Category: Privacy
4 Security Precautions to Take Before Using Public Wi-Fi
This is a guest article by Jessica Salt. Using public Wi-Fi automatically introduces security threats that rarely exist on private networks. If you have to use a public network, then follow these safety precautions to keep your information secure. Only Use Encrypted Websites Anyone with some basic hacking experience can steal information from other computers [...]
RAT Hackers Targeting Women, Children for Fun and Extortion
If you’ve used services like WebEx or Skype then you’re probably familiar with desktop sharing technology. In a nutshell, desktop sharing allows someone to remotely control someone else’s computer, meaning they can access files and launch applications as if they were on their own computer. In applications like this, desktop sharing technology is totally legal, [...]
Facebook Graph Search – What It Means to Your Privacy
In January, Facebook unveiled Graph Search, a new search tool that leverages information from your friends’ interests, likes, check-ins and photos, ultimately allowing you to discover new places and things. You can also use Graph Search to review all the photos you’ve been tagged in since joining Facebook. This can be helpful in having more control over [...]
How to Avoid Falling Victim to a “Catfish” Hoax
The term “catfish” comes from the 2010 documentary film in which a young New Yorker named Nev Schulman has an online relationship with a woman on Facebook. Turns out the woman fabricated her entire life on the social network, and when Nev finally made plans to meet her in real life, he realized that everything she told [...]
Facebook’s New Privacy Settings
In response to recent criticism, Facebook has added new privacy settings and made them easier to access. The new settings give users more security options for who can view content that’s on their profile. In a nutshell, the new privacy settings address tagging, blocking events, blocking apps, and setting visibility restrictions to the public and [...]
TMI: When Oversharing Online Becomes a Problem
From what they are eating to where they are going, young people everywhere are sharing everything they do online. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter make it possible for people to instantly connect – and sometimes, unknowingly to them, become easy targets for identification theft, bullying or home burglary. Does it seem like a stretch? It’s not. [...]
Back to School Online Safety Guide
As school starts back up for most students across the country and parents face the inevitable back-to-school frenzy that follows, most parents tend to overlook one very important preparation aspect: the digital safety aspect. The back-to-school season is responsible for billions of dollars spent on digital devices; laptops, tablets and smartphones are changing the way [...]
Pendaflex Tag Tamer Review
Pendaflex Tag Tamer is a free Facebook application that allows users to find and untag themselves in photos that they’ve been tagged in. Facebook members can use Pendaflex Tag Tamer to filter through tagged photos by month, year or the name of the person who they were tagged with. If you or your older teen [...]
Facebook Exchange Means Even Less Privacy for You
Now that Facebook has gone public, it’s beholden to shareholders and has to keep finding ways in which to maximize their profit. Considering that advertising made up 85% of their revenue last year, it’s no surprise that Facebook would turn their attention towards enhancing this approach. This is where Facebook Exchange comes in. Facebook Exchange [...]
Five Questions Every Parent Needs to Know the Answers to When Asking: Is Facebook Okay for My Child?
Facebook’s decision to investigate technology that would make them compliant with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and subsequently allow children under the age of 13 to join the network, has me deeply concerned as a parent. The argument that this move would make Facebook safer for children is misleading and designed to placate [...]
Tumblr – Why Kids Love It and What Parents Need To Know
Maybe you’ve heard your teen talking about something called Tumblr. Or perhaps you’ve seen it on the Internet somewhere and always wondered what it is. Aside of its increasing popularity among the younger crowd, there’s really only one reason why you might want to consider blocking Tumblr on your home computer, or at the very [...]
Family iBoard Review – A Social Networking Tool Created Just for Families
The Family iBoard, which is available for Windows, Mac OSX, and all iOS devices, gives your family their own secure Private Family Network. Think of it as a digitally secure safe where your family members can share private information and content with each other without worrying about their privacy being violated. It’s also a great way to keep [...]
How to Delete That Unwanted Google+ Profile of Your Child
The other day my son asked if he could have a YouTube account of his own. He enjoys listening to music and watching the sports videos on the site. He’s 13 now so I said yes. While the intention was for me to help him create his account, he jumped right in and suddenly he [...]
Internet Cookies – What They Are and How to Block Them
If you’re like most parents, the first time you heard of Internet cookies you probably wondered to yourself, ‘what the heck are cookies?’ Well, simply put, cookies are small, often encrypted (protected) text-only files that reside on your web browser or computer’s memory. In a nutshell, cookies are used to make your web-browsing experience a [...]
How to Easily Block Ads on Your Child’s Computer
The idea of ad companies and marketing firms having an “online profile” of your child based on their web browsing habits is of definite concern. Unfortunately, this isn’t just an idea; it’s a reality. In fact, it’s how companies like Google and Yahoo! make money. One of the key methods used to collect this data [...]
Three Good Reasons Why Your Child Shouldn’t Be on Facebook
As a mother of two college students and two tween boys, I absolutely understand the urge to give children what they want. Right now, in this world of digital media and instant gratification, that ‘want’ is to be on a social network with their friends. Most children, as you know, use Facebook as that social [...]
Instagram – Is It Okay for Kids? What Parents Need to Know
In many ways, and without reinventing the wheel, Instagram is changing the way people share photos with each other. The mobile app, which is only available on the iPhone, is steadily growing in popularity among the kid and teen crowds, causing parents to take notice and ask, what exactly is Instagram, and is there anything [...]
Google’s New Privacy Policy – a Safety Workaround for You and Your Teen
Taking a page from Facebook, Google has now lowered the minimum age required to join Google+ from 18 to 13. They claim that opening Google+ to younger kids will help educate them about social networking. If you’re a regular reader of Yoursphere for Parents or follow any of the work I do in the Internet-safety [...]
Online Gaming Safety Information for Parents
First and foremost, it’s important to understand that, one, there are safety controls available on gaming consoles like the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, and two, that there are a number of other safety precautions that both you and your child can take to help protect their safety and privacy on said consoles—most of which [...]
Safety Tips for Social Networking
Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have become extremely popular in recent years. They’re a great way to keep family and friends updated on your life and connect with colleagues and communities that share your interests. You can use social networks to build a positive online reputation. The first step is STOP. [...]
Mary Kay is a nationally-recognized Internet safety expert and the founder of 
