Internet Safety or Online Safety? Stay Safe Online

Internet safety, or online safety, is the knowledge of the risk of illegal activity on the Internet. As the number of internet users continue to grow worldwide, internet safety is a growing concern. Common concerns regarding safety of the internet include Spam, Phishing, Cyber-bullying, Cyber-stalking, Malware and Computer Virus.

Here are simple ways to help protect yourself online:

• Keep your browser up to date
• Keep your operating system up to date
• Check what you click and download, including music files, movies and software.
• If you install software from the Internet, make sure you’re getting the software from a trusted source.
• If your computer is infected with virus, remove it as soon as you can.

Clean your computer with a high-quality anti-virus.

• avast!
• AVG
• BitDefender
• ESET Smart Security
• F-Secure
• Kaspersky Lab Internet Security
• McAfee
• MacScan (for Mac users)
• Microsoft Security Essentials
• Norton Internet Security
• TrendMicro
• Malwarebytes

Stay Safe online?

• Don’t give out personal information such as your address or phone number.
• Don’t open emails or attachments from people you don’t know.
• Don’t become online ‘friends’ with people you don’t know.
• Never arrange to meet someone in person who you’ve met online.
• If anything you see or read online worries you, tell someone about it.

Identity Theft

The more information you make available online, the greater the risk of identity theft.
Information that people share online include:

• email address
• phone number
• postal address
• banking information

The consequences of online fraud can be huge, so be aware of the serious risks associated with online theft.