Key Internet Dangers
- Identity theft
- Data breaches
- Malware and viruses
- Phishing and scam emails
- Fake websites
- Online scams
- Romance scams
- Inappropriate content
- Cyberbullying
- Faulty privacy settings
Internet Safety Tips
- Make sure your internet connection is secure
- When you go online in a public place, avoid carrying out personal transactions such as online banking or online shopping
- Use strong passwords
- A strong password is made up of at least 12 characters with a mix of characters (upper-case, lower-case letters, symbols, and numbers)
- Turn on multi-factor authentication when available
- The system will you to provide two or more verification methods to access your account such as an extra one-time password that is sent to your phone or email address
- Keep tech up-to-date
- Companies are always working to make products safe, monitoring threats and rolling out security patches so take the time to download and install the updates
- Check that websites are reliable
- Make sure the website address that start with ‘HTTPS’ rather than ‘HTTP’ (the ‘s’ stands for ‘secure’) and have a padlock icon within the address bar and that the site doesn’t have spelling errors or overpowering advertising
- Be careful where you click
- If you receive an email, text or message you’re not sure about, avoid clicking on any links in the message or opening any attachments
- Make sure your devices are secure
- Use passwords or passcodes and other available security options like fingerprint readers or facial recognition options
- Backup your devices and data regularly
- This will help you limit the impact of a ransomware attack where a cybercriminal locks your computer or device so you can’t access anything on it until you pay them
- Be careful what you download
- Think carefully before downloading anything onto your device, and only download content from trusted or official sources
- Be careful what you post online
- Any comment or image you post online may stay online forever, don’t post or send anything online or through your device that you would not want your grandma or future employer to see
- Double check information you find online
- Fake news, misinformation, and disinformation are all over the internet, so do your own research to make sure what you read and see if true