Staying safe online

Check out our top tips and video to help you stay safe and positive online.

1. Shop smart

• Only visit and buy from reputable websites. A good tip is to make sure the website link starts with ‘https’ instead of just ‘http’ as this means it's secure
• If you’ve not heard of an online retailer before run a Google check for reviews before you buy from them
• Checking if websites are legitimate can stop you experiencing poor customer service or being ripped off. If a deal seems too good to be true, it often is!

• Make sure the passwords you use online are strong. Avoid obvious words, number combinations or phrases that can be guessed
• Try mixing things up by using different numbers, letters and other characters (&, % or #) 
• You could use the initials of a line from your favourite song. For Example: “Help, I Need Somebody, Help Not Just Anybody (HINSHNJA). Easy to remember but hard to guess!
• It can be tempting to write down passwords. Avoid doing this as you risk giving someone easy access to everything you use online.

• Make sure your computer, phone or tablet is running the most up to date version of software
• Although updating your device can be annoying, these updates are important. They can include security patches which help protect your device from getting nasty viruses!

• Never click on links you’re not sure about and don’t open attachments you're not expecting
• If you’ve any doubts about what's been sent to you, delete them. You could avoid downloading a nasty virus.

• It's so important to think about what you share online. If you use social media such as Facebook and Twitter remember anything you post publically online can be found by others
• It’s important you never reveal personal information on social media such as your address, phone number & passwords
• There’s no need to share when you’re away from your house or on holiday as this information could fall into the wrong hands
• Companies and banks often ask for details like your pet’s name or mother’s maiden name when you contact them. How easy would it be for someone to find this sort of information on your social media account? Don't make it easy for people to impersonate you and access your accounts.