I Don't Wanna Be Anything Other Than Me

Dear Reader, 




I work online at one of my part-time jobs. Sometimes it is required of me to look up a person's credentials or accomplishments to better fill out a description of their time on the radio. This means I do Google searches quite frequently to find their websites, their social media profiles, etc. By no means am I a guru on the world wide web, but I have been around the internet a few times. Why does any of this matter to you, reader? It matters because I have found a few things that are essential to being safe online. As much as anyone hates to admit, the persona built on the web greatly affects the actual person outside of technology. It matters because we need to review the tips on how to remain safe online regularly. 

Here is a quick example of how important it is to monitor what you put online. If you put "Dale Lundstrom" into a Google search, there are 743 results as of today. A good number of those have nothing to do with me, it's true. However, it is scary to see how much you can learn about my life from the things that do concern me. It is hard to put an exact number on it, but the number of links from that Google search that tie directly to me is probably over 100. That is frightening considering the fact that I put high security on my internet content. 

Hopefully you are scared at this point. The internet is a scary place, especially if you have children that are using it. If you do, I would highly recommend visiting sites such as Net Smartz and Kids Health. There are lots of tips that parents can use to help their kids online and keep them safe. Here a couple of my favorites:

• Keep the computer in a high-traffic area of your home.
• Remember that Internet technology can be mobile, so make sure to monitor cell phones, gaming devices, and laptops.
• Surf the Internet with your children and let them show you what they like to do online.
• Know who is connecting with your children online and set rules for social networking, instant messaging, e-mailing, online gaming, and using webcams.

As for adults, there is still protection needed. It is definitely a good idea to monitor your security settings. However, it is also imperative that you watch what types of pictures you put up on your social media profiles and other websites. The couple of tips I have come up with concerning pictures are these:

• Be wary of what information is in your pictures. I cringe every time I see someone post about getting their driver's license or some other form of personal identification, especially if they post the whole document. This information can also be in the background of the photo, such as a home address or place of employment. 
• Don't post provocative pictures. First of all, there are some pictures you should not even have because you are doing something you shouldn't be doing in the first place. These pictures can get you into trouble with employers who come across them. Or worse, these pictures can be used by predators who use them for sketchy or inappropriate websites.
• Be aware of people in your pictures. Some people do not like having pictures of themselves online (They are the few in this day and age of selfies). Be considerate of what pictures you post of people, especially of coworkers, classmates and extended family. Sometimes pictures with other people are what create the link between your information and hackers, identity thieves, etc.

You can read more about how to be safe online with this PDF on Internet Safety. It provides tips on what to do to keep your system up to date and how to avoid harmful content on your computer. Stay Safe Online provides information on what to do if you have already been affected in some way by internet crime.  

The basic idea is: you don't want to become someone else because someone else became you with your personal information.