Newry police urge young people to ‘Stay Safe Online’ | Latest Newry News, Newry Sport and Newry Business for Newry City

Newry police urge young people to ‘Stay Safe Online’

Police are encouraging everyone to ‘stay safe online’.

facebook-592x411Digital media has become such an integral part of our everyday lives from shopping online, completing banking transactions to ‘socialising’ via social media sites.

Police are urging everyone to take a few simple precautions to guard against online crime and for parents to talk to their children about staying safe online.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Commander, Superintendent Simon Walls said, “Social media is a large part in the lives of many people so it is important, now more than ever, that we all know how to protect ourselves and stay safe online.

“Social and digital media is an excellent way of keeping in touch, shopping and completing everyday transactions, however users need to be careful about how much information they share online and with whom they share information.”

“Privacy and security settings – it is important to learn about security settings on social networking sites. These settings can change on a regular basis and will help you to control who can see what you post. You wouldn’t leave your front door open would you? Why let anyone access your online profile?

“Don’t accept people you do not know as friends– many users accept people they don’t know as friends. Who really has 2000 ‘friends’?

“Remember: What you post online stays online – consider your online reputation and digital footprint. Would you show these images or make these statements to your parents or future employers? Imagine if those pictures were put on a billboard for everyone to see, how would you feel?

“Keep personal information private – be careful about how much information you post online. Do you post your Snapchat and BBM usernames/codes, email address or mobile number online for others to see? Are you leaving yourself open to unwanted contact?

“Are there pictures of you in your school uniform? Remember this can be used to identify you and your friends. Passwords – It’s simple, remember to make passwords strong – a mixture of random words and numbers. Treat passwords like your toothbrush – don’t let anyone else use them,” he continued.

“Be a good online citizen – treat others as you would like to be treated. Never divulge private information or bank details or passwords. Always ensure you are completing transactions via a trusted site. Be wary of spam emails – never click onto a link and do not disclose sensitive information.”

Newry, Mourne and Down PCSP Chair, Mickey Larkin said, “Remember, if you are experiencing problems online, there are many sources of help. Report it to the site using the ‘Report’ button which typically uses a symbol in red or speak to the PSNI or someone you trust for information and advice on the matter.”

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Posted by on Dec 22 2015. Filed under Community. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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