town, leaving your home vulnerable. Many sites also allow users to 'check in' which also tells people you are away from home.

So how can you prevent strangers from seeing your personal information on Facebook? Adjust your security settings! Facebook has made it easier than every to see exactly who can see what you post on Facebook.

After you have logged into your Facebook page, you should see a security button in the top right hand corner. It looks like a padlock.



If you click on this button you will see several options.


The first option - Privacy Checkup - will walk you through choosing the privacy settings that are right for you. You can also see options to decide who can see what you post, who can send you messages and how to stop someone who is harassing you. More options are available under "See More Settings."

Guarding your information isn't' just limited to Facebook! It is very important to take the time to decide who can see your information on any website. It's a simple way to stay safe on one of the most popular social websites out there!


What social media sites do you like to use? Let us know in the comments!
If you have an idea for blog posts or questions/comments, you can contact us on Facebook or Twitter. 
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Plus 50 More Acronyms Every Parent Should Know

1/06/2010 08:39:00 AM Charlie, I/T Customer Support 0 comments
  1. 2NITE - Tonight
  2. AEAP - As Early As Possible
  3. ALAP - As Late As Possible
  4. AWGTHTGTTA - Are We Going To Have To Go Through This Again
  5. B4YKI - Before You Know It
  6. BOHICA - Bend Over Here It Comes
  7. BRB - Be Right Back
  8. BRT - Be Right There
  9. CWYL - Chat With You Later
  10. C-P - Sleepy
  11. CYT or SYT - See You Tomorrow
  12. E123 - Easy as 1 2 3
  13. EM? - Excuse Me?
  14. EOD - End Of Day
  15. F2F - Face to Face
  16. FOAF - Friend Of A Friend
  17. HAK - Hugs And Kisses
  18. ILU or ILY - I Love You
  19. IMNSHO - In My Not So Humble Opinion
  20. L/C - Just Checking
  21. KOTL - Kiss On The Lips
  22. L8R - Later
  23. LD - Long Distance
  24. LMK - Let Me Know
  25. LOL - Laugh Out Loud
  26. NAZ - Name, Address, Zip
  27. N-A-Y-L - In A While
  28. NM - Never Mind or Nothing Much
  29. OLL - Online Love
  30. OSIF - Of Sh** I Forgot
  31. OTP - On The Phone
  32. QT - Cutie
  33. RN - Right Now
  34. ROTFL - Rolling On The Floor Laughing
  35. RU - Are You ... ?
  36. RUMORF - Are You Male or Female
  37. SITD - Still In The Dark
  38. SMIM - Send Me an Instant Message
  39. SMEM - Send Me and Email
  40. SO - Significant Other
  41. SOHF - Sense Of Humor Failure
  42. SWDYT - So What Do You Think?
  43. TOM - Tomorrow
  44. TS - Tough Sh**
  45. TTFN - Ta-ta For Now
  46. U-R? - You Are ... ?
  47. WFM - Works For Me
  48. WTH - What The Heck
  49. WUF - Where Are You From?
  50. WYRN - What's Your Real Name?

For more information, please visit http://www.netlingo.com

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The NetLingo Top 20 Internet Acronyms Every Parent Needs to Know

1/05/2010 08:38:00 AM Charlie, I/T Customer Support 1 comments
  1. POS - Parent Over Shoulder
  2. PIR - Parent In Room
  3. P911 - Parent Alert
  4. PAW - Parents Are Watching
  5. PAL - Parents Are Listening
  6. ASL - Age, Sex, Location
  7. MorF - Male or Female
  8. SorG - Straight or Gay
  9. LMIRL - Let's Meet In Real Life
  10. KPC - Keeping Parents Clueless
  11. TDTM - Talk Dirty To Me
  12. IWSN - I Want Sex Now
  13. NIFOC - Nude In Front of Computer
  14. GYPO - Get Your Pants Off
  15. ADR - Address
  16. WYCM - Will You Call Me
  17. KFY - Kiss For You
  18. MOOS - Member Of the Opposite Sex
  19. MOSS or MOTSS - Member Of the Same Sex
  20. NALOPKT - Not A Lot Of People Know That

For more information, please visit http://www.netlingo.com/

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Internet Protection Tips for Parents

1/04/2010 04:02:00 PM Charlie, I/T Customer Support 0 comments
  1. Once it's online, it's ALWAYS online!
  2. Do not post any identifying information online.
  3. Never share passwords with anyone!
  4. Set profiles to private.
  5. Teach your children that "stranger danger" also applies to the Internet.
  6. Do no post any pictures.
  7. Be very careful about adding a stranger to your "friends list."
  8. Give you child permission to tell you if something is wrong online.
  9. Monitor your child's online activity.
  10. Warn children about the dangers of "chat rooms."
  11. Limit online activity.
  12. Accompany your child if they want to meet someone they met online.
  13. Check your child's profiles and blogs.
  14. Report anything suspicious or threatening to the networking site.
  15. Don't assume that filters or security programs will protect your child better than you can.
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5 Safety Tips for Using a Public Computer

1/08/2009 09:50:00 AM Jaketha, I/T Manager 0 comments
Sometimes patrons utilize computers at the local public library without fully understanding the risks involved. Public terminals are just that public—meaning they are used by hundreds of thousands of people each year. Below are five simple tips that are easy to follow and make it much harder for someone to gain access to your personal information when using a public computer.

1. Do not save your login information & always logout!

Avoid selecting any options for saving your login information especially when signing into financial account, medical/insurance accounts, email accounts and the like. Always logout of any site you visit instead of closing the browser window or typing a new address over the existing address. This help keep others from accessing your personal information.

2. Do not leave the computer unattended with sensitive information on the screen!

If you must leave the computer unattended, make sure that you utilize the “Lock” feature available in PCReservation to prevent another patron from getting onto that computer.

3. Erase your tracks!

When you are done using a public computer, you should delete at a minimum all the temporary Internet files and cookies and/or the Internet history (if preferred).

4. Watch for people watching your screen!

Consider this the old-fashioned way of snooping. When you are using a public computer, watch for people who collect your information by looking over your shoulder or watching as you enter passwords.

5. Do not enter sensitive information into a public computer!

As mentioned above, if you really want to be safe on a public computer, avoid typing your credit card number, social security number, or any other financial or otherwise sensitive information into a public computer. You should perform these types of actions on your home PC.
(Posting adapted from an article at Microsoft.com by the same title)
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