From our partners at The Seattle Times: Internet surfers should know how to protect their computers from viruses and hackers, but teens and tweens can be especially vulnerable. By Julie Weed, Special to The Seattle Times.

Internet surfers should know how to protect their computers from viruses and hackers, but teens and tweens can be especially vulnerable because they download media from so many sources, and may not be aware of the latest scams.

Young people who aren't vigilant might find their files corrupted, their hard drives wiped clean and the destruction spread to family and friends' computers. Their personal data can also be stolen and used for identity theft.

Parents need to be responsible for setting up firewalls and installing virus-protection software on every computer in the home, said Nancy Willard, author of "Cyber Savvy: Embracing Digital Safety and Civility." But because teens' actions can significantly affect those computers, it is important to teach them basic cybersafety rules.

Read the full story here.

 

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