Safety Tips

What does Internet safety mean?

Internet safety means protecting oneself and others from online difficulties that may jeopardize personal information, lead to unsafe communications, or even affect an individual’s mental health and well-being.

Strategies for Protection:

• Do not share personal information such as your address or telephone number. This also includes not sharing personal information about your family, friends, classmates, or coworkers.
• Read terms and privacy policies before downloading an app. Some apps request access to your personal information to share with third parties.
• Do not share or reuse your passwords. Make passwords strong by mixing up the letters and using numbers, special characters, and capitalization.
• Avoid viruses or malware by making sure attachments or websites are legitimate before downloading. Installing virus and malware checkers is recommended.
• Be careful of phishing scams. Phishing is when websites or email appear legitimate but ask for personal information such as bank account numbers or passwords.
• Monitor your online presence by Googling yourself.
• Monitor your accounts and report anything suspicious.
• Check privacy settings on apps and social media.
• Log out of browsers and accounts when finished.

Note: Internet safety guides and tutorials can be found in the Internet Safety section of the VALRC website.