As the Internet has grown to phenomenal proportions, the need for Internet safety has also reached an all time high. As more and more people log on to the World Wide Web, there are almost as many people out there waiting to infect computers with virus’s, take advantage of those who are vulnerable such as children and the elderly, and run all kinds of internet scams to defraud  unsuspecting people. The definite need for security while surfing the web is at an all time high, and thankfully there are numerous programs, virus spotting security centers, and safety measures being developed all the time.
     With young children and teens being one of the largest age groups using the Internet, the need for parents to up their Internet safety measures is key. There are numerous individuals who spend a great amount of their time online trying to sexually exploit children through the use of Internet services. Computer sex offenders will take their time to get to know a child through online conversations, and picture sharing, and often will ask the child to use their computer account information so as to keep under the detection radar. Using blocking software and parental controls that can be provided to you by your Internet provider, specifically for Internet safety, can help you control and monitor almost everything that is happening on your computer. Internet monitoring software comes in slightly different forms, and under different brand names, but basically does all the same job. Filtering software can often block violent images and pornography, but does not always guard against chat rooms that one might wander into. This software can also log all e-mails that have been sent and received from a certain computer, and notify the owner if certain keywords were used in searches.  Internet safety especially for our children is so important, and there are so many technologies available that we have no reason not to take advantage of them.
     The Internet has opened up a whole range of new victims for today’s online attackers, and they have billions to choose from. Malware, which is malicious software, is designed to infiltrate a person’s computer without their consent. Using this software, the attacker is able to spread virus’s quickly around the Internet, send child pornography, and take control of peoples’ computers and use them for exploitative purposes. It is most important to protect your computer and yourself against these kind f attacks by using anti-virus software and blocking technology. The antivirus programs are designed to constantly scan your computer for signs of any virus that might be trying to infect your computer.
     Firewalls are also designed to promote Internet safety. A firewall is a program designed to keep out unwanted and/or unauthorized access to your computer, while allowing only communications that are owner authorized. A firewall is a key element in protecting your computer and allowing you to feel safe and protected as you and your family uses the Internet. Internet safety is applicable for any computer user, and will ultimately benefit you by cutting down the time you would have to spend chasing and trapping Internet virus’s.