Encourage children and teens to keep passwords secret

Don’t reveal passwords to others. Keep your passwords hidden, even from friends.

Protect recorded passwords. Be careful where you store the passwords that you record or write down. Don't store your passwords in your backpack or wallet. A good rule to keep in mind is not to leave records of your passwords anywhere that you would not leave the information that the passwords protect. And remember, don't store your passwords on a file in your computer, either. Criminals will look there first.

Never provide your password over e-mail or based on an e-mail request. Any e-mail message that requests your password or requests that you to go to a Web site to verify your password could be a kind of fraud called a phishing scam.

This includes requests from trusted sites that you might visit all the time. Fraudsters often create fake e-mail messages using logos and language from real sites. Learn more about phishing scams.

Do not type passwords on computers that you do not control. Don’t use public computers in your school, library, Internet cafÈs, or computer labs for anything other than anonymous Internet browsing.

Don’t use these computers for any account that requires a user name and password. Criminals can purchase keystroke logging devices for very little money and they take only a few moments to install. With these devices malicious users can harvest information typed on a computer from across the Internet. For more information, see 5 steps for using a public computer.