Personal Computer and Home Safety Topics

More than ever, terrorism increases your risk of injury and death in crowded places. Airports, sports stadiums, concert venues, and shopping malls are examples of places that may be subject to terrorist attacks.
 
While you can't spend every minute looking over your shoulder, you should prepare to react to suspicious behavior, unattended packages or unusual events such as smoke or gunshots. Review with your children some basic strategies for safety in public places:
  • In this mall, where would you go if you heard a loud boom?
  • At this movie theater, what would you do if you saw a bulky package unattended in the restroom?
  • What would you do if you heard something that sounded like a gun firing nearby?
  • Do you know where the nearest exit is at this concert?
  • If people around you started passing out, what would you do?
Make sure you and your loved ones think ahead about escape plans, finding exits, ducking for cover, and breathing when heavy smoke fills an area.

Personal Computer Safety Topics

Any computer virus or invasion of privacy is a potential security breach that can cost millions or even billions of dollars in damage or lost revenue. The goal of cyber terrorism is to alarm people and disrupt routine business.

To combat cyber terrorism as an individual user, keep these tips in mind:

  • Report any security breaches at work to your supervisor.
  • Avoid opening any email attachments from unfamiliar sources.
  • Stay informed of strategies for preventing cyber terrorism, but also be aware of hoaxes and other attempts to induce panic.
  • Before you distribute advice on antidotes to biological weapons, threat warnings, or statistics on casualties, check their legitimacy. You can be helping terrorists by spreading fear.
  • Install antivirus software on your personal computer.
  • Do not distribute email chain letters without verifying their legitimacy (most of what is out there is false). These mass mailings can act as a "virus" in the system.

Antivirus Software

With the rapid increase in the number of personal computers accessing the Internet for web searching or email, hackers and Internet pranksters are having a field day. Using antivirus software is an important aspect of protecting your personal computer from viruses, hackers and other security threats. If you're tired of having your in-box filled with spam, consider using antivirus software with spam blocker.

Home Safety Topics

While our military forces work overseas to combat terrorism, home safety is our responsibility as good citizens. Besides vigilance in public places, preparedness for disasters, and efforts to avoid panic, home safety is a combination of attitude and persistence.

Think of the damage that can be done by having local law enforcement personnel attending to a series of suspicious minor events while a large-scale disaster looms. If your teenager thinks that sending white powder in the mail is a harmless prank, think of the guilt he or she would feel if police were called to the friend's house while they could have been responding to a domestic violence call.

Learning first aid, reading about disaster preparations, and volunteering at local medical facilities are all ways that you and your teenagers can bolster home safety. Patience and cooperation are essential for living through large-scale emergencies. Whether they involve biological weapons, car bombs, or natural disasters, people tend to come together for mutual support in times of crisis.