Four Steps to Keep Safe
These are some things you can do to help prevent and prepare yourself for online harm. Simple steps can help to protect you from other sorts of crimes as well as abuse.
Set passwords that are hard to guess so not names or birthdays or things like that, use different ones for different accounts.
Use two-factor authentication that requires you to use another means of authentication such as getting a code by email or message to sign in. A password manager app can help. It is not safe to record your passwords somewhere that they are not protected.
Make sure you have anti-virus software and firewalls installed on computers to protect you. Make sure your software updates automatically to keep track of security changes.
Don’t click on suspicious unknown links. If you get a suspicious email then click the address to check the sender name so you can see if the address looks odd. If in doubt then ask someone else too.
Keep an eye on your accounts to beware of any suspicious activity.
Don’t download any software or apps unless you are sure of exactly what they are and that they are safe.
If someone gets in touch with you and says it is about your account then be suspicious and don’t give them any information or access or send them any money. It could be a scam.
If you need help with your account then you should contact the company through the account itself and not details you find online.
1. Make Your Accounts Safe
2. Be Careful With Your Phone
Watch your phone at all times and never give anyone else access to it or share your passwords. Make sure others cannot see your screen either.
Avoid using public Wi-Fi unless you have a VPN set up to protect your data. Turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when you don’t need them.
Set up security settings such as Find my phone so you can find your phone if you lose it and remove data from your accounts.
Be careful about who is following you online and what they can see. Block anyone you are not comfortable with and make sure you know how to do this.
Avoid sharing lots of personal details on your social media profiles or on dating apps. The less information you share about yourself the safer it is. Never share financial information online.
You might want to have separate accounts and separate phones for work and personal posts.
Remember that anything you share could end up in public — even if you share it privately.
Think twice before you share anything and if you’re not sure it’s better not to share it or say it.
Be particularly careful with recording or sending intimate images. Relationships change.
Be careful of giving away your location in public. If need be, wait until you have left an area before posting something from there.
If someone contacts you and you don’t know who they are then be suspicious. Don’t give them information or send them money.
3. Be Careful What You Share
4. Prepare for Attack
Even if you have done all you can to protect yourself there is still a risk of being attacked. Read up already on what you can do if it happens to you.
Be aware of the different kinds of online harm and the ways that you can respond to them.
Practice taking records of things that appear on your accounts so you would know how to do it quickly.
Remember that if you ever do come under attack there are lots of people who can help you. You will never be alone.
Knowing that the risk is there and that there are ways to deal with it can help you to be more resilient.
Never join in online attacks on anyone else and stop or report others if you see this happening. The internet should be a safe and respectful place for you and everyone else.