Be Safe Online

The internet is fun; it’s an opportunity to discover new information and communicate with others.

Don’t be at risk!

When we’re learning online it is more important than ever to know how to stay safe.

• Remember, to access your lesson you’ll need the session code and password. It is important that you don’t share these with anyone else in order to keep the class secure.
• You can see everyone – so everyone can see you! You can turn your camera off if you don’t want that to happen.
• Everyone can hear what you say. If you want to discuss something personal with the tutor, either contact them direct or send a message to your York Learning centre and we’ll pass it on.
• Your microphone can pick up even small noises! It is helpful to keep yourself muted unless you are talking, particularly if you are in a room with other people.
• If you don’t want people to see what’s behind you, you can set your background to be a photo of something else. Try putting a picture of your holidays, or a lovely summer day in the countryside…

• Install Antivirus Protection Software and update it regularly.
• Turn on your computer firewall and keep it on.
• Keep your Operating System up to date by allowing windows or other operating systems to regularly update.
• Don’t open emails from unknown users or click on links from friends that look suspicious-delete them from your inbox
• Watch out for phishing messages – fake emails from banks etc, that try to get you to enter/update your personal details to defraud you. Banks will never ask you for this information.

Passwords are an essential part of online use.  To protect your information you need to be secure and creative with them.

• Don’t use family names
• Use a mixture of letters, numbers symbols
• Replace a letter for a similar number i.e. S for 5, 8 for B, 0 (zero) for O
• Use symbols i.e. ! ) * #
• Use a mix of capitals and lowercase.
• Think of a phrase that you remember and drop the vowels from it. i.e. Roses are red becomes RssrRd

Passwords are like Pants…

• Change them often
• Don’t share with friends
• The longer, the better
• Don’t leave yours lying around.

Passwords are an essential part of online use.  To protect your information you need to be secure and creative with them.

• Don’t use family names
• Use a mixture of letters, numbers symbols
• Replace a letter for a similar number i.e. S for 5, 8 for B, 0 (zero) for O
• Use symbols i.e. ! ) * #
• Use a mix of capitals and lowercase.
• Think of a phrase that you remember and drop the vowels from it. i.e. Roses are red becomes RssrRd

Passwords are like Pants…

• Change them often
• Don’t share with friends
• The longer, the better
• Don’t leave yours lying around.

Online shopping and banking is safe and secure if you follow a few simple guidelines.

• Is their website secure? Look for ‘https://’ and the golden padlock on the address bar.
• Do they have a real-world presence? Can you see their address and phone number?
• Do they have clear privacy and returns policies?

• Be aware of others who may look over your shoulder when using a computer in a public place.
• Don’t save your login information. Always log out of websites by clicking “log out” on the site. Closing the browser is not enough.
• Many programs (especially instant messenger programs) include automatic login features that save your user name and password. Disable this option so no-one can log in as you.
• Don’t move away from a public computer if it has sensitive information on the screen. Logout first.

Keep your technology skills up to date to be safer online:

• Understand the applications your children use to communicate online.
• Know who your child is online with.
• Open a family e-mail account to share with younger children.
• Create screen names\e-mail addresses that do not contain information relating to gender\identity and location.
• Be aware of how and where your child may be going online, both in and outside the home.
• Tell your child to never share passwords with anyone but you.
• Don’t post pictures which show your street name or school uniforms.
• Have a rule that no laptops, tablets and phones are left in bedrooms at night. (Most cyber bullying happens at night.)
• Set adult content controls settings to “high” to stop access to adult sites.

Social Media Platforms

These have become an exciting and important part of day to day life. However a small minority are using these sites to recruit and radicalise young people. They  target young people through sites like Facebook, Twitter and Tumbler.  Whilst violent extremism is rare, we all have a duty to be vigilant in looking for signs of young people being radicalised.

You can get help and support by visiting www.familiesmatter.org.uk.

Cyber bullying

Cyber bullying is the use of technology to tease, humiliate, threaten and/or harass someone. This generally happens through text messaging or other social media.

Cyber bullies use a number of methods to humiliate or mock people online, including rude comments, posting embarrassing photos, or sharing private information about an individual. Even if you or your child are not being cyber bullied, or not personally bullying someone, you should remember that bullying can be made worse when people “like” comments or share hurtful pictures.

Be vigilant

We all need to be aware of the kinds of behaviour our children are involved in and who they are friends with.  This has to include understanding how they are using  the internet and social media and who they are talking to. You should also be on the look out for any changes in their interests or what they are viewing online. Be aware of changes in mood or behaviour, how they react to news stories or changes in who their friends are.

Checking how they are using the internet is like asking whose party they are going to, who else is going and how they are getting home. These are natural questions and should not be viewed as intrusive.

If you would like any further information about staying safe online speak to a tutor or go to www.getsafeonline.org.uk

Up to date information on how to be safe from the variety of risk available online are available at: www.getsafeonline.org.uk

There is information relating to:-

• Protecting your computer
• Protecting yourself
• Smartphones and tablets
• Shopping, banking and payments
• Safeguarding children
• Social networking
• Business