|
|
 |
Adults
We hear a lot about safety issues for children and young people in cyberspace. But what about adults? In fact, many of the same safety issues apply to adults.
Personal safety for adults
The Internet environment is a great social environment. You can meet new people and it isn't as awkward or nerve-wracking as it can be at a party. You are usually in the comfort of your own home, relaxed and feeling confident...
That's the beauty of the Internet for socialising, but if you do not keep in mind how different this environment is from face to face interactions, you may unknowingly put yourself at risk. Take things slowly... you are missing a lot of crucial information about a person when chatting online - the sound of their voice, their body language, all of the intuitive sort of information you pick up when someone is physically close.
Because you get comfortable with other people quickly on the Net, you may unknowingly let your guard down. Be careful how much personal information you give out. Choose chatrooms (or Internet dating services) that have a stated policy about inappropriate, harassing or threatening behaviour and enforce it. Also, look for chatrooms that have the facility to save conversation logs. That way, if something goes wrong, you have the evidence to make a complaint to the moderator or the police.
Meeting new Internet friends
Be very cautious if you consider a face to face encounter. Meet in a public place with lots of people and take a friend along if possible. Also, take a mobile phone just in case you need help. You can still be on just a first name basis for the meeting. It's far better, in case the meeting doesn't go well, that your personal details are still unknown to this Internet friend. For more hints on how to set up an offline meeting with an online friend, take a look at the paragraph called 'going face to face' in the 'Online dating' webpage to the right or click here.
Getting serious
What if your friend lives far away, even overseas? If you are serious enough to want to fly to meet this person you have been chatting with for months, you can still take basic precautions such as meeting in a public place first, even if the meeting is overseas. Plan the meeting so you have some options in case you change your mind. There will need to be time to reconcile the Internet personality you have come to know with the flesh and blood person. By being cautious you may protect yourself from potential harm. A good relationship will only be enhanced by respecting each other's concern regarding personal safety. To read more about online dating websites click here
Safety for Consumers
It is worth stopping to think about what information is in your computer. However, it is not just someone, like a hacker, from outside your home that can potentially access your information. Do you have children, a partner, flatmates? Do they have access to your computer?
It is not only your credit card details you may wish to keep private. There may be personal conversations that you do not wish to share with others in your household. You could consider password access to protect some of that information. If you choose to send very private messages or images over the Net or via mobile phone, you risk them becoming very public. A good rule of thumb is if you wouldn't put it on a postcard, don't send it from your phone or from a computer. One of the myths about Cyberspace is that it is a private place.
If you are interested in keeping your information safe from hackers and malware you might like to take a look at the computer security section of this website.
Privacy and the Internet at work
If you haven't been told what your workplace policy is about the Internet, it would be good to find out. You may be assuming a level of privacy that your employer does not allow. Here are some questions that a workplace Internet policy should answer... Are you allowed to have personal emails? Are your emails monitored? Can others read your emails? Are you allowed to send or receive pornographic images or lewd jokes? Is your time on the Internet monitored? Are you allowed to send and receive messages or pxts (pictures) from your mobile phone?
Being clear about when, why and how you can use the Internet at work could save you from unintentionally violating a workplace policy. Knowing that policy could also help if you experience bullying or harassing behaviour at work - you'll know to whom you should report the problem.
Buying things online
You can buy just about anything you want on the Internet. The Internet brings everything right to your doorstep with retailers and online auction sites from every country in the world offering you products or services right in your own home. It is important to balance the convenience and choice offered by the Internet with a few cautionary steps to keep the risk of being ripped-off to a minimum.
A good rule of thumb is to only deal with businesses or people in the same country as yourself (this makes it easier to report to authorities), and to make sure that you have adequate contact details (not just a PO Box number) before you send any money. Some people arrange the details of the sale at the website or via email, but make sure that they call the business at least once (on a landline) to speak with a person, and use an escrow service or internet banking to pay for the goods. Click here to check out the Ministry of Consumer Affairs guidelines for Internet shopping before you make the deal.
Spending a little time before the purchase is made to make sure that the retailer is a legitimate trader and has the goods you require in stock, may save you a considerable amount of time trying to get your money back later.
To find out more about how to keep safe while using online auction sites click here.
If you have a particular question, you can send a confidential email to ISG staff at queries@netsafe.org.nz.
|
|
|
|
