SURFING THE WEB PRIVACY, SAFETY, AND RELIABLE SOURCES.

SURFING T

HE WEB

PRIV

ACY, S

AFETY

, AND R

ELIABLE

SOURCES

INTERNET/WEB BROWSERS & SEARCH ENGINES

What is a browser?

Examples of browsers: • Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer,

Safari (Apple devices)

Is a search engine something different?

Examples of search engines:• Bing, Google

PRIVACY SETTINGS

Cookies

Search history

IE = settings can be changed under “Tools”

Firefox = look for 3 lines in upper right hand corner to change settings

Chrome =look for 3 lines in upper right hand corner

Safari = under Settings, Safari icon, clear history, cookies, etc.

Password security --

Most browsers give you the option to remember passwords.

These settings can be changed

ANATOMY OF A WEBSITE ADDRESSWhat is a URL? Universal Resource Locator or a website’s

address

includes the protocol (usually “http “or “https”) the name of the server and sometimes the file name and format

http://plumlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/molly.pdf

Domains

Examples of “top-level” domains

.com .gov .edu .net .mil .org .int

Different countries can have different domain extensions

Examples.ca = Canada .cn = China .de = Germany .ru = Russia

SEARCH TIPS

Be as specific as you can

Most browsers enable you to do an advanced search

Insert examples

Use keywords Insert examples

Boolean searches Insert examples

I GOT RESULTS, NOW WHAT DO I CLICK ON?(HOW TO TELL IF A SITE IS RELIABLE)

• Check URL •Check spelling, domain extension, etc.•When was the website last updated?

• Sponsored content

• 1st choice on results list is not necessarily the best choice

• Be careful about downloading

RELIABLE SOURCES

Library Links

Check Library List of Databases :

http://erec.einetwork.net/

These are resources that the library either subscribes to or recommends

Check government sources

http://www.usa.gov/

Example of a good source for health information:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/

SECURITY TIPS

Use an antivirus/anti-malware program and set it to download updates automatically

Norton, McAfee, Symantec, etc. Purchase from a reliable source (Best Buy, HH Gregg, etc.)

Do not click on pop-up boxes offering to clean your computer, etc.

Be careful about opening email attachments and downloading software from the internet

If something is too good to be true, it likely is

Don’t use the same password for everything!!! Passwords should be at least 8 characters long contain a combination

of numbers, letters and symbols and should be difficult to guess Think of a phrase or sentence to help you remember…

I eat Ben & Jerry’s Greek frozen yogurt= IeB&JGfy

SECURITY TIPS CONTINUED

Check if a website is secure and connection is encrypted before entering personal information

https://catalog.einetwork.net/patroninfo

Click on the lock icon in the web address box to see if the site is encrypted and to verify you are connected to the correct domain.

Beware of Phishing

Check spelling when you type URL

Before clicking on a link from a list of search results or in an email hover over the address to see if the link is for the correct domain.

SOCIAL MEDIAFACEBOOK

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM

PINTEREST

HOBBY SPECIFIC (RAVELRY, GOODREADS, ETC.)

YOUTUBE

FACEBOOK INFO / PRIVACY SETTINGS

http://www.gcflearnfree.org/facebook101/4

ANY QUESTIONS?