Internet Safety

Featured in Children & Young People General Internet

For many of us it’s hard to imagine life without the internet but we need to be careful that familiarity does not breed contempt. There can be risks involved if you drop your guard too much but by taking the following precautions, you can minimize the risks to you and your family.

 

Do not give out personal details, such as your name, address or phone number on the internet.

Make sure no-one else knows your passwords. If someone else knows your password, they can use your account. Their internet use will be charged to your phone bill.

If you are buying things over the internet, make sure you only use secure sites and keep your credit card details secure

Use the virus protection software to protect your computer and make sure it stays up to date.

You can get monitoring or filtering programmes that help block our sex and violence. Ask your internet service provider for details.

Choose a nickname to use in chat rooms and newsgroups. Never use your real name.

Try to make it hard for people to guess your real name. For example, it’s easy to guess that someone with the nickname ‘luap’ is really called Paul.

Internet providers will never ask you for your password except when you first sign on. If you get an email saying that computer problems mean they have to ask you to confirm your password, delete it from your mailbox without answering.