Internet Security ABC

 

internet securityChat Room Challenge - Five Tips to Ensure Your Anonymity

In this day of electronic technology, going to a chat room could either give you many new friends or put you in danger. It's a challenge to enjoy a chat room and remain anonymous. It's dangerous to make it easy for a predator to discover your identity and from there track you to your home. There are sites on the Internet that will even print a map to your home! Chat rooms have become popular hangouts for pedophiles and con artists. Before you decide to go into a chat room, and participate in the conversation, just watch and listen for a bit. This is called "lurking" and you will learn a lot about the nature of the chat room. If you have a friend that is involved in chatting, you might want to check with them for their suggestions. It's safer if you go to a chat room where you already know
someone.

You will find that chat rooms can be fun places to spend time chatting with people with the same interests as you. You can find a chat room for any interest and for any illness or support group that you could possibly want. You may think you are exchanging ideas and views with others that are the same age or with the same interests. There are some wonderful supportive chat rooms out there, you can exchange views, get helpful advice and even make some wonderful friends. They also can be dangerous. Not only can it be dangerous for children and teenagers, but also for adult men and women. The news is full of stories of predators that meet people in chat rooms and lure them into danger.

Whether you're a teenager or an adult, there are certain tips to ensure your anonymity.

Don't use your real name. This is one of the most important facts to remember. Don't use a nickname that would identify you. Always use an alias. It could be a cartoon name or a silly nonsense name but never enter a chat room under your real name. Have you ever tried using a search engine and putting in your name? I have, and what I found is just about everything that I've ever posted to the Web. From there, the trail will easily lead to your home address and other relevant information. You don't know whom you are chatting with. Anyone can "lurk" in a chat room until they find out details through your conversations. Then when they contact you, they are already armed with personal details. That makes you feel comfortable and lowers your guard.

Never, ever type your e-mail address in a chat room. For your safety, you should set up a free e-mail address such as hotmail and use it. Anyone with any knowledge of computers can easily track you and get your real name and address. Again, any map program will lead them straight to your home. Be sure you know whom your children are chatting with and be sure they follow the rules as well.

In conversation, be careful to not reveal your location. There is safety in anonymity. It's dangerous to even tell a chat room what school you go to, where you work, and even what team you support. The more you reveal of yourself in a chat room, the easier it is to track you. If you give your place of employment, you narrow the search, if you say that you have blonde hair, which narrows it even further. Did you tell your age? Again, that narrows the field some more.

Another common ruse to get personal information is for a person to set up a website and tell you that it's a cool place to visit. That website could be an unregistered website. The site may ask you to take a quick survey, or ask for other personal information. Once you have logged on to that site, it will record the IP address of the computer that visited it and from there easily track you through your Internet service provider.

An alias or nickname should also be picked carefully. Don't use one that will attract unwanted attention. For instance, "Hot Mama" is an eye-catcher and will undoubtedly invite some comments you may not like. Your chat room name should be something you are comfortable with but will not attract special attention.

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