When it comes to online safety, drawing similarities with the real world can help those in your care better understand the potential threat of surfing the web.
Here are six simple ways to make online safety more relatable for your students:
1. Stranger danger
You wouldn’t hand over your personal information to a stranger on the street, so why make it available online? Never make your phone number or home address public, avoid live-posting your location whenever possible, and be aware that filling out those fun questionnaires online can help scammers mine your personal information.
2. Lock the front door
All browsers and operating systems have privacy settings to help protect you. Just like the deadlock on your front door, these measures can help keep your personal information safe from unwanted guests. They can sometimes be hard to find because your information is valuable to companies who want to market to you, but always keep them enabled.
3. You can’t take back words once spoken
Just like you can’t take back a hurtful remark you’ve made, it’s almost impossible to delete an embarrassing selfie once you’ve posted it. Encourage your students never to post anything they wouldn’t want their mother (or future employer) to see.
4. Stay on the right side of the tracks
In the town or city where you live, there might be certain areas that you avoid. Similarly, you and your students should steer clear of certain destinations online. Avoid offers that sound too good to be true, don’t click on unsolicited links, and always keep your antivirus software up-to-date just in case.
5. Ask for references as a check
This may not be a surprise, but some people you meet online aren’t always who they claim to be. Fake profiles are a popular way for scammers to trap unwary internet users, so be just as cautious online as you are in the real-world. See rules 1 and 4 above.
6. Don’t leave your keys in the ignition
You wouldn’t leave your keys in the car while you go shopping, so why hand over the controls of your computer to someone you don’t know? Don’t use public WiFi, never give anyone you don’t know remote access to your computer, and only use official websites or App stores.
For more information about online safety or to learn how Teachers Mutual Bank protects our members, please go to: www.tmbank.com.au/security