Think you know your way around the Web? Well enough to stay safe from spyware, spam, scams and identity theft? Are you willing to put yourself to the test?If you’re anything like your peers, you spend a lot of time online. In fact, according to recent surveys, tweens and teens spend 25% of all their media time on the Internet. 55% use social networking sites (70% of teen girls have their own profiles!) 33% use the Web to share artwork, photos, stories, or videos. 51% say they download music files.So, do you think you know the rules of the digital road? What's safe – and what’s risky – to do online? Take this 10 question quiz to find out your grade.
1. Watching movies on streaming video sites like YouTube or Metacafe are safer than downloading movies from file sharing sites – you can't get a virus or spyware from a streaming video.
2. I know you're not supposed to meet in person with someone you meet in a chat room but it's also risky just to chat online with them.
3. Bit torrent library sites like thepiratebay.org or p2p file sharing programs like limewire might not be legal but at least they're safe. They won't allow files with computer viruses or spyware.
4. Your best friend asks for your password to your favorite game site so she can help you score game points or cash. She promises to keep it safe and secret. Is it safe to agree?
5. You procrastinated on your essay and it's now due the following day. You think about buying a report from a "term paper" Web site and submitting it as your own work. Which of the following statements is true?
6. "Free" gadget and game gear sites are legitimate because companies like Apple or Microsoft wouldn't let their famous products like iPod or Xbox be used by scam sites.
7. A friend accuses you of ruining his college application because of a video you took of him doing "stuff" at a party. At the time, you posted it to your personal page of your favorite social networking site but later took the video down. Can the friend be right that the college somehow found the video?
8. Hackers are after money these days. No one gets viruses anymore, so it's ok to open e-mail attachments like videos and e-cards. And anyway, the family computer has anti-virus on it so it's safe.
9. I won't get sued by the record labels as long as I download music using my unencrypted wireless router. That's because I can always say someone else used my router.
10. I know enough not to download files from file sharing sites. And as long as I surf mostly to game and social networking sites, I don't have to worry about security hassles.