KIDS ON THE WEB
CHILD'S play?

Instant messaging (through programs such as MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk) is a great tool to speak with friends and family far away, but you must always be careful.

1. One of the major risks is identity theft. Predators can try to pretend to be someone you know. There are some adults who use instant messaging to pretend to be young people or professional photographers and invent an excuse to meet children like you. Don't believe anything strangers tell you through instant messaging, because they could be lying.
2. Viruses and malicious codes are another type of threat. Many viruses are designed to spread through instant messaging to infect as many people as possible.

To be protected from these threats, it is best not to talk to strangers and to talk openly to parents or tutors if you have any doubts. And to avoid virus infections, don't run any files or click any links that reach you through instant messaging.

Email is still used as frequently as ever, but has many risks which you ought to be aware of.

1. Spam. Very often, this kind of junk mail is used to advertise anything from online casinos to medicine. These emails don't always tell the truth, they only want to trick you into buying the product. Delete these emails immediately.

2. Infection by viruses or other malware. Some messages can trick you into clicking a link or downloading a file (which causes the infection) using a wide range of interesting subjects.

To be protected from these threats, it is best to be suspicious of emails from strangers. Much of what is written in these messages is false and you shouldn't run files or click on links in these types of emails.

File-sharing across P2P networks –such as emule or Kazaa – is another source of virus infections. Many viruses and malicious codes are disguised as movies or programs, etc. to get you to download and run them.

You should know which files you can download from these networks. It is also a good idea for you to scan any such file with a security solution before running it for the first time.

Social networking sites (such as MySpace or Facebook) are widely used for sharing photos and videos, meeting and chatting with people, along with blogs, which are often used as online diaries.

These increasingly popular websites often see young people providing far more information than is advisable. That is why you must be careful and avoid giving out data that could identify you as a young person, or that could reveal your address or school, etc. It is also best not to use a real name, but a false name or nick.

Cell phones are now very widely used. Cell-phone risks are similar to those of computers.

1. Instant messaging services for mobile devices are now widespread. You can enter chatrooms from wherever you are, and the risks are the same as those mentioned previously: identity theft, predators, phone infections, etc.
2. Spam is also beginning to hit mobile phones. Advertising is often sent via SMS, and it is best to ignore it.

You must know how to use cell phones safely. Do not give out too much information and avoid talking to strangers. And above all, do not reply to suspicious messages.