The internet cloaks us in a sense of anonymity. The things that identify users are easy to fake, or change. Forget about law enforcement. There is no such thing as an internet police force. IRC ops are IRC server OPerators, not cops. Their job is to keep the network running smoothly, not enforce civil laws. Sure, there are police on IRC - but they are agents of various international law enforcement agencies gathering evidence against perpetrators in their own districts. For most law abiding people, that lack of a governmental authority and sense of anonymity just translates into being a little more open, a bit less inhibited in what they say and do. But for that small portion of the population already involved in illicit activities, the situation is a gift to be exploited.

a. IRC security

The Basics

When you setup your IRC client, you will be asked to put in your nickname, email address and real name.

Do NOT use your real name or a real email address. IRC users can access information about each other. The /whois command will tell you a user's internet address, and the information in their "full name" or "real name" field.

You can easily give away who you are by filling in correct information:

Sexy16 n_johnson@orlandohighschool.edu Nina Johnson
Nina Johnson is 16 and attends Orlando High School.

Momof3 anne_johnson@orlando.rr.com Anne Johnson 407 123-4567
Mom Anne lives in Orlando. Lets call her up!

BigDaddy sales@orlandowidget.com Jim Johnson
Dad Jim is a salesman for an Orlando widget company.

Information like this gives strangers personal information that can allow them to contact you by phone, or visit you at work or at home. This is not good.

No one (except n00bs who do not read help files) ever puts REAL information in their IRC client.

If you are new to IRC, choose a gender neutral, sexually unprovocative nickname... HotKim18 is sure to receive a contstant barrage of private messages asking age, sex, and location. (a/s/l) and "wanna cyber?" Great for the ego but not so good if you want to look around IRC without being pestered by ardent cyber suitors. A nick like that and some personal information in your IRC client is like hanging up an invitation that says, "Come and get me" to potential stalkers.

Pick something that shows your interests and personality, and get creative: Sharkfin, RCRacer, NetNut, SoParkFan, trustno1, grumpy, hairball.

If your network has hostmask hiding, use it! /mode nickname +x will change your IP to a name assigned by the network. /mode nickname +i will keep your name off of /who lists - the command users have to find out who is online from a particular ISP (/who *aol.com) and who is in a particular channel (/who #help). +i makes you "invisible" in /who results.

Use your real name info to show your motto of the day:

IRCaddict is happy@hidden.myircnetwork.org * don't take wooden nickles

Protect your computer

Unprotected computers get viruses, trojans, and backdoors. Its not "might get" or "could get". With thousands of new, inexperienced users coming on to IRC every day, they DO get programs they do not want running on their computer.

There are volumes written on how to protect your computer from hackers, and as you move on to more advanced stages we will encourage you to read all about security so you can participate more fully. But if you are a new user, a few simple steps will protect you and your computer, as close to 100% as you can possibly get.

1. If you are running the latest version of Windows, turn off file sharing on your computer, and use the firewall protection it offers. Anyone who sees your IP can port scan your computer and gain access to it if there is a way in.
2. Run a good anti-virus program. Pay for it, run it, and keep the program up to date.
3. Do NOT download ANYTHING from IRC. Do not visit urls advertised on IRC.
   Warezed games, movies, music, and pictures can contain trojans, worms, and viruses.
   Malicious users will try to plant viruses on your computer by asking you to accept their picture, or files.
   Spammers do the same by sending you to urls where you will become infected just by looking at the page.
   Many IRC help sites will tell you to only accept files from people you know. We disagree. Don't accept files from your friends, either. They may not maliciously send you a virus, but they can be infected without knowing it and transfer that virus to you!
   Do not run any IRC client, or script, that has not been tested and approved by the major IRC help sites. Its very easy to write backdoors into clients and scripts that allow others to gain access to the users computer, so don't install anything that has not yet been proven safe.

Once you are familiar with IRC and your client, then you can move on to the advanced section, where you will get instruction on how to let some of your protections down and still stay safe.

Protect yourself

Your choices have a great deal to do with your IRC experience. The internet isn't just "decent" society. Its ALL society, from all around the world. We have attained the Global Village, and it isn't DisneyLand.

The internet really isn't all that dangerous if you use common sense. You aren't afraid of crossing the street, are you? Of course not - but there is a very real danger that you could become roadkill if you run out in front of a truck. Or that truck could stop and the driver say "Want some candy, little girl?"

We aren't trying to scare you, we're trying to empower you to take control. The first step is learning what the dangers are, and how to avoid them.

Personal dangers

a. Some people are their our own worst enemies.

Don't give out personal information online. Not your name, address, or phone number. Certainly not your credit card numbers (unless you are making a purchase through a secure web site) or social security number, or any passwords to games, bank accounts, etc. Don't give out vague information, either. Its NOT okay to tell what school you go to, or the name of your city, and say you always wear your lucky red tank top on Fridays - because someone you don't really want to meet may show up at your school next Friday and know how to pick you out of the crowd.

Don't play on IRC rather than study, or work, or pay attention to your spouse and children. Carry this to the extreme and the inevitable result is, you'll fail school, get fired, and the wife and kids will drive off into the sunset. There are psychologists who claim some people are addicted to the internet. Why not? Real life can be tedious and boring. IRC is a 24/7 Par-tay! We here at SearchIRC have been on IRC long enough to give you a list several pages long filled with otherwise intelligent people who totally screwed up their lives by choosing to play when they should be working. Don't add your name to the list. If you don't have the willpower to limit your time online, SELL your computer. Really. Its better to go without a computer than trash your education and lose your family.

Hacking. I'm not talking about what hackers can do to you (we'll get into that later). This is about bright young people who watch The Net then decide to Hack the Planet. They associate themselves with an IRC hacking group, learn a little about exploits and denial of service attacks, get into friendly contests with their buds to see who is the best... and then the police come a knock, knock, knocking on their bedroom door. Guaranteed, mom and dad will be standing there with their jaws on the ground, because all that time they thought Jr was studying to make the honor roll. Stating the obvious here, 16 year old leaders of IRC hacking groups are not REALLY computer security experts. You can learn a lot about computers online, but that will not take the
place of a degree - and if you want to get anywhere in the industry you don't want to be checking YES when the employment application asks if you have ever committed a felony.

Love is blind. There are some wonderfully sweet and romantic love stories coming from IRC... many couples found each other online and successfully made the transition to happily ever after. There are also some stories that would make very scary movies. Emotions - and passions - can run high when spurred on by an articulate suitor, but don't let all that sweet talk muddle your brains, dear! Use the same common sense precautions you would in real life, and more - make sure your first meeting is in a public place. Take it slow, and verify all the talk isn't just... well, talk.

b. Appearances can be decieving.

"Internet Relay Chat, where the men are men, the women are men, and the children are FBI agents."

Its fun to pretend to be something you are not, and the rpg, gaming channels, and themed networks of IRC can be refreshing entertainment for everyone. It is not fun, however, when someone deliberately deceives you in order to gain something you would not give them if the truth were told.

There is no governing agency for the Internet. No one "checks" the accuracy of a site or the reputation of the people involved in it. The internet is Buyer Beware. Unfortunately there are very slick and professional looking sites that deliberately spread misinformation, if not outright fraud, that can destroy your health, privacy, finances, and damage your computer. You don't have to be stupid to fall for this. In study after study, extremely intelligent people fail to see fraud where it exists.

As you look through our lists, keep this fact in mind: any channel, and even entire networks, can claim to be something they are not, and will put up websites to build on the illusion they want to present to users. Your best protection on the internet is: Trust No One. Question everything, and believe nothing until you check it out yourself.

c. IRC is no place for children.

Chatting online is fantastic for kids. They become speed typists and their spelling and grammar skills shoot up several grade levels in a matter of months. But active IRC networks are no place for children.

Would you let your son or daughter hang around Times Square for a few hours after school every day? If the answer is no, then don't let them close their bedroom door and sign on to IRC. IRC is the high speed lane of the internet highway. Its a place where your child will come into contact with sophisticated dangers, both human and technological. Adults will turn away from a situation that shocks and offends, but children are emotionally unprepared to deal with it. They sit transifixed as pedophiles message them, they are duped, harassed, or bullied into accepting files that contain trojans, and they more often than not answer honestly when asked for their name and phone number.

We do NOT recommend any "children's" IRC network or channel. Unfortunately, in real life and on the internet, pedophiles are attracted to children and set up situations that attract children. W0nderland IRC Network sounds like a great place for kids, doesn't it? It was a network for pedophiles. An international police effort secured over 750,000 pictures, and 1800 video files of children between the ages of three months and eighteen years, and arrested 107 people worldwide, including clergymen, teachers, and law enforcement officers. Although this was the largest bust to date, its hardly an isolated incident. Even if the channel or network is managed by the most well meaning people, NO ONE can guarantee a safe haven for your child - no matter what safeguards or policies are in effect. The bottom line is, chat is an anonymous medium, and it is not at all uncommon for popular children's IRC channels to be owned or frequented by the pedophile community.

You know your own child best, but as a general rule, we recommend keeping children off the major chat services until they are 16 or older. Keep your child in the slow lane as long as possible. Some parents in rural Pennsylvania found the perfect solution. They created an "after school" chatroom on a small network, and limited access via a java chat client. During the long Pennsylvania winters, after school, on weekends, and on snow days, the kids could be found chatting away, helping each other with homework, and in general being total goofballs, all under the watchful eyes of their parents, the channel ops. Creative solutions like this allow your child to benefit from the skills they will obtain through chatting with their peers, while at the same time protecting them from the undesirable elements of the world.