The majority of parents are worried about the significant impact that online activity might have on their children’s reputation and privacy. Taking action is important. Are you doing enough to educate and protect your kids? Check out our infographic on some of the concerns parents face when it comes to…
Tax season is in full swing as U.S. Residents and businesses gather up their tax documents and file their returns before the April 15 deadline. It’s also the season for scammers and criminals to brush off their fraud campaigns to swindle you out of your hard-earned money. According to industry…
How vulnerable are you on Facebook? Try ZoneAlarm Privacy Scan and find out today. Scan now! Facebook is offering Graph Search as the best way to figure out how you are connected to other users and to discover people you may have more things in common with. Someone can…
Whether you like it or not, your Internet activities are being monitored every time you log online. Learn who’s tracking you, what it means for your privacy, and what you can do about it. For more information about ZoneAlarm 2013 products’ features, including Do Not Track, click here. (Click…
Parenting in the digital age offers complex and multifaceted challenges that were uncommon just a decade or two ago. The proliferation of social networking sites like Facebook have made some children more susceptible to online threats than ever before. And now, even when your children are safe at home, some…
ZoneAlarm 2013 security products are now available! The new product line is Windows 8 compatible and integrates a new Facebook Privacy Scan and Do Not Track. ZoneAlarm 2013 products also offer improved performance and security through advanced antivirus and firewall capabilities. With new features like Facebook Privacy Scan and Do…
Children have always been vulnerable to real-life danger, but increased web access is exposing them to online threats as well. Facebook, in particular, is the digital playground for many children, but not everyone on the social networking site is playing nicely. Therefore, parents must take steps to ensure their child’s…
If you have a pre-teen or teenager, odds are you wouldn’t let them stay out with their friends or roam the streets too late at night. But even when your children are safe at home, some of their online activities could be putting them in harm’s way. A recent ZoneAlarm…
More and more ghastly ghouls are coming out of the crevices of the Internet every day — especially during Halloween. Besides the typical monsters that lurk online all year-long, a whole new class of fright mongers who make social media sites their playground, are among us. All of these shifty…
It’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month! The Internet is an important part of our daily life, and we are more connected than ever before. While Googling, tweeting, and friending may be routine, are you doing everything you can to protect yourself online? National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) reminds us…
In a recent study of 50 million Facebook users and 500,000 Facebook applications, the following conclusions paint a different picture than what most people perceive about the apps they’ve come to love. (Click below image to enlarge) EMBED THE IMAGE ABOVE ON YOUR SITE Data-Hungry Apps
As the Internet becomes increasingly interactive and the number of online threats continues to grow, more and more web-based services are realizing that two-factor authentication is more than just a good idea. Instead of relying on just a password or secret question to confirm your identity, it heightens Internet security…
Half of teens say they’ve been using the Internet for five years or more, and 58% consider themselves heavy users. The time teens spend online is more secret than ever, and their lives and computers are more at risk than you may think. (click image to enlarge) EMBED THE IMAGE…
Whether you’re a parent of a kid in elementary, middle or high-school or a college-bound young adult, your last few days of summer probably seem to be anything but lazy. With so many things to think about, you don’t want to put security on the back-burner. At the very least,…
If you are part of Generation Y then your daily life is all about being connected. Tweeting, friending, and googling is routine, but protecting yourself from the various cyber-related issues that will likely pop up should be, too. According to our research, only 31% of Gen Y ranked security as…
With greater technology and Internet use comes greater responsibility. The adoption of new technology and online forms of communication is growing among adults over age 65. Older adults have also become more concerned with security and privacy than younger generations. Let’s examine how connected, tech-savvy, and concerned today’s seniors really…
With the 2012 Summer Olympics in full swing and everyone paying attention, it is important to remember that athletes are not the only group competing this summer. Another group, cybercriminals, is also chomping at the bit to take advantage of the games, which offer the perfect online environment for launching…
Teens today are pressured into sharing personal information online. In addition, those who have public profiles and lie about their age online are more likely to have negative experiences. For some teens, sharing personal information is a sign of trust. The good news is that a large majority of teens…
The digital age allows people to connect online more than ever before, and teens in particular have made social networks part of their daily life. Unfortunately, the problems that plague teens in real life, like bullying, have also followed them online. Here, we explore how these online interactions start, who…
When you sign up for a social media site or download an ebook from a website, do you read the terms of use agreement that pops up before you click the “Agree” button? Probably not. Though terms of service can be exhausting and cumbersome to read — the iTunes terms…
Pinterest is making headlines, thanks to its explosion in popularity (it reached 11.7 million unique users as of January 2012). Unfortunately, this quick growth has attracted a growing group of spammers and scammers eager to take advantage of gullible Pinterest users. In addition, some users have criticized the site for…
Between the cybercriminals who are constantly evolving their techniques and launching new attacks on consumers every day and the explosion of information sharing via social networks, new security threats are on the rise. Luckily, ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall defends against these identified and emerging threats, giving you peace of…
As tragic stories of bullying continue to make headlines, and movements like the Bully Project gain steam, communities are coming together to put a stop to bullying — in all its forms. However, one form of bullying is particularly notable and should be paid special attention to: cyberbullying. This fairly…
Many people have found themselves in the following scenario: You log on to the web from your computer, surf a few sites, log in to check your Facebook or bank account, then close your browser when you’re done surfing. Notice the mistake made? You didn’t log out of your accounts….
Job seekers have long dreaded certain interview questions such as “where do you see yourself in five years?” But that type of inquiry now seems fairly innocuous, considering a new question employers have been asking during interviews: “May I have your Facebook username and password?” That’s right. In addition to…
These days, kids are glued to their social media. Whether tweeting in junior high or updating their Facebook status on a smartphone from the high school cafeteria, the younger generation is in constant communication with their peers. That’s why addressing the issue of privacy on social media should be a…
Nearly two-thirds of Internet users also use social networking sites. As social media becomes mainstream, more users recognize the importance of protecting their privacy and managing their accounts. How are you taking control of your profiles? (click image to enlarge) EMBED THE IMAGE ABOVE ON YOUR SITE Zone Alarm Free…
Valentine’s Day is the second largest holiday for giving greeting cards, second only to Christmas, and e-cards are being sent to loved ones more than ever. But when are e-cards safe to open, and how can you tell which links are safe and which are not? We provide these answers…
Protecting your child is a not a new concept, but protecting your child’s online activity is an ever-evolving task. Now that most things take place online, including your child’s social life, it’s important to make sure both you and your child are aware of the dangers that lurk on the…
The New Year is upon us, and that means it’s time to make the resolutions that will help you change and improve your life 2012 — a philosophy that applies to everything, including your computer habits. Online security is more important than ever this year (read about our predictions here),…
With more than 800 million users, Facebook is arguably the most dominant social networking platform in the world. The social network’s popularity and fast growth also make it a prime target for cybercriminals. Below, we take a look at Facebook’s online presence, how it’s being attacked, and what you can…
Facebook has finally introduced its much-publicized profile revamp called “Timeline.” Now, user profiles appear in a digital scrapbook format organized chronologically, which highlights the most important and memorable moments of your life—on Facebook. The new format has garnered praise, and criticism from users concerned about their profile privacy. Previously, there…
Though the general public may be worried about Mayan predictions and the end of days in 2012, the real threats to fear next year aren’t those predicted in books and movies. It’s online attacks you should be worried about. From your smartphone to your Facebook profile, cybercriminals have one New…
Teens today are immersed in the Web and, more specifically, on social media sites. As more relationships are built and maintained through social networking sites, kids are encountering a growing number of unkind peers. Are parents seeing this and becoming more connected and involved in their kids’ online lives? Find…
A new paper released last week by researchers at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver (“The Socialbot Network: When Bots Socialize for Fame and Money”) has created a stir by highlighting social media sites’ vulnerability to infiltrations by socialbots. In an eight-week experiment, the UBC researchers deployed 102 socialbots on…
Yet another redesign of Facebook’s user interface has surfaced. Facebook continues to push the limits on the amount of content users can share and follow. At the social networking site’s f8 conference on September 22, Mark Zuckerberg announced the future face of Facebook. Are the new Timeline and Open Graph…
Source The Web is an information playground, and everyone is eager to share. And with the recent addition of sharing tools – those little icons that allow you to like, post, and more across various social media platforms – users can “share” easily and instantly. But while those seemingly innocuous…
Source You may think hackers are only focused on FBI break-ins and bank accounts, but nothing could be further from the truth. According to a Ponemon Institute report published this June, 90 percent of surveyed businesses reported at least one IT security breach in the past 12 months. Any breach…
Time and time again, you are warned of the importance of having strong, secure online passwords, but how often are we given instruction on password management? Let’s take a look at recent password trends and how you can keep track of your passwords. (Click Image to Enlarge) by Zone Alarm…
Facebook is now working with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to terminate the Facebook accounts of inmates due to inappropriate behavior, often in the form of inappropriate sexual behavior. One specific incident involved a minor who was stalked by her former predator via her Facebook profile. The…
“Friending.” It wasn’t common parlance before the advent of the insanely popular social networking platform Facebook in February 2004. Now it seems like its run amok. 12-year-olds are friending their grandparents, parents, and even teachers on Facebook, even. A survey by Retrevo, published about a year ago, found that almost…
At the end of last year, 43% of all social networking users had been on the receiving end of phishing attacks. Phishing is the term used for the act of tricking someone into handing over his/her login credentials in order to gather and exploit personal information. How do you avoid…
The number of users using Google’s new Google+ social network has climbed to over 10 million with more than 1 billion daily shares. It’s no big shock that cybercriminals–perhaps too easily caught on other social networking platforms such as Facebook–will pick Google+ as a new target. Should this give Google+…
Should children be allowed to use Facebook? Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg certainly thinks so. At a summit on innovation in education in May 2011, Zuckerberg said he wants younger kids to be allowed on Facebook. The current COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) doesn’t allow websites to collect…
Facebook is the largest photo-sharing site in the world. Recently, Facebook started using Tag Suggestions, which uses face-recognition software to suggest people’s names to tag in pictures without their permission. Let’s take a look at how the software works, privacy concerns and some tips on how to avoid unwanted tagging….
Deciding which social networking sites to avoid or use can be a challenge. Discovering what privacy settings they have, or don’t have, can be even more cumbersome. Here, we rank eight of the most popular social networking sites according to their privacy and look at some of the most famous…
Recently, The Huffington Post featured an article entitled “Educators Debate The Merits of Technology and Social Networking in Classrooms,” which explores the recent phenomena of schools and teachers adopting social media practices as methods of teaching. Source Social networking can be dangerous for children and young teens unfamiliar with the…
There are pros and cons to almost everything–social media included. As dangerous as social networking sites can be for children unused to the world of online sharing and communicating, it can be informative–and even developmentally necessary in this highly digitalized age. Recently, Tina Barseghian, Editor of Mindshift, wrote an article…
If you aren’t worried about your child’s safety online, you should be–statistics show that 69% of teens regularly receive personal messages online from strangers–and most of them don’t tell a trusted adult about it. Additionally, 64% post photos or videos of themselves, while more than half (58%) post info about…
There’s no denying it: Facebook is everywhere. (At least 41.6% of Americans currently have an account.) Still, the massively popular site’s ever-changing privacy and security policies can make it difficult to assume the appropriate safety precautions. That’s why we’ve created the ultimate primer for your Facebook safety needs. (Click Image…