Get Connected Spring 2017

SAFETY
COMMUNITY
Stay
safe
online
We spoke to two young residents,
Kara and Kane at our Swan Lane
scheme, who have recently taken
part in some internet safety sessions.
They’ve put together some helpful
tips on how to keep your private
information safe and protect
yourself from computer crime.
The internet can be a valuable and fun
resource for entertainment, making
friends, keeping in touch and learning.
However, there are also a number of
risks associated with going online so it
is important to learn how to stay safe
when you’re ‘logged on’.
Most of us are connected via our laptops,
mobile phones, tablets or personal
computers, which means there are
many potential risks and dangers
of being online. These can include
inappropriate content, communicating
with people you don’t know, fraud or
identity theft and sharing personal
information with unsafe sites.
There are a number of simple measures
which you can take to protect yourself
against these risks. The precautions are
as simple as choosing safe passwords
and ensuring you have the right security
software installed, to learning how
to distinguish between genuine and
fraudulent websites and emails.
10 golden rules
for being cyber smart
Don’t give out personal information
such as your address or phone
number.
Don’t give out your password.
Your bank will never ask for your
password via email or on social
media but there are a lot of scams
that will do.
On social media, be careful who
you accept as a friend. Only add
people that you know.
Check that a website is secure and
genuine before entering personal
information. Secure sites such as
banks will have a small padlock
symbol in the address bar or in
your browser window and a web
address beginning with https://
(the s stands for ‘secure’).
Don’t open emails or attachments
from people you don’t know. They
could contain harmful viruses.
Use a strong password. Use a
mix of numbers, lower-case and
upper-case letters and avoid
words connected to your name
or date of birth.
Be aware when you post personal
pictures or videos on social media
– once you put a picture online it
can be viewed by most people.
Do not bully anybody online.
Be respectful to other people,
even if you don’t agree with them.
If you’re using a public or shared
device, make sure you log out of
any accounts you have used in
the session.
Never arrange to meet someone
who you’ve met online alone.
Made for men of all ages, Evolve is a new way
of getting active and trying something different.
Find out more on pages 14-17 >>>
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