Using the Internet Safely For Seniors

P

parental controls: Products or services that offer options to parents

and other caregivers to help restrict their child’s experiences with media

or filter media content. These restrictions are currently applied to televi-

sion services, computer and video games, and Internet access.

peer-to-peer: A method of sharing files directly over the Internet from

one Internet-enabled device to another (computer, mobile phone, and

so on). This is often done with music files, for example, which might

violate copyright laws if the people involved make copies of the mate-

rial without permission.

persona: The person an Internet user chooses to appear to be, rather

than using his true identity. For example, a 65-year-old man might

assume the persona of a 12-year-old girl to meet other 12-year-old girls

on a social networking site.

personal digital assistant (PDA): A small, handheld computing device

typically used to track appointments, contacts, and e-mail.

phishing: The practice of scamming someone into divulging confiden-

tial information that she normally would not provide to a stranger. The

lure is typically via e-mail that brings the user to a scam Web site. The

purpose of phishing is to gather information needed to steal a victim’s

money or identity.

posting: Uploading information to the Web.

predator: Anyone who preys on others.

R

remote access: The ability to access somebody’s computer from

another location. Remote access is often used in technical support as a

way to fix problems, as it provides full access to the information stored

on the computer through a data link.

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