Safe Online Surfing Internet Challenge Available for New School Year

"The FBI’s Safe Online Surfing (SOS) Internet Challenge—a free, fun, and innovative program that educates students in grades 3-8 on cyber safety and promotes cyber citizenship—is now open for business for the 2015-2016 school year.

The program engages participants in age-appropriate games, videos, and other interactive materials that cover such topics as cell phone safety, protection of personal information, password strength, instant messaging, social networking, and online gaming safety. FBI-SOS is coming off a banner year with the 2014-2015 school year, when a total of 275,656 students completed the exams, more than triple the previous year. Hopefully, the number of participants will continue to increase during this school year.   

Anyone can complete the activities on the FBI-SOS website. The testing and competition, though, is only open—through teachers and/or administrators—to students in grades 3-8 at public, private, or home schools in the U.S. And at the end of each month during the school year, test scores are aggregated, and top-scoring schools receive an award from the FBI.
More information | SOS brochure | FBI-SOS website.."
Safe online surfing

Online Dating Scams

"Millions of Americans use dating sites, social networking sites, and chat rooms to meet people. And many forge successful relationships. But scammers also use these sites to meet potential victims. They create fake profiles to build online relationships, and eventually convince people to send money in the name of love. Some even make wedding plans before disappearing with the money..."
Online dating scams

Revised Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule Goes Into Effect Today

"The Federal Trade Commission’s revised Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Rule took effect today, giving parents greater control over the online collection of their children’s personal information. The revised COPPA rule culminates more than two years of review by the agency to modernize the rule..."
Revised Children Online Privacy Protection Rules

Working to Counter Online Radicalization to Violence in the United States

"The American public increasingly relies on the Internet for socializing, business transactions, gathering information, entertainment, and creating and sharing content. The rapid growth of the Internet has brought opportunities but also risks, and the Federal Government is committed to empowering members of the public to protect themselves against the full range of online threats, including online radicalization to violence.."
Working-Counter-Online-Radicalization-Violence-United-States