Tuesday February 5, 2019 is Safer Internet Day – this is a globally recognised day that encourages everyone to make the internet better!
The theme for this year is “Together for a better internet” – which means that we all need to take responsibility and do our part both as individuals and together, to make the internet a better place. But where can you start?
Try putting these 4 critical skills for online safety into practise
- Respect – Treating others online the way you like to be treated
- Responsibility – Being accountable for your actions AND speaking out when you feel something is wrong.
- Reasoning – Questioning what is real
- Resilience – Getting back up from tough situations
You can find more information about what you can do to support Safer Internet Day at https://www.esafety.gov.au
While Safer Internet Day is all about working towards making the Internet a positive place through actions, there are also some common sense practices that can help you stay safe online. Here are some key tips.
Protect your hardware – Use reputable Internet security software on your desktop, notebook and mobile devices.
Think before you click – In email and social media. The link to that ‘funny video’ may actually take you somewhere else.
Be cautious with Public / Free WiFi – Don’t do online shopping on banking on these types of networks
Communicate with your children – lay down some rules around internet / device usage at home and make sure they feel comfortable letting you know when they encounter something online that doesn’t feel right.
