You're Almost Ready-Just a Few More Things To Do

Once you have the basics of your system ready to go, there are just a couple of other things you may want to do before letting the family loose on the Internet:

• Choose user IDs and passwords – This is probably the easiest and most straightforward security measure you can take and should be used by everyone. Set an ID and password for each member of the family who will use the computer. As long as passwords are not shared, they can ensure each user's information stays private. It is best to choose passwords that don't mean anything and have a mixture of upper- and lower-case letters and numbers. Here’s an example: A8lp0Cu3N
• Look at parental control options (such as the Content Advisor in Internet Explorer) – A growing number of Internet-based applications offer parental controls. Use the controls to set the level of access you feel is right for each of your children or grandchildren.
• Start a family dialog - Explain computer security to your kids or grandkids—or have them explain it to you. Computer security is something everyone in the family should understand. Help each other by staying informed and sharing information about new security threats and safety strategies—and stay aware.