Betty teaches you the importance of keeping your OFFLINE identity separate from your ONLINE identity

Betty

Betty
Cyber Defender & Clubhouse Supervisor

Betty learned the hard way about sharing too much information online when rumors she had spread through her online blog upset some of her friends. Since then she has made it her goal to educate everyone about what information is inappropriate or unsafe to share online to prevent others from getting hurt.

As a Cyber Defender, Betty focuses on the most important information you should never share online, your offline identity.

Favorite Quote:

A stumble may prevent a fall
- English Proverb

Favorite Food:

Tea and crumpets

Interests:

Chatting, macrame, collecting teacups

December 17 2008

Safe Blogging Training Complete

I am happy to report that everyone has successfully completed the Safe Blogging Training! Starting January 12th, all suspensions will be lifted from the Cadet blogs, and any new Cadets who would like a blog of their own can work with Dr. Keen to set one up.

Just a reminder, all comments on the blogs will be disabled for security reasons, and no Cadet is allowed to have a photo of themselves on their blog. If you would like to share your blog with another cadet, you will need special permission from Commander Omni.

Congratulations, Cadets!

posted by Betty
topics: Miscellaneous

December 16 2008

Safe Online Communication: Parental Controls

Many Web browsers and operating systems have built-in parental controls that your trusted adult can use to help make your Web experience safer and more fun. These controls let your trusted adult determine which games you can play, which programs you can use, and which Web sites you can visit, and when. While this may sound like they are trying to control your online life, these controls are really to protect you from stumbling across content that might make you afraid or uncomfortable.

Some control software also generates activity reports and histories that show how you have been using the computer and what Web sites you have been visiting. This helps your trusted adult fine-tune their parental controls based on what you actually use the computer for.

Parental controls are a great tool to help keep you safe online, and I encourage you to talk to your trusted adult about using them. It’s especially important that you discuss the sites and programs you are allowed to use and come to an agreement about them together. Remember, your trusted adult is a valuable member of your cyber defense team and together you can help make the Internet safer.

posted by Betty
topics: Safe Online Communication

December 2 2008

Personal Information: Saving information in your Web browser

Web browsers have lots of convenient information-saving features that can help speed up your browsing experience. This can be great if you're the only one who uses the computer, but it can put your privacy at risk when you share your computer with others. Some of the ways a browser stores your data can be a security risk, and if you don't regularly clean up the files it saves, your hard drive can become cluttered too.

Some of the types of information your browser can save for you are:

  • Favorite Web sites - Most browsers have a Favorite or Bookmark feature, which saves a link to a Web site to make it easy for you to visit it again.
  • Browsing History - Browsers can keep track of every Web site you have visited for months at a time, even the ones you didn't Bookmark or accidentally visited.
  • Form Data and Passwords - Browsers can save data you have entered into a Web site form, such as a username and password, and give you the option of automatically re-entering it the next time you visit the site.
  • Web Search History - Browsers can store the strings of words you enter into Search Engines in case you want to search for the same thing again
  • Offline Web sites - Browsers have the option of saving a Web site's files so that you can still view them even when you're not connected to the Internet. However, this doesn't always work and it only saves the page as-is so none of the links will work.
  • Cookies and Certificates - Many of the behind-the-scenes files that enhance Web sites and allow you to log in to them can be stored on your computer so they do not have to be created every time you visit the site. This information can be a security risk though because some malware can sneak into your computer and access it.

Aside from Bookmarks and Favorites, saving information with your Web browser can be risky, especially if it is your personal information. Cyber criminals can use malware to invade your computer, looking for files that contain personal information, and other people can log into your accounts and pretend to be you.

It's a good idea to clean up any information you may have left behind in a Web browser, especially if you share a computer with other people. Check the browser's options to make sure that it will ask you before saving any information, and delete the browsing history, cache, cookies, and any other private data. October's Ask Omni: What should I be concerned about when using public computers? has more tips for safely using public computers.

posted by Betty
topics: Personal Information