This week is Get Safe Online Week (19 – 24 October) and the theme is Online Crime: It’s always personal.
Run by the UK’s national internet security awareness initiative, Get Safe Online, the week aims to educate, inform and raise awareness of internet security issues to encourage confident, safe use of the internet.
The year’s theme focuses on the growing threat of online crime and that anyone can be targeted, however careful they think they are on the internet. Helping young people protect themselves against cybercriminals is an important issue for us, that’s why we have some top tips for keeping safe and secure online.
Top Security Tips
- Use different passwords for different activities online; and never share your password, even with a friend.
- Treat your phone number like your credit card. Unless you are really confident you know how a website will use your number, don’t enter it online, as you could end up being charged.
- Be careful of things that sound too good to be true. When you come across adverts claiming you can win prizes, be careful if you enter them, and never give out your phone number.
- Only download software or apps from trusted sources.
- If you receive spam, do not reply and don’t click on any links. Never give away account details or personal information.
- Be careful of posts or ads that look like they are from friends on social networks. Is it something a friend would say? If not, it might be best to avoid it.
PhonepayPlus also have a really helpful blog post with some great online safety tips for Get Safe Online Week: http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/blogs/2015/october/get-safe-online-week
To find out more about Get Safe Online Week visit: https://www.getsafeonline.org/protecting-yourself/getsafeonlineweek2015/
