The internet can be a useful tool to help school-aged children advance their knowledge and interact with friends. However, parents should be aware that children can become victims of internet crime if they don't develop safe habits.

CyberDefender, which provides internet security software, recently released tips for parents to help protect their children when using the web. The company urges parents to spend time on the internet with their children, and learn the sites that youngsters enjoy and use the most.

It's important to teach kids to never give out personal information on the web, because any name, address, telephone number or other piece of sensitive information can be exploited by cyber criminals.

The company also urges parents to limit their children's credit card use on the web. When shopping online, kids should only use familiar websites in order to protect themselves from identity fraud..

According to the Federal Trade Commission, there are around 9 million cases of identity theft in the U.S. every year. Using a secure payment company to guard information online is a good way to prevent becoming the victim of an internet scam.