Keys tips to keep your kids and teens safe online: Stakes, process and tools
February 5, each year is
dedicated for Safer Internet Day. To this
occasion safer internet.org.uk has mentioned that 86% of 7-11 year olds and
96% of 11-19 year olds are communicating online.
Therefore here are some tips
for you to share with your youngsters.
. Don't post anything anywhere
on the internet if you don't want the world to see it. Once you've uploaded
something,
you cannot be sure that it will stay with just the person you've
sent it to.
. Never give out your address,
unless your parents have said it's safe and it's absolutely necessary (eg. when
you are requesting a delivery). And never agree to meet in person someone
you've met online.
. Don't click on
suspicious-looking links. If something looks strange to you, ask a parent or
teacher if it's ok to click on it.
. If your friend has sent you a message but it looks weird, or isn't
something they'd usually say, check with them before you open it. It could be
that someone is using their account to send messages which could be infected
with something nasty.
. Make sure you don't leave
any account open when you go away from your computer, phone or other device.
password rules:
- Never choose passwords which are real words you'd find in the dictionary. Use a mixture of upper and lower case letters, swap out letters for numbers, and use symbols like % and $ too.
- Make your password as long as possible. The longer it is, the harder it is to crack.
- Be creative! Never just use the name of your favourite sports team or band, or your pet's name. They are too easy to guess, especially if you're previously shared that information online.
- Use a different password for each website you use. If you struggle to remember them, you can use online 'password management' software to save them for you. But remember to make your 'master' password VERY hard to crack!
- Don't save your password to your computer if you share it with anyone.
- If you think something is suspicious or if you see something upsetting online, tell a parent or teacher, or report it to the website you're trying to use.
In addition, the Safer
Internet Centre has also released a quiz for people to check how safe they're being
online.
