PEAK Internet

What is Internet Safety Month?

Internet safety should be on our minds at all times. But with so many aspects of our lives now online, it’s very easy to take many of our actions for granted.

The United States Senate has passed a resolution declaring the month of June National Internet Safety Month.  As a local internet provider and provider of customer-centric service, PEAK views it as an important responsibility to educating consumers about potential online identity theft threats.

Internet safety should be on our minds at all times. But with so many aspects of our lives now online, it’s very easy to take many of our actions for granted. This is particularly true if you’ve been one of the lucky few who hasn’t had any issues with compromised passwords or identity theft.

However, it is important that internet safety stay at the forefront of your mind. This is especially true for parents, and we need to be sure our kids are thinking about these issues too. Whether you are banking, booking travel, shopping, downloading music or playing online games, you could potentially be leaving yourself vulnerable to unseen dangers.

The U.S. Senate designated June to be National Internet Safety Month, to serve as a reminder to us all of the importance of smart internet usage. Take some time to think about your day to day internet habits. Are you taking the proper precautions to stay on guard against identity theft? Are your passwords strong? Do you know what sites your kids are visiting regularly, or even how much time they are spending online?

The FTC has outlined seven basic practices to keep in mind as you surf the web that can help you be safer and more secure online. Raising your awareness can go a long way in minimizing your chances of being a target. Here are a few key points to help you be sure you are on the right track.

• Protect your personal information. Whenever you enter details such as address, account numbers, Social Security number, etc., find out how they are being used. Check to see if the page is transmitting your info via a secure connection.
• Know who you are dealing with. “Phishers” send spam and pop up messages making certain claims, and requests for your personal information. But don’t fall for it. Your bank will never ask for your account information by email.
• Beware of file-sharing and peer-to-peer (P2P) applications. These applications can be a great resource, allowing you to share games and music with potentially millions of users online. But these file-sharing programs may also make your computer and possibly your personal documents available to fellow users. Make sure you understand the side effects of these free downloads to ensure you aren’t unwittingly downloading pornography or viruses labeled as something else, or that you aren’t violating copyright laws by downloading protected material.

The internet is a wonderful and powerful tool for people of all ages, but by using the internet you also assume great responsibility. Check out the FTC’s OnGuard Onlinesafety resource for more tips on how you can better safeguard you and your family when going online.