However, with a little common sense and some knowledge about what to do and not do, one can surf the ‘net unscathed. Here is a great set of rules for kids while they are online. I found these rules at safekids.com. Parents, Employers, and Managers, you can take some notes from these rules, too:

1. I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parents’ work address/telephone number, or the name and location of my school without my parents’ permission.

2. I will tell my parents right away if I come across any information that makes me feel uncomfortable.

3. I will never agree to get together with someone I “meet” online without first checking with my parents. If my parents agree to the meeting, I will be sure that it is in a public place and bring my mother or father along.

4. I will never send a person my picture or anything else without first checking with my parents.

5. I will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel uncomfortable. It is not my fault if I get a message like that. If I do I will tell my parents right away so that they can contact the service provider.

6. I will talk with my parents so that we can set up rules for going online. We will decide upon the time of day that I can be online, the length of time I can be online and appropriate areas for me to visit. I will not access other areas or break these rules without their permission.

7. I will not give out my Internet password to anyone (even my best friends) other than my parents.

8. I will check with my parents before downloading or installing software or doing anything that could possibly hurt our computer or jeopardize my family’s privacy

9. I will be a good online citizen and not do anything that hurts other people or is against the law.

10. I will help my parents understand how to have fun and learn things online and teach them things about the Internet, computers and other technology.

Although you may follow the rules religiously, you, your computer, and your family might still be at risk because cybercriminals leave you with three choices:

1. Do nothing and hope their attacks, risks, and threats don’t occur on your computer.

2. Do research and get training to protect yourself, your family, and your business.

3. Get professional help to lockdown your system from all their attacks, risks, and threats. Remember: When you say “No!” to hackers and spyware, everyone wins! When you don’t, we all lose!

1. Install all windows critical updates for your operating system from the Microsoft Update site – it’s free! All that’s required to keep your Microsoft operating system up to date is an Internet connection.
2. Install and configure a firewall – either a hardware or software based firewall is a must! If you are using a router, it probably has firewall capabilities included. Software firewalls are available at minimal cost; one of the best is free!
3. Install and configure antivirus software – the cost is minimal, there are even free versions available – the protection is priceless! Update the definition files daily – scan your drive weekly – it can all be automated with most programs.
4. Create a backup – even the best plan can be circumvented – be prepared for the worst with a complete backup of your hard drive! If you already have a CD burner and software installed in your machine, you probably have the tools to create a complete system backup – for only the cost of a few CD-R’s!

Obviously, the costs to properly protect yourself from the worst threats to your security are almost nil. If you need help with any step above, simply use a Google search to find help – it’s freely available.

Follow these four simple steps and you will have implemented comprehensive and complete protection for your PC.