According to the 2012 Norton Online Family Report, in 2011 58% of kids experienced something negative online, and four fifths of kids (87%) who’ve broken Internet house rules experienced something negative online.  Additionally, a recent article from Symantec not-for-profit partner Get Safe Online (GSO) shows that while 39% of parents of 12-15 year olds use […]

I found this story on The Guardian website, reproduced from the newspaper’s archive from 25 October 1823. The 190 year-old story ably demonstrates that there have always been scammers and unfortunate victims. The one in question here had actually published a book entitled ‘Sketch of the Mosquito Shore, including the Territory of Poyais’ the previous […]

Most things we do online have some kind of consequence. Contact an old friend by email or on a social networking site, and hopefully you’ll rekindle the friendship. Buy something from an online store, and a couple of days later it will turn up on the doorstep. Book a holiday, and three months later you’ll […]

Everybody likes competitions … and here’s one from our friends at Cyber Security Challenge UK. It’s open to both adults and children – but you’ll need to be quick, as the closing date is next Monday (21st October). All you need to do is register on their website, then create a great design for a […]

Get Safe Online works alongside several organisations concerned with the online safety of children and young people, and the website is read by many people involved in this work. So I'd like to use this forum to ask you a favour if you're a teacher, headteacher or other education professional, a health professional working with […]

Think of all the things you put on Facebook. It could be your location or who you’re with. You might post pictures of your children or perhaps your house. Lots of people publish their date of birth and other sensitive personal information. A few weeks back, I posted a blog about 5 things you shouldn’t […]

Seen the ad circulating on some social media sites that Apple's new iOS 7 software makes your iPhone or iPad waterproof? The ad is about Apple devices and software, and it even looks like an Apple ad. It claims that the upgrade "prevents any damage to your iPhone's delicate circuitry". But … a software upgrade […]

Innocent people of all ages and from all backgrounds and walks of life are being scammed, defrauded, abused, slandered and eavesdropped on every day. It's only natural, however, that the cases highlighted are those which affect the more vulnerable members of our society. Which includes our kids. So here we are again, reading about another […]

Yesterday on Get Safe Online we reported that a man had been arrested on suspicion of posting abusive Tweets to feminist campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez, who was bombarded with messages including rape threats after she successfully lobbied for a woman's face to appear on the new £10 banknote. This is far from being an isolated incident. […]

Our SEO guru Carl pointed out this story to me and we thought it was definitely worth sharing, in the light of the growing market in home automation. It's written by Forbes Magazine Staff Writer Kashmir Hill, shown here. “I can see all of the devices in your home and I think I can control […]