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How to Help Make the Internet a Safer Place

Using the Internet has become a basic need in today's world. Everything from official records to family pictures all gets saved online. Unfortunately, the internet is not always safe. In 2015, 230,000 new viruses were created every day [1] , and $9.5 billion was lost to scammers in 2017 in the US alone [2] . With these frightening statistics in mind, it is clear that something must be done to help make the internet a safer place. Now, you may ask, "How can I help make the Internet a safer place? I am only one person!" There are many ways you can contribute to help make the internet a safer place, from spreading awareness, reporting dangerous content, and demanding action from the government.

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Keeping Yourself Safe

  1. If your computer is not secure, then nothing that you do online will be secure either. Using antivirus software, and updating your computer are the most important things that you can do to keep your computer safe [3] [4] . You should also:
    • Backup your computer. Backing up your computer makes sure that even if your hard drive breaks, or if you get infected with ransomware, your files will still be safe. [5] [6]
    • Be careful when plugging in an unknown USB device. USB flash drives could be infected with viruses that could then infect your computer. Even if the flash drive is your friends, their computer could be unknowingly hacked, and their USB drive may have a virus on it. Some USB devices are even designed to destroy your computer [7] . Make sure that you scan USB drives with antivirus software before using them, and if you find a USB drive outside with no obvious owner, don't even connect it to your computer, and throw it out. [8]
  2. [9] Make sure that you have a different, strong password for every account. Using passwords that are at least 12 characters long, and that have a variety of characters will protect your accounts from most hackers. You can write down your passwords to help you remember them, or you can use a password manager. If you write down your passwords, make sure that you keep them locked up in a safe place. [10]
    • You can also enable two-step verification where it is available. Two-step verification adds an extra layer of security to your online accounts. With two-step verification enabled, you need two things to log into your account. Typically, you will need to know your password and have your phone to receive a special one-time code that you enter into the website to log in. [11]
    • In some cases, you may be able to purchase and use a unique security key or biometrics-capable device to sign in. If you purchase one, though, you need to remember that if you lose it, you may permanently lose access to your account.

    Tip: If you have any of these keywords in your password, you should change it immediately: password, 12345…, abc…, qwerty…, azerty…, asdfgh…, 3.1415…, 911, 112, and 2.718… These are a few common passwords.

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  3. Phishing scams involve convincing you to give out your username and password so that a hacker can log into your account and steal your money, scam your friends, or do other nefarious things. Phishing attacks can occur via e-mail, social media direct messages, and any other kind of messaging system. If you think that you have received a phishing message, don't click any links or give out any information. [12] Report the scam to the company that the phishers are trying to imitate, if possible. Search for " company name report scam" or " company name report phishing" to see how to do this. [13]
    • If an email says that your account has an issue, don't click on any links in the email, instead, go directly to the website or contact customer support to check for yourself. [14]
    • If an email was caught by your spam filter, then you should not open it unless you know for sure that it's safe.
    • If you think that you fell for a phishing scam, then you should immediately change your password on the affected site and contact customer support using the information on the companies official site to make sure that your account is safe. [15]
  4. [16] Scammers will often try and get you to send them money. You can protect yourself from scams by keeping the following points in mind:
    • Legitimate government agencies will never call you and demand payment. This is one of the most common scams, and one of the easiest to spot. [17]
    • Legitimate companies will never ask you to pay with a gift card. Many scammers like gift cards because they are easy to turn into cash and they don't have much security like credit cards do. If somebody asks you to pay with gift cards, they are scamming you. Only use gift cards at the store that issued them. [18]
    • You can sign up for scam alerts from the FTC. The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regularly publishes alerts about the latest scams. Even if you don't live in the US, the alerts published by the FTC will help you stay safe from the latest scams. You can view the FTC's latest scam alerts here , and you can sign up for email alerts here [19] .
  5. . There is no shortage of fake news on the internet these days. Most fake news and misinformation are designed to get you to believe something that is not true, and can lead people to have more extremist views on a subject. Luckily, it is easy to avoid fake news by following a few easy steps. [20]
    • Check the source that's publishing the news. If you don't recognize the media outlet, then you might not want to take a "news story" from them at face value.
    • Read beyond the headline. If you share a story on social media, make sure that you read the whole story first. Oftentimes, the headline does not tell the whole story, and if you read the story further, you might find that it's something that you don't want to share.
    • Check other outlets. If you see a story on a website that would normally be big news, but nobody else if reporting on it, then chances are, it's fake news.
    • Look up the story on fact checking websites. Fact checking websites often publish their own stories about large misinformation campaigns on their website so that the public is aware. Factcheck.org , and Politifact are some examples of reputable fact checking websites.
    • There is an extension called NewsGuard available for Edge, Safari, Chrome, and Firefox which flags potentially unreliable content.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Reporting Dangerous Content

  1. Most social media websites, like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, all have policies against certain content. The policies vary depending on the platform, but they typically disallow posts that promote illegal activity, are hate speech, are harassing, contain threats, try to scam users, or expose the private information of someone. [21] [22] [23]
  2. 2
    Report malicious websites to Google and Microsoft. Google's Safe Browsing and Microsoft’s Smart Screen Filter both detect and block websites that spread viruses, try to scam users, or that are phishing websites. If Google and Microsoft both block a website, then it will be blocked from appearing in Google and Bing search, a warning will be displayed on all major web browsers when trying to access the site, and emails containing the link will be filtered into spam on Gmail and Outlook. This will effectively make it so that the site in question cannot be used for malicious purposes anymore. [24] [25] [26]
    • You can report a phishing website or a scam website to Google here , and you can report a site that is spreading viruses to Google here .
    • You can report a dangerous website to Microsoft here .
  3. 3
    Report dangerous sites to the domain registrar or to the web host. Most of these sites use web hosts instead of their own hardware to host websites. Also, all websites need a domain registrar in order to be accessible. Luckily, most hosting companies and domain registrars allow you to report websites that are using their services to them. The polices vary widely by company, but most will take down websites that are hosting illegal content (viruses, scams), or that are hosting extremist content.
    • You can report a website to its domain registrar by doing a Whois lookup using whois.net, and then sending an email to the email address listed in the "Registrar Abuse Contact Email" field.
    • You can report a website to its web host by looking it up on WhoIsHostingThis , and then searching Google for "HOSTING PROVIDER report abuse", replacing "HOSTING PROVIDER" with the company listed in the "Hosting Provider" field. [27]
    • Additionally, you can also report dangerous websites to their Content Delivery Networks, Certificate Authority, Internet Service Provider, or the Payment Gateway (if the site has one). [28]
  4. Your countries consumer protection agency is responsible for protecting the countries citizens from scams that are targeting them. Typically, consumer protection agencies can levy penalties on individuals or organizations that are trying to scam people.
    • The consumer protection agency in the US is the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). You can report a scam to them here .
    • The consumer protection agency in the UK is Action Fraud. You can report a scam to them by following the steps here .
    • The consumer protection agency in Canada is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. You can report a scam to them by filling out this form .
    • If you want to report an international scam, visit econsumer.gov . Econsumer.gov shares your report with consumer protection agencies in 35 countries, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. [29]
  5. If you notice that someone else if being bullied online, then make sure to let administrators know. You can take a screenshot of the bullying as evidence. [30]
    • If you are in a school environment, let your school know. Sometimes, victims of bullying don't want to report it to their school, so your report could be the thing that alerts your school to a problem.
  6. 6
    Contact the police if you get hacked. The government wants to hear about successful and attempted hacking attempts. A hacking attempt could be somebody hijacking your account and locking you out of it, or it could be someone stealing your identity. Many countries have a special department that handles these types of reports.
    • In the United States, you can contact the Internet Crime and Complaint Center (IC3) to report hackers. You can file a report with the IC3 at ic3.gov .
      • If you are a victim of identity theft, then you should report it to identitytheft.gov .
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Keeping Others Safe

  1. This is one of the easiest steps that you can take. You can share this article with them or warn them about common scams. Any little bit helps make the internet a safer place.
  2. If you see someone else post an internet safety reminder online, then share and like it. This will help more people see the post.
    • This is especially important when specific scams are doing the rounds on social media. Certain types of phishing attacks will also try to target friends/followers of successfully attacked accounts. By making people aware of these types of attacks, you are not only protecting them, but also their friends and followers (including yourself).
    • As always, double-check your sources. The Internet is an extremely complex ecosystem and some security advice may be outdated or downright false.
  3. Kids are especially vulnerable to scams and tricks online. It's important to teach them about online safety so that they don't get into trouble online. [31]
    • Consider parental controls. Most devices have built-in parental controls that allow you to control what your kids can access online. This can help keep your kids safe from many dangers online.
    • Make sure that your children know not to share sensitive information online.
  4. 4
    Take advantage of FTC's Publications. The FTC releases Publications , which are a series of flyers, bookmarks, and booklets that you can print out (free of charge) or you can have the FTC print them out and ship them to you (free of charge in US) [32] . You can then distribute these at local community centers, meetups, and fairs to educate people about staying safe, avoiding scams, and helping to make the internet a safer place.
    • You can ask to leave some of these publications at important community locations, such as the local library, town hall, or a community center.
    • Consider showing up to community events and sharing these resources and tips with others.
  5. You can write a letter to your representative asking them to increase regulations and enforcement around computers and the internet. Having stronger regulations and more enforcement will discourage hackers.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    How can we make the Internet a happier and safer place?
    Scott Nelson, JD
    Police Sergeant, Mountain View Police Department
    Scott Nelson is a Police Sergeant with the Mountain View Police Department in California. He is also a practicing attorney for Goyette & Associates, Inc. where he represents public employees with a myriad of labor issues throughout the state. He has over 15 years of experience in law enforcement and specializes in digital forensics. Scott has received extensive training through the National Computer Forensics Institute and holds forensic certifications from Cellbrite, Blackbag, Axiom Forensics, and others. He earned a Master of Business Administration from the California State University Stanislaus and a Juris Doctorate from the Laurence Drivon School of Law.
    Scott Nelson, JD
    Police Sergeant, Mountain View Police Department
    Expert Answer
    Start by talking to your kids about what they do online, even if they are uncomfortable talking about what they do online, you can use news stories about cyberbullying or hacking to start a conversation with them.
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      Warnings

      • If you come across illegal content (such as child pornography, illegal torrents, and pirate websites), report it to government agencies such as the FBI (in the United States), the RCMP (in Canada), or your local law enforcement. If you or someone you know is in danger, contact emergency services.
        Thanks
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.pandasecurity.com/mediacenter/press-releases/all-recorded-malware-appeared-in-2015/
      2. ↑ https://www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-how-much-phone-scams-cost-americans-last-year-2017-04-19
      3. ↑ https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0009-computer-security
      4. ↑ https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0011-malware
      5. ↑ https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0009-computer-security
      6. ↑ https://staysafeonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/STOP.-THINK.-CONNECT.-Ransomware-Facts-Tips.pdf
      7. ↑ https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndny/pr/former-student-pleads-guilty-destroying-computers-college-st-rose
      8. ↑ https://staysafeonline.org/stay-safe-online/online-safety-basics/malware-and-botnets/
      9. ↑ Scott Nelson, JD. Police Sergeant, Mountain View Police Department. Expert Interview. 2 April 2020.
      1. ↑ https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0009-computer-security
      2. ↑ https://niccs.us-cert.gov/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/ncsam_howtoguidemfa_508.pdf?trackDocs=ncsam_howtoguidemfa_508.pdf
      3. ↑ Scott Nelson, JD. Police Sergeant, Mountain View Police Department. Expert Interview. 2 April 2020.
      4. ↑ https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams
      5. ↑ https://staysafeonline.org/stay-safe-online/online-safety-basics/spam-and-phishing/
      6. ↑ https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams
      7. ↑ Scott Nelson, JD. Police Sergeant, Mountain View Police Department. Expert Interview. 2 April 2020.
      8. ↑ https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0519-irs-imposter-scams-infographic
      9. ↑ https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/paying-scammers-gift-cards
      10. ↑ https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/scam-alerts
      11. ↑ https://www.factcheck.org/2016/11/how-to-spot-fake-news/
      12. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/communitystandards/
      13. ↑ https://help.x.com/en/rules-and-policies/x-rules
      14. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/about/policies/#community-guidelines
      15. ↑ https://decentsecurity.com/#/malware-web-and-phishing-investigation/
      16. ↑ https://safebrowsing.google.com/
      17. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17443/windows-internet-explorer-smartscreen-faq
      18. ↑ https://decentsecurity.com/#/malware-web-and-phishing-investigation/
      19. ↑ https://www.eff.org/free-speech-weak-link/
      20. ↑ https://econsumer.gov/en/MemberCountries#crnt
      21. ↑ Scott Nelson, JD. Police Sergeant, Mountain View Police Department. Expert Interview. 2 April 2020.
      22. ↑ https://www.bulkorder.ftc.gov/system/files/publications/netcetera_2018.pdf
      23. ↑ https://www.bulkorder.ftc.gov/faq

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