Introduction for parents

Some of you may be wondering, Where are all the horror stories and warnings about how to protect kids from sexual predators in chat rooms? What’s all this talk about viruses and firewalls and protecting the computer? Surely that’s not as important!

And you’re right—protecting teens from online predators is important. And don’t worry, there is a chapter on online behavior and privacy in the book. But online protection is a subject that is and has been widely spoken about. Most teens have heard about it. You’ve talked to your son or daughter about it, right?

None of the teens that I’ve dealt with have had a truly dangerous online experience. Yes, some of then have engaged in questionable discussions (meaning things you would probably disapprove of), but as often as not they were the ones lying about who they were, and they clearly understood that the people they were talking to were probably lying as well. They knew better than to give out personal information—it was just a game.

But most of them have suffered a computer security breach. I’ve helped many clean up after viruses and worms. I’ve seen numerous cases where a stolen password allowed someone to impersonate someone else, and have even seen friendships jeopardized in the process. I’ve seen teens have their machines hijacked by hackers and locked out of their own e-mail or instant message accounts.

It’s not enough for teens to know not to give out their personal information online or arrange to meet with strangers. Teens today need to understand the fundamentals of computer security. They need to know how to protect their computers and their privacy. They need to know about programs they download that might spy on their activities. They need to know how to protect their passwords and why.

This book will teach your teens the most important things they need to know. It won’t protect them from every possible threat, but it will protect them from the kinds of security issues that they are actually dealing with already on a routine basis. It will help them stay out of trouble, and help them fix problems once they occur.

Appendix C has more information to help you as parents. Meanwhile, you don’t have to do a thing—besides getting your teens this book. It’s designed to teach them to help themselves. Though in truth, unless you’re already a security expert, it probably won’t do you any harm to read it as well.