The internet is an amazing tool to find information, have fun, buy and sell, meet people and many other things, but it should be used sensibly to avoid running into problems!
Keep your details safe
Only share your name, address and bank details with trusted reliable sites.
Passwords
NEVER share your password with anyone and make sure your password is not easy to guess. Use random capital letters and numbers and avoid using real words or names.
Social networking
When using online sites and apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram etc, be careful what you share and remember who you are sharing with. These details could be used for identity theft and other crimes.
Remember! Your date of birth is a key bit of information used to identify you in many situations. You can alert your close friends to when it is at the time, you don’t have to display it all the time on your profile.
Downloading
Only download or open files you are sure are safe from trusted providers.
Opening links to unknown pages
Viruses can sometimes send emails from a friend’s email address with a link. Be sure links are for real sites or from people you trust before clicking on them.
More advice from other sites
- Get safe online - Free expert advice from an independent body funded by government, law enforcement, leading businesses and the public sector.
- Think u know - Advice for children, young people and parents on using the internet safely from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre.