MANILA, Philippines--Risks from the Internet is growing alongside the number of young people using the Internet, a report by software security firm Trend Micro said.

The savagery of online threats will affect young people who are not properly guided from these dangers, TrendLabs technical communications officer Joahnna Marie Hipolito wrote in the company?s official blog (http://blog.trendmicro.com/).

Citing a 2006 study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, Hipolito noted that a growing number of Internet users below 17 years old are using the Internet more often for creative and social activities.

She also said these users stay online much longer than those in the older age groups.

A more recent study of Pew Internet
(http://www.pewinternet.org/Presentations/2009/Generations-Online-in-2009.aspx) showed that the ?Generation Y? people born between 1977 and 1990 represent the largest number of Internet users.

Hipolito said that most Internet-savvy users are already familiar with online dangers but the younger age groups are at higher risks due to their thirst for knowledge and what she called ?untested sense of courage.?

Citing other studies, Hipolito further stressed the majority of young Internet users do online searches more often than adults.

Unfortunately, many cyber criminals are now taking advantage of search engine optimization techniques to direct searches towards dangerous websites that could have malicious software embedded in them.

?Kids searching for the wrong topic, clicking on the wrong search result, can lead kids not to relevant information for their next papers, but to a compromised PC instead,? Hipolito said.

Even emails, by far the single most prominent online activity, can be compromised and young people not familiar with phishing (identity theft) or scams may be threatened by cybercriminals.

Social networking services are also among the most commonly used online services by younger people.

But cybercriminals are already exploiting sites such as Twitter and Facebook to target unwary users. Some of the contents in these sites can also negatively influence young people.

Dangers in instant messaging involve clickable links that curious young people may click but actually baits the unsuspecting users to websites containing malware.

Hipolito likened the Internet to the mythical Pandora?s Box wherein materials from the Internet can be both the good and bad.

?The Internet is a place where young people can discover, connect and create. While exciting, it also presents certain dangers. For young users, proper guidance and reliable security solutions are their best defense, to protect themselves from malicious intent online.?