Staying safe online

Idea Store Learning offers some of its learning programmes online, but do you know how to keep yourself safe online?

Keep your personal information safe and secret

• Don’t give away details which could be used to steal from you or to set up an account in your name.
• Think carefully before you share photos of yourself and others.

Watch out for emails which appear to come from someone you know but which don’t feel right

• Trust your suspicions, don’t click on any unexpected attachments or links in emails.
• Watch out for emails tricking you into giving personal information.

Use anti-virus software on all your devices and keep it up to date

• Good free versions are available e.g. bite-defender, AVG, Avast.

Ensure you are using the latest software, apps and operating systems on your phones, tablets, and laptops

• Update these regularly or set your devices to automatically update.

Use different passwords on different sites

• Include symbols and numbers - if it’s just a word it can easily be cracked.
• Don’t share your passwords with anyone

Use high privacy settings on social media accounts e.g. Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram etc

If in doubt, block

• Just say no to invitations from people you don’t know

If you have concerns about e-safety talk to your tutor. For further advice and guidance, please visit the Get Safe Online website and NCSC.