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'Safer Internet Day’: Our Top Tips To Staying Safe Online

'Safer Internet Day’: Our Top Tips To Staying Safe Online

Stay safe out there, for the net is dark and full of terrors.

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

Today is Safer Internet Day/ You probably saw all of the cards and presents in the shopping centres over the past few months (is it me or do Safer Internet Day celebrations start earlier every year?).

Seriously, though, it's important. The internet is an angry, dangerous place, and keeping yourself and any kids that you might be responsible for out of danger is a great way to save money (people like to steal things online) and also ensure that nothing horrible happens.

Here are a couple of tips to bear in mind today.

Firstly, get yourself educated. It's a big, wide, scary world on the internet, and your best chance is to learn about what you're up against.

It's also a good idea to teach kids to stay safe. Learn what apps are popular with kids and teach yourself about them, too (if you aren't already).

Safer Internet Day 2018.
PA

Read up about them and see what you can learn about their privacy settings - which leads me to the next point.

Check your privacy settings.

This seems really obvious, but so many people don't do it, or at least don't do it properly. A lot of people think that just because they've stuck a pornography block onto their devices that their kids are safe.

There are ways of setting up parental controls on most devices like Facebook, or the PIN controls on a Sky Box, but it's important to remember that these methods are not without their problems.

Block adult sites using parental controls.
PA

Thirdly, remember that not all things that kids do on the internet needs to be online. You can get a whole load of really fun games and apps that don't need the internet once you've downloaded them. This means that you (or your kids) can be completely removed from the chance for cyber bullying, hacking, or any of the other dangers.

This doesn't mean that you shouldn't go online - just that you don't always need to and it's not the worst idea not to be constantly online.

Right, now it's time to address a tricky subject.

It's important that you remember that not everyone is interested in every little thing you do. Nobody cares if you've just walked the dog in the park, and that's OK.

Some people really do, though, and you should probably not give everyone and anyone a detailed run down of your life online. That's a great way to get yourself hacked (or someone could just wait for you in the park).

Tips For Safer Internet Day 2018.
PA

Lastly, if you've got kids - talk to them. Let them know about the problems that can happen online, and tell them it's OK to talk to you about them, no matter what they are.

Be careful out there, folks.

Featured Image Credit: PA

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