Stay safe when using the internet

Chatting on the internet can seem like harmless fun. However, in reality it can be a dangerous experience, as there is no way of knowing if the person you are chatting to is actually telling the truth. Keeping yourself safe on the internet is easy, follow the simple steps below and you can enjoy surfing the web without putting yourself at risk:

• never give out any personal details, especially your age, address, phone number, school name
• never arrange to meet someone without your parents or guardian knowing and agreeing
• always use a nickname or your first name, don’t give out your full name
• don’t send out pictures of you, your friends or family to anyone you don’t know
• don’t believe everything people tell you, you can’t be sure that they are who they say they are
• viruses spread easily on computers through email attachments, only open attachments from people who you know and trust. If you aren’t certain, delete the message unopened
• if you think someone knows your password change it straight away

If you do arrange to meet with someone you have met on the internet make sure you tell someone where and when you have arranged to meet. Take someone with you, the person you’re supposed to be meeting may not even show up! Stick to meeting in busy public areas so that you can be sure you feel safe.

For more internet safety tips follow the links below.

Date Published: 28/03/08