As kids start using computers and mobile devices more and more, it’s becoming especially important to begin talking to them about the internet from an early age. That means it’s also important for you to learn everything you can about internet safety, including types of online dangers and safety strategies.

In our tutorial, we’ll give you tips for talking to your kids about:

• Avoiding online predators
• Responding to cyberbullies
• Using social networks safely
• Using mobile devices safely

We’ll also show you how to make your family’s computer safer and how to keep your kids safe when they’re using the internet away from home.

If you still want to learn more, we’ll point you to other resources throughout the tutorial. And of course, we have lots of other internet tutorials, such as Internet 101, Email 101, Beyond Email, and all of our Social Media tutorials, so you may want to check those out as well.

To get started, go to Internet Safety for Kids and have a look around!

The most appealing thing about online calendars is their flexible interface that allows you to view and manage events with ease. As seen in the image below, you can:

• Quickly add, move, delete events on your calendar
• Easily switch back and forth between day, week, month and custom views of your calendar
• Use color-coding to help you focus on specific events or calendars
• Block out multi-day events
• Conveniently search for events
• Set email or pop-up reminders that won’t let you forget an event
• Display repeating events to avoid conflicts
• Add contact information, map directions and other useful information to events

Online calendars also allow you to create and view multiple calendars for various tasks all in the same interface. The image below shows you that you can create and color-code calendars for various tasks. You can also show or hide any of your calendars based on which ones you would like to view. In addition, you can share a calendar with other people and even give them access to add and edit events.

Most online calendars also have  task list features that can help you get things done. Many also have tools for sorting, grouping and prioritizing tasks.

Finally, one of the best features of online calendars is their on-the-go access. You can sync calendars between your computer and mobile devices, so you are always able to view and update events no matter where you are.

If this sounds like a great way to get organized, then check out a few of the popular online calendars listed below and get started.

• Google Calendars
• 30 Boxes
• Yahoo Calendar
• Windows Live/Hotmail Calendar
• Cozi

]]> http://blog.gcflearnfree.org/2011/01/get-organized-with-online-calendars/feed/ 6 http://blog.gcflearnfree.org/2010/12/identity-theft-that-cant-happen-to-me-part-3/ http://blog.gcflearnfree.org/2010/12/identity-theft-that-cant-happen-to-me-part-3/#comments Thu, 02 Dec 2010 22:23:19 +0000 kym http://blog.gcflearnfree.org/?p=3906 This is the third part in a series I have written on becoming a victim of identity theft. Part 1 and Part 2 describe my story and the actions I took to fix my damaged finances. In this post, I would like to share with you the important lessons that should be learned from my story, so that you may avoid becoming a victim of identity theft.

• Your bank will never send you an email asking you for your information. They already have it. If your bank needs to contact you, they are more likely to use a secure means of communication like snail mail, than an insecure method like email. Phishing emails are becoming so common, that it is extremely likely that you have seen one. Although most phishing emails are ignored, a recent report found that 45% of people who receive phishing emails respond and end up entering their information on a fraudulent site. Treat any email that purports to come from your bank with suspicion. If you think it might be legitimate, forward it to your bank’s fraud department and let them determine its validity. One strategy is to log into your real bank account to see if you have any messages there.

***Check out these Fraud Examples.

• Your bank will never send you an email that has typos in it. They pay people a fortune to design their websites and communications. Typos, misspellings, strange formatting are all indicators of a phishing email.
• Your bank will rarely call you asking to confirm account information over the phone. If they do, tell them you will call them back. Hang up and call the 800 number on your account. That way you can be sure that you are answering a legitimate request.
• Protect yourself. Set up credit monitoring. Most of the major banks provide credit monitoring services for a nominal fee. I recommend doing this even if you are not the victim of identity theft, but especially if you are. Regardless of the fee, it is going to be far less than the headache that will ensue if you fall victim. Watch your credit scores each quarter and pay attention to changes in your accounts. Use online banking and check your accounts frequently.

I am lucky that my bank caught this and I was able to get my money back, because I am sure there are plenty of people who have not been that lucky. You are your best advocate and the best way to prevent identity theft is to educate and protect yourself.

For more information on avoiding phishing scams, visit our Internet Safety – Protecting Your Financial Transactions lesson.

Credit Reporting Agencies

The first step is to notify the three major credit bureaus that your credit and social security number have been compromised. You can call whichever one you prefer because once you call one, the other two will be notified. You will need to explain the situation to whomever you get on the phone.

Set Up a Fraud Alert

The FTC will assist you in putting a Fraud Alert on your social security number. From that moment on, if anyone tries to access your social security number to open new lines of credit, you will be notified. Once you set up a Fraud Alert, you will receive a phone call any time something changes on your credit. This Fraud Alert lasts for 90 days. After the 90 day period, you will need to take over the full responsibility of monitoring your credit.

Request Your Credit Reports

You will also want to request a credit report from them. You are entitled to request one free copy of your credit report from each of the three credit reporting companies per year. This report will allow you to check and see if there is new activity. It will also give you a starting point. You will need to continuously monitor your credit over the next year or so. The original reports will allow you to compare later reports to see what has changed. If you find any changes immediately, you will want to close those credit accounts immediately.

Close Compromised Accounts

The next step is to go into your bank and close your compromised accounts. You will need to explain the situation to the representative and they will walk you through the process of closing the old accounts and opening the new accounts. You want to make sure that you change your account numbers, checkbook numbers, and PIN numbers. Typically your bank will have a process that they use when things like this happen. Before they close the account, they will go through all of the recent transactions to make sure that nothing additional has occurred on your account. Also, be sure to cancel any recurring charges that may be scheduled on your account to avoid any late fees or additional issues.

File a Complaint

Next you will want to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. Call 1-877-ID-THEFT. You will need to explain the situation to the representative. They will use your information to help law enforcement track down identity thieves and it will also protect you from any future litigation that could occur.

File a Police Report

The last step is to call your local police and file a report. This step is essential. Tell them that you want to file a report about your identity theft. Sometimes police stations have different processes for filing this particular kind of identity theft. Once you do, request a copy of the report and keep it in your wallet for the next couple of years. The reason that you want to do this is pretty simple. If the hacker decides to open credit in your name (after your alert has expired), create and use bad checks, or default on accounts they have created you may have a bench warrant issued in your name. If this happens, you can show the would-be arresting officer your police report and save yourself from an embarrassing situation.

Once you have completed these steps you will be well on your way to recovery. Though these steps will help you rebuild your financial security, it will take some time to rebuild your confidence. You will find strength in educating yourself and taking control of the situation.

Check back soon to see Part 3 which will discuss ways to avoid becoming a victim of Identify Theft.

The truth is many people fall victim to phishing scams and just as many of those people think that it could never happen to them. We feel that we are invincible on the internet, when in fact we are often at our most vulnerable. Though I would never choose to repeat this incident, having experienced it has forced me to learn how to protect myself and hopefully how to protect others.

The worst part about my story is that it was truly my fault. No one dug through my garbage and found my bank statement. No one hacked into my computer and pulled my log in information. I gave this criminal everything they needed to steal from me. You may not even be able to call it identity theft when you actually give the thief the information. It was a truly humbling experience.

Several years ago I received an email from my banking institution. It appeared to be a legitimate email stating that my account had been compromised and that I needed to provide them with my account information to ensure that I am the only person using the site.  In hindsight, there were so many red flags. The email did not come directly from my bank and on top of it there were typos throughout the email. Of course now I can’t figure out why the typos didn’t clue me in or why I didn’t question why I could log into my account that was supposedly compromised. But I believed the email and immediately responded.

A few days later I got a call from my bank. Their system had alerted to two transfers occurring in my account on the same day to an account I’d never transferred to before. I told them that I didn’t know anything about the transfers but that I had provided them with my information when I received their email a few days ago. As I said these words I realized that I had made a huge mistake. The man on the phone explained to me that I had been the victim of a scam and that a hacker had stolen a total of $800,000 from their customers. The good news was that they had closed the hacker’s account and would be returning all of the money to the customers. The bad news, the evil hacker still had all of my information and could use it in a variety of ways. So though my money was safe, the horrible adventure was only beginning.

I went through different stages of emotion. I cried, became angry, cried angrily, and then wanted to fix the problem and seek revenge.

Please come back to see Part 2 of this article which will discuss the recovery process if you find yourself to be the victim of a phishing scam.

How could I tell they were not secure? There are two things you should always look for before entering your sensitive financial information into any website.

1. Https Address – The address on secure sites should begin with https, rather then the normal http.
2. Security Lock – A lock symbol should be displayed in your browser to indicate that the website is secure.

Both signs indicate that the website has a valid security certificate and that information entered into the website will be encrypted and protected from identity thieves as it travels across the Internet. These indicators were missing in the above websites, even though both companies were legitimate. Therefore, I decided it would be best not to conduct business with them online.

So now you know that just because a website is set up to take payments does not mean it has a valid security certificate. Fortunately, today’s browsers have security programs that usually warn you when you are about to enter a site that is not secure. As an extra precaution, it would be smart to get to know the security program on your browser and make sure it is always updated.

To learn more about security certificates and browser security programs, visit our Protecting Your Financial Transactions lesson in Internet Safety.

Displaying the above bad manners is not just disrespectful, it may even lead to what experts call “cell phone rage,” or angry outbursts and violence based on rude cell phone behavior. To avoid such behavior, it is best to practice the following cell phone etiquette tips:

1. Follow the rules – Cell phone restrictions are usually put into place for safety reasons, therefore your cooperation is definitely needed.
2. Be aware – Avoid ‘cell yell” or loud talking which can be disruptive and annoying. Also, discontinue emotional or angry conversations which can be unsettling to others.
3. Be present – Set your phone to silent when you are in a meeting, movie theater, church or similar setting. Do not text. If you must take a call, excuse yourself and go outside.
4. Be private – Do not discuss or display sensitive, extremely personal or inappropriate information when in public. You never know who is listening or looking. Also, protect the person you are talking to by telling them when you are using speaker or video functions in a public space.
5. Be a wireless Samaritan – You can call 911 from you phone and help others by reporting crimes or emergencies.
6. Respect photo/video privacy rights – Always ask for permission before shooting a photo or video of someone with your device, especially children and minors.
7. Be discreet with media playing – Do not display inappropriate, disturbing or R-rated media content where it can be seen or heard by others, especially children. Also, keep volume low or use earphones.

Following these tips allows you to integrate the use of technology into your life in a way that is respectful of those around you. After all, they deserve the same attention and courtesy as the person you are engaging with on your phone. To learn more, visit our Wireless and Mobile Device Safety lesson.

Lessons in this topic include:

• Exploring the Internet Explorer interface and learning how to customize tools to meet your needs.
• Learning how to use features like Tab Groups, Accelerators and Web Slices for more convenient browsing.
• Understanding bookmarking and how to organize your browsing in Favorites.
• Gaining an awareness of how to browse safely with security features like InPrivate Browsing, InPrivate Filtering and Delete Browsing History.

Visit the Internet Explorer 8 Tutorial and keep checking back as we continue to update our Internet Basics courses.