By Michael Chandler and Linda Zalicks

The Internet has become a big part of our lives. We use the Internet to buy things from online shopping and auction sites for everything from CD’s to holidays. We use the Internet to find out about things. We use the Internet to stay in touch with friends and relatives. There are lots of people who use the Internet play games. This is great, and I love the Internet for all of the good things that it offers. . But, and this is a big - in your face – BUT, you do need to be careful out there.

Children are growing up with the internet as part of their everyday lives, using it at home and in school, they are more aware of what the internet has to offer. For some parents, they are less informed, and less familiar, and may find it all rather daunting.

As you may know, there is growing concern about safety and security when we use the Internet. You may have seen the news articles about viruses attacking computers and be concerned about whether your computer is vulnerable. Or, you may be aware and concerned about your children accessing inappropriate web sites. Or, you may have read about the problem with some chat rooms being used by predators. But, you might not have the knowledge or know where to go for straightforward and practical help to make your computer safe and secure.

As a service to parents who want more information and assistance we offer this online guide to Internet security and safety. In this guide, we will cover such topics as; how to stop children from visiting inappropriate web sites, how to use chat rooms safely, what is Spyware and how to stop it, how to protect your computer from viruses, how to deal with spam emails, etc.