Online Saftey

Might as well face it, you’re addicted to the Web. Use your common sense when it comes to surfing and chatting. Here are 10 tips to staying safe online and in the real world.

1. Don’t give out your personal details to anyone, especially other members of SUK or social web sites or chat rooms. This particularly applies to your home address. You wouldn’t do it in a bar. Why do it on the Net? Use a nickname instead

2. No matter how “official” companies or individuals
might sound in an email to you, NEVER give away any of your personal passwords

3. Do not give your credit or debit card number out online unless you’re sure it’s a secured site. You can usually tell this by looking at the bottom of the screen for a little ‘lock’ icon

4. If you don’t want to have your personal details and email address sent to hundreds of greasy porn and ad sites, make sure you read the fine print on ALL online forms you fill out. Ensure that your details will not be sent to third parties

5. Meeting someone that you’ve chatted to online can be risky. sUK strongly recommends that you don't, ever. But if you're still hell-bent and undeterred by media coverage of kidnappings and abuse and worse, ensure that you meet in a public place, like a bar or a coffee shop. Then it’s easier to make your excuses and leave if you feel the need or feel uncomfortable.

6. Similarly, it’s do not invite people to your home or accept an invitation to theirs until you feel you know them well enough to do so

7. Tell someone where you are going and who you are meeting. Give them a phone number as well. It may seem excessive but it can’t hurt to also let them know what time to expect you home

8. Better still, take some back-up. A little moral support from a good friend never hurt anyone. The person you are meeting should understand your concerns about safety. And if they don’t, or make a fuss, don’t go

9. Take your mobile phone. Ensure it’s fully charged and it’s never a bad idea to have the number of a reliable cab company handy, whatever the situation. Maybe even asked someone to call you at a pre-arranged time, just to make sure that everything is going smoothly (and to give you an excuse to get away if it isn't)

10. If someone begins harassing you online, don’t respond. Doing so will only egg them on. If it gets really bad, seek advice from your service provider, your uni, a trusted friend or relative or, in serious situations, the police