Tips for Cyber safety and online security for Children

Cyber awareness and hygiene for teens and young adults

Secure your online presence : Always select the right settings for all your posts whether texts or photos or videos or any other on any of your social media accounts. You should be aware of the sharing settings available on any social platform. You should know that if you have not selected the right settings on your social media accounts, then photos and videos posted can be viewed, downloaded and used by others without your knowledge.

Select the right privacy settings and content sharing filters on social media so that you are sharing your information, photos and videos only with your trusted ones.

Be selective about accepting friend request of strangers on social media.

Learn how to block someone who is making you uncomfortable.

Learn how to remove someone from your friends list.

Remember to logout from social media websites after use.

Secure your phone with password.

If you notice your fake account has been created, you can immediately inform social media service provider so that the account can be blocked.

Be mindful of your appearance on video chat & video calls

Your video chats on social media sites can be recorded by the person on the other side.

There have been instances where video chats which were supposed to be private in nature have been recorded and shared on social media groups and websites.

Be careful while accepting chat requests from strangers.

Do not use Smartphone for taking sensitive personal photographs and videos

Do not use Smartphone for taking sensitive personal photographs and videos. Most of the smartphones are connected to internet and cloud storage. If a picture or video has been clicked/ recorded by using smartphone connected with the cloud, it may get saved automatically into the cloud. Even if users delete their photos or videos from their phone, the same photo or video can be recovered from the cloud account or any other device/ PC connected to the cloud using same account.

If someone has taken such photograph using Smartphone, then take it seriously and make sure to get it deleted from her/ his  smartphone, the cloud and any other device connected using the same account.

Protect yourself from Cyber stalking: Cyber stalkers show advances on a person repeatedly despite clear indication of disinterest by such person. They use internet, email, social media or any other form of electronic communication for stalking.

Disable location services for social media sites, mobile devices etc.

Refrain from sharing your personal information like Phone number, e-mail address, photographs with unknown persons.

Consult your relatives and friends, if you think you are a victim of Cyber stalking.

Beware of fake social media accounts- Not all the accounts are real and not all information provided on accounts are true.

Be cautious while accepting friend requests from strangers.

Be cautious with sensitive Browsing

One should browse shopping or banking websites or apps only on a device that belongs to him/ her or on a trusted network. Avoid using friend’s phone, public computer, cyber cafe or free Wi-Fi for sensitive browsing as data can be stolen or copied.

The deleted data on your communication devices can be recovered

Be careful while you give your mobile devices, PC’s for servicing/repairing/selling: Personal commuters and mobile devices consist of private information which needs to be erased before sending it for repairing, servicing or selling.

Protect your communication devices: Prevent others from accessing your devices by providing password, PIN, Pattern or biometric information. Always install applications to your mobile phones, computers, etc. from a trusted source only e.g. Play store, App store or from official company websites