Cybersmart - Guide to online safety text alternative

Welcome to the Cybersmart online resource for parents. This program is designed to help you work with your children so they have safe and positive experiences online. The Cybersmart program is a national cybersafety education program managed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, as part of the Australian Government's commitment to promoting online safety for children and young people. This resource is divided into five themes, each covering a number of current cybersafety issues which are presented in a video format. Using the menu, you can either work through all of the videos, or just the ones that interest you. Each video covers one key cybersafety issue. It offers a snapshot of the topic, with an example of how this might effect a child or teenager, and provides some simple tips on how to protect and educate your child. Each issue is explained in plain language and runs for less than two minutes. At the end of each issue, you can view and print tips relevant to children and teens. In addition, there is a more information' section with links to a number of educational resources. We hope you find this resource helpful in keeping your children safe online. Click a topic from the menu to get started.

Parenting online

You don't need to be a technology expert to help keep your children safe online. The parenting skills for online safety are the same as they are in the physical world. While children might seem to have good technical knowledge, their online behaviour still requires parental monitoring and guidance. Computer filters and e-security software are good basic protective measures to have in your home. Education and communication are also important in helping to keep your child safe online. Knowing that children can make sound decisions to manage risks online is particularly important when they use the internet outside your home - and you're not able to monitor their activities. Exploring the internet with your child and talking about websites, games and activities is a good way to start conversations with them. If you aren't familiar with the internet, having your child guide you can be a great learning opportunity for both of you. Even with teens, asking them to talk you through the sites they use can be helpful to understand what they do and the risks involved. You can find the information you need to understand the risks and how to manage them with your child on this website. Click the links for some age appropriate safety tips and more information.

Young children

For young children, general internet safety tips are a good starting point to help them to become safe and responsible internet users.

At this age children's internet use should be closely monitored. To help with this try to keep the computer in a shared or visible place in the home.
Be aware of how your child uses the internet and explore it with them. Bookmark a list of favourites you are comfortable with your child visiting and teach them how to access this list.
Teach your child that there are ways they can deal with material that worries or frightens themthey should immediately tell a trusted adult if they feel uncomfortable about something they have found on the internet or received in an email. Teach them how to close a web page or turn off a monitor if they are worried.
Establish rules around the types of content or information they should report to an adult. For example, one rule may be 'tell Mum or Dad about any swearing or bad words you find'.
Talk to your child about personal information and why it is special. This sort of information can be used to identify or locate where they live, go to school or activities in which they are involved.
Set rulesmake sure your child knows what information they can share or post online and which websites they can visit. Telling a trusted adult before posting any personal information online, including for competition entry is a useful rule.
Help your child understand that what they say and do online is important. Encourage your child to use the same manners, communicate with others in the same way and report others who aren't being nice, just as they would in the offline world.
Advise your child not to respond to any negative messages and to report any negative messages they receive to you or another trusted adult.
Consider using filters, labels and safe zones to help manage your child's online access.
Install and update anti-virus and other e-security software to restrict unauthorised access to data on the home computer and protect that data from corruption. Ensure that security features including a firewall are turned on, set to automatic scan and updated regularly to protect against the latest risks.
If your child shows changes in behaviour or mood that are concerning explore your concerns with them and if necessary seek professional support, including support through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people. Your child's school may also be able to provide guidance and support.

More Information

The Cybersmart program provides a range of cybersafety materials for parents and their children. For more information, resources, advice and tips, visit the Cybersmart website. Encourage your children and teens to take a look around the website. If you have young children, you may like to explore it together to help them understand how to protect themselves against online risks and make the most of their experiences online.

Older children

The following general internet safety tips will help to guide older children in their development of safe and responsible online behaviour.

At this age children's internet use should be closely monitored. To help with this try to keep the computer in a shared or visible place in the home.
Be aware of how your child uses the internet and explore it with them. Bookmark a list of 'Favourites' you are comfortable with your child visiting and teach them how to access this list.
Teach your child that there are ways they can deal with material that worries or frightens themthey should immediately tell a trusted adult if they feel uncomfortable about something they have found on the internet or received in an email. Teach them how to close a web page or turn off a monitor if they are worried.
Establish rules around the types of content or information they should report to an adult. For example, one rule may be 'tell Mum or Dad about any swearing or bad words you find'.
Talk to your child about personal information and why it is special. This sort of information can be used to identify or locate where they live, go to school or activities in which they are involved.
If your child uses social networking websites help them sign up safely and use privacy settings to restrict their information to 'friends'. Help them decide who to agree to have as a 'friend'. You may also like to help them to develop an avatar or user name that doesn't identify them of provoke unwanted attention.
Set rulesmake sure your child knows what information they can share or post online and which websites they can visit. Telling a trusted adult before posting any personal information online, including for competition entry is a useful rule. They should also report o you before uploading images or video of themselves or others.
Help your child understand that what they say and do online is important. Encourage your child to use the same manners, communicate with others in the same way and report others who aren't being nice, just as they would in the offline world.
Advise your child not to respond to any negative messages and to report any negative messages they receive to you or another trusted adult.
Talk to your child about cyberbullying before it happens. Work out strategies to address cyberbullying with which you are both comfortable so your child knows what to expect if they do report concerns to you.
Consider using filters, labels and safe zones to help manage your child's online access.
Install and update anti-virus and other e-security software to restrict unauthorised access to data on the home computer and protect that data from corruption. Ensure that security features including a firewall are turned on, set to automatic scan and updated regularly to protect against the latest risks.
If your child shows changes in behaviour or mood that are concerning explore your concerns with them and if necessary seek professional support, including support through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people. Your child's school may also be able to provide guidance and support.

More Information

Teenagers

The following general internet safety tips will help you to guide your teen and help them to develop safe and responsible online behaviour.

Stay involved in your teen's use of new technologiesask them to show you the websites they use, including their social networking and gaming sites. If your teen agrees ask them to help you set up your own accounts to better understand how the websites work.
Encourage your teen to use their privacy settings on social networking sites to restrict their online information to viewing by friends only, and to screen who they accept as friends.
Remind your teen to create screen names or IDs that do not indicate gender, age, name or location and are not sexually provocative.
Encourage your teen to think before they post informationwho might see this, could it be misread by others? Am I creating the right image for myself socially and for work and school opportunities? Am I putting myself at risk of cyberstalking?
Ask your teen to think about the images they upload of themselves and others, to ensure they aren't exposing themselves to risk through provocative images, and that they aren't compromising their privacy or others' privacy.
Advise your teen to keep their online friends online. If they want to meet someone that they haven't met in person encourage them to ask you or another trusted adult to go with them and to always meet in a public place, preferably during the day.
Recommend that your teen not to respond to negative messages and to actively block and report abusive people to website administrators. Encourage them to tell you or another trusted adult about such incidents and to save negative messages for reporting. You may want to save the messages for them becoming more upset.
Talk to your teen about cyberbullying before it happens. Work out strategies to address cyberbullying with which you are both comfortable so your teen knows what to expect if they do report concerns to you.
If your teen has encountered issues online express your support for them and help them stay connected to supportive friends and family both online and offlinethis is an important protection against longer term negative impacts.
Consider using filters, labels and safe zones to help manage your teen's online access.
Install and update anti-virus and other e-security software to restrict unauthorised access to data on the home computer and protect that data from corruption. Ensure that security features including a firewall are turned on, set to automatic scan and updated regularly to protect against the latest risks.
If your teen shows changes in behaviour or mood that are concerning explore your concerns with them and if necessary seek professional support, including through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people. Your child's school may also be able to provide guidance and support.

More Information

Excessive internet use

The internet can help children develop socially and academically. But too much time online, playing games, socialising and so on, can have a negative effect. For children, a balance of online and offline activities is important. Andy is really into online games. But lately he's been spending every waking hour playing. He's lost interest in other activities and his school work is starting to slip. Online games reward dedicated players with status and power, which can lead to excessive play, at the expense of other activities. So how can we help children like Andy strike a balance? Andy's parents can move his computer into a living area where they can monitor the amount of time he spends playing. They can also negotiate with Andy, agreeing on games he can play and for how long. With just a few simple plans in place, children like Andy can enjoy their online fun, without sacrificing other activities. Check out these related topics or click the links for some age appropriate tips and more information.

Young children

Young children are unlikely to have issues with spending too much time on the internet due to limited access and ability. If children are using computers or interacting online it is valuable for parents to start to educate them about appropriate usage levels.

The following tips can help your child to manage the time spent online and maintain a healthy balance.

Consider establishing rules about when children can play online games or use the internet and how long they can play each day. You might consider agreeing with your child a set balance of online activities and offline activities such as outside play or drawing.
Establishing rules with children when they are young can help manage their online activities as they get older and their online activity increases.
Try to locate the computer in a shared or visible place in the home so you are aware of how much time your child spends online.
If you have concerns about your child's online behaviour explore your concerns with them. If necessary seek professional support, including support through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people.
If of school age, your child's school may also be able to provide guidance and support.

More Information

The Cybersmart program provides a range of cybersafety materials for parents and their children. For more information, resources, advice and tips, visit the Cybersmart Website. Encourage your children and teens to take a look around the website. If you have young children, you may like to explore it together to help them understand how to protect themselves against online risks and make the most of their experiences online.

Older children

Many older children spend time on the internet socialising, studying and for entertainment. There is no guideline for the right amount of time for children to spend online, however if their online behaviour appears to impact negatively on their behaviour or wellbeing, or that of the family, it may be time to discuss expectations, and establish online time limits.

The following tips can help your child manage time spent online and maintain a healthy balance

Look for indicators that your child may be spending too much time online, such as a decline in interest in other activities, talking constantly about an online game or activity, a decline in grades or irritability when they are away from an online game. You may also suspect they are getting up after bed time to play a game.
Children may seem quite tired during the day or skip meals to avoid leaving the computer.
You may like to check with your child's school to identify whether they are experiencing issues with timeliness or quality of work and tiredness.
Consider establishing rules about when children can play games or use the internet and how long they can play each day. You might consider agreeing with your child a set balance of online activities and offline activities such as outside play, homework and housework. A two week trial of new rules might be useful to establish whether they seem to provide a good balance for your child and your family.
Establishing rules with children when they are young can help with the management of their online activities as they get older.
Try to locate the computer in a shared or visible place in the home so you are aware of how much time your child spends online.
If you have concerns about your child's online behaviour explore your concerns with them. If necessary seek professional support, including support through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people. Your child's school may also be able to provide guidance and support.

More Information

Teenagers

Many teens spend a fair amount of time on the internet socialising, studying and for entertainment. For many their online activities form a part of their social identity. However, it is important that teens take care of themselves and balance their online interactions with other aspects of their lives.

There are no guidelines for the right amount of time for teens to spend online, however if their online behaviour appears to impact negatively on their behaviour or wellbeing or that of the family, it may be time to discuss expectations, and establish agreed time limits on use.

The following tips can help teens to manage time spent online and help them to maintain a healthy balance.

Look for indicators that your teen may be spending too much time online, such as a decline in interest in other activities, talking constantly about an online game or activity, a decline in grades or irritability when they are away from a game. You may also suspect they are getting up after bed time to play games or chat to others.
Teens may seem quite tired during the day or skip meals to avoid leaving the computer.
You may like to check with your teen's school to identify whether they are experiencing issues with timeliness or quality of work.
If issues arise consider establishing rules about when teens can play games or use the internet and how long they can play each day. You might consider agreeing with your teen a set balance of online and offline activities. You may need to establish consequences for rule breaches. For example, if your teen doesn't undertake their assigned jobs they may have access to online games restricted.
Try to locate the computer in a shared or visible place in the home so you are aware of how much time your teen spends online.
If you have concerns about your teen's online behaviour explore your concerns with them. If necessary seek professional support, including support through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people. Your teen's school may also be able to provide guidance and support.

More Information

The Cybersmart program provides a range of cybersafety materials for parents and their children. For more information, resources, advice and tips, visit the Cybersmart website . Encourage your children and teens to take a look around the website. If you have young children, you may like to explore it together to help them understand how to protect themselves against online risks and make the most of their experiences online.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is when technology like SMS, email, social networking or chat is used to threaten, exclude, intimidate or humiliate a child. To help stay safe, children need to learn how to use these services positively and what to do if they are the target of cyberbullying. This is important because cyberbullying can result in negative academic, social and psychological outcomes for children. This is Sarah, she was chatting on a social networking site when a girl from her school started posting unkind comments about her taste in clothes. Within moments, more comments were added by other students at her school. While ideally Sarah should report the behaviour to her parents, many children don't. They're worried that their parents will take away their access to technology and that their parents might make the issue bigger - or worse. There are a number of ways to address cyberbullying. Try talking to your child about what you as a family will do if cyberbullying occurs and have an agreed approach - this may encourage them to go to you if things do go wrong. Encourage your children not to respond to any cyberbullies. If the bullying continues, it may be useful to save the messages as evidence. If the bully is from school talk to the school about how they can help address the issue. Ask the school what their procedures are and what the outcomes might be. Providing support for children who are cyberbullied is critical. Help them stay connected online and offline to friends and family that they trust. If your child seems distressed, seek professional help. You can also make your child aware of the Cybersmart Online Helpline - which provides a link to free, confidential online counselling. Check out these related topics or click the links for specific tips and more information.

Young children

Cyberbullying occurs when the internet, email or mobile phones are used to deliberately and repeatedly engage in hostile behaviour to harm someone.

Cyberbullying is less common between young children with the likelihood of a child being involved in cyberbullying increasing with age. Cyberbullying can have negative academic, social and psychological outcomes for children, so providing support for children who are involved in cyberbullying is critical.

For young children, general internet safety tips are a good starting point to help them to develop appropriate online etiquette and to learn appropriate responses to bullying behaviours. The following tips can help you to manage cyberbullying with your child.

At this age children's internet use should still be closely monitored. To help with this try to keep the computer in a shared or visible place in the home.
Keep your child connected online and offline to friends and family that they trust. This helps to protect them from potentially negative outcomes.
Help your child understand that what they say and do online is important. Encourage your child to use the same manners, communicate with others in the same way and report others who aren't being nice, just as they would in the offline world.
Advise your child not to respond to any negative messages and to report any negative messages they receive to you or another trusted adult.
If your child has passwords for their online activities advise your child never to share their password with friendsfriendships may be shortlived at this age and former friends can mis-use passwords to cyberbully.
If your child has been involved in cyberbullying and seems distressed or shows changes in behaviour or mood it may be advisable to seek professional support, including through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people. Your child's schools may also be able to provide support and guidance.
If there is a threat to your child's safety the police can help. In life threatening and time critical situation call Triple Zero (000).

More Information

Older children

Cyberbullying occurs when the internet, email or mobile phones are used to deliberately and repeatedly engage in hostile behaviour to harm someone. Cyberbullying occurs most commonly among older children and teens.

Cyberbullying can have negative academic, social and psychological outcomes, so providing support for children and young people who are cyberbullied is critical. Helping children to manage responses to negative online behaviour and keeping them connected online and offline to friends and family that they trust are important measures to protect them from potentially negative outcomes.

The following tips can help you to manage cyberbullying with your child.

At this age your child's internet use should still be closely monitored. To help with this try to keep the computer in a shared or visible place in the home.
Talk to your child about cyberbullying before it happens. Work out strategies to address cyberbullying that you are both comfortable with, so your child knows what to expect if they do report concerns to you or another trusted adult.
Reassure your child that you won't block their access to the internet if they report concerns about cyberbullying. Help them to stay connected online and offline to supportive family and friends.
Help your child to block anyone who sends offensive content. Most social networking services allow users to block and report someone who is behaving badly.
Advise your child not to respond to any negative messages but to save the messages and details of the senders. You may want to save the messages for your child so that they don't keep reading them and potentially feel worse.
Encourage children to support their friends and report concerns about friends who may be involved in cyberbullying.
Help your child to develop the skills they need to interact safely and respectfully online. Guide their online activities and help them learn to communicate appropriately with friends and family.
Advise your child never to share their password with friendsfriendships may be shortlived at this age and former friends can mis-use passwords to cyberbully.
If your child has been involved in cyberbullying and seems distressed or shows changes in behaviour or mood it may be advisable to seek professional support, including through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people. Your child's schools may also be able to provide support and guidance.
If there is a threat to your child's safety the police can help. In a life threatening and time critical situation call Triple Zero (000).

More Information

The Cybersmart program provides a range of cybersafety materials for parents and their children. For more information, resources, advice and tips, visit the Cybersmart website . Encourage your children and teens to take a look around the website. If you have young children, you may like to explore it together to help them understand how to protect themselves against online risks and make the most of their experiences online.

Teenagers

Cyberbullying occurs when the internet, email or mobile phones are used to deliberately an repeatedly engage in hostile behaviour to harm another someone. Cyberbullying occurs most commonly among older children and teens.

Cyberbullying can have negative academic, social and psychological outcomes, so providing support for children and young people who are involved in cyberbullying is critical.

For many teens, their online life is an important part of their social identity. Many teens fear that parents might disconnect them from the internet and therefore their supportive friends as a 'solution' to cyberbullying. This prevents some teens from reporting cyberbullying issues. Some teens are also concerned that parents will make cyberbullying issues worse.

To help teens deal with cyberbullying:

Talk to your teen about cyberbullying before it happens. Work out strategies to address cyberbullying that you are both comfortable with, so your child knows what to expect if they do report concerns to you or another trusted adult. Reassure them that you are will be there to support them and won't disconnect them from their online world.
Encourage your teen to tell you or another trusted adult if they receive or hear of negative messages, or are excluded by others. Help them stay connected to trusted friends and family both online and offline. This is an important protective measure against the potentially negative outcomes of bullying.
Advise your teen not to respond to any negative messages but to save the messages and details of the senders. You may want to save the messages for your teen so that they don't keep reading them and potentially feel worse.
You can help your teen report any concerns to the administrator of the service used, including the mobile phone provider (if SMS is involved), website administrator (if social networking or chat services are involved), or internet service provider.
Understand your school's policy about cyberbullyingdo they have a policy and what is the likely outcome of a complaint about cyberbullying if another student is involved.
Encourage your teen to support their friends and report concerns about friends who may be involved in cyberbullying.
Advise your child never to share their password with friendsfriendships may be shortlived at this age and former friends can mis-use passwords to cyberbully.
If your child has been involved in cyberbullying and seems distressed or shows changes in behaviour or mood it may be advisable to seek professional support, including through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people. Your child's schools may also be able to provide support and guidance.
If there is a threat to your child's safety the police can help. In a life threatening and time critical situation call Triple Zero (000).

More Information

Cyberstalking

Online stalkers or cyberstalkers use the internet or another form of electronic communication persistently to cause another person to feel apprehension or fear. Online stalking is serious and should be referred to police or independent legal advisors. Sam uses her social networking page to promote her band. Speaking with a fan after a gig one night, she is rattled when he discloses details about her, that only her friends would know. She continues to see him at gigs and once at a party where he tells people they are dating. She confronts him and he becomes angry, claiming she led him on. Over the following weeks she receives threatening SMSs and posts on her site. This is a serious situation. Sam should report this to her parents immediately, and not respond to the messages. She and her parents should keep the messages and report them to the police or seek independent legal advice. Sam should also consider creating a separate account to promote her band so that the public doesn't see any information only meant for friends and family. She also needs to review her privacy settings and who she accepts as a contact. Check out these related topics or click the links for some age appropriate safety tips and more information.

Young children

Teach children not to respond or retaliate to any mean or yucky contact like rude emails or messages.
Teach them to tell a trusted adult when anything happens online that worries them, and help them to identify at least two trusted adults they can tell.
Establish rules around the types of content or information they should report to an adult. For example, one rule may be: 'tell Mum, Dad or Pop about any swearing or bad words you find'.
Introduce the concept of personal information which is information that can be used by others to identify their name, address, school or clubs.
Make rules to restrict them providing personal information online. Young children will need simple rules such as 'you must check with Mum, Dad or Pop before you can type your address into the computer'.
Consider using filters, labels and safe zones to help manage your child's online access.
If there is a threat to your child's safety the police can help. In a life threatening and time critical situation call Triple Zero (000).

More Information

Older children

Online stalkers or cyberstalkers use the internet or another form of electronic communication persistently to cause another person to feel apprehension or fear.

Older children may become more interested in websites and gaming sites that allow direct interaction with others including teens and adults. The following tips can help you manage the risk of cyberstalking for your child.

Explore your child's favourite websites. In general it is useful to consider whether you are comfortable with the content of the sites and the potential for contact with others including teens and adults. Is your child socially ready to manage contact from potentially ill meaning strangers?
If you agree to your child accessing sites which may allow direct contact with others consider establishing rules about the amount of information they can provide, including not providing their surname, address or school, and not uploading or SMSing images or videos without parental permission.
Help children develop an avatar or false identity so they aren't using their real name online.
Teach your child not to respond or retaliate to any mean or unpleasant contact like rude or intrusive emails or messages.
Establish rules around the types of content or information they should report to an adult. For example, one rule may be 'tell Mum, Dad or Pop about any swearing or bad words you find'.
Talk to your child about the use of location based services. These services enable social networking users to report their physical location to other users by checking in. Some services let people report their friends locations and have location based functions turned on by default. Your child can review their settings and block this function or limit who sees their location based information. Remind your child that allowing strangers to see where they are, or where their mates are, is a risky behaviour.
Consider using filters, labels and safe zones to help manage your child's online access.
If your child shows changes in behaviour or mood that are concerning including changes in friendship groups, anxiety, sadness, clinginess or withdrawal explore your concerns with them and if necessary seek professional support, including through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people. If of school age, your child's school may also be able to provide guidance and support.
If there is a threat to your child's safety the police can help. In a life threatening and time critical situation call Triple Zero (000).

More Information

Teenagers

Many teens use websites that provide the ability to directly interact with people they don't know offline. The following tips can help you to manage the risk of cyberstalking for your teen.
Stay involved in your teen's use of new technologiesask them to show you how to use their preferred social networking sites and explain how people communicate and how communication is managed safely. If your teen agrees, and many won't, ask to join their 'friends' list so you can observe their interactions. Keep in mind that they may block some of their information from you.
Guide your teen when they set up their profile on social networking or gaming sites. Encourage them not to put any personal information on their profile including their family name, phone number, address, school and workplace or club names. Guide your teen to use their privacy settings to restrict their online information to viewing by friends only.
Encourage your teen to consider who they agree to have as a contact online. They should consider how much they want each contact to know about them and change their privacy settings accordingly. They should review contacts and block any they don't trust.
Talk to your teen about the use of location based services. These services enable social networking users to report their physical location to other users by checking in. Some services let people report their friends locations and have location based functions turned on by default. Your teen can review their settings and block this function or limit who sees their location based information. Remind your teen that allowing strangers to see where they are, or where their mates are, is a risky behaviour.
Encourage your teen to keep their online friends online. If they want to meet someone that they haven't met in person, encourage them to ask a parent or another trusted adult to go with them and always meet in public places, preferably during the day.
Remind your teen to think before they post informationwho might see it, how could it be misread by others? Are they putting themselves at risk of cyberstalking?
Tell your teen not to respond if someone sends them unkind messages or something that makes them feel uncomfortable and to tell a parent or trusted adult or report them to website administrators.
Be alert to changes in your teen's behaviour or mood, such as changes in friendship groups, withdrawal from friends or family or an increased negative self perception. Discuss any concerns with your child and if necessary seek professional support such as through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people. Your child's school may also be able to provide guidance and support.
If there is a threat to your chil's safety the police can help. In a life threatening and time critical situation call Triple Zero (000).

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Unwanted sexual contact

The internet can help young people feel part of a community. But, it can also expose them to peers and adults seeking sexual contact. Some adults befriend children online for sexual purposes. This is called grooming. It is illegal and should be reported to the Australian Federal Police. Isobel wants a boyfriend, but, like a number of teens, is a little insecure. She meets a boy called Cal online who shares her interests and thinks she is beautiful. Eventually he suggests they meet and Isobel agrees, only to discover Cal is not who he seems. So how can we help a young person like Isobel stay safe? You can help by advising your child not to use sexually provocative language online, upload suggestive images of themselves or send these images to others. Talk to your child about the risks and agree that they must never meet someone they have spoken with online, unless they speak with you first. Following a few simple rules can help keep your child safe and help them make the most of their online social life. Click the links for some age appropriate safety tips and more information or check out these related topics.

Young children

Some adults befriend children online for sexual purposes. This is called grooming. It is illegal and should be reported to police. In many cases police can prosecute adults seeking children for sexual purposes even if they haven't made face to face contact with a child.

Young children generally won't be using websites that enable direct interaction with others without supervision. The following general tips will help manage who can contact your child online and their responses to inappropriate contact.

At this age children's internet use should be closely monitored. To help with this try to keep the computer in a shared or visible place in the home.
Be aware of how your child uses the internet and explore it with them. Bookmark a list of 'Favourites' you are comfortable with your child visiting and teach them how to access this list.
If your child is at an age where you have begun educating them about strangers and protecting their body it may be useful to expand those lessons to cover online. The appropriate age for this education will vary and is a decision for you and your family.
If you are educating your child about their body and keeping it safe it may be useful to make a rule about what is and isn't okay to discuss on the computer and what should be reported to you or a trusted adult. For example, one rule might be 'if anyone asks you about your underwear or private parts when you are on the computer get Mum to check that what they are saying is okay'.
Another good rule is for your child to report anything that makes them feel uncomfortable or funny in their tummy.
If your child shows changes in behaviour or mood that are concerning including increased or decreased sexualised behaviours, clinginess or withdrawal explore your concerns with them and if necessary seek professional support, including through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people.
If there is a threat to your child's safety the police can help. In a life threatening and time critical situation call Triple Zero (000).

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Older children

Some adults befriend children online for sexual purposes. This is called grooming. It is illegal and should be reported to police. In many cases police can prosecute adults seeking children for sexual purposes even if they haven't made face to face contact with a child.

Older children may become more interested in websites and gaming sites that enable direct interaction with others including teens and adults. The following tips can help to protect your child against unwanted sexual contact.

At this age children's internet use should be closely monitored. To help with this try to keep the computer in a shared or visible place in the home.
Explore your child's favourite websites. In general it is useful to consider whether you are comfortable with the content of the sites and the potential for contact with others including teens and adults. Is your child socially ready to manage contact from potentially ill meaning strangers?
If you agree to your child accessing sites which may allow direct contact with others consider establishing rules about the amount of information they can provide, including not providing their surname, address or school, and not uploading or SMSing images or videos without parental permission.
If your child is at an age where you have begun educating them about strangers and protecting their body it may be useful to expand those lessons to cover online contact. The appropriate age for this education will vary and is a decision for you and your family.
It may be useful to make a rule about what is and isn't okay to discuss on the computer and what should be reported to you or a trusted adult. For example, one rule might be 'if anyone asks you about your underwear or private parts when you are on the computer get Mum to check that what they are saying is okay'.
Some children feel worried about their parent's reaction to things they may have said or done online and this can prevent them reporting genuine concerns. Perpetrators play on this worry and shame to isolate children. To overcome this reassure your child that they can always safely tell you that they feel uncomfortable or worried about what somebody has been saying to them and what they might have been saying and doing in response.
If your child shows changes in behaviour or mood that are concerning including increased or decreased sexualised behaviours, clinginess or withdrawal explore your concerns with them and if necessary seek professional support, including through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people. If of school age, your child's school may also be able to provide guidance and support.
If there is a threat to your child's safety the police can help. In a life threatening and time critical situation call Triple Zero (000).

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Teenagers

Some adults befriend children online for sexual purposes. This is called grooming. It is illegal and should be reported to police. In many cases police can prosecute adults seeking children for sexual purposes even if they haven't made face to face contact with a child.

Many teens use sites that allow them to directly interact with people they don't know offline. There is a risk that the individuals teens connect with may not be who they claim to be, or that they intend to establish a sexual relationship with your teen. The following tips can help guide your teen's behaviour and help keep them safe from unwanted sexual contact.

Stay involved in your teen's use of new technologieskeep up to date with the websites they are visiting and explore them with your teen if possible. In general it is useful to consider whether you are comfortable with the content of the sites and the potential for contact with others including adults.
Remind your teen to create screen names or IDs that do not indicate gender, age, name or location and are not sexually provocative.
Guide your teen to use their privacy settings to restrict their online information to viewing by known friends only.
Encourage your teen to keep their online friends online. If they want to meet someone that they haven't met in person encourage them to ask a parent or another trusted adult to go with them and always meet in public places, preferably during the day.
Encourage your teen to be alert to people online who make them feel uncomfortable and to block them. They should report inappropriate contact to the website administrators.
Some teens feel worried about their parents' reaction to things they may have said or done online, especially if they think they encouraged online sexual contact. This can prevent them reporting concerns about online contacts. Perpetrators play on this worry and shame to isolate teens from family and friends and encourage teens to trust and confide in them.
To overcome this risk reassure your teen that you will always support them and not block their internet access if they report that they are uncomfortable or worried about what somebody has been saying online.
Be alert to changes in your teen's behaviour or mood that are concerning including increased or decreased sexualised behaviours and/or apparent confidence, clinginess or withdrawal, anxiety or sadness and changed interactions with friends. Explore your concerns with them and if necessary seek professional support including through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people. Your child's school may also be able to provide guidance and support.
If there is a threat to your child's safety the police can help. In a life threatening and time critical situation call Triple Zero (000).

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Protecting your information

Children sometimes provide their personal information like their email address and phone number to websites, in return for competition entry or access to games. Some websites use this information legitimately. However some websites may sell this information or make it visible to other people visiting the website. This can lead to the child and potentially the family being targeted with unwanted advertising. Personal information can also be used by other people, including criminals, to steal identities - or by cyberbullies and predatory adults, to target children. This is Alex, he's entering a competition for a new laptop and has just ticked 'I agree'. But he didn't read the website's Terms of Use - or it's Privacy Policy. Let's take a look at these now. Alex needs to check the Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy. He should understand what will be done with his information and who might see it. Children need to understand what they are agreeing to before they join a website. Young children will need adult guidance. For some practical tips for your child click the links or check out these related topics.

Young children

Personal information is any information or combination of information that enables the identification of an individual.

Personal information is disclosed to, and used responsibly by, many legitimate online businesses to conduct business and online social interactions. However, if not managed carefully, it is possible for personal information to be accessed and misused for marketing, identity theft or for cyberbullying or cyberstalking.

The following guidelines are a useful starting point to teach young children to interact safely and responsibly online.

At this age children's internet use should be closely monitored. To help with this try to keep the computer in a shared or visible place in the home.
Be aware of how your child uses the internet and explore it with them. Explore their favourite sites and help them bookmark a list of 'Favourites'. Check whether personal information is required to sign up to any of their favourite websites or games and help your child sign up and use privacy settings safely if you feel it is appropriate.
Talk to your child about personal information and why it is special. This sort of information can be used to identify or locate where they live, go to school or activities in which they are involved.
Set rulesmake sure your child knows what information they can share or post online and which websites they can visit. Telling a trusted adult before posting any personal information online, including for competition entry is a useful rule.
Consider creating a family 'fun' email account that can be used for competition entries and other activities. This account will be separate to all other personal accounts so it can easily be deleted if it is misused.

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Older children

Personal information is any information or combination of information that enables the identification of an individual.

Personal information is disclosed to, and used responsibly by, many legitimate online businesses to conduct business and online social interactions. However, if not managed carefully, it is possible for personal information to be accessed and misused for marketing, identity theft or for cyberbullying.

The following general guidelines are a useful starting point to teach older children to use their personal information safely and responsibly online.

At this age children's internet use should still be closely monitored. To help with this try to keep the computer in a shared or visible place in the home.
Be aware of how your child uses the internet and explore it with them. Explore their favourite sites and help them bookmark a list of 'Favourites'. Check whether personal information is required to sign up to any of their favourite websites or games and help your child sign up and use privacy settings safely if you feel it is appropriate.
Talk to your child about personal information and why it is special. This sort of information is information that can be used to identify or locate them and where they live, go to school or join in activities.
Set rulesmake sure your child knows what information they can share or post online and which websites they can visit. Telling a trusted adult before posting any personal information online, including for competition entry is a useful rule.
Remind your child that not everybody online is who they say they are and encourage them to be cautious when sharing information.
Help your child to create screen names or IDs that do not communicate their gender, age, name or location.
Consider creating a family 'fun' email account that can be used for competition entries and other activities. This account will be separate to all other personal accounts so it can easily be deleted if it is misused.

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Teenagers

Personal information is any information or combination of information that enables the identification of an individual.

Personal information is disclosed to, and used responsibly by, many legitimate online businesses to conduct business and online social interactions. However, if not managed carefully, it is possible for personal information to be accessed and misused for marketing, identity theft or for cyberbullying or cyberstalking.

The following tips can help teens manage their personal information safely and responsibly.

Remind your teen that not everyone is who they claim to be. Although they may enjoy having many online friends, adding people that they don't know on 'friends lists' allows those people to learn all about them. This information could be used for scams, to steal their identity or worse.
Talk to your teen about managing personal information on social networking sites. Encourage them not to put any personal information on their profiles. This includes their phone number, personal email address, home or school addresses, or the name of their school.
Encourage your teen to be careful when they post photos that they are not accidentally providing clues to personal information such as their school uniform.
Encourage your teen to set up a separate email account for use when signing up to games or websites. This account will be separate to all other personal accounts so they can disable it if it's misused. It should not include their names or other identifiers in the address.
They might also like to set up a separate social networking account if they want to promote themselves or an interest and engage with like minded people that they don't know offline. They should ensure the site does not contain their personal information.
Encourage your teen to read user agreements and privacy policies to determine how their personal information may be used when signing up to services as many organisations use information for their own marketing and some sell it to other marketing firms.
Remind your teen that they should only disclose financial information on websites that they trust and that have secure payment facilities identified by a web address beginning with https:// and a 'locked' padlock symbol in the bottom of the screen, which indicates that data is being encrypted.
Remind your teen that banking institutions will never email individuals asking for their user name or password. If they receive an email from an organisation claiming to represent a banking institution they should report the email to the bank and the Government's SCAMwatch website at www.scamwatch.gov.au or their local consumer affairs agency. They should not respond and not click on any links provided.

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Safer social networking

Social networking websites are used by many children and teens to communicate with friends. It's a great way for them to keep in touch, but there are some risks in using these sites. Take Will, he's posted details online about his party. What he doesn't realise is that it's not just his friends, but everyone online who can see this information. Will could be much safer by following some simple steps. Will's profile page has his name, his photo and interests. It also lists his home address and phone number. To better manage his information, Will can restrict the amount of personal information he posts online. He should also think about not listing his address and phone number. Seemingly innocent comments about where Will goes to school, where he works and so on, could also be used to locate and target him. Will can control who sees his information by making better use of the privacy settings. He can hide information from the public, making it only identifiable to people he has accepted as friends Fortunately, many websites also give Will control over his online friendships. Will can accept or reject invitations from others wanting to be friends or contacts. He can even un-friend and block people if he needs to. To stay safe, Will should reject all friendship requests from strangers and from people he wouldn't be friends with in the physical world. You can help your child or teen use social networking sites more safely by helping them understand how to use privacy settings, the importance of accepting the right friends and being careful not to post personal information online. Check out these related topics or click the links for some age appropriate safety tips and more information.

Young children

Social networking describes a variety of online services like Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, Twitter, online games such as World of Warcraft and Moshi Monsters and virtual worlds such as Club Penguin. These services let people communicate with others online. This can enable young people to stay in touch with friends and family and join in fun fantasy worlds and games. However, children may forget who they are communicating with online and disclose too much about themselves. They may also behave in ways that they wouldn't offline.

Generally young children will have little direct involvement in social networking as they will not meet the recommended age guidelines. There are some social networking sites targeted at children that claim to moderate communication to provide greater protection for children. Your child may ask to use one of these websites at some stage, and the following tips may be useful.

If your child is using social networking services, including gaming sites and virtual worlds that allow them to communicate directly with other people check the age guidelines and privacy policies of the sites. Check how moderation occursdo the administrators check all messages before they are published? Are you comfortable that your child is safe interacting on the website?
Set rulesmake sure your child knows what information they can share or post online and which websites they can visit. Ask them to tell you before they post any personal information online, including their full name, mum or dad's name, their address or school.
Help your child to create screen names or IDs that do not communicate their gender, age, name or location.
Establish rules around the types of content or information they should report to an adult. For example, one rule may be 'tell Mum or Dad if somebody asks you where you go to school or where you live' and 'tell mum and dad if anybody talks about rude things'.
Advise your child to check with you before clicking on links sent by others on social networking websites. These may lead to adult content.
Help your child understand that what they say and do online is important. Encourage your child to use the same manners, communicate with others in the same way and report others who aren't being nice, just as they would in the offline world.
Advise your child not to respond to any negative messages and to report any negative messages they receive to you or another trusted adult

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Older children

Social networking describes a variety of online services like Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, Twitter, online games such as World of Warcraft and Moshi Monsters and virtual worlds such as Club Penguin. Some social networking sites targeted at children claim to moderate or check communication to provide greater protection for children.

Social networking services let children and teens communicate with other people online. This can enable young people to stay in touch with friends and family and join in fun fantasy worlds and games. However, children may forget who they are communicating with online and disclose too much information. They may also behave in ways that they wouldn't offline.

The following tips can assist in managing children's social networking interactions.

If your child is using social networking services check the website age guidelines and terms and conditions. In general it is useful to consider whether you are comfortable with the content and the potential for contact with others including teens and adults. Is your child socially ready to manage contact from potentially ill meaning strangers?
Help your child set up their profile to make sure that they don't put too much personal information online. Help your child to create screen names or IDs that do not communicate their gender, age, name or location and are not sexually provocative.
Set rulesmake sure your child knows what information they can share or post online. Ask them to tell you before joining new websites and before they post any personal information online, including their full name, address or school.
Advise your child not to respond to any negative messages and to report any negative messages they receive to you or another trusted adult.
Establish rules around the type of contact they should report to an adult. For example, one rule may be 'ell Mum if somebody asks you about your underwear or private parts'
Reassure your child that you will not deny them access to the internet if they report feeling uncomfortable or unsafe when online. This is a very real concern for children that may stop them from communicating with you openly.
Advise your child to check with you before clicking on links sent by others on social networking websites. These may lead to adult content.
Remind your child to communicate appropriately with others online, and to report any bullying of themselves or others to you or another trusted adult.
Talk to your child about the use of location based services. These services enable social networking users to report their physical location to other users by checking in. Some services let people report their friends locations and have location based functions turned on by default. Your child can review their settings and block this function or limit who sees their location based information. Remind your child that allowing strangers to see where they are, or where their mates are, is a risky behaviour.
Consider using filters, labels and safe zones to help manage your child's online access.

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Teenagers

Social networking describes a variety of online services like Facebook, YouTube, Foursquare, Twitter and online games such as World of Warcraft and Runescape. These services let children and teens communicate with other people online. This can enable children and teens to stay in touch with friends and family. However, teens may disclose too much information online. They may also behave in ways that they wouldn't offline. The following tips will assist teens to behave safely when using social networking.

Talk to your teen about managing personal information on social networking websites. Encourage them not to put key personal information on their profiles. This includes their phone number, home or school addresses, information about workplaces or clubs.
Remind your teen not to post photos of themselves or others that they would not want strangers to see, or that may have a negative impact on how others view them.
Ensure your teen understands the privacy featuresin particular how to set their profile to private and limit access to their information. Encourage teens to screen online 'friends'.
Remind your teen that not everyone is who they claim to be. Although they may enjoy having many online friends, adding people that they don't know on 'friends lists' allows those people to learn all about them. This information could be used for scams or cyberstalking.
Talk to your teen about the use of location based services. These services enable social networking users to report their physical location to other users by 'checking in'. Some services let people report their friends' locations and have location based functions turned on by default. Your teen can review their settings and block this function or limit who sees their location based information. Remind your teen that allowing strangers to see where they are, or where their mates are, is a risky behaviour.
Encourage your teen to keep their online friends online. If they do want to meet someone that they haven't met so far in person, they should ask a parent or another trusted adult to go with them and always meet in a public place, preferably during the day.
Remind your teen not to respond if someone sends them bullying messages or asks them to do something that makes them feel uncomfortable. They should tell a trusted adult and save the messages.
Encourage your teen to set up a separate social networking account if they want to promote themselves or an interest and engage with like minded people that they don't know offline. They should ensure the site does not contain their personal information.

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Digital reputation

Your digital reputation is made up of everything you post, say and do, online. People judge you based on what you load up on websites and how you communicate. Because content that's posted online can be there forever, you could well be judged on how you behaved as a child well into your adult years. For example, photos and comments your child posts today may be seen by future employers. Children and young people need to be aware of their digital reputation, and learn to manage it appropriately. Melinda and her friend make a parody of their school song with lots of swearing and obscene gestures. They upload it to a video sharing website and it becomes a hit with friends. However the couple she babysits for see the video and decide to find a new babysitter. Her principal is also unhappy. Everything Melinda does online may remain there indefinitely - influencing people's opinions of her and leaving her vulnerable to identity fraud, online stalking and cyberbullying. Melinda needs to think carefully about the personal information, photos and videos she shares and who might see it. And, remember not to post anything that she doesn't want others to know about. Check out these related topics or click the links for some age appropriate safety tips and more information.

Young children

All internet users will have a digital or online reputation. Essentially, this digital reputation is the opinion that others hold about the user. Digital reputations are informed by content that is posted online and how people communicate online. People can be judged on how they behaved as a child well into the future.

For young children the concept of a digital reputation is probably too complex for them to grasp. General internet safety tips are a good start in helping children to develop appropriate online etiquette and to learn appropriate ways of responding online. These are available under the Parenting online topic.

Try to help young children understand that they should behave the same way online as they do offline. Help them to understand that other people can see what they are doing online. So they should take care with what they say and do.

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Older children

All internet users will have a digital or online reputation. Essentially, this digital reputation is the opinion that others hold about the user. Children should be encouraged to think about their digital reputation when interacting online. Digital reputations are informed by content that is posted online and how people communicate online. People can be judged on how they behaved as a child well into the future. The following tips can help children begin to understand and manage their digital reputation.

At this age children's internet use should still be closely monitored. To help with this try to keep the computer in a shared or visible place in the home.
Explain to your child that the internet is a public place and that the information they share may be online for a long time, so it's important to think carefully about what they post.
Help your child to develop the skills they need to interact safely and respectfully online. Sit with them and guide their use online and help them learn to communicate appropriately with friends and family.
Check whether websites your child uses allow them to post information and images. Many social networking websites enable children to post personal information, comments and images which may have an impact on the way others view them. Monitor their use of these websites and be aware of the age guidelines, privacy policies and terms of use.
If your child is engaged in social networking help children understand and use privacy settings to limit who can see their information.

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Teenagers

Talk to your teen about managing personal information on social networking sites. Encourage them not to put any personal information on their profiles. This includes their phone number, personal email address, home or school addresses, or the name of their school.
Encourage your teen to be careful when they post photos and to consider how what they post might be viewed by others.
Talk to your teen about the potential social, academic, employment and legal implications of posting inappropriate material of themselves or others online. Encourage them to think about who might see the content and what the impact might be now and in the future.
Remind your teen that much of what they do online can be made public, and may go beyond the group of friends they intend it to reach. A good general guide is for teens not to post photos that they would not want strangers to see.
Remind your teen to take care with others' digital reputations. They should not post images of others without their permission and should take care with comments about others.
Ensure teens understand the features and terms of use of social networking sitesin particular how to set their profile to private.

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Identity theft

Identity theft occurs when personal information is misused by criminals. Information could be used to steal money, take out loans or set up credit card accounts in your name. This can happen to both adults and children. On his social networking site Joe posts a lot of personal information. He lets anybody view his information. When he applies for a bank account and ATM card with his Mum's help they find out that someone else has set up a number of accounts in his name including a credit card account. Joe's identity has been stolen. Joe needs to reconsider his open access policy. He can: restrict who sees his personal information by using privacy settings and also only accept people he actually knows as 'friends' He should also only disclose financial information on secure websites. Check out these related topics or click the links for some age appropriate safety tips and more information.

Young children

Identity theft is a specific type of fraud, which involves stealing money or gaining other benefits by pretending to be someone else. Identity theft can be devastating both financially and emotionally. It can occur in many ways, from somebody using credit card details illegally to make purchases, to having a person's entire identity assumed by another to open bank accounts, take out loans and conduct illegal business under that name.

Young children's online use is likely to put them at little risk of identity theft. However, the following general guidelines provide guidance to help teach children to protect their personal information and yours.

At this age children's internet use should still be closely monitored. To help with this try to keep the computer in a shared or visible place in the home.
Be aware of how your child uses the internet and explore it with them. Explore their favourite sites and help them bookmark a list of 'Favourites'. Encourage your child to tell you about new websites and games that they like and explore them together. Check whether personal information is required to sign up to new websites or games and help your child sign up if you feel it is appropriate.
Talk to your child about personal information and why it is special. This sort of information can be used to identify or locate where they live, go to school or activities in which they are involved. It can also include family information such as mum and dad's names, birthdays and address.
Set rules to make sure your child knows what information they can share or post online and which websites they can visit. Telling a trusted adult before posting any personal information online, including for competition entry is a useful rule.
Consider creating a family fun email account that can be used for competition entries and other activities. This account will be separate to all other personal accounts so it can easily be deleted if it is misused.
Consider using filters, labels and safe zones to help manage your child's online access.
Install and update anti-virus and other e-security software to restrict unauthorised access to data on the home computer and protect that data from corruption. Ensure that security features including a firewall are turned on, set to automatic scan and updated regularly to protect against the latest risks.

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Older children

Identity theft is a specific type of fraud, which involves stealing money or gaining other benefits by pretending to be someone else. Identity theft can be devastating with financially and emotionally. It can occur in many ways, from somebody using credit card details illegally to make purchases, to having a person's entire identity assumed by another to open bank accounts, take out loans and conduct illegal business under that name.

Children's online use is likely to put them at little risk of identity theft. However, the following general guidelines provide guidance to help teach children to protect their personal information and yours.

At this age children's internet use should still be closely monitored. To help with this try to keep the computer in a shared or visible place in the home.
Be aware of how your child uses the internet and explore it with them. Explore their favourite sites and help them bookmark a list of 'Favourites'. Encourage your child to tell you about new websites and games that they like and explore them together. Check whether personal information is required to sign up to new websites or games and help your child sign up if you feel it is appropriate.
Talk to your child about personal information and why it is special. This sort of information can be used to identify or locate where they live, go to school or activities in which they are involved.
Set rules to make sure your child knows what information they can share or post online and which websites they can visit. Telling a trusted adult before posting any personal information online, including for competition entry is a useful rule.
Consider creating a family 'fun' email account that can be used for competition entries and other activities. This account will be separate to all other personal accounts so it can easily be deleted if it is misused.
Install and update anti-virus and other e-security software to restrict unauthorised access to data on the home computer and protect that data from corruption. Ensure that security features including a firewall are turned on, set to automatic scan and updated regularly to protect against the latest risks.

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Teenagers

Identity theft is a specific type of fraud, which involves stealing money or gaining other benefits by pretending to be someone else. Identity theft can be devastating both financially and emotionally. It can occur in many ways, from somebody using credit card details illegally to make purchases, to having a person's entire identity assumed by another to open bank accounts, take out loans and conduct illegal business under that name.

Teens need to consider the potential for their personal information to be accessed and misused by others on the internet and to take measures to protect their information.

Encourage teens to delete emails from unknown sources and not to open attachments in such emails. These may contain malicious software which can compromise computers.
Encourage teens to establish a separate email account that can be used to sign up to websites. This account will be separate to all other personal accounts so it can easily be deleted if it is misused.
Consider using filters, labels and safe zones to help manage your teen's online access.
Install and update anti-virus and other e-security software to restrict unauthorised access to data on the home computer and protect that data from corruption. Ensure that security features including a firewall are turned on, set to automatic scan and updated regularly to protect against the latest risks.
Encourage teens not to download files or applications from suspect websites. The file or application could contain malicious software which can compromise computers.

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Offensive or illegal content

Children can find a lot of great information online. However they can also come across content that is inappropriate - or unsuitable - for them. This content may be offensive, and in some cases it can actually be illegal. Inappropriate content may be content that is sexual, violent, promotes racism, demonstrates dangerous behaviour or promotes self harm. This content can upset children and expose them to information their parents feel is not suitable for their age or experience. Children and young people may seek out this type of content - but they may also stumble on it without meaning to. Beck is encouraged by a group of boys at her school to look up HotBeck on the internet. They tell her it has a photo of her on it. Beck searches for HotBeck on her home computer and comes across a list of sexual content that confuses and distresses her. Beck's parents should sit down with her and agree on rules about the sites and types of content that it's ok to look at. These rules could include talking with them if she finds something that she is not sure about. At this age they should be monitoring her home internet use fairly closely. Moving the computer to a shared family area should make supervision easier. Beck's parents can also install a filter and parental controls to help prevent her accessing inappropriate content. Check out these related topics or click the links for some age appropriate safety tips and more information.

Young children

Young children may come across offensive or illegal online content by accident or with the encouragement of others, including older siblings. The following tips can help you to guide young children in their online activities.

At this age children's internet use should be closely monitored. To help with this try to keep the computer in a shared or visible place in the home.
Be aware of how your child uses the internet and explore it with them. Bookmark a list of 'Favourites' you are comfortable with your child visiting and teach them how to access this list.
Teach your child that not everything on the computer is safe to 'click' on. It can be useful to make a rule for young children to check with an adult before 'clicking' on unknown things.
Teach your child that there are ways they can deal with material that worries or frightens that they should not respond if they receive something inappropriate, and should immediately tell a trusted adult if they feel uncomfortable.
Teach your child how to close a web page or turn off a monitor and call a trusted adult if they are worried about what they see.
If your child is exposed to inappropriate content and appears distressed talk with them about it. If necessary seek professional support, including through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people. If of school age, your child's school may also be able to provide assistance or guidance.
Consider using filters, labels and safe zones to help manage your child's online access.
Report content that you think may be prohibited to the ACMA's Online Hotline at www.acma.gov.au/hotline.

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Older children

Older children may come across offensive online content by accident or they may seek it out with encouragement from peers. The following tips can help older children to manage online content.

At this age children's internet use should still be closely monitored. To help with this try to keep the computer in a shared or visible place in the home.
Be aware of how your child uses the internet and explore it with them. Explore their favourite sites and help them bookmark a list of 'Favourites'. Discuss the type of content that is and isn't okay online including violent or rude content. This will depend on your family standards.
Teach your child that there are ways they can deal with disturbing materialthey should not respond if they receive something inappropriate, and they should tell a trusted adult if they feel uncomfortable or worried.
Reassure your child that you will not deny them access to the internet if they report feeling uncomfortable or unsafe when online. This is a very real concern for children that may stop them from communicating with you openly.
Teach your child how to close web pages that they don't like or to turn off the monitor and call a trusted adult.
If your child is exposed to inappropriate content and appears distressed talk with them about it. If necessary seek professional support, including through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people. Your child's school may also be able to provide assistance or guidance.
Consider using filters, labels and safe zones to help manage your child's online access.
Report content that you think may be prohibited to the ACMA's Online Hotline at www.acma.gov.au/hotline.

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Teenagers

Teenagers may come across offensive online by accident or they may seek it out. To help them manage this situation:

Be mindful that some websites encourage harmful or illegal behaviours such as eating disorders and violent acts. Consider your teen's vulnerability to information and check what they are viewing online.
Try to have the computer in a shared or visible place in the home, particularly if your teen is vulnerable, for example; has a mental health issue or behavioural issue.
Teach your teens that there are ways they can deal with disturbing material. They should not respond if they receive something inappropriate, and tell a trusted adult if they feel uncomfortable or concerned about themselves or a friend. Reassure teens that you will not deny them access to the internet if they report feeling uncomfortable or unsafe when online. This is a very real concern for teens that may stop them from communicating with you openly.
Encourage your teen to look out for friends. If they know a friend is accessing content that seems to be impacting on them negatively encourage them to share their concern with their friend and report it to a trusted adult anonymously if necessary.
Consider using filers, labels and safe zones to help manage your teen's online access.
If your teen is exposed to inappropriate content and appears distressed talk with them about it. If necessary seek professional support, including through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people.
Your child's school may also be able to provide assistance or guidance.
Report content that you think may be prohibited to the ACMA's Online Hotline at www.acma.gov.au/hotline.

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Violent content

Some games and websites children and teens use have violent content or images. For children, in particular, this can be upsetting. To help protect their children, parents need to consider the content their children view and whether it meets their personal standards. Laszlo is given Zombie Death IV for his birthday, and while the previous game showed cartoon violence, this one is more realistic. At first Lazlo is excited, but then he starts having nightmares. Laszlo's parents could help him by supervising and managing access to particular types of content he sees online, and checking the age ratings on any movies or games he plays. Talking through some simple rules about what he can view both online and offline will also help. His parents could encourage Laszlo to tell them if he feels scared by games or websites. Check out these related topics or click the links for some age appropriate safety tips and more information.

Young children

Young children may come across violent content accidentally when online. This could be quite frightening for some children or may impact on their behaviour and perception of what is appropriate.

Young children may also come across violent content in games that have ratings recommending use by older children, teens or adults. The following tips can help you and your child manage the content they access.

At this age children's internet use should be closely monitored. To help with this try to keep the computer in a shared or visible place in the home.
Be aware of how your child uses the internet and explore it with them. Bookmark a list of 'Favourites' you are comfortable with your child visiting and teach them how to access this list.
Check age guidelines on the games and websites your child likes and consider whether they are old enough to understand the content, and whether they understand the difference between fantasy and reality. It is also important to consider whether content is suitable for your child and meets your family's content standards.
Teach your child that there are ways they can deal with material that worries or frightens themthey should not respond if they receive something inappropriate, and they should immediately tell a trusted adult if they feel uncomfortable.
If your child is exposed to inappropriate content and appears distressed talk with them about it. If necessary seek professional support, including support through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people. Your child's school may also be able to provide assistance or guidance.
Report content that you think may be prohibited to the ACMA's Online Hotline at www.acma.gov.au/hotline.
Consider using filters, labels and safe zones to help manage your child's online access.

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Older children

Older children may see a range of violent content while they are online. This could be through video games, video sharing websites or other images. This can be quite frightening for some children or may impact on their behaviour and perception of what is appropriate. The following tips will help older children manage the content they access.

At this age children's internet use should still be closely monitored. To help with this try to keep the computer in a shared or visible place in the home.
Be aware of how your child uses the internet and explore it with them. Bookmark a list of 'Favourites' you are comfortable with your child visiting and teach them how to access this list.
Check age guidelines on the games and websites your child likes and consider whether they are old enough to understand the content, and whether they understand the difference between fantasy and reality. It is also important to consider whether content is suitable for your child and meets your family's content standards.
Teach your child that there are ways they can deal with material that worries or frightens themthey should not respond if they receive something inappropriate, and they should immediately tell a trusted adult if they feel uncomfortable.
Consider setting rules about game usage within the home, including frequency and the types of games.
If your child is exposed to inappropriate content and appears distressed talk with them about it. If necessary seek professional support, including support through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people. Your child's school may also be able to provide assistance or guidance.
Report content that you think may be prohibited to the ACMA's Online Hotline at www.acma.gov.au/hotline.
Consider using filters, labels and safe zones to help manage your child's online access.

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Teenagers

Teens may come across violent content while they are online. This could be through video games, video sharing websites or other images. To help them address this:

Encourage teens to check game classifications prior to game purchase. Every child reacts differently to violent content so consider game content before agreeing to let your teen use it. You may wish to veto games that you feel don't meet family standards or are unsuitable for your child.
Consider setting rules about game usage within the home including frequency and types of games.
Try to have the computer in a shared or visible place in the home. Ensuring gaming access is in public areas of the house rather than bedrooms provides some insight into what your teen is doing and an opportunity to talk with them about their activities online.
Report content that you think may be prohibited to the ACMA's Online Hotline at www.acma.gov.au/hotline.
If your teen is exposed to inappropriate content and appears distressed talk with them about it. If necessary seek professional support, including support through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people.
Your teen's school may also be able to provide assistance or guidance.
Consider using filters, labels and safe zones to help manage your child's online access.

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Sexting

As a parent, you may have heard the term 'sexting' Sexting refers to the sending of sexual messages, photos or videos using a mobile phone. With cameras now a common feature of most mobile phones, it's easy for teens, and sometimes younger children, to be involved in this activity. Sexting can have serious legal and social consequences. If images are of minors, sexting may also be a crime. Erin sends a nude photo of herself to her boyfriend. When they breakup, he's angry and forwards the photo to some friends as well as uploading it to a social networking site they both use. Erin finds out and is so upset she refuses to go to school. The best approach is to help children understand the dangers of creating these photos or videos in the first place. Explain to children that sexting may be illegal - - even if it is a photo of themselves. Remind them that once content is sent, it can be forwarded on very quickly. And if it's posted online, it can be hard to completely delete, and may be seen by many people. Agree with your child that if they receive any explicit content that they should not reply to the sender or forward the content to others... and that they should immediately tell a trusted adult. Reminding them to treat others as they would want to be treated online is another valuable message. Check out these related topics or click the links for some age appropriate safety tips and more information.

Young children

Sexting refers to the sending of sexual messages, photos or videos using a mobile phone. It can also refer to posting this type of material online.

Young children are generally not involved in sexting. If they do have access to a mobile phone camera or web cam, it's important to establish general rules about how they use these tools to ensure they are responsible and safe. The following tips can help to manage your child's use of mobile phones, web cams and their own and others' images.

Encourage your child to tell you or another trusted adult if they find images that worry or frighten them.
Teach your child to tell you or another trusted adult if anyone, a child or adult, asks them to do something that seems wrong or makes them feel uncomfortable.
Talk to young children about the kinds of things it is fun and okay to photograph and share and the things that should not be photographed or shared with others. The rules you make will depend on the age of your child and your family's personal standards and expectations.
If your child is exposed to inappropriate content and appears distressed talk with them about it. If necessary seek professional support, including through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people. If of school age, your child's school may also be able to provide guidance or support.

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Older children

Sexting refers to the sending of sexual messages, photos or videos using a mobile phone. It can also refer to posting this type of material online. If children have a mobile phone camera or access to a web cam, it may be useful to establish rules about how they use them. The following tips will help older children manage their use of mobile phones, images and messages.

Talk to your child about the kinds of things it is okay to photograph and share, and the things that should not be photographed or shared with others. The rules you make will depend on the age of your child and your family's personal standards and expectations.
Talk with your child about their experiences with their mobile phone. Let them know it's okay to tell you if they come across something that worries or upsets them.
Encourage them to tell you if anyone asks them to share images of themselves that makes them feel uncomfortable.
Teach your child that there are ways they can deal with disturbing material. They should not respond if they receive something inappropriate, close the computer window or mobile phone image or cancel the phone call.
Talk to children about seeking permission from others before taking or sharing their photo or personal information.
Depending on the maturity of your child you may like to inform them that they may be breaking the law if they send or forward naked or sexy photos of themselves or others who are under 18 years.
If your child is exposed to inappropriate content or has involved in a sexting incident talk with them about it. If necessary seek professional support, including through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people. Your child's school may also be able to provide guidance and support.
If you are concerned that a sexting incident may be a criminal matter, contact your local police.

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Teenagers

Sexting refers to the sending of sexual messages, photos or videos using a mobile phone. It can also refer to posting this type of material online. Involvement in sexting, or exposure to inappropriate imagery, is a very real risk for teenagers. The following tips can help guide teens in the choices they make when using mobile phones, web cams and sending messages.

Talk with your teen about sexting and the social and legal consequences it can have.
Sexting can have legal consequences if the images taken and shared are of minors. Even if all participants are willing, teens may be breaking the law if they take and share naked or sexual images of themselves or others who are minors. This is because sexting images may be considered child pornography.
Sexting can have social consequences. For example, if images are forwarded on from the intended recipient, which has been the case following relationship break-ups, the social ramifications can be devastating for teens. Images may end up being viewed by many people through mobiles and posting of images online.
Remind your teen to delete any sexual content they receive from others and to avoid forwarding this type of content.
Remind your teen to consider the feelings of others when taking photos and distributing any content by mobile phone or online.
Learn how to use your teen's mobile phone and talk with them about what they can and can't do with it.
If you are concerned that a sexting incident may be a criminal matter, contact your local police.
If your teen is exposed to inappropriate content or involved in creating such content talk with them about it. If necessary seek professional support, including support through the Cybersmart Online Helpline at http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx. The Cybersmart Online Helpline provides free, confidential online counselling for children and young people. Your teen's school may also be able to provide guidance or support.

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Online advertising and scams

The internet offers access to goods and services from all over the world. However, just like the offline world, there are also criminals at work trying to source personal information and money from unsuspecting people. Here's an example: Tom responds to an email offering $100 to kids who provide their personal information and music tastes to a survey. The email claims to be from a well known music company. To receive payment Tom has to enter his bank details. Unfortunately, once he does this, Tom's bank account is cleaned out. Like many other children and teens, Tom needs to learn that offers that look too good to be true, usually are. Fake websites and emails are often very well put together and can be hard to recognise. When speaking with your child about scams, explain that offers that seem 'too good' should be checked with the actual business sending the offer. The Whitepages can help to find the company's actual email address, phone numbers and website which will help to verify that the offer is genuine. Check out these related topics or click the links for some age appropriate safety tips and more information.

Young children

While young children may not encounter scams online, they are likely to see online advertising. The following tips can help young children begin to learn about safe online behaviour.

Teach your child that not everything on the internet is safe to click onencourage them to check with an adult before clicking on new things.
Encourage your child to check with you or another adult as soon if something strange or different appears on the computer.
Set rulesmake sure your child knows what information they can share or post online and which websites they can visit. Telling a trusted adult before posting any personal information online, including for competition entry is a useful rule.
Remind your child not to open emails from people they don't knowthey may be a scam.
Consider creating a family 'fun' email account that can be used for competition entries and other activities. This account will be separate to all other personal accounts so it can easily be deleted if it is misused.
Consider using filters, labels and safe zones to help manage your child's online access
Install and update anti-virus and other e-security software to restrict unauthorised access to data on the home computer and protect that data from corruption. Ensure that security features including a firewall are turned on, set to automatic scan and updated regularly to protect against the latest risks.

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Older children

With increasing experience and time online, older children may encounter online advertising and be exposed to advertising and scams. Remember that even when children seem to have good technical knowledge, their online behaviour still requires parental monitoring and guidance. The following tips will help.

Teach your child that not everything on the internet is safe to click onencourage them to check with an adult before clicking on unknown items.
When exploring websites with your child show them advertisementsespecially those which don't look like ads, e.g., 'Congratulations you are the millionth visitor, click here for your prize'. Explain to them that these offers are false and that clicking through could put their computer at risk.
Set rulesmake sure your child knows what information they can share or post online and which websites they can visit. Telling a trusted adult before posting any personal information online, including for competition entry is a useful rule.
Remind your child not to open emails from people they don't knowthey may be a scam.
At this age you can encourage your child to start looking for terms of use and privacy policies on websites and games and help them understand what they mean.
Consider creating a family 'fun' email account that can be used for competition entries and other activities. This account will be separate to all other personal accounts so it can easily be deleted if it is misused.
Consider using filters, labels and safe zones to help manage your child's online access.
Install and update anti-virus and other e-security software to restrict unauthorised access to data on the home computer and protect that data from corruption. Ensure that security features including a firewall are turned on, set to automatic scan and updated regularly to protect against the latest risks.

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Teenagers

With increasing experience and time online, teenagers are likely to encounter online advertising and be exposed to scams. The following tips will help teenagers identify and manage scams and online advertising.

Remind your teen not to open emails from people they don't knowthey may be scams. They should also be wary of clicking on advertisements offering things that seem too good to be truethey usually are.
Talk to your teen about being cautious when accepting friends or causes on social networking sitesunknown contacts or causes have been linked to identity theft scams.
Ask your teen not to respond to unknown SMSs asking them to make contact and asking them to provide cash or financial information.
If concerned that your teen has been the target of a scam, contact your local consumer affairs agency or visit the Scamwatch website at www.Scamwatch.gov.au. If they have provided personal or financial information, contact local police and your financial institution directly.
Remind your teen that banking institutions will never contact customers by email seeking specific account details. If a phone or email contact seems unusual especially if money is involved your teen should hang up or not reply and contact the business direct to verify that the contact was genuine.
Explain to your teen that they should only disclose financial information on websites that they trust and that have secure payment facilities identified by a web address beginning with https:// and a 'locked' padlock symbol in the bottom of the screen, which indicates that data is being encrypted.
Agree with your teen that if they are in doubt about the legitimacy of a website or email requesting financial details or payment they will call the organisation it claims to represent to check the legitimacy. When calling, they should not use phone numbers provided on the suspect website or in suspect emails. Use a known phone number or one obtained from a trusted source such as the White or Yellow Pages or a government website.
Consider using filters, labels and safe zones to help manage your teen's online access
Install and update anti-virus and other e-security software to restrict unauthorised access to data on the home computer and protect that data from corruption. Ensure that security features including a firewall are turned on, set to automatic scan and updated regularly to protect against the latest risks.

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Mobile phone costs

Mobile phones help children stay in touch with family and friends and are a great source of entertainment and security. While there are many benefits, there are risks. These include high bills for calls and downloads. People can also use their mobiles to pass on images or messages that should remain private. Ben's parents have just given him a smart phone, but they don't understand the download limits in the contract. Ben downloads a lot of songs, videos and games. At the end of the month, his parents are charged hundreds of dollars in excess data fees. Ben's parents need to understand that many mobile phones can access the internet and may be used to download a wide range of content. Many mobile phone contracts include a limit on internet downloads and then charge high fees for downloads above that level. Access to premium services like ringtone downloads are another risk when using a mobile phone. These services, which can be accessed by dialling a '1-9' number, can incur high fees. To help Ben manage his phone, his parents should explain the different costs, and if necessary, block access to premium numbers and the internet. Check out these related topics or click the links for some age appropriate safety tips and more information.

Young children

While few very young children will have access to their own mobile phone, some may and others may have access to their parents' or siblings phones from time to time. The following tips can help guide young children in the safe use of mobile phones.

Become familiar with all features of a phone before allowing a young child to use it. It's useful to establish rules for use with young children, for example, 'you can only use the mobile to call Mum or Dad if the bus is late or you are feeling scared or worried'.
Find out how access to adult content and other services, such as premium SMS services or internet access, can be managed. This information is usually available on the carrier's website.
Help your child to understand that their phone is like a wallet and every text message, phone call or download service costs money.
Remind your child that they shouldn't let anyone borrow their phone.
Talk with your child about their experiences with their mobile phone. Let them know it's okay to tell you if they come across something that worries or frightens them, including nasty messages from others.
Teach your child that there are ways they can deal with material that worries or frightens them. they should not respond if they receive something inappropriate, and they should immediately hang up and tell a trusted adult if they feel uncomfortable.

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Older children

Older children may have their own phone, use their parents' phone or have access to those of their friends. The following tips can help guide children in the safe use of mobiles.

Stay involved with your child's use of new technologies. Ask your child to show you how their phone works and what they use it for. Warn your child not to post their number or anybody else's number online. Encourage them to tell you if they run into any trouble with their mobile phone.
Help your child to understand that every text message, phone call or download service costs money. It may be useful to establish rules about when they are allowed to use their phone and for what. A monthly spend limit may also be useful.
If you are concerned about your child's ability to manage their phone costs find out how access to 'adult' content and other services, such as premium SMS services or internet access, can be managed. This information is often available on the carrier's website.
You may also like to consider using a prepaid service for your child which will enable you to limit costs more easily. Comparing the different costs and download limits of contract and prepaid services will help you decide which service is best for you and your child.
If your child has subscribed to a premium service (like a ringtone download) and they want to stop their subscription help them SMS the word 'STOP' to the service provider.
Remind your child that they shouldn't let anyone borrow their phone. Caution them to be wary of anyone who asks to borrow your phone in publiceven if it's for a supposed emergency. They can dial Triple Zero (000) for the person in need.
Teach your child that there are ways they can deal with material that worries or frightens themthey should not respond if they receive an inappropriate phone call or message, and they should immediately hang up and tell a trusted adult if they feel uncomfortable.
If your child has incurred excessive costs contact your mobile phone provider in the first instance. The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman may also be able to help.

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Teenagers

Many teens are enthusiastic mobile phone users and may have access to both their own, and their friends' mobiles. The following tips can help guide your teen in the safe and responsible use of mobiles.

Stay involved with your teen's use of new technologies. Ask your teen to show you how their phone works. Warn teens not to post their number or anybody else's number online.
If you are concerned about your teen's ability to manage their phone costs find out how access to 'adult' content and other services, such as premium SMS services or internet access, can be managed. This information is often available on the carrier's website.
Look at the terms and conditions of mobile plans with teens to ensure they are aware of potential costs, particularly in relation to internet download costs. Comparing the different costs and download limits of contract and prepaid services will help you decide which service is best for you and your child.
Help teens understand the potential costs of subscription services. Encourage them to check the terms and conditions before subscribing to a service, and to SMS the word 'STOP' if they wish to cancel a subscription service.
Remind your teen that they shouldn't let anyone borrow their phone. Caution them to be wary of anyone who asks to borrow their phone in publiceven if it's for a supposed emergency. They can dial Triple Zero (000) for the person in need.
Teach your teen that they should not respond if they are sent something inappropriate, including sexting images, and they should immediately hang up if they feel worried.
Encourage teens to report any unkind messages they receive to a trusted adult and to keep the messages in case follow-up is required with the phone provider or the police.
Teens also should not reply to messages from unknown sources. These could be scams.
If your teen has incurred excessive costs contact your mobile phone provider in the first instance. The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman may also be able to help.

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Online purchasing

It's easy, and can be lots of fun, to buy things online. But while it's fine to buy from many online businesses, some can be dishonest or not have good security standards when dealing with your banking details. Paul buys a skateboard through a new online auction site, but is directed to another website for payment. The payment is taken from his bank account but his skateboard never arrives and the seller can't be contacted. To buy online safely, only deal only with trusted websites and check their policies for returns, shipping and insurance. Also, when using auction sites, check the seller's reputation. Finally, check the website is secure, and will protect your payment details. If they have 'https' in their web address and a padlock icon at the bottom of the screen, the site is usually safe to buy from. Check out these related topics or click the links for some age appropriate safety tips and more information.

Young children

Young children, in particular, are unlikely to be make purchases online without the advice and guidance of their parents. It's important for parents to have a good understanding about how to purchase online safely and to share this information with their children when appropriate. The following tips can help to guide online purchasing.

When making online purchases, only use trusted sites. Check that the website has secure online payment facilities. Look for a https:// in the address field and a locked padlock symbol at the bottom of the screen to identify secure sites. This indicates data is being encrypted. If using online auction sites, check the reputation of the seller prior to purchase.
If in doubt about the legitimacy of a website or email requesting financial details or payment, call the organisation it claims to represent to check. When calling, do not use phone numbers provided on the suspect website or in suspect emails. Use a known phone number or one obtained from a trusted source such as the White or Yellow Pages or a government website.
Ask around - word of mouth from trusted friends and family is a good way to identify reliable stores or online purchasing websites.
Check a websites terms of use and privacy policy to ensure the information you provide online will be used for legitimate purposes only.
When you are making a purchase, know the cost and check the delivery options, charges and warranty conditions. Also check for any additional costs to cover postage and handling. Most reputable sites will provide a clear indication of the total cost before the final payment stage.
Understand the service. Some products involve ongoing contracts rather than a one-off payment, so check the terms of use and know if you are signing up for just a one-off or ongoing service. Find out how to stop the service and, in some cases, how much it costs to break the contract if you do decide to stop.
Know when it's coming. Some sellers save money by sending goods the cheapest and slowest way possible. If you've purchasing a product from overseas, that can mean months of waiting.
Know what you're getting. Auction sites usually let you contact the seller directly, so if you have any doubts about an item, ask questions. It's better to find out the details early on rather than when you've already bought it. It's also a good idea to check out reviews of the item and check its details, since you can't see or hold the item before you buy it.
Be wary of offers that seem to good to be true they usually are. If concerned that you may have been the target of a scam (for example, if you paid for an item but didn't receive it), contact your local consumer affairs agency or visit the Scamwatch website at www.Scamwatch.gov.au. If they you provided personal or financial information, contact local police and your financial institution directly.
Check bank statements regularly after making an online purchase to ensure no anomalies appear. If they do contact your financial institution immediately.
Consider using filters, labels and safe zones to help manage your child's online access.
Consider installing and updating anti-virus and other e-security software to restrict access to data on the home computer and protect that data from corruption. Ensure that security features are turned on, set to automatic scan and updated regularly to protect against the latest risks.

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Older children

Children are unlikely to make purchases online without the advice and guidance of their parents, but may be more keen to with age. Some gaming websites charge for additional features, and many legal music download sites also have charges per download. It is important for parents to have a good understanding about their children's interests and how to purchase online safely. The following tips can help to guide online purchasing.

When making online purchases, only use trusted sites. Check that the website has secure online payment facilities. Look for a https:// in the address field and a locked padlock symbol at the bottom of the screen to identify secure sites. This indicates financial data is being encrypted and protected against unauthorised access.
If using online auction sites, check the reputation of the seller prior to purchase. Check seller and product reviews as well.
If in doubt about the legitimacy of a website or email requesting financial details or payment, call the organisation it claims to represent to check. When calling, do not use phone numbers provided on the suspect website or in suspect emails. Use a known phone number or one obtained from a trusted source such as the White or Yellow Pages or a government website.
When you are making a purchase check all costs including handling fees, delivery options and charges and warranty conditions.
Check bank statements regularly after making an online purchase to ensure no anomalies appear. If they do, contact your financial institution immediately.
Check the small print before agreeing to a service. Some services children favour such as game downloads for mobile phones may be ongoing rather than a one off purchase, with a new game provided weekly at a cost until 'STOP' is sent to the content provider.
Be wary of offers that seem to good to be truethey usually are. If concerned that you may have been the target of a scam, for example, if you paid for an item but didn't receive it, contact your local consumer affairs agency or visit the Scamwatch website at www.Scamwatch.gov.au. If you provided personal or financial information, contact local police and your financial institution directly.
Install and update anti-virus and other e-security software to restrict unauthorised access to data on the home computer and protect that data from corruption. Ensure that security features including a firewall are turned on, set to automatic scan and updated regularly to protect against the latest risks.

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Teenagers

Teenagers may make online purchases or use internet banking. It's important that teens understand how to identify websites with secure payment facilities and how websites can use banking details and other personal information unsafely. The following tips can help your teen understand and manage the risks of purchasing online.

Advise your teen to only use trusted sites when making online purchases. They should check that the website has secure online payment facilities identified by a https:// in the address field and a locked padlock symbol at the bottom of the screen. This indicates financial data is being encrypted and protected against unauthorised access.
If using online auction sites, ask teens to check the reputation of the seller prior to purchase. Check seller and product reviews as well.
Advise your teen that they pay attention to their intuition if they have doubts about the legitimacy of a website or email requesting financial details or payment. They can call the organisation a website or email claims to represent to check the legitimacy. When calling, your teen should not use phone numbers provided on the suspect website or in suspect emails. They should use a known phone number or one obtained from a trusted source such as the White or Yellow Pages or a government website.
Encourage your teen to check all costs including handling fees, delivery options and charges and warranty conditions.
Check bank statements regularly after your teen makes an online purchase to ensure no anomalies appear. If they do, help your teen contact their financial institution immediately.
Encourage your teen to check the small print before agreeing to a service. Some services teens favour such as game downloads for mobile phones may be ongoing rather than a one off purchase, with a new game provided weekly at a cost until 'STOP' is sent to the content provider.
Advise teens to be wary of offers that seem to good to be truethey usually are. If concerned that your teen may have been the target of a scam, for example, if they paid for an item but didn't receive it, contact your local consumer affairs agency or visit the Scamwatch website at www.Scamwatch.gov.au. If they provided personal or financial information, contact local police and your financial institution directly.
Install and update anti-virus and other e-security software to restrict unauthorised access to data on the home computer and protect that data from corruption. Ensure that security features including a firewall are turned on, set to automatic scan and updated regularly to protect against the latest risks

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Legal downloading

Downloading music, television programs and movies from the internet is popular with both adults and children. While there are many legal services available, some download sites are not legal and in using them, you could be breaching copyright laws. Illegal downloads and file sharing can also increase the risk of security threats to your computer. Dylan has been downloading pirated - or illegally copied - movies and games. Now his computer isn't working properly. To help your child download safely, explain that downloading pirated files can incur serious penalties including large fines, and help them to find some safe downloading sites. You can also install security software on your computer and check that it updates automatically. Check out these related topics or click the links for some age appropriate safety tips and more information.

Young children

Downloading is unlikely to be an issue for younger children who may not have the opportunity, or knowledge to download media like music or videos. If children are online the following general tips are a good starting point to help them be safe and responsible. It is useful to consider the following tips.

Consider using filters, labels and safe zones to help manage your child's online access.
Install and update anti-virus and other e-security software to restrict unauthorised access to data on the home computer and protect that data from corruption. Ensure that security features including a firewall are turned on, set to automatic scan and updated regularly to protect against the latest risks.

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Older children

Downloading can start to be a risk for older children who are interested in downloading media files such as music, TV shows, movies and ring tones. The following tips can be used to help you to guide your child.

Talk with your child about the potential risks of using unsafe websites to download and share files, including the risk of infecting the home computer with viruses, the potential costs and the legalities of breaching copyright.
If you want to teach your child about downloading use a reliable and legal media download site such as the ABC's iView.
If you are unsure about other safe or legal websites to use ask aroundword of mouth from friends and family is a good way to identify reliable download sources.
If you are comfortable with your child using download sites that charge for use you might consider visiting your preferred websites with them and checking the fees. It may be useful to establish rules requiring your child to seek your permission before they download files, to prevent unexpected costs. Establishing a weekly family budget for media downloads can help.
If your child uses a download site that charges fees check that the website has secure online payment facilities. Look for a https:// in the address field and a locked padlock symbol at the bottom of the screen. The https:// and padlock indicate that financial data is being encrypted and protected from unauthorised access.
Talk to your child about the download limit of your internet contract. What is the limit and what is the cost if it is exceeded? What sort of usage occurs with each download, and how you can check current usage with your child?
Consider using filters, labels and safe zones to help manage your child's online access.
Install and update anti-virus and other e-security software to restrict unauthorised access to data on the home computer and protect that data from corruption. Ensure that security features including a firewall are turned on, set to automatic scan and updated regularly to protect against the latest risks.

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Teenagers

Downloading is popular with teens who may download media files such as music, TV shows, movies and ringtones. The following tips can help guide your teen to download safely.

Talk with your teen about the potential risks of using unsafe websites to download and share files, including the risk of infecting the home computer with viruses, the potential costs and the legalities of breaching copyright.
If you want to teach your teen about downloading use a reliable and legal media download site such as the ABC's iView.
If you are unsure about other safe or legal websites to use ask around word of mouth from friends and family is a good way to identify reliable download sources.
If you are comfortable with your child using download sites that charge for use you might consider visiting your preferred websites with them and checking the fees. It may be useful to establish rules requiring your child to seek your permission before they download files, to prevent unexpected costs. Establishing a weekly family budget for media downloads can help.
If your child uses a download site that charges fees check that the website has secure online payment facilities. Look for a https:// in the address field and a locked padlock symbol at the bottom of the screen. The https:// and padlock indicate that financial data is being encrypted and protected from unauthorised access.
Talk to your child about the download limit of your internet contract. What is the limit and what is the cost if it is exceeded? What sort of usage occurs with each download, and how you can check current usage with your child?
Consider using filters, labels and safe zones to help manage your child's online access.
Install and update anti-virus and other e-security software to restrict unauthorised access to data on the home computer and protect that data from corruption. Ensure that security features including a firewall are turned on, set to automatic scan and updated regularly to protect against the latest risks.

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Common security threats

The Internet opens up an amazing world to your children, but any computer connected to the internet is at risk of security threats. After sharing files on the internet Sally's computer slows down significantly. Her computer has been infected by a virus. So how do we keep Sally safe? To keep computers protected against security risks, Sally and her parents need to introduce a suite of simple e-security measures. They can install anti-virus software to automatically scan incoming information and a firewall to protect against intruders. Teach your child to take care with emails from unknown people. They shouldn't click on links in these emails or open attachments from them. They also shouldn't click on popups in websites and only download software from trusted sources. Help your child to make strong passwords and let them know that they should always keep passwords private, not even sharing it with friends. Check out these related topics or click the links for some age appropriate safety tips and more information.

Young children

e-Security or internet security covers a range of activities to keep electronic information secure. Poor e-Security or internet security can result in the corruption of files and can enable criminals and others to access personal and financial information. Young children will not understand how to manage e-security risks, so it is important for parents to implement the following measures.

Use strong passwords. Use long and random passwords for any application that provides access to your personal information, including logging onto your computer. Ideally, the password should be eight or more characters in length, not a dictionary word, contain a mixture of letters and numbers and contain a mixture of upper and lower case letters. Change passwords regularly and use different passwords for each application. Visit the Secure your computer section of Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.au for practical advice on how to set and protect a 'strong' password. The Australian Computer Emergency Response Team's (AusCERT) website at www.auscert.org.au/ also provides a comprehensive reference guide to choosing good passwords.
Install and update anti-virus and other security software. Viruses and other malicious software, such as worms and trojan horse viruses, can alter or erase data on your computers and allow spammers and other intruders to use your computer and network. Viruses and worms spread fast, and new variations are constantly being released, so your anti-virus software must be updated regularly.
Anti-virus software should be set to automatically scan all incoming and outgoing emails and any devices that are intermittently connected to a computer, such as a memory stick, a music player, digital camera, or other USB device. Set the software to automatically check for updates when connected to the internet. Visit the Secure your computer section of Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.aufor a guide to the installation and use of this software. The Internet industry Association at www.iia.net.au/ also provides relevant information.
Use a firewall and make sure it is turned on. A firewall is your computer's first line of defence against intruders. Firewalls can block all traffic between your network and the internet that is not explicitly allowed, preventing unauthorised access to your data. A firewall should be used in conjunction with anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Visit the Secure your computer section of Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.au for a guide to the use and installation of this software.
Manage emails safely. Delete suspect emails immediately. If you do open an email that seems suspect, don't click on any links in the email. Visiting websites through clicking on links in suspect emails may result in malware (malicious software). This is a commonly used and effective means of compromising a computer. All email attachments should be scanned by anti-virus software before being opened. Anti-virus software can be set to do this automatically. Use spam filtering software to manage unwanted emails and report spam to the ACMA. Use safe internet browser settings. When browsing the web, creating documents, reading email and playing games, using a limited permission account can prevent malicious code from being installed onto your computer. A 'limited permission' account is an account that does not have 'Administrator' status. Visit the Secure your computer section of Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.au for a guide to the use of appropriate security settings for your web browser.
Keep up to date with security patches Most operating systems are supported by automatic updates ('security patches') that fix vulnerabilities found in important software components. You should either use the 'automatic update' option, or subscribe to a security-related mailing list and install these patches when necessary.
Check and alter default settings. After installing software, check the configuration and setting options you may find the software has extra features you don't need or want. Turning off unnecessary services is a good security precaution.
Back up your data and files. Back up your data regularly and check that backups are working. Creating a copy or backup of data is an effective way to help recover information from a computer if a virus destroys files, or the computer is stolen or destroyed. For example, burn data, photos, videos etc. on to a CD-Rom or a USB stick, or use an external hard drive regularly. Visit the Secure your computer section of Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.au for a guide to backing up data.
Use caution when sharing or downloading files. Don't download files or applications from suspect websites. The file or application could be malware. Sometimes the malware may even be falsely represented as e-security software designed to protect you. Visit the Secure your computer section of Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.au for more information about sharing files safely.
Protecting wireless internet connections Wireless networks require special attention to secure them from hijacking. Users should:
change the default password to a strong password
turn off the SSID broadcast on the wireless router
engage the highest level of encryption available for their wireless network, including turning the WPA encryption on
restrict access to the wireless network with MAC address filtering
monitor wireless networks for unusual activity
turn off the wireless connection when not in use.
Internet service providers or software vendors will be able to provide specific advice about protecting wireless networks. Visit the Secure your computer section of Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.au for a more detailed guide to securing wireless internet connections.
Keep up-to-date with security information. Users can keep up-to-date with security advice that affects their systems. Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.auprovides home users with information on the latest e-security threats through a free alert service. Reputable organisations such as: Australian Computer Emergency Response Team (AusCERT), operating systems (eg, Windows, MacOS, Linux) vendors, and anti-virus/security software vendors also provide security information about emerging threats to computer security.

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Older children

e-Security or internet security covers a range of activities to keep electronic information secure. Poor e-Security or internet security can result in the corruption of files and can enable criminals and others to access personal and financial information. Older children may not understand how to manage e-security risks, so it is important for parents to implement the following measures.:

Use strong passwords. Use long and random passwords for any application that provides access to your personal information, including logging onto your computer. Ideally, the password should be eight or more characters in length, not a dictionary word, contain a mixture of letters and numbers and contain a mixture of upper and lower case letters. Change passwords regularly and use different passwords for each application. Visit the Secure your computer section of Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.au for practical advice on how to set and protect a 'strong' password. The Australian Computer Emergency Response Team's (AusCERT) website at www.auscert.org.au/ also provides a comprehensive reference guide to choosing good passwords.
Install and update anti-virus and other security software. Viruses and other malicious software, such as worms and trojan horse viruses, can alter or erase data on your computers and allow spammers and other intruders to use your computer and network. Viruses and worms spread fast, and new variations are constantly being released, so your anti-virus software must be updated regularly.
Anti-virus software should be set to automatically scan all incoming and outgoing emails and any devices that are intermittently connected to a computer, such as a memory stick, a music player, digital camera, or other USB device. Set the software to automatically check for updates when connected to the internet. Visit the Secure your computer section of Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.aufor a guide to the installation and use of this software. The Internet industry Association at www.iia.net.au also provides relevant information.
Use a firewall and make sure it is turned on. A firewall is your computer's first line of defence against intruders. Firewalls can block all traffic between your network and the internet that is not explicitly allowed, preventing unauthorised access to your data. A firewall should be used in conjunction with anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Visit the Secure your computer section of Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.au for a guide to the use and installation of this software.
Manage emails safely. Delete suspect emails immediately. If you do open an email that seems suspect, don't click on any links in the email. Visiting websites through clicking on links in suspect emails may result in malware (malicious software). This is a commonly used and effective means of compromising a computer. All email attachments should be scanned by anti-virus software before being opened. Anti-virus software can be set to do this automatically. Use spam filtering software to manage unwanted emails and report spam to the ACMA. Use safe internet browser settings. When browsing the web, creating documents, reading email and playing games, using a limited permission account can prevent malicious code from being installed onto your computer. A 'limited permission' account is an account that does not have 'Administrator' status. Visit the Secure your computer section of Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.au for a guide to the use of appropriate security settings for your web browser.
Keep up to date with security patches Most operating systems are supported by automatic updates ('security patches') that fix vulnerabilities found in important software components. You should either use the 'automatic update' option, or subscribe to a security-related mailing list and install these patches when necessary.
Check and alter default settings. After installing software, check the configuration and setting options you may find the software has extra features you don't need or want. Turning off unnecessary services is a good security precaution.
Back up your data and files. Back up your data regularly and check that backups are working. Creating a copy or backup of data is an effective way to help recover information from a computer if a virus destroys files, or the computer is stolen or destroyed. For example, burn data, photos, videos etc. on to a CD-Rom or a USB stick, or use an external hard drive regularly. Visit the Secure your computer section of Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.au for a guide to backing up data.
Use caution when sharing or downloading files. Don't download files or applications from suspect websites. The file or application could be malware. Sometimes the malware may even be falsely represented as e-security software designed to protect you. Visit the Secure your computer section of Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.au for more information about sharing files safely.
Protecting wireless internet connections Wireless networks require special attention to secure them from hijacking. Users should:
change the default password to a strong password
turn off the SSID broadcast on the wireless router
engage the highest level of encryption available for their wireless network, including turning the WPA encryption on
restrict access to the wireless network with MAC address filtering
monitor wireless networks for unusual activity
turn off the wireless connection when not in use.
Internet service providers or software vendors will be able to provide specific advice about protecting wireless networks. Visit the Secure your computer section of Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.au for a more detailed guide to securing wireless internet connections.
Keep up-to-date with security information. Users can keep up-to-date with security advice that affects their systems. Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.auprovides home users with information on the latest e-security threats through a free alert service. Reputable organisations such as: Australian Computer Emergency Response Team (AusCERT), operating systems (eg, Windows, MacOS, Linux) vendors, and anti-virus/security software vendors also provide security information about emerging threats to computer security.

More Information

Teenagers

e-Security or internet security covers a range of activities to keep electronic information secure. Poor e-Security or internet security can result in the corruption of files and can enable criminals and others to access personal and financial information. Help teens to manage e-Security with the following tips.

Use strong passwords. Use long and random passwords for any application that provides access to your personal information, including logging onto your computer. Ideally, the password should be eight or more characters in length, not a dictionary word, contain a mixture of letters and numbers and contain a mixture of upper and lower case letters. Change passwords regularly and use different passwords for each application. Visit the Secure your computer section of Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.au for practical advice on how to set and protect a 'strong' password. The Australian Computer Emergency Response Team's (AusCERT) website at www.auscert.org.au/ also provides a comprehensive reference guide to choosing good passwords.
Install and update anti-virus and other security software. Viruses and other malicious software, such as worms and trojan horse viruses, can alter or erase data on your computers and allow spammers and other intruders to use your computer and network. Viruses and worms spread fast, and new variations are constantly being released, so your anti-virus software must be updated regularly.
Anti-virus software should be set to automatically scan all incoming and outgoing emails and any devices that are intermittently connected to a computer, such as a memory stick, a music player, digital camera, or other USB device. Set the software to automatically check for updates when connected to the internet. Visit the Secure your computer section of Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.aufor a guide to the installation and use of this software. The Internet industry Association at www.iia.net.au/ also provides relevant information.
Use a firewall and make sure it is turned on. A firewall is your computer's first line of defence against intruders. Firewalls can block all traffic between your network and the internet that is not explicitly allowed, preventing unauthorised access to your data. A firewall should be used in conjunction with anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Visit the Secure your computer section of Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.au for a guide to the use and installation of this software.
Manage emails safely. Delete suspect emails immediately. If you do open an email that seems suspect, don't click on any links in the email. Visiting websites through clicking on links in suspect emails may result in malware (malicious software). This is a commonly used and effective means of compromising a computer. All email attachments should be scanned by anti-virus software before being opened. Anti-virus software can be set to do this automatically. Use spam filtering software to manage unwanted emails and report spam to the ACMA. Use safe internet browser settings. When browsing the web, creating documents, reading email and playing games, using a limited permission account can prevent malicious code from being installed onto your computer. A 'limited permission' account is an account that does not have 'Administrator' status. Visit the Secure your computer section of Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.au for a guide to the use of appropriate security settings for your web browser.
Keep up to date with security patches Most operating systems are supported by automatic updates ('security patches') that fix vulnerabilities found in important software components. You should either use the 'automatic update' option, or subscribe to a security-related mailing list and install these patches when necessary.
Check and alter default settings. After installing software, check the configuration and setting options you may find the software has extra features you don't need or want. Turning off unnecessary services is a good security precaution.
Back up your data and files. Back up your data regularly and check that backups are working. Creating a copy or backup of data is an effective way to help recover information from a computer if a virus destroys files, or the computer is stolen or destroyed. For example, burn data, photos, videos etc. on to a CD-Rom or a USB stick, or use an external hard drive regularly. Visit the Secure your computer section of Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.au for a guide to backing up data.
Use caution when sharing or downloading files. Don't download files or applications from suspect websites. The file or application could be malware. Sometimes the malware may even be falsely represented as e-security software designed to protect you. Visit the Secure your computer section of Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.au for more information about sharing files safely.
Protecting wireless internet connections Wireless networks require special attention to secure them from hijacking. Users should:
change the default password to a strong password
turn off the SSID broadcast on the wireless router
engage the highest level of encryption available for their wireless network, including turning the WPA encryption on
restrict access to the wireless network with MAC address filtering
monitor wireless networks for unusual activity
turn off the wireless connection when not in use.
Internet service providers or software vendors will be able to provide specific advice about protecting wireless networks. Visit the Secure your computer section of Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.au for a more detailed guide to securing wireless internet connections.
Keep up-to-date with security information. Users can keep up-to-date with security advice that affects their systems. Stay Smart Online at www.staysmartonline.gov.auprovides home users with information on the latest e-security threats through a free alert service. Reputable organisations such as: Australian Computer Emergency Response Team (AusCERT), operating systems (eg, Windows, MacOS, Linux) vendors, and anti-virus/security software vendors also provide security information about emerging threats to computer security.

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