OpenDNS is a unique parental control system for the Internet that doesn’t just work on your computer. Once setup, it also will restrict access (according to your settings) for WiFi connected phones, gaming consoles and tablet computers. Gary Rosenzweig of MacMost.com explains how to use OpenDNS to implement parental Internet filtering in the following video.

Facebook users learned of a data leak earlier this month, when Symantec released details about how advertisers and other third-parties had inadvertent access to your personal information. The bottom line is that by changing your Facebook password now you can stop any additional private information from being leaked.

Understanding URL addresses is an important part of online security. When evaluating a link, how do you differentiate the domain name from the rest of the link? For example, does http://www.example.com/paypal.com go to PayPal.com? What about http://paypal.com:user@example.com? To learn the ins-and-outs of link security read Ask Leo’s phishing article “How do I know that this web address is safe?”.

Internet privacy is a hot topic, but do you know exactly how much detail about your life is available online? At this site Attack Vector IT specialist Matt takes us step-by-step into gathering private data about a person, starting with just an email address and an IP address (both of which can be found on any incoming email message.) Read his Invasion of Privacy post here.

Although strong passwords that are impossible to guess are an important part of online security, they are not the only precaution you need to take to keep your online identity secure. Leo Notenboom of Ask Leo lists nine ways your password could be compromised, even if it is very long, has lots of numbers and symbols in it, and would be impossible to guess. Learn more here.

Just in time for Halloween, this week’s tip exposes a zombie network you may have seen in airports and hotel lobbies across the country: Free Public Wifi. There is actually nothing free, public or even Wifi about this network. It is a rouge, default network that is spread from computer to computer, thanks to an old Windows XP bug. When selected, you will not be able to access the Internet, but you could be exposing your computer to a clever hacker. To learn more about how Free Public Wifi has spread and why it’s become so rampant, read National Public Radio.

When using a public wi-fi network in an Internet café or coffee house, it is up to you to secure your transmissions against prying eyes. Only using https secure connections is one way of stopping those around you from seeing your transmissions. For more cyber café security tips, read Ask Leo, and PC Magazine.

What resources can be used to identify safe websites? Leo Notenboom of Ask-Leo.com says, “One of the best things you can do as you surf the web is simply be skeptical.” He also explores McAfee’s Site Advisor, and Web Of Trust in his article What’s a Safe Web Site?.

Although Google creates wonderful, free products that so many of us love and use, from a purely information management viewpoint, we should all be a bit more concerned with data portability. And Google agrees! The Data Liberation Front is an engineering team at Google whose one goal is to make it easier for users to move their data in and out of various Google products. Learn more at The Data Liberation Front.

Although technically neither spam nor phishing, those aggressive emails from Tagged claiming a friend has sent you photos are certainly pushing the limits of netiquette. Ask Leo explains how Tagged.com got your email address and know your friend’s name, and why you should simply ignore them.