Safety and security on the Internet

The Internet has moved beyond an educational and research tool that once served as a social network for a few elite scientists and has been transformed into a commerce and health care juggernaut now accessible to much of the planet. However, this transformation has not been free of complications and challenges. Safety and security on the Internet: challenges and advances in member states is the fourth volume of the WHO Global Observatory for eHealth series. It explores controversial and complex issues facing society such as Internet pharmacies and their control and regulation, mechanisms to combat escalating Internet security threats, government strategies to protect children and adolescents online, and practices to control quality and reliability of online health information. This publication provides the detailed results and analysis from the second global survey on eHealth. It emphasizes the need for citizen- and institution- government-related action and suggests approaches on how to build on existing initiatives and navigating the obstacles along the way.