🛡️ Staying Safe Online

Hello! The internet is great fun and very useful. Today we will learn some simple ways to use it safely.

A password gets its strength from its length. “ocean2013” is short and easy to guess. A long passphrase made of a few unrelated words is much stronger, and it is easy to remember too.

A password is only yours. Do not share it, even with a friend. If there is a problem, or if you forget your password, talk to a grown-up you trust.

Some information is private: your home address, the name of your school, your phone number and your private photos. Do not share these with someone you do not know. Things like your favourite colour or animal are fine. If you are not sure, ask a grown-up first.

Look at this message: it promises a prize, it makes you hurry and it gives a strange link. These are phishing clues. Phishing is a message that tries to trick you into giving away your information.

When a strange message arrives, follow three steps: stop, think, show a grown-up. Do not click the link and do not type in your details. Do not worry: nobody gets a message like this because of something they did.

Before you use a fact in your homework, check the source: Who wrote it? When did they write it? Do other trustworthy sources say the same? If all three answers are yes, you can trust the information more.

Everything you share online, a photo, a comment or a search, leaves a digital footprint. Even if you delete something, other people may have saved it. So stop and think before you share.

There is a real person on the other side of the screen too. Write kindly. If someone sends you a hurtful message, do not reply and tell a grown-up you trust. It is not your fault.

To sum up: use a long passphrase and keep it secret, do not share private information, stop, think and show a grown-up when you meet phishing, check the source, be kind, and tell a grown-up when something is wrong. Now try it in the game!