The Internet is amazing tool for both children and adults, but with this addition to our lives comes extra responsibility that we must take on. The Internet connects you with people and places all over the world, and without it, most of us would be lost. But along with all of the great things about the Internet you also have the scam artists, predators, and thieves that are also making their home on the Internet as well.

There is so much you can do to take precautions to ensure Internet safety. Most of it is very common sense, but it is worth repeating. One of the most important things that you never do on the Internet is to give out your personal information. First names are fine, but if you wouldn't tell a perfect stranger on the street where you live, your last name, or your phone number then there is no reason to tell a perfect stranger on the Internet that information either. For children it is important not to release information such as the school they attend or their friend's names as well. One tip to avoiding giving too much away is not to use your real name, especially the last name, as part of your screen name.

Since identity fraud is such a common occurrence you want to make sure you do not give out your credit card to a company or website that you are unfamiliar with. If you do buy something over a reliable website, make sure they have a secure server and that they do not keep your information on file for later use. You could be asking for trouble if they don't. The same can be said for social security numbers and bank account information. Know who you are giving your information to.

Never give out your password, even to someone who you think you know. Most people use the same password over again for other websites and then the thief or predator will have access to many of the important sites on the web such as your email and your banking information.

You may want to consider keeping the photo of yourself and your family offline as well, unless it is a site that is secure for members only. Your photo tells a lot about you, and can help a person find you, especially if they know where you live. Lastly, for the safety of your home computer, never download anything from the Internet until you know it is safe. Although many people have virus protectors, some worms can get through and do serious damage to your files and other important facets of your computer. Treat the Internet as it is a stranger and be aware of everything you are typing into it.