Internet Safety: How to Prevent Cyber Stalking

Here are some helpful social networking safety tips to help prevent cyber stalking and social networking predators:

Stay Informed.  Pay attention to news sources to learn about recent threats and websites that have been attacked.  Remember, even the most reliable search engines and popular websites could be attacked and, therefore, compromise your privacy.

Be Careful. Never enter private or financial data into websites that don’t show proof of security from companies like TRUSTe or VeriSign.  Maintain your security settings on your email and social network pages, and install security software onto your computer.

Report Abuse.  If you are stalked or harassed online, don’t respond to the attacker.  Instead, keep a record of the communications and report the abuse to the website’s administrator or The National Center for Victims of Crime.  If the problem escalates further, don’t be afraid to contact your local authorities.