This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

It’s no secret – we’re a society that relies heavily on the internet. As our technology becomes more advanced, we also increase our reliance on being connected to the internet 24/7. While this in itself isn’t a bad thing, it has introduced a unique issue – internet addiction.

If you ask the average person, they wouldn’t admit to being addicted to the internet. However, how much time do you really spend online each day? If you’re without access for a period of time, do you begin to feel anxious and disconnected? You might not realize how dependent you’ve become on having access to the internet on a regular basis. Here are some tips for dealing with internet addiction.

Start Timing Yourself.
The most important part of dealing with any addiction is recognizing that you have a problem. To do this, start timing exactly how much time each day you spend online. You can do this with a regular kitchen timer, or you can keep a running tally of exactly how much time you spend in front of your computer. Have an internet-enabled cell phone? Don’t forget to count the hours you spend on your mobile browser as well!

Make Time for Disconnection.
A good habit to get into is to set aside designated time each day (or each week) when you won’t spend time online. It’s best if this is a time you can stick to, since a routine is extremely important when dealing with internet addiction. This time away from your computer (and phone’s browser) can be a great way to let your brain “rest”, and realize that you don’t need constant internet access to be entertained.

Make Time for Other Activities.
I’m sure our children and grandchildren will be asking us, “What did you do in the days before internet?”. How will you answer this question? There are still a lot of fun (and entertaining) activities that you don’t need the internet to enjoy. You could organize a popcorn and movie night with your family. Or, you could plan a family camping trip for a weekend when you don’t have to work. Even a day spent outdoors hiking, kayaking or playing sports can be a great way to get your mind off of the constant need to be connected online.

Spend More “Face” Time.
Sure, you talk to your best friend on Facebook, but when’s the last time you talked face-to-face? Take some time out of your week to visit all of your local friends to have a “real life” conversation. You’ll be surprised at how much more fulfilling it is to interact with someone in person.

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This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

Internet addiction is a relatively new concept for many people, since (believe it or not) we’re still in the very early stages of our technological era. The idea that we could become addicted to easy access to information seems almost laughable to many people. However, how much time do you really spend online? The internet has become such an integral part of our society, which we’ve adapted to incorporate into our daily routines. Are you, or a member of your family addicted to the internet? Here are five key warning signs that will help you identify an internet addiction.

1 – A “Need” to Be Connected
What happens when you don’t have access to the internet? Do you feel anxious, nervous or disconnected from other people? Do you try to finish your current activity as fast as possible, just so that you can get back online sooner? These behavioral traits are the sign of a serious internet addiction.

2 – Loss of Interest in Offline Activities
When was the last time that you did an outdoor activity that you previously enjoyed? Did you previously love to read, or draw – activities which you find yourself no longer interested in? This is another very important sign that you might have developed a dependence on online communication. Essentially, your internet time has become a replacement for other “offline” activities.

3 – Less “Real” Social Time
Of course you spend time interacting with your friends online – who doesn’t? However, the question is – do you spend time with them off of the internet as well? Most of us have become very accustomed to simply communicating via online messages, which requires us to spend less time actually “talking” to someone face to face. If you find that you’re avoiding actual social encounters in favor of chatting online, you may need to acknowledge that you have a serious problem.

4 – Others Have Commented About Your Internet Use
If other people are beginning to notice that you’re spending a lot of time online, it might be time to listen to their analysis of your behavior.  While all of us spend at least some time online, if it’s becoming noticeable to others, you might want to take a step back. Are your friends saying that they never see you anymore outside of chatting online? Is your family complaining about spending less time with you? Do you find yourself constantly checking your social media accounts? If any of these are true, you might want to stop denying it, and actually listen to the feedback you’re receiving about your online activities.

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This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

With one of this year’s data disasters involving the leak of sensitive information over the Playstation Network, many people are looking for new ways to secure their gaming consoles. For parents, this often means restricting what information their children can have access to while gaming. Using parental controls on gaming consoles is a great way to ensure that your children will have a safe gaming experience. Here are a few tips for adjusting the parental controls on your children’s gaming consoles.

Nintendo Wii

The Nintendo Wii is one of the most widely used gaming consoles in homes with young children. Fortunately, it also gives parents the most control over what content their children are exposed to. Here we will show you how to restrict content based on a game’s ESRB rating, as well as how your child interacts with online programs.

The first thing you’ll need to do is access the Wii System Menu, and then select ‘Parental Controls’. If this is your first time entering this menu, the Wii will ask you to create a 4-digit PIN and a security question to protect your changes. Once this is complete, you will be given a variety of options. You will probably want to focus on restricting the ‘Highest Game Rating Allowed’, which will allow to prevent your children from playing games with a higher ESRB rating than is appropriate for their age.

If your Wii is connected to the internet, you can also place limits on online features. Click on ‘Other Settings’ in the Wii system menu. Here, you can block your child from using the Internet or News Channel. You can also block sending and receiving of online messages, as well as “user-created content” (pictures, videos, etc). From here, you can also restrict the use of Wii points, which are used to purchase games from the Wii Shop Channel.

Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 is an extremely popular video game console manufactured by Microsoft. Microsoft has created an entire section of their console dedicated to parental controls, which is called the ‘Family Center’ or ‘Family Setting’ (depending on what time of membership you have on Xbox Live). In this section, you can control which games can be played, which movies/TV shows can be watched, how long the console can be played on a daily/weekly basis, and whether or not your children can log on to Xbox Live.

All of these options can be manipulated in the ‘Console Safety’ section of the ‘Family Center’.

If you need step-by-step instruction, consult Microsoft’s official Xbox support page: http://support.xbox.com/en-us/pages/xbox-live/how-to/parental-control.aspx

Playstation 3

Like the previous two consoles, Sony has also incorporated parental controls into the Playstation 3. Before any parental controls are changed, you will need to create a password for yourself, which can be done in the ‘Security Settings’ submenu under ‘Settings’. The default password is ‘0000’, which you will need to enter before you can change it. After you have successfully created a password for yourself, proceed to the ‘Parental Controls’ menu under ‘Settings’.

Under ‘Parental Controls’ you will be able to restrict games by ESRB rating, as well as playback of DVD’s and Blu-ray discs. If you would like to block the usage of the Internet Browser, you can set this option as well, under ‘Internet Browser Start Control’. If you need to restrict Internet chat, or set a monthly spending limit for the Playstation Store – log into your master account and select ‘Playstation Network’ -> ‘Account Management’ and then ‘Manage Sub Accounts’.

For more information, refer to Sony’s official documentation: http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/3_15/basicoperations/parentallock.html

This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

Since its creation in 2004, social media site Facebook has exploded in popularity. As of the beginning of 2011, there were over 600 million active users that login to Facebook on a regular basis. What started as a simple database of college students has become the preferred method of communication for a large majority of people. Many companies have recognized this, and are now using Facebook for marketing their products and communicating with customers.

Facebook has completely changed the way that we interact with each other, probably for good. Instead of sending an email or text message, many people now communicate via Facebook chat or by writing on a person’s “wall”. On Facebook we can now advertise our likes, dislikes, relationship status, favorite movies and other specific information. Facebook is on its way to becoming the preferred method of communication for future generations.

So, Why is This Important?

You might be thinking, “So, what’s the big deal?”. Well, Facebook may have changed the way we communicate, but it hasn’t entirely changed the way we think. Online interaction has a history of having several key perceptions among its users, which are difficult to overcome. Here are a few examples:

Anonymity
Through the magic of the internet, we can now communicate without being face-to-face with our friends. However, there are some people that use the protection of being separated by a computer screen for negative purposes. Recently, there have been a lot of reports involving “cyber-bullying” of adolescent children, some of which involves bullies who hide their identity.

Information Sharing
It’s tempting to update a social media website with information about your daily activities. However, it’s essential to remember that this information may be able to be seen by people you don’t have on your friendslist. Websites such as “Please Rob Me” have highlighted the fact that many of us don’t realize when we’re sharing potentially dangerous information with others.

True Identity
Online, it’s impossible to know if a person is being honest about their identity. For example – let’s say you get a friend request from someone with the same name as your college roommate, who you haven’t spoken with in years.  How can you be sure they’re being honest about their identity? Many people simply accept friend requests from people they “think” they know, without doing a thorough check to validate their identity.

How to Protect Yourself

No one needs to be told that it’s important to keep personal information private on the web. However, there are a few key things that you can change on Facebook to increase your privacy. Start by making your profile only able to be viewed by people you have on your friendslist. Also, it’s a good idea to make your photos only viewable by friends (or “friends of friends”). Changing your search options can help you control who is able to send you friend requests, or who is able to contact you via private message. By following these steps, you can increase the security of your Facebook page, and also protect your identity.

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For Theresa Smalley, Richie was the perfect man. He described himself as “loving, caring and hardworking”, with a picture of him and his cat cuddling on a couch. Richie first contacted Theresa through an online dating website, asking her if she’d like to chat with him. Theresa was flattered, and the two of them struck up an online relationship that lasted for four months. In the first few weeks, Theresa was in heaven. Richie sent her chocolates, a teddy bear and a balloon for Valentine’s day, which was accompanied by many passionate emails.

Richie told Theresa that he was from Massachusetts, though he was out of the country helping to build a stadium in Nigeria. He hoped to be returning home to the USA soon, as he “couldn’t wait” to see Theresa in person. However, that day never came.

Richie began asking Theresa to cash money orders for him, and to send him the money she received. Without a second thought, she did as he asked, and wired the money she received to him in Nigeria. When Richie was ready to come home to the United States, he said that he encountered a problem with his visa, and asked for Theresa’s help again in cashing money orders. Theresa sent over $2,700 to “Richie” before she finally realized that something was wrong. Her bank called her, telling her that the money orders that she’d been cashing were fraudulent, and that she would need to pay back all of the money she had received. That’s when Theresa’s world fell apart, and she realized that the man that she’d been in love with for four months didn’t even exist.

Theresa is by no means the first woman to fall victim to an online dating scam. A quick scan of online forums shows that thousands of women each year are approached by alleged scammers through online dating websites. To protect yourself, you should be aware of some of the common warning signs of a scam.

1. An Incomplete Profile
Many scammers won’t take the time to completely fill out their online dating website profile in detail.

2. Foreign Country
Be wary of scammers that may claim to be in another country, but still claim to have citizenship in the United States. A common scam is for a man to claim that he’s in the army, deployed in a foreign country.

3. Inconsistency
In many cases, two or three scammers may communicate to their victims through a single online dating profile. Be wary of emails/messages that signal a change in tone, aggressiveness or a sudden shift in personality.

4. Asking for Money
No matter how genuine you believe someone to be, always be extremely cautious when they begin asking for money! This seems like common sense, but thousands of women each year are victims of online dating scams.

5. “Too Perfect”
A scammer will often be charismatic, charming, understanding and flirtatious. They will listen to your problems, and may appear to be free of personality defects. Their picture will be attractive, and they may even send you flowers, chocolates or other gifts through the mail. Don’t be fooled! A combination of key warning signs may mean that your online beau is really a scammer in disguise.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger is currently best-known for being the governor of California. However, ever since Arnold starred in his first film (which was called “Hercules in New York”), he has taken on the role of a businessman, a model, a bodybuilder, an actor and a politician. In 1996, Arnold starred in a family comedy called “Jingle All the Way”, which was about his search for the perfect Christmas present for his young son. The film featured an epic battle between Arnold and Sinbad, who played a rival father also pursuing the coveted “Turbo-Man” action figure. Though the film received mostly negative reviews from critics (it currently has a 16% approval rating on the movie review site “Rotten Tomatoes”), it did receive one award nomination – Director Brian Levant was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for “Worst Director”.

Finding the perfect presents for your family members can be a frustrating task, especially if you plan to do a lot of your shopping around the holidays. With the popularity of online retailers, many people are now opting to purchase their family’s holiday gifts through the internet. However, many people don’t realize the vulnerabilities involved in shopping online. Identity thieves, scam artists and fraudulent websites are some of the potential dangers that you could face while buying online. Stay safe! Here are some essential tips to help protect you and your privacy.

Be Wary of Phishing Websites.
In some cases, you could navigate to a website that appears exactly like a popular online retailer (such as Amazon.com), though the url will be slightly different. These sites are often called “Phishing” sites, and they exist for one primary purpose – to steal your information! The best way to avoid being scammed by a phishing website is to install a browser that checks each site to make sure that it’s genuine. Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox both have the ability to check for phishing websites.

Using a Credit Card?
Most of the safety surrounding use of your credit card online is common sense. Never give out your credit card information to an individual who contacts you claiming to be from a certain company (without verifying their identity). Always keep track of the charges that show up on your credit card statement, looking out for fraudulent transactions.

Educating Your Children
If you have children, its important that you have a sit-down talk with them about shopping online. Your child may need to purchase online gifts for family members. When in doubt, always try to make sure that their online time is supervised, either by a parent or a responsible adult. Many parents don’t let their children shop online until they are old enough to use the internet responsibly.

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What kind of information do you share online?

Many people aren’t fully aware of how much information they are sharing with other people, companies and users on the internet. Its easy to forget that everything that many of the things you post online quickly becomes documented, archived and picked up by search engines. With a few keystrokes, a stranger could find out more about you than you may realize.

There was recently a lot of buzz about “Please Rob Me“, a website that collected and published when certain users on twitter advertised that they were not at home. Since then, there has been criticism, validation and other reactions to the concept of shedding light on social network information sharing. Please Rob Me has since stopped publishing a live feed of twitter updates, with a message from one of the site’s founders:

Currently we’re looking through the emails we’ve received regarding the future of the website. As soon as we’ve thought of a suitable way to continue, you’ll find it right here. We’re not showing the Twitter messages anymore, as they no longer add anything. If you don’t want your information to show up everywhere, don’t over-share

Another website, “I Can Stalk U“, has picked up on the same concept, publishing a feed of when certain people blatantly advertise that they will be out of their homes.

“Rob Me Now” is another website that searches for phrases and tags that indicate when someone has left home. A message from the site’s founders says:

Gowalla is a fun application. Geotagging is fun. But please, think before you Geotag. It would be really easy to use 4sq or gowal.la as “todo” list for a burglar – but this is nothing we recommend or encourage! Do not tweet/blog about your vacation plans. Don’t use your voicemail to tell people when you are away. Use email auto responders wisely – don’t tell exactly when you are on vacation.

What Does This Mean?

As facebook is possibly going to be releasing a new location sharing feature soon, it’s extremely important to understand why location sharing is such a big deal. The backlash against websites such as “Please Rob Me” and “I Can Stalk U” has been considerable, with some people even going as far to claim that these sites are participating in “fear-mongering”.

The reality is, of course, subject to personal interpretation, and is defined only with what you feel comfortable with. However, you need to be fully aware of the potential consequences of making your location publicly available. If you aren’t comfortable with a stranger being able to approach you at a restaurant and say “Hey, I saw that you were here from your post on Twitter, so I came here too”, then you should probably be opting out of most location sharing features.

The issue of burglary is another potential consequence of location sharing, which has also recently been highlighted in news stories. A burglar planning to hit a specific neighborhood could search on facebook, twitter or other social networks in order to determine daily schedules. For example, if you are “checking in” twice per week at your yoga class, a burglar would be able to determine that you are usually not home during the same days each week.

What Should I Do?

Here are a few videos to help you to tweak some of your privacy settings. Remember, even with good privacy settings, you should always be mindful of the information that you share online. Never, ever share information that reveals detailed personal information, even to people who claim to be administrators of a social networking website!

Modifying Your Privacy Settings on Facebook
Here is an explanation of how to modify some of your privacy settings on facebook. After new updates to the privacy settings (as well as the default option for many items being “viewable by everyone”), it’s a bit difficult to understand or modify some of the settings. This short video shows how to make some of your data not viewable, or unable to be indexed by third parties.

Click here to view the embedded video.

How to Modify Your Privacy Settings on Facebook
This is another explanatory video detailing how you can modify your privacy settings. This video is more recent than the previous video, and also shows you how to opt out of many of the sharing features that are included on facebook. It also includes a more detailed explanation of how to modify and change your settings. Many of these features have the same configuration settings as previous versions of facebook.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Identity Theft on Facebook is Easy
This interesting video details a study that a company did about identity theft on facebook. They created a fake profile, and did an experiment to see exactly how many people they could convince to share information with them. Amazingly, a large number of people responded, unknowingly sharing a large percentage of their personal information with the “anonymous” profiles. Keep this in mind next time you respond to a friend request from someone that you don’t know!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Setting up a Twitter Account
This video shows how to set up a very basic twitter account, as well as how to tweak some of your twitter settings. However, this video isn’t focused on privacy, and should only be used as a rudimentary reference. Always modify your twitter settings to reflect the amount of privacy you want to have over who views your information.

Click here to view the embedded video.

**Title Photo Source: http://image3.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID39209/images/resized_foursquare.jpg

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By now, many facebook and Twitter users are familiar with the location sharing service called Foursquare. Messages such as, “Brian has just checked in at LAX in Los Angeles” are common among the social notifications posted on many networks. However, some sources have hinted that a new location sharing service may be coming, and it may be integrated with facebook itself.

Is this a good move? Websites such as “Please Rob Me” have highlighted the potential danger of sharing your up-to-the-minute location details on social networks. Facebook has also been the target of criticism for security features that are difficult to navigate, and not focused on protecting the privacy of their users. This criticism also sparked a “facebook protest”, which culminated with many users making a public statement by deleting their facebook accounts.

How Much is Your Privacy Worth?

As of right now, privacy concerns are the main reason why some people are opting out of the popular facebook social network. In the online business world, companies spend millions of dollars each year attempting to discover personal information about potential customers. This information may include:

• Favorite Commercial Brands
• Favorite TV Shows
• Email Address
• Phone Number
• Full Name
• City of Residence

Is it surprising, then, that facebook asks for all of this information from its users, and is just now starting to slowly make it easier for companies to share this information? For example, facebook is now integrated with many websites, allowing users to “like” content from all over the web. By opting in to this service, a person can visit a site such as CNN, and view a live “feed” of all of the stories that their facebook friends have also liked. While this creates a more “personal” experience, it also has security risks as well.

Location Sharing for Convenience

The debate about the reason for implementing location-sharing features is ongoing. The argument for location sharing is that it is social, convenient and makes each step outside a personable experience. For example, a user could share that they’re at a large coffee house downtown, and see that a few of their facebook friends are also at the same coffee shop. During large tech industry events, such as E3, several people could arrange to meet up in specific locations based on everyone’s location updates.

How Much Do You Really Share?

In the end, the concept of location sharing really comes down to personal preference. As long as you are aware of the potential security risk of constantly advertising your location, you are entitled to use the service as you see fit. However, with the potential location sharing feature that may be coming to facebook, it would be ideal to have an “opt-out” feature (similar to the feature on twitter) that allows a user to easily decide if they want to share their location.

**Facebook logo and associated images are from http://www.facebook.com

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This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

There is nothing quite like the thrill of winning an auction on eBay. This victory is made even more exciting when you are able to obtain an item for significantly less than you would have spent buying it from the store! Since its founding as “AuctionWeb” in 1995, eBay has expanded to be the venue of choice for millions of shoppers worldwide. The concept of eBay is similar to that of a large auction house, allowing people to sell their clothing, cars, antiques, junk and other miscellaneous items. Some of the more notorious items sold on eBay include belly button lint, a piece of toast displaying the face of Jesus, a frozen brussel sprout, a single cornflake and a fossilized aphid. One man even put his “entire life” up for auction on eBay, which included his house, introductions to his friends and a trial at his job.

However, using eBay can put you and your personal information at risk, if you aren’t aware of the proper buying procedures. Here are five things you need to know before buying an item on eBay.

Tip #1 – Avoid Restricted Items.
Some items are restricted or illegal to sell on eBay. These auctions may not be taken down before closing, so it’s possible to accidentally bid on an illegal item. Illegal items on eBay include Nazi paraphernalia, passports, firearms, live animals, lockpicking tools, lottery tickets, military hardware, digital items in certain online games, and controlled substances.

Tip #2 – Screen a Seller’s Feedback.
When you purchase an item on eBay, you are essentially buying it from an individual or established company. It’s very important for you to check the feedback of other users on the seller before making a bid. Avoid sellers that have several recent negative feedback ratings, or that aren’t verified sellers.

Tip #3 – Never Purchase Outside of Ebay.
One of the advantages of purchasing an item through eBay is that your purchase can usually be protected. This means that if you pay for an item, and the seller never sends it, you will be able to have your money refunded. However, if a seller contacts you with an invitation to sell you the item outside of eBay, be wary. Any transactions outside of eBay will not be able to be refunded by filing a case with eBay’s claims department.

Tip #4 – Don’t Overbid.
It’s very easy to get caught up in the excitement of bidding on an eBay auction. This can lead to you paying more for an item that you could have purchased cheaper elsewhere. Before making a bid, it’s important that you make sure that you have researched the actual retail price of the item. Checking sites such as Amazon.com and Overstock.com can be helpful when attempting to determine the value of an item that you are bidding on.

Tip #5 – Communicate With the Seller.
It’s possible that you may have questions after reading the description on an item you are thinking about purchasing. The eBay interface has a method you can use to communicate directly with the seller of an item, which will allow them to send you a reply notification to your email.

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In the world of digital technology, we have the benefit of instant communication. Instead of spending hours or days acquiring information, we have the entire internet at our fingertips. Instead of waiting weeks for a reply by snail mail, we can send instant messages through chat programs or email. While all of these technological advancements are incredibly useful, they can also put our personal information at risk. Since around 80% of the population of the United States currently has an email address, email security has become an issue of major importance. With this in mind, how vulnerable are you to having your personal information compromised through your email? Is your email address making you at risk for identity theft? Here is a quick guide to some of the security risks associated with email.

Malware Attachments
Several years ago, there were several viruses that circulated as seemingly harmless email attachments. Now, the most commonly used type of malicious email attachment is malware. Malware may include software that logs your keystrokes, steals your personal information, or allows a hacker to gain access to your computer. As a general rule, never, ever open email attachments before having them scanned by your anti-virus software! Even if the attachment is from someone you know, it could still contain software that could harm your computer and personal security.

Email Scams
In some cases, you may receive an email that looks like a legitimate request for money. A common scam is an email that is from someone who claims to have met you at a “conference” or “business meeting” some time ago, and they have a business opportunity for you. In many cases, all you will have to do to “make money” is invest a small sum by entering your credit card info. This is most likely a scam! It may cause your credit card information to be compromised, your identity to be stolen or fraudulent charges to show up on your account.

Using Your Email for Your Username
The question, “Should I use my email for my username?” is often asked by many computer users. Many news websites, blogs, social media sites and other internet services will require you to use your email address for your login username. In most cases, it’s best to create a website specifically for creating accounts with these sites. This email address should not contain your personal email, bank account information or saved passwords. This can help ensure that even if the email address that you use to login becomes compromised, your personal information may not be at as much risk.

Saved Passwords
When you create an account on a website, it’s common for you to receive a “confirmation email” that includes your username, password and other account information. Most people archive this information in their email account. In reality, this puts you at a huge security risk! If your email address ever becomes compromised, a hacker will have access to nearly all of your personal information and passwords. You should either store your passwords written on a physical piece of paper, or have them in an encrypted, password-protected folder on your desktop.

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