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This will help you identify your current strengths and weaknesses relating to your digital safety and provide you a list of actions to improve your cyber security.

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberaware/home&gt;

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See what other useful information NCSC can provide you.

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See what other useful information NCSC can provide you.

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What is cyber security?

Cyber Aware and staying secure online

Dealing with common cyber problems

Protecting your data and devices

How to report cyber crime

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The NCSC's cyber security advice to protect you and your family, and the technology you rely on.

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The Cyber Choices programme was created to help people make informed choices and to use their cyber skills in a legal way.

This is a national programme co-ordinated by the National Crime Agency and delivered by Cyber Choices teams within Regional Organised Crime Units and Local Police Force Cyber Teams.

The aims of the programme are to:

Explaining the difference between legal and illegal cyber activity

Encouraging individuals to make informed choices in their use of technology

Increasing awareness of the Computer Misuse Act 1990

Promoting positive, legal cyber opportunities

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Click here for image text (11 KB)

The Cyber Choices programme was created to help people make informed choices and to use their cyber skills in a legal way.

This is a national programme co-ordinated by the National Crime Agency and delivered by Cyber Choices teams within Regional Organised Crime Units and Local Police Force Cyber Teams.

The aims of the programme are to:

* Explaining the difference between legal and illegal cyber activity
* Encouraging individuals to make informed choices in their use of technology
* Increasing awareness of the Computer Misuse Act 1990
* Promoting positive, legal cyber opportunities

What you need to know

So what is cyber crime?

Cyber offences are committed when someone is using a computer or other digital technology. There are two main types of cyber offences - There's 'Illegal hacking' also known as cyber-dependent crime, where someone gains access to another person's computer network or device without permission. The other type is where technology has been used to enhance another crime, like fraud. This Is also known as cyber-enabled crime.

Examples of illegal hacking/cyber-dependent crime include:

- Adam watches a friend entering their username and password. Adam remembers their login details and without their permission, later logs in and reads all their messages.

- Raj's Teacher leaves their tablet on their desk. Without their permission, Raj accesses their online shopping account and buys items with the attached credit card.

- Sarah is playing an online game with a friend who scores higher than her. Sarah uses a 'Booter' tool knowing it will knock them offline, so she can win the game.

- Kim hacks a phone company. This hack stops some people phoning the Police when they are in danger. They didn't mean for this to happen but they were reckless.

- Robin downloads software so they can bypass login credentials and hack into a friend's laptop, however they've not had a chance to use it yet.
Are you a parent , guardian , carer or teacher? Click here to find out more.
Whether you learn it at school or read about it online, it is hard not to notice that the cyber world is expanding and new technologies largely influence our lives. Those with a real interest in how tech works, could have a bright future ahead. Skills in coding, gaming, cyber security or anything digital-related, are in high demand. The average salary in the UK is £36,903 whereas in tech industry, the average is £53,318. Specialised tech roles, that use cutting-edge kit, are particularly in demand and the average for that is £85,894.

Unfortunately, the digital world can also be tempting for young people for the wrong reasons. Many are getting involved in cyber crime without realising that they are breaking the law. This can have serious consequences for someone's broader future and not just their career.

Make no mistake, cyber crime is a serious criminal offence. Law Enforcement will make every effort to arrest and prosecute offenders.

Anyone (including young people) who commits cyber crime could face:

A visit and warning from police or NCA officers

A Cease and Desist visit from police or NCA officers

Computers being seized and being prevented from accessing the internet

A penalty or fine

Being arrested

Up to life in prison for the most serious offences

You really don't want a permanent criminal record, which could seriously affect your education and future career prospects. You also wouldn't want anything that might hinder any potential overseas travel you have in mind.

So, if you want to increase your knowledge of cyber crime, make sure you're fully aware of the Computer Misuse Act.

Link to Welsh version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oR2oKCHn1w

Resources

Using cyber skills positively

With great tech knowledge, comes great responsibility, and great opportunities too. People with impressive cyber skills are in high demand. Not just in the UK but also abroad, which means that young people may have an opportunity to travel to new places whilst learning new cyber skills. Plus, you get to the chance to work with all the latest tech whilst making a name for yourself in the digital space.

The Cyber Choices programme was created to help people make informed choices and to use their cyber skills in a legal way. If you're looking for more information specific to you, then download one of these helpful leaflets.

- Introduction to the Computer Misuse Act 1990 (514 KB)

Further Developmental Resources

It's well known that many children under the age of 12 are becoming tech savvy and have access to various technologies. A great source of information to teach them legal ways to use tech, is the Barefoot Programme. It enables primary school teachers (KS1 & 2) to deliver the computer curriculum effectively and in an entertaining way. Barefoot offer free face-to-face workshops, helpful online guides and engaging lessons. Why not check it out here?
Cyber Security Challenge UK OverTheWire FutureLearn Cyber Explorers
Fancy a cyber challenge in a safe and legal environment? Why not try one of these online resources to test your skills.

Career Resources
GCHQ Careers
Already interested in a career in the digital world? Then find out about what jobs within the tech industry match your skills. There are job profiles too where GCHQ staff talk about what they get up to in their role. You can also find out more about GCHQ's CyberFirst programme for University Students, Apprenticeships and Summer Schools for teenagers.

All the third party websites listed are publicly available for personal development. They are not necessarily endorsed, supported or monitored by the NCA or UK Law Enforcement.

All links and web addresses were checked and verified to be correct at the time of publication

Find out about our positive stories HERE.
https://www.ukcybersecuritycouncil.org.uk/careers-learning/careers-route-map
CYBER SECURITY CAREER PATHWAYS - ROUTES INTO AND THROUGH THE PROFESSION

This link provides details about the 16 Cyber Security Specialisms that underpin the industry.

Each area of expertise provides information on typical responsibilities and tasks for job roles within the specialism, the skills and knowledge required, and additional information for those seeking to enter the specialism as well as those with prior experience.

Parents / Guardians / Carers

Children are becoming more and more immersed in communications and computing technology, including phones, tablets, laptops, PCs, game consoles, TVs, and of course, the internet.

Many young people are curious and want to explore how these things work, how they interact with each other and what vulnerabilities they have. This can include learning to code or experimenting with tools discovered online.

These are great skills to have and the cyber security industry needs more people with them. Those with a real interest in how tech works, could have a bright future ahead. Skills in coding, gaming, cyber security or anything digital-related, are in high demand. The average salary in the UK is £36,903 whereas in tech industry, the average is £53,318. Specialised tech roles are particularly in demand and the average for that is £85,894. However, some young people are vulnerable and make poor choices and use such skills illegally, often in ignorance of the law. The average age of someone convicted for cyber crime offences is much younger than other crime types; offenders are often teenagers.

It's important for us to understand why more young people are becoming involved in cyber crime. This enables us to ensure that proper deterrents and alternative opportunities are available to people, so that they can enhance their skills and use them positively.

Positive stories

Case study 1:

After hacking the school IT systems Sam came to the attention of the police. As part of their engagement with the police, it was decided that Sam would benefit from education on the law through the Cyber Choices programme. They really engaged with the programme so they were offered work experience with a cybersecurity organisation. Whilst there they learnt how their skills could be put to good use and the type of damage their behaviour could have caused. At the end, Sam was offered a paid contract for 4 hours a week during the school term and up to 8 hours a week in school holidays.

Case study 2:

Alex downloaded the WannaCry virus onto a college computer. Thankfully it didn't spread any further. The incident was referred to the police and they have since been expelled from that college. They decided not to press charges againt Alex and a Cease & Desist visit, was carried out instead. Alex was then placed on the Cyber Choices programme. Over time, Alex was able to show a good understanding of the law and a lowered risk that he would commit cyber crime and ended up working for a cyber security company in IT maintenance and now has a bright future.

Case study 3:

Jamie was at the point of being excluded from school. This was due to the misuse of school computers and continually bypassing protection controls. Jamie also gained unauthorised access to systems and computer material. Jamie was placed on the Cyber Choices programme, where officers explained the law and why it is important to follow the school IT regulations. Once it was understood why rule breaking was unacceptable and what that meant in terms of the law, there was a distinct change in their behaviour. Jamie ended up using these IT skills to help the school IT team to find vulnerabilities in the school network, so that they could better protect the school. Jamie's knowledge for IT has helped gain a place at college to further develop these abilities by studying Network Security.

Teachers

Young people with an aptitude for coding or hacking have a choice to make. Help your students take the legal route with their skills.

If your student has an interest in computers/technology, it's important to have a discussion with them about their use of it. Recognising and engaging with this interest may encourage them to follow the correct pathway.

If you're concerned, talk to your student about the importance of honesty, legality and the consequences of being involved in cyber crime. Explain the enjoyable, financially rewarding and legal options available to them. These include coding, engineering, web development, penetration testing, security operations, law enforcement, legal hacking and many more roles in both the public and private sectors.

Cyber Choices in collaboration with the education partners have developed lesson plans which explore cyber crime, decision making and victim awareness:

PSHE Association - Click Here

Barefoot - Click Here

Resources

People with impressive cyber skills are in high demand. Not just in the UK but also abroad, which means that young people may have an opportunity to travel to new places whilst learning new cyber skills. The Cyber Choices Network was created to help people make informed choices and to use their cyber skills in a legal way. If you're looking for more information specific to you, then download one of these helpful leaflets:
PSHE Association
Cyber Choices in collaboration with the education partners have developed lesson plans which explore cyber crime, decision making and victim awareness:

If you require a downloadable version of any of the videos on this webpage for professional or education purposes, please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Working alongside CREST, the National Crime Agency have produced a discussion paper around young people's pathways into cybercrime:

Identify, Intervine, Inspire report

What to do if you are concerned

If you're worried about someone, speak to them about legal ways for using technology and the internet, the consequences of cyber crime and show them positive ways to use their skills with resources above. For further information, advice or assistance, please contact the Cyber Choices team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Information you provide will be held in confidence. However, If criminal offences or risks of harm are reported to us, we may pass that information on to appropriate partners, if necessary.

If you believe you have been a victim of cyber crime then please report this to Action Fraud.

If you are a business, charity or other organisation which is currently suffering a live cyber attack (in progress) please call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

If you are concerned about online child abuse and explotation, please visit the thinkuknow website where advise can be found.

For non-fraud or cybercrime related crime reporting please call 101.

In all emergencies or instances where you feel you or others are in imminent danger or at risk of serious harm, call 999.

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Cyber Choices: Helping you choose the right and legal path

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Click here for image text (11 KB) The Cyber Choices programme was created to help people make informed choices and to use their cyber skills in a legal way.

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Reporting phishing email / texts / calls

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Reporting phishing email / texts / calls

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If you have received an email which you’re not quite sure about, forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk

Report a suspicious website here - https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/about-this-website/report-scam-website

Report a suspicious text message by forwarding it to 7726 (on any network)
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams/report-scam-text-message

Report a suspicious phone call by:
- Sending a message with "Call" in the content to 7726
- Await reply and send the "suspicious number" that called you in the message content.
For video examples see the below....
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/scams/7726-reporting-scam-texts-and-calls

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How to report suspicious emails, and what to do if you think you've responded to a scam email.

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If you think you’ve been the victim of a scam, report it to Action Fraud as soon as possible. You can do this by calling 0300 123 2040 or visiting the Action Fraud website.

Action Fraud is the reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

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The Metropolitan Police have created some great resources that include short videos, audiobooks and print leaflets covering a whole range of cyber crime and fraud related issues.

Little Guide to Always Updating Software
Little Guide to AntiVirus
Little Guide to Backups
Little Guide to Free Wi-Fi
Little Guide to Links and Attachments
Little Guide to Passwords
Little Guide to Personal Information
Little Guide to Social Media
Little Guide to Two Factor Authentication

Little Guide to Avoiding Computer Software Service Fraud
Little Guide to Avoiding Impersonation Fraud
Little Guide to Avoiding Payment Fraud
Little Guide to Avoiding Romance Fraud
Little Guide to Not Being a Money Mule
Little Guide to Safer Online Shopping

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Several million cases of fraud and of computer misuse are reported to the police every year. It's staggering, but even more staggering is that so many of those crimes could have been prevented by making a few small changes in online behaviour.

To avoid becoming a victim of online crime you don't need to be a computer expert. Developing a few good online habits drastically reduces your chances of becoming a victim of cyber crime, makes you less vulnerable and lets you use the web safely.

We've created the Little series of books and videos to explain some of the most common scams and give advice on how to avoid falling victim to them.

Listen to the Little Book of Big Scams audiobook.

Watch The Little Guide to... videos

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The Little Guide to... preventing fraud and cyber crime

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Several million cases of fraud and of computer misuse are reported to the police every year. It's staggering, but even more staggering is that so many of those crimes could have been prevented by making a few small changes in online behaviour. To avoid becoming a victim of online crime you don't need to be a computer expert.

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Check to see if you have been in a data breach

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Check to see if you have been in a data breach

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This is a free service available to anyone to see if, when and where you may have been in a data breach. While not an official resource, it carries endorsement from the National Cyber Security Centre.

Be aware that cyber criminals do attempt to copy this in order to try and steal email addresses and passwords, so it really important to note that https://haveibeenpwned.com is the only genuine website address for this service.

Secondly, https://haveibeenpwned.com does not store data you enter (unless you sign up to be notified of a data breach) and will never ask you for your password in addition to your email address or phone number

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Pastes you were found in

A paste is information that has been published to a publicly facing website designed to share content and is often an early indicator of a data breach. Pastes are automatically imported and often removed shortly after having been posted. Using the 1Password password manager helps you ensure all your passwords are strong and unique such that a breach of one service doesn't put your other services at risk.

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Have I Been Pwned: Check if your email has been compromised in a data breach

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Have I Been Pwned allows you to search across multiple data breaches to see if your email address or phone number has been compromised.

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A wealth of resources and interactive activities from UK Finance to help enhance your defence against fraud.

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Friends Against Scams aims to protect and prevent people from becoming victims of scams by empowering people to take a stand against scams.

Anyone can join Friends Against Scams and help make a difference in their own way.

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Internet Matters (incl parental controls)

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Internet Matters (incl parental controls)

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Dffer a wealth of practical tips:
- age specific online safety checklists
- comprehensive guides on setting parental controls

Helps parents discover the knowledge and tools you’ll need to help your children safely and confidently explore the digital world.​

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Set up parental controls on devices and platforms | Internet Matters

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Set up parental controls on a range of devices and platforms to help children develop key online safety and digital literacy skills.

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Helping children and young people stay safe online.

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In addition to content filtering offered by your ISP, many devices such as games consoles, smartphones and tablets have their own parental controls, for example to limit spending or restrict access to apps based on age rating. Likewise, many web browsers have built-in tools and features to help you control the kinds of content users can view.

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Parental controls offered by your home internet provider - UK Safer Internet Centre

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How to set up filters on your home internet to help prevent age inappropriate content being accessed on devices in your home.

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Requires signup

Has some great infographics with key information about specific apps and their alternatives.

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Georgina W. Teacher - Davenant Foundation School

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Online Safety Training For Schools | National Online Safety

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Our online safety training courses, webinars and resources enable schools to keep children safe online and meet statutory online safety requirements.