Staying Safe in Internet Cafés: Essential Guidelines for Owners and Visitors

An Internet café provides public access to the Internet for a fee, a concept that gained popularity since the first Internet café, SFnet Coffeehouse Network, started by Wayne Gregori in July 1991 in San Francisco. Following this, Canada’s first Internet café, The Binary Café, opened in June 1994 in Toronto. To meet the increasing demand for Internet access, many new Internet cafés have emerged globally.

In India, Internet cafés are frequented by people for various online activities, such as checking emails, chatting with friends, playing online games, and booking travel tickets. However, these same cafés are also used by anti-social elements, criminals, and terrorists to conduct illegal activities. Hackers often install malicious software on public computers in Internet cafés to steal sensitive information from users.

To address these concerns, both Internet café owners and users must follow specific guidelines to ensure safety and prevent cybercrime.

Guidelines for Internet Café Owners

1. Maintain a Register: Keep a register to record the identity of every visitor.

2. Verify Visitor Identity: Verify the identity of each visitor through valid identification documents such as a voter card, identity card, ration card, driving license, passport, or PAN card.

3. Report Suspicious Activity: If any visitor's activity seems suspicious, inform the nearest police station immediately.

Case Study: In Pune, a mail threatening disruptive activities during Ganesh Puja led to the arrest of Internet café owners because they did not verify customer credentials or keep a record of customers. This incident underscores the importance of following guidelines to avoid legal complications and prove innocence in case of any incident.

Guidelines for Internet Café Visitors

1. Keep Login Information Private: Never share your email username or password with the cyber café owner or anyone else. Surveys show that small children and many elderly people are unaware of the risks of information theft. Always enter your login credentials yourself.

2. Delete Personal Information: If you download or store any personal information on a cyber café computer, make sure to delete all documents after completing your work.

3. Check Browser Security: Ensure the browser security settings are configured to protect your personal information. Disable options such as “Remember my ID on this computer” to prevent leaving your user ID or username exposed for the next user.

4. Beware of Keyloggers: Keyloggers are spyware that record your keystrokes to capture your username and password. Some cyber cafés may use hardware keyloggers, so check for any intermediate devices between the keyboard and CPU.

5. Use Updated Security Software: Ensure the cyber café computer has up-to-date antivirus and anti-spam software to help block keyloggers, Trojans, and other malware.

6. Open a New Browser Session: Do not surf the web through an already opened browser. Open a new web browser to start your session.

7. Avoid Leaving Sensitive Information Unattended: Never leave the computer unattended with sensitive information on the screen. Always disable the feature that stores passwords.

8. Do Not Enter Sensitive Information: Avoid entering sensitive information into a public computer. If necessary, demand a computer with updated antivirus software from the cyber café owner.

9. Logout Properly: Always make sure to log out properly when leaving the cyber café. Simply closing the browser may not log you out of websites, leaving your accounts accessible to the next user.

Conclusion

By following these guidelines, both Internet café owners and visitors can significantly reduce the risks associated with using public computers. Staying vigilant and taking proactive steps can help protect personal information and prevent cybercrime.