Evolution of an Internet Parent is an interactive introduction into the potential dangers of some Internet activity and how to detect, prevent, and react to Internet threats to your family.  Some of these threats include spyware, chat rooms, inappropriate materials, viruses/worms, malware, Internet scams, etc. This seminar provides the knowledge, tools and skills to protect your home, family and community from Internet abuse through the use of interactive demos where audience members are asked to participate in preventing Internet crime. 

The theme of this seminar is based on the evolution of an Internet parent from the first time they are faced with a child observing inappropriate material through a point in time where they know how to proactively prevent such behavior and/or react quickly to the situation. In addition, we also review more general threats to your home PC and the confidential information within it. The basic outline of this seminar is:

1. Day In Life of an Internet Parent
2. Demos-Why/What/Who am I afraid of?
3. •Internet Basics 101
4. Steps To Protect The Internet Family
5. •Demo – Basics of Internet Family Protection
6. •Summary

The premise of this seminar is based on the fact that Internet threats are initiated by people not technology itself. Because the threats are human in nature, the protection against these threats must also look beyond technology for solutions. For example, you can install Web blocking software on your children's computers but they can go to their friend's house, or the library, or find workarounds on the Internet, or use their Sega Playstations as web browsers. Children will always find ways to bypass the hurdles of technology. 

The true solution to family Internet security lies within a combination of parenting, technology, and monitoring. This seminar will provide an introduction to this protection process and will provide examples of how to implement true Internet security in your family.

Demos include (dependent on time):

• Kids and chat rooms

• How spyware infects your computer

• How to monitor real-time and previous Internet activity 

• Buying inappropriate materials: alcohol, drugs, weapons, undesirabable sexual content

• Performing Internet health checks

• Building family Internet policies

• Using Internet blocking and monitoring tools

Handouts include (dependent on seminar type):

• Internet health checks

• Family policies

• Sample software

• Checklists for searching computer's history