OnGuard Online Blog

Let's Get Technical

Lots of OnGuardOnline.gov visitors appreciate our practical, plain language tips for securing computers, avoiding fraud, and being smart online. But what about the tech savvy users – IT professionals, cybersecurity specialists, and other super computer users? OnGuardOnline.gov has something for you, too, and you can find it on our new Techies Page.

All Cookies Are Not Created Equal

Today, the FTC announced a settlement with ScanScout, a video ad network that uses cookies to track people’s online browsing and deliver targeted ads to them. This is the first FTC settlement addressing a company’s use of flash cookies to track people’s online behavior.

A Gift-Giver’s Guide to Shopping Online

No need to wait for the turkey to be polished off – or the football games to be over – to start shopping online for the best holiday gifts. Take a few minutes before Thanksgiving to check out OnGuardOnline.gov’s tips for comparing products online and staying secure through checkout.

All Good Things Must Come to an End

In October 2009, the Federal Trade Commission and OnGuardOnline.gov released the first edition of Net Cetera: Chatting with Kids About Being Online, a guide to help parents and other adults talk to kids about being safe, secure, and responsible online.

From Georgia to Maryland to Washington, school districts across the country requested thousands of copies of the booklet. In fact, in just two years, the FTC distributed 9.5 million free copies in English and Spanish to schools, libraries, local and national conferences, law enforcement offices and other community groups.

Helping Military Families Be On Guard Online

If you’re part of the military community, take a look at OnGuard Online’s new page for military members and their families. National Cyber Security Awareness Month is well underway, and it’s a great time to take stock of ways you can get in the habit of securing your computer, protecting your personal information and avoiding fraud online.

Preventing Identity Theft and Other Cyber Crimes

During week three of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, the campaign focuses its attention on preventing identity theft and other cyber crimes.

To minimize your risk of identity theft, the Federal Trade Commission recommends that you:

Building a Cyber Workforce

It’s the second week of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and this week, the Department of Homeland Security highlights the importance of maintaining a strong cyber workforce. Visit DHS’s new webpage, Shaping the Future of Cybersecurity Education and Workforce Development, to learn more about their efforts to enhance formal cybersecurity training and ensure a highly qualified workforce of cybersecurity professionals. 

FTC Chairman Delivers Keynote Speech about Online Privacy

Chairman Jon Leibowitz today gave the keynote speech at an online privacy event at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. He explained that the overall common privacy goal is to protect consumer privacy while ensuring a cyberspace that generates the free content we have all come to expect and enjoy. Chairman Leibowitz likened the paparazzi, who expose private moments, to invisible online data collection practices, which he called “cyberazzi.” He also highlighted FTC staff’s proposed framework for safeguarding consumers’ personal data and recent FTC privacy enforcement actions.

A Revealing P2P App

What would you think of millions of people having the ability to download the pictures and videos on your smartphone, or copy documents from your tablet computer, without your even realizing it?

If that sounds like a problem, you might want to take a look at the FTC’s just-announced settlement with a peer-to-peer (or P2P) file-sharing software developer. The company, Frostwire, offers free P2P file-sharing applications for Android devices and desktop and laptop computers.

FTC Testifies on Protecting Children Online

The Federal Trade Commission today told a House Subcommittee that it is committed to protecting children online, and that the agency recently proposed changes to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection (COPPA) Rule to make sure the Rule keeps pace with fast-changing technology.

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