Safety whilst being online

Set strong passwords – include capital letters, numbers and symbols. There is more information on setting password in the using social media page of this course.

Computer viruses can be spread via email in attachments. When you open the attachment it downloads files that can be harmful to your computer or access your email contacts. Be wary of emails you receive where you don’t know the sender or if you receive an email from someone you do know and it has no content – only an attachment. Always delete these emails.

There has been a rise in fraud and scams online. Be wary of emails you get which ask any personal information or to login to any type of account.

Never click on links, or open attachments, in emails from senders you don’t know. If in doubt, double check by going to a trusted website and typing the website address yourself.

Scammers can use social networks such as dating websites or chat rooms and once they’ve gained your trust, they’ll start asking you for money, often by telling you an emotional story. Trust your instinct. If something feels wrong, it probably is. Never send money or give your personal details out.

False claims may be made about medical products, such as health cures, and fake online pharmacies may offer medicines cheaply. However, the medicine can turn out to be poor quality and even harmful. Any online pharmacy should have the ‘Registered Pharmacy’ logo on the website’s home page which should lead to the General Pharmaceutical Council website. 

Shopping and banking online can be quick and convenient, especially in the current climate, but it’s important that you protect your financial information.

You should always ensure that the website you are using is a secure one before you enter any personal details. There are ways to spot that a website is secure, including:

• The address starts with ‘https’, the ‘s’ stands for secure.
• The address bar is green, which is a sign that you’re using a safe website.
• A padlock symbol is in the browser where the website address is (but don’t be fooled if the padlock appears on the page itself).
• A current security certificate which is registered to the correct address (this appears when you click on the padlock).

Be aware that a padlock symbol is not an absolute guarantee of safety. If you ever have doubts it’s best to leave the page.