Guidelines for adults regarding internet safety are very much the same as for children:

• Use common sense when surfing the web by never giving out personal information to anyone unless you know who they are.
• Never give your passwords to anyone. Online companies will never ask you for your password.
• Before you purchase anything online make sure that the internet address (URL) has an "https://" at the beginning of the address. This insures that your information will be safely encrypted. If that shopping site just has "http://" move along to a site that has "https://".

Protect Your Children

• Communicate with your child.
• Be involved in your child's activities, know their friends, hobbies, and interests.
• Take time to teach your children to use the Internet responsibly.
• Make sure the computer is in a high traffic area.
• Familiarize yourself with the computer, programs, and the method that your child uses to communicate online.
• When possible, use the Internet with your children. Use Internet filters or blocking software, and parental controls.
• Set time limits for Internet use. Develop an 'online rules' agreement with your children and have everyone sign it.
• Make sure you know your children's log-on passwords - and no one else does.
• Know your children's friends - and their parents.
• Find out what rules/safeguards other parents have at homes where your child might be spending time online.
• Know about the meanings of abbreviations and acronyms used in chatrooms and online and chat room signs (emoticons) used.