If use the Internet a lot, you will be wise to read the privacy policy of the websites you frequent most often. At the same time, do not expect it to safeguard you against any and all attacks on your person.

This of course is of particular importance to parents of kids who are beginning to make their first forays online in an effort to research topics or get help with homework problems. Even so, the fact that in some cases websites request personally identifiable information that violates a stated privacy policy is a fact that should give you some pause.

Read the privacy policy and decide to not divulge personal information. Set up an alternate email account for the use on websites where you need to sign up or sign in. Do not give out your home email as an alternate account. Do not give out your address.

Instead, get a mailbox and give out this address if you are required to provide some kind of mailing address. If you are not expecting any mailings, feel free to make up an address such as “Anytown, USA”, “Somewhere Ville”, or “123 Someway, Anywhere City, USA”.

Offer your cell phone number if you are required to give out a number. With this service you have the option of seeing who is calling you and requiring all callers to either give out their phone numbers or otherwise refuse to take incoming calls that do not display such a number.

The privacy policy also limits the use the website makes of your information and you must know this in case someone attempts to contact you and claims to be contacting you with respect to either your membership or use of the site. In some cases you might be able to nip a phishing scam in the bud.