No
connection to the internet is completely safe, but the risks can be minimised
by using a firewall and regularly updated antivirus software.
A firewall prevents hackers from accessing your computer, while antivirus software
removes any unwanted programs picked up while surfing the Net.
The basic firewall offered by ZoneAlarm is free and rated very well in the
tests conducted by Which Computer? The same tests found that Avast is the best
free antivirus software.
Ceri Stanaway, senior researcher at Which?, the consumer organisation, says
that computer users should consider a security suite that allows them to manage
all their security software in one place.
“ZoneAlarm’s security suite is easy to use and scored well across the board in
our performance tests,” she says. She adds that dial-up connections are not
inherently safer. “Broadband is ‘always on’ so there is a greater window of
opportunity for hackers. But with dial-up there is always the risk that an
auto-dial bug could divert your ISP’s phone number to a premium-rate line,
leaving you with a bill for potentially hundreds of pounds.”
Although it is difficult to keep children completely safe online, there are
some simple rules that can minimise the risks. It helps to keep the computer in
a communal area so that you can monitor the sites being viewed. Only ever allow
your children to use moderated chat rooms and tell them never to give out
personal details.
Also encourage your children to tell you if they ever feel uncomfortable, upset
or threatened by anything they see online