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How to prevent and remove viruses and other malware

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How to prevent and remove viruses and other malware

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What is malware?

Malware is a term that is used for malicious software that is designed to do damage or unwanted actions to a computer system. Examples of malware include the following:

What is a computer virus?

A computer virus is a small software program that spreads from one computer to another and interferes with computer operation. A computer virus might corrupt or delete data on a computer, use an email program to spread the virus to other computers, or even delete everything on the hard disk.

Computer viruses are frequently spread by attachments in email messages or by instant messaging messages. Therefore, you must never open an email attachment unless you know who sent the message or you are expecting the email attachment. Viruses can be disguised as attachments of funny images, greeting cards, or audio and video files. Computer viruses also spread through downloads on the Internet. They can be hidden in pirated software or in other files or programs that you might download.

What is a worm?

A worm is computer code that spreads without user interaction. Most worms begin as email attachments that infect a computer when they're opened. The worm scans the infected computer for files, such as address books or temporary webpages, that contain email addresses. The worm uses the addresses to send infected email messages, and frequently mimics (or spoofs) the "From" addresses in later email messages so that those infected messages seem to be from someone you know. Worms then spread automatically through email messages, networks, or operating system vulnerabilities, frequently overwhelming those systems before the cause is known. Worms aren't always destructive to computers, but they usually cause computer and network performance and stability problems.

What is a trojan horse?

A trojan horse is a malicious software program that hides inside other programs. It enters a computer hidden inside a legitimate program, such as a screen saver. Then it puts code into the operating system that enables a hacker to access the infected computer. Trojan horses do not usually spread by themselves. They are spread by viruses, worms, or downloaded software.

What is spyware?

Spyware can install on your computer without your knowledge. These programs can change your computer's configuration or collect advertising data and personal information. Spyware can track Internet search habits and can also redirect your web browser to a different website than you intend to go to.

What is rogue security software?

A rogue security software program tries to make you think that your computer is infected by a virus and usually prompts you to download or buy a product that removes the virus. The names of these products frequently contain words like Antivirus, Shield, Security, Protection, or Fixer. This makes them sound legitimate. They frequently run right after you download them, or the next time that your computer starts. Rogue security software can prevent applications, such as Internet Explorer, from opening. Rogue security software might also display legitimate and important Windows files as infections. Typical error messages or pop-up messages might contain the following phrases:

Warning!
Your computer is infected!
This computer is infected by spyware and adware.

Note If you receive a message in a popup dialog box that resembles this warning, press ALT + F4 on your keyboard to close the dialog box. Do not click anything inside the dialog box. If a warning, such as the one here, keeps appearing when you try to close the dialog box, it's a good indication that the message is malicious.

Are you sure you want to navigate from this page?
Your computer is infected! They can cause data lost and file corruption and need to be treated as soon as possible. Press CANCEL to prevent it. Return to System Security and download it to secure your PC.
Press OK to Continue or Cancel to stay on the current page.

If you see this kind of message, then don't download or buy the software.

For more information see Protect yourself from tech support scams.

How to remove malware such as a virus, spyware, or rogue security software

Removing a computer virus or spyware can be difficult without the help of malicious software removal tools. Some computer viruses and other unwanted software reinstall themselves after the viruses and spyware are detected and removed. Fortunately, by updating the computer and by using malicious software removal tools, you can help permanently remove unwanted software.

For more information about how to remove a computer virus and spyware, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 2671662 - Microsoft resources and guidance for removal of malware and viruses

To remove a computer virus and other malicious software, follow these steps in order.

1. Install the latest updates from Microsoft Update

Note A computer virus may prevent you from accessing the Microsoft Update website to install the latest updates. We recommend that you set the Automatic Updates service to run automatically so that a computer is not missing any important updates.

For more information, see Windows Update: FAQ

2. Use the free Microsoft Safety Scanner

Microsoft offers a free online tool that scans and helps remove potential threats from your computer. To perform the scan, go to the Microsoft Safety Scanner website.

3. Use the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool

For more information about the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

890830 - Remove specific prevalent malware with Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool

4. Manually remove the rogue security software

If the rogue security software can't be detected or removed by using Microsoft Safety Scanner or the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, try the following steps:

5. Run Microsoft Defender Offline

Microsoft Defender Offline is an anti-malware tool that helps remove difficult to eliminate viruses that start before Windows starts. Starting with Windows 10, Microsoft Defender Offline is built-in. To use it follow the steps in this article: Help protect my PC with Microsoft Defender Offline.

How to protect your computer against malware

There are actions that you can take to help protect your computer against malware.

Turn on the firewall

Confirm that the Windows firewall is turned on. See Turn Microsoft Defender Firewall on or off for instructions on how to do that on modern versions of Windows.

Keep your computer up to date

For more information about how to set Automatic Updates in Windows, see Windows Update: FAQ

Don't be tricked into downloading malware

Here are some tips that can help protect you from downloading software that you don't want:

Only download programs from sites that you trust. If you're not sure whether to trust a program that you want to download, enter the name of the program into your favorite search engine to see whether anyone else has reported that it contains spyware.

Read all security warnings, license agreements, and privacy statements that are associated with any software that you download.

Never click "Agree" or "OK" to close a window that you suspect might be spyware. Instead, click the red "x" in the corner of the window or press Alt + F4 on your keyboard to close a window.

Be wary of popular "free" music and movie file-sharing programs, and make sure that you understand all the software packaged with those programs.

Use a standard user account instead of an administrator account. An administrator account can access anything on the system, and any malware run with an administrator account can use the administrator permissions to potentially infect or damage any files on the system.

For more information about how to protect a computer against viruses, see Protect my PC from viruses.

How to obtain computer virus and security-related support

For United States:

Want to chat with a live person? Our Answer Tech trained professionals are ready to help:

Answer Desk

Security information and training

Microsoft Security Help and Learning

Security solutions for IT Professionals:

Microsoft Security and Response Center

Support by country:

International Support

For locations outside North America:

For computer virus and security-related support for locations outside North America, go to the Microsoft Support website.

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How to prevent and remove viruses and other malware

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Discusses how to remove viruses, spyware, rogue software, malware, Microsoft Security Essentials, Microsoft Safety Scanner and Windows Defender Offline Beta.

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How Secure Is My Password? | Password Strength Checker

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Data breaches and identity theft are on the rise, and the cause is often compromised passwords. After stealing credentials, cybercriminals can use passwords to

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To check a website, simply type or paste the website address below and click "Check this site".

Please note, this is for website addresses only E.g. www.getsafeonline.org, not for links or shortened links such as bit.ly, which can often be found in phishing attacks and should not be clicked onto. Always use the official website.

* Clicking "Check this site" will open a new window to an external site hosted by a third party. No information that can identify you personally is transferred, collected or stored.

Check a website is an easy-to-use online tool which helps you to determine whether a website is likely to be legitimate or a scam ... before you visit it. Simply type in the address of the website you want to check, and your results will appear within seconds.

Provided in the UK by Get Safe Online in conjunction with Cifas, ScamAdviser and our other partners, it cleverly uses an algorithm to provide a trust score based on more than 40 data sources as well as thousands of reports of malicious websites from law enforcement agencies, regulators and consumer brands every week.

The tool was originally devised in 2012 and has been the subject of continuous improvement by the ScamAdviser technical team ever since.

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To check a website, simply type or paste the website address below and click "Check this site". Please note, this is for website addresses only E.g. www.getsafeonline.org, not for links or shortened links such as bit.ly, which can often be found in phishing attacks and should not be clicked onto.

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Can you spot when you're being phished? Identifying phishing can be harder than you think. Take the quiz to see how you do.

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Your Digital Footprint and How to Audit it

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Your Digital Footprint and How to Audit it

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Once upon a time, you were 100% in control of what recruiting managers knew about you during a job application process. You submitted application forms and CVs, academic transcripts and perhaps details of publications. The recruiting manager only saw what you wanted them to see.

Now it's a different story. Your CV and application, as well as the details you reveal about yourself at interview, are only part of the picture. Any recruiting manager worth their salt will also look you up online and uncover anything else in the digital realm about you. Indeed, 70% of employers will screen applicants according to their digital footprint. It can feel like you've lost control.

However, with a digital footprint audit, you gain complete insight into what information is in the digital domain about you. You can assess what prospective employers will see and discover. You can take steps to mitigate any negative effects. A personal digital audit is how you do this.

What an employer is looking for

Before you begin your digital audit, first consider what a future employer is looking for.

Employers don't waste time searching every single candidate online. They do it when they are already thinking you could be a match. They are trying to verify that what you say in your CV matches your real life persona, as well as build a more comprehensive picture of a candidate they are beginning to like.

However, that doesn't mean that they will ignore negative online behaviour. What constitutes this will partially depend on the nature of the role and organisation. They won't expect you to only have a professional life visible online. But they will probably expect you, at the very least, to know how to lock down social media profiles which are purely social so that they can't access them.

Therefore, as you go through the steps of auditing your digital footprint, always remember to look at everything from the perspective of a future employer.

How to carry out a digital audit during a job hunt

Search engines

The simplest way to start a personal digital audit is with search engines. We recommend repeating this process with a number of different search engines, as well as Google. Start with a straightforward search of your name and any shortened names or nicknames.

It's worth undertaking this exercise away from your usual work and home IP addresses. The algorithms of search engines deliver results using personalised search bias. This means that all of your search history affects results to deliver what the search engine hopes will more likely fit your needs. Therefore, it isn't always reflective of what someone else conducting the same search will see.

Beyond nicknames, also search for your name alongside companies listed in your career history section of your CV. This will bring up work-based results. Repeat this with any hobbies you list or educational institutions you've attended. It's also worth doing it with your location.

Social media

Beyond a general search engine exploration, you also need to drill down into your social media presence.

Go to all of the social platforms that you use and go back through your profile and activity. Even if you lock these down, it's good practice to be fully aware of, and in control, of everything you post. Remember to look through the lens of a prospective employer, not your best buddy.

How to act on what you find

Having conducted the research, you now need to know what to do about it.

If you find content you aren't sure displays you in the best professional light, then you need to take steps to remove it or mitigate its impact. Where you are in control of it, the simplest thing to do is remove anything you don't want future employers seeing. You can ask people to remove links to you, or tags. You can also increase the privacy settings on social media.

However, sometimes, you can't remove everything. In these cases the easiest thing to do is add to your digital footprint. Post professionally minded comments on industry news, publish professional articles on LinkedIn, contribute to thought-leadership discussions and more. The aim here is to fill leading search results with a more positive view.

Be mindful

Always be mindful about your online presence. Be aware of what's out there about you and take steps to make a positive impression, digitally.

About the Author

Andrew Fennell is the founder of CV writing advice website StandOut CV - he is a former recruitment consultant and contributes careers advice to websites like Business Insider, The Guardian and FastCompany.

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Your Digital Footprint and How to Audit it - career-advice.jobs.ac.uk

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Once upon a time, you were 100% in control of what recruiting managers knew about you during a job application process. You submitted application forms and CVs, academic transcripts and perhaps details of publications. The recruiting manager only saw what you wanted them to see. Now it's a different story.

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Social media privacy guides for parents 

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Social media privacy guides for parents 

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Social media privacy guides for parents - Home Life - Skills for Tomorrow | BT

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Get up to speed on the most popular social media networks and how to help your child set the right privacy settings.

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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? Check if your email has been compromised in a data breach

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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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How to Manage Your Privacy Settings on Social Media

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How to Manage Your Privacy Settings on Social Media

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There's a lot of talk in the news about social media privacy and data. The best way you can manage your own privacy is to properly manage your social media privacy settings.

On May 25, 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (also known as GDPR) took effect, which means that any companies with customers in the EU have some new rules to follow regarding information security and communication to customers. Essentially they're required to better explain their privacy policies so you know what information they're collecting, why they're collecting it, and how they're using the details.

Recent Facebook Privacy Updates and Notices

On June 7, Facebook released a statement that they found an issue with some posts that should've been private, but was erroneously made public for approximately 14 million people and impacted posts from May 18-May 27:

"We recently found a bug that automatically suggested posting publicly when some people were creating their Facebook posts. We have fixed this issue and starting today we are letting everyone affected know and asking them to review any posts they made during that time. To be clear, this bug did not impact anything people had posted before-and they could still choose their audience just as they always have. We'd like to apologize for this mistake," states Erin Egan, Chief Privacy Officer of Facebook.

If you posted publicly, you are seeing a notification when you log in over the coming days:

Facebook's statement and post on their blog assure users that the problem has been fixed as of May 22. Just follow the instructions via the prompt to review your posts and ensure everything is private if that's your preference.

You've also probably seen Facebook and many other large global companies rolling out new privacy offerings to address the guidelines in the GDPR and you'll likely get notifications from them on what they're doing.

The focus of this notice rolling out in the next few weeks to all Facebook users is on targeted ads and facial recognition, so you can review the latest info and adjust your settings easily from the prompt. You can access this information at anytime as well by following the details below where we outline navigating Facebook's privacy settings.

These are similar to notifications you saw beginning April 9, 2018, when all Facebook users' feeds contained information on "Protecting Your Information" with a link to see what apps you use and what information you have shared with those apps. You can choose to shut off apps individually or turn off third-party access to all of your apps. Also, you can learn more about why apps access your information here on Facebook's website.

Social Media Usage and Privacy Concerns

More Americans than ever are on social media-69% of U.S. adults say they use some kind of social media platform (not including YouTube), according to the Pew Research Center.

The number of social media users and the time spent on social media continues to grow as well. Facebook became the first social network to surpass 1 billion registered accounts and currently sits at 2.2 billion monthly active users, according to a January 2018 study by Statista.

In a 2017 Experian survey, 44% of respondents said they always or often manage their privacy settings for online accounts or mobile apps while 28% rarely or never manage them.

28% of Americans don't regularly manage their privacy settings online.

Americans use social media for various reasons, including keeping tabs on friends and family, reconnecting with old friends, reading the news, and keeping up with information on their hobbies, lifestyle interests and careers.

In doing so, they may be leaving themselves vulnerable to identity thieves, primarily by "oversharing" personal information that identity thieves can use to steal their data. Even data as seemingly simple as your mother's maiden name could be enough personally identifiable information for a criminal to use against you crack your online identity. That's why it's imperative that you monitor and protect what you're sharing online.

Your best social media privacy strategy? Take careful, but concrete action steps to keep your personal information safe when using social networks.
Note: You can also use an online identity protection product like Experian IdentityWorks to monitor social media for you and your family and scan to see if your personal information appears on the dark web.
Protecting Yourself on Social Media

There are plenty of effective ways to protect your personal information when using social media such as using unique, secure passwords and taking advantage of two-factor authentication when possible so that other people can't log in even if they do get hold of your password.

It's also a good idea to not "friend" people who you don't know on personal social networks and even if you use social media for business, you should be a bit selective. Also, if you know you're already a friend with someone and you get another request, it could be a fake account, so check with your friend or family member to make sure it's really them asking to connect.

Many social media users don't read privacy policies on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter-but you should study up on what data is shared, when it is shared and where or with whom it's shared (that goes for any site on which you have an online account, too).

Social media privacy policies enable you to customize your account settings and allow you to control who sees your posts. When you sign on to any social media network, your first stop should be at the site's privacy policy page and to check out any settings for any privacy, security, or administrative options you can select (or deselect).

Read more here to learn about protecting your kids on social media.

How to Manage Your Social Media Privacy Settings on Each Social Network

Each of the major social media sites, like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram, offers ways to better protect your privacy, but it's up to you to use and customize them:

2. Then Select "Privacy Settings"

Who can see your posts (past and future)

If you want to review anything you're tagged in before it posts

Limit the audience for things you've previously shared with friends of friends or the public

Who can send you friend requests

Who can see your friends list

Who can look you up using the email you provided

Who can look you up using the phone number you provided

If you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile

Review your login verification methods (set up two-factor authentication)

Select if you want to require personal information (email/phone number) for a password change

Request your Twitter archive

There you can:

Adjust settings for photos of you: You can automatically add photos others tag you in or manually add them if you want to review them first.

Adjust Story Settings: You can hide Instagram stories from specific people, allow message replies on your Instagram stories, allow sharing of your stories, and choose to save or share your stories on another social network like Facebook.

Edit your profile or change your password.

Set up two-factor authentication to protect others from logging into your account, even if they get your password.

View any blocked users.

Make your account private: This means that someone will have to request to follow you and see your Instagram photos and stories you share.

See what accounts are linked to your Instagram account, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr.

Review Instagram's privacy policy and search the Help Center for more details.

Public: able to be seen and shared by anyone

Private: only able to be seen by you and the users you choose

Unlisted: able to be seen and shared by anyone with the link

For more details on how to change your video and playlist privacy settings, visit the YouTube website here.

Protect Your Personal Data on Social Media Networks

Make no mistake, safeguarding your personal data on social media networks isn't a luxury-it's a necessity. Cyberthieves can take your personal data found on social media sites and use that data to steal your identity or even use that personal information for synthetic identity theft.

Synthetic ID theft is when a criminal creates a fictitious identity using either fabricated or valid elements, such as a Social Security number, name, address, and date of birth. Much of this personal data is captured by fraudsters via data breaches and dark web marketplaces.

Avoid that scenario by applying the tips listed above to better manage your social network settings, and keep cyber-criminals walled off from your data, and your life, while using social media.

Read to learn more about protecting yourself and your family online:

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How to Manage Your Privacy Settings on Social Media

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There's a lot of talk in the news about social media privacy and data. The best way you can manage your own privacy is to properly manage your social media privacy settings. Here are some tips for customizing your privacy settings.

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How to set parental settings across social media platforms.

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In addition to our how-to guides on the most popular apps, you can also find out more about other social apps that children are using. Below we have compiled a list of apps to watch out for and provide a related web link for you to learn more about how to set controls on the app.

Live streaming apps

Live streaming has captured the imagination of teens around the world but also introduced a number of risks they could be exposed to. See our list of safety guides to get up to speed on the most popular Live streaming apps.

Periscope - Designed by Twitter, Periscope lets you share and experience live video streams from your mobile or tablet device.

Live.me - Live.me is a social platform that allows users to connect with others and earn virtual goods which can be exchanged for prizes, rewards, and cash.

YouNow - The app allows you to comment and like users videos and buy gifts that generate money for the app creator.

Social gaming apps

If your child is gaming online, they may be using platforms to allow them to chat and communicate with other players or friends. Use the following safety guides to help keep them safe on the most popular social gaming platforms.

Steam - This is one of the most popular social gaming networks that allows you to buy and play games online and store them in the cloud.

Xbox live - Microsoft's online service for its consoles is called Xbox Live and when you're signed into the service you can chat to other Xbox Live members and befriend them.

Twitch TV - Twitch.tv is a live streaming social gaming platform that is equipped with a chat feature to allow players to interact with each other and live stream and watch video game competitions.

Roblox - One of the biggest online gaming platforms and features social elements which allows players to talk to each other and send friend requests.

Minecraft - One of the most popular gaming platforms among primary school age children (despite 13 minimum age guide).

PlayStation Network - Allows users to go online and access PlayStation Store content, online gameplay and use the chat function to talk to other players.

Nintendo Network - Nintendo's consoles are more family-friendly than most and therefore its chat functionality is a lot more geared to safe interaction for younger players.

Limitation of network filters

Some content and sites can be encrypted, which means they're coded in a way that prevents the controls from knowing what the content actually is, so filters will not necessarily apply. There are also ways of bypassing filters using what's called a Virtual Private Network (VPN) if your child is technologically savvy enough.

They also don't usually restrict purchases through apps or the use of certain programmes that are already on the device. You'll need to consider setting your device controls and platform (such as Chrome or Netflix) controls too.

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Take a look at our list of social media guides to get you up to speed on the most popular platforms and help set the right privacy settings.

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Politics is back, and so's our politics blog, with rolling coverage of and commentary on what we're fact checking in Westminster and beyond.

Read our snap analysis of claims plus updates on the impact of our fact checking, as politicians gear up for the next general election.

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Full Fact - Full Fact is the UK's independent fact checking organisation

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Full Fact is the UK's independent fact checking organisation

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Romance Fraud - Don't Be Left Heartbroken By Criminals

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All in One Place

Don't know if a website is legit? No problem, use this free service to find the online reputation, blocklist status, HTTPS connection details, website popularity (Alexa rank), and users comments and reviews of a website, all in one place!

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Check if Website is Legit or Scam, Check Site Reputation | IsLegitSite

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Don't know if a website is legit? No problem, use this free service to find the online reputation, blocklist status, HTTPS connection details, website popularity (Alexa rank), and users comments and reviews of a website, all in one place!

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Friends Against Scams is a National Trading Standards Scams Team initiative, which aims to protect and prevent people from becoming victims of scams by empowering people to take a stand against scams. Learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones from scams by completing the Friends Against Scams awareness session and help to raise awareness throughout your community. Anybody can join Friends Against Scams and make a difference in their own way.

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Friends Against Scams is a National Trading Standards (NTS) Scams Team initiative, which aims to protect and prevent people from becoming victims of scams.

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Avoid and report internet scams and phishing emails

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Avoid and report internet scams and phishing emails

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Report misleading websites, emails, phone numbers, phone calls or text messages you think may be suspicious.

Do not give out private information (such as bank details or passwords), reply to text messages, download attachments or click on any links in emails if you're not sure they're genuine.

Emails

Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) will investigate it.

Text messages

Forward suspicious text messages to 7726 - it's free.

This will report the message to your mobile phone provider.

Adverts

Report scam or misleading adverts to the Advertising Standards Authority. You can report adverts found online, including in search engines, websites or on social media.

You can also report scam or misleading adverts to Google if you found them in Google search results, or report to Bing if you found them in Bing search results.

If you think you've been a victim of an online scam or fraud

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call 0300 123 2040

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Avoid and report internet scams and phishing

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1 Is it spam, or a scam?

It can be to tell the difference between contact from a legitimate company or an attempted scam.

Scammers are increasingly taking advantage of smartphones and are getting very clever with how they try to take your hard-earned money.

They can even make it look like a legitimate organisation is contacting you via text or a messaging app by using identity masking technology to change the name displayed as the sender. This is known as 'number spoofing'.

If you get sent am unexpected message, it's important you're sure it's legitimate. Read more about how to spot a scam message in our free guide.

Fraudsters can use many different types of of messaging systems and apps, like SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Viber, Skype, Google Hangouts, Snapchat and many any other platforms to try scam you out of your money.

2 Report a nuisance text

You can complain about a company or a number making nuisance calls and texts to a number of organisations including the TPS, your phone operator, Ofcom (which covers silent and abandoned calls) or the ICO.

The threshold at which the ICO is allowed to act has been lowered and they have the power to fine companies up to £500,000 that break the rules on unsolicited texts and phone calls.

Which? will continue to work with all the relevant bodies to ensure that efforts to tackle the problem are stepped up.

Sending unsolicited text messages is illegal. So, if you want to stop receiving spam texts you can report this to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

You can also report unsolicited text messages to your mobile provider.

3 Use a dedicated text number

You can report spam texts directly to your mobile phone provider. All operators now use 7726 as the short code to report spam texts, which is free of charge.

All of the UK's mobile operators worked together to deploy a tool which collates all the information from the 7726 short code in real time.

This means they can take early action to block numbers that are generating spam on their networks. They can also use this information to inform the regulators.

You can report spam texts directly to your mobile phone provider free of charge by forwarding the text message to 7726.

When you report a spam text you may get an automated response thanking you for the report giving you further instructions if needed.

4 Texts from unknown numbers

Never respond to spam texts as this will just confirm that your number is live. Simply delete the text.

Only reply 'STOP' if you know the company that's sending the message. If the company continues to send you unwanted texts you can report it to the ICO.

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It can be to tell the difference between contact from a legitimate company or an attempted scam. Scammers are increasingly taking advantage of smartphones and are getting very clever with how they try to take your hard-earned money.

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Texting remains one of the most popular ways to keep in touch.

So it's no surprise that firms are increasingly choosing to market their products by text.

But no-one wants to have their mobile phone bombarded with spam texts advertising products and services they don't want.

This guide explains more about spam texts and how to stop them.

A spam text is a text message sent to a mobile phone marketing a particular product or service.

These texts can have many purposes. For example:

Claims management - these mainly concern personal injury claims and claims for mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI).

Debt management - these messages offer various types of debt management services.

Organisations send these texts to generate 'leads' which they then sell on to firms who offer the service provided in the message.

In the case of personal injury claims, the leads would essentially be a list of people interested in claiming compensation for a personal injury.

This list is then sold on to a firm which manages personal injury claims. It will contact the people on the list and offer them its services in dealing with possible claims.

It is against the law for anyone to send you spam texts unless you have previously given them permission.

However, if there is an existing customer relationship between you and the sender, it can send you spam text messages about similar products and services, as long as you are given the ability to opt out of receiving such messages.

The law does not cover messages sent to business numbers.

If you receive a text message from a sender you are familiar with, or from a shortcode (a shortcode is usually 5 digits long but can be up to 8), reply 'STOP' to the telephone number or short code shown in the text message.

This will inform the sender that you no longer wish to receive their text messages.

However, if the text message is from an unknown sender, or from a sender you are not familiar with, we recommend you don't reply.

Responding to the text will confirm that your number is active and might actually result in you receiving more messages, or even voice calls.

Instead, you may report the text to your network operator.
To report a spam text forward the text to 7726.
You may get an automated response thanking you for the report and giving you further instructions if needed. You will not be charged for sending texts to 7726.

An easy way to remember '7726' is that they are the numbers on your telephone keypad that spell out the word 'SPAM'.

Why complain?

Your complaint can provide real benefits, both for you as an individual and for consumers generally.

This is because complaints play a vital role in helping regulators tackle the companies responsible for nuisance calls and messages. Without your complaints, regulators would find it much harder to identify and take action against those responsible.

Although complaining may not put a complete or immediate stop to all your nuisance calls or messages, it does help regulators take more targeted action in this area.

Making a complaint is simple. You can do it online, by phone or by post, and it can take as little as 5 minutes.

How can I complain?

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is responsible for enforcing the rules on spam texts.

If you are unhappy about receiving such texts, or continue to receive them after informing the relevant company to stop, you should complain to the ICO.

The ICO has powers to investigate any suspected breaches of the regulations, and take enforcement action against any organisation breaching the rules.

You can complain to the ICO by:

ringing their helpline 0303 123 1113

visiting ICO website

post: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Download a PDF of our complete guide to nuisance calls and messages (PDF, 781.0 KB)

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Texting remains one of the most popular ways to keep in touch. So it's no surprise that firms are increasingly choosing to market their products by text. But no-one wants to have their mobile phone bombarded with spam texts advertising products and services they don't want.

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Quiz: Can you spot the signs of fake news?

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Separate the facts from the fakes with our tricky quiz.

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0:00 / 1:31•Watch full video

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All the latest BBC Bitesize content about fact or fake.

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Summary of types of fake news | Internet Matters

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It’s important for parents and carers to learn ways to help children and young people recognise and report fake news and misinformation online.

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Since the 2016 US presidential election, the phrase ' fake news ' has become standard currency. But what does the term actually mean, and how can you distinguish fake from 'real' news?

The bad news is that 'fake news' is often very believable, and it is extremely easy to get caught out.

This page explains how you can apply critical thinking techniques to news stories to reduce the chances of believing fake news, or at least starting to understand that 'not everything you read is true'.

What is 'Fake News'?

'Fake news' is news stories that are either completely untrue, or do not contain all the truth, with a view to deliberately misleading readers.

Fake news became prominent during the US election, with supporters of both sides tweeting false information in the hope of influencing voters. But it is nothing new.

"The report of my death was an exaggeration."

In May 1897, Mark Twain, the American author, was in London. Rumours reached the US that he was very ill and, later, that he had died. In a letter to Frank Marshall White, a journalist who inquired after his health as a result, Mark Twain suggested that the rumours had started because his cousin, who shared his surname, had been ill a few weeks before. He noted dryly to White,

"The report of my death was an exaggeration".

It had, nonetheless, been widely reported in the US, with one newspaper even printing an obituary.

Fake news is not:

Articles on satirical or humorous websites, or related publications, that make a comment on the news by satirising them, because this is intended to inform and amuse, not misinform;

Anything obvious that 'everyone already knows' (often described using the caption 'that's not news'; or

An article whose content you disagree with.

The deliberate intention of fake news to mislead is crucial.

Why is Fake News a Problem?

If fake news has been around for so long, why is it suddenly a problem?

The answer is that social media means that credible fake news stories can spread very quickly.

In the worst cases, they can have major effects. There are suggestions that fake news influenced the 2016 US election. In another case, a gunman opened fire at a pizzeria that had been falsely but widely reported as being the centre of a paedophile ring involving prominent politicians. In less critical cases, fake news reports can result in distress or reputational damage for the people or organisations mentioned in the articles.
It is, therefore, important to be alert to the potential for reports to be fake, and to ensure that you are not party to their spread.
Spotting fake news

Unfortunately, it is not always easy to spot false news.

Sometimes, a story may be obviously false - for example, it may contain typos or spelling mistakes, or formatting errors. Like phishing emails, however, some fake news stories are a lot more subtle than that.

Facebook famously issued a guide to spotting fake news in May 2017. Its advice ranges from the obvious to the much less intuitive. Useful tips include:

Investigate the source

Be wary of stories written by unknown sources, and check their website for more information. Stories from reliable news sources, such as national newspapers or broadcasters, are more likely to have been checked and verified. It is also worth looking at the URL, to make sure it is a genuine news organisation.

Dig deeper

Look at the evidence on which the article bases its claims, and check whether they seem credible. If there are no sources given, or the source is an unknown 'expert' or 'friend' of someone concerned, be sceptical.

Check whether other, reliable news sources are carrying the story

Sometimes, even otherwise reliable news sources get carried away and forget to do all the necessary checks. But one very good check is to ask whether other reliable sources are also carrying the story. If yes, it is likely to be correct. If not, you should at least be doubtful.

Facebook's advice boils down to reading news stories critically.

That does not mean looking for their flaws, or criticising them, although this can be part of critical reading and thinking. Instead, it means applying logic and reason to your thinking and reading, so that you make a sensible judgement about what you are reading.

In practice, this means being alert to the article has been written, and the author wants you to feel, think or even do as a result of reading it. Even accurate stories may have been written in a way that is designed to steer you towards a particular point of view or action.

For more about this see our pages on Critical Thinking and Critical Reading.

A word about bias

It is worth remembering that everyone has their opinions, and therefore sources of potential bias in what they write. These may be conscious or unconscious. News organisations tend to have an organisational 'view' or political slant. For example, the UK's Guardian is broadly left-wing, and most of the UK tabloids are right-wing in their views, and this affects both what they report and how they report it.

As a reader, you also have biases, both conscious and unconscious, and these affect the stories you choose to read, and the sources you use. It is therefore possible to self-select only stories that confirm your own view of the world, and social media is very good at helping with this.
To overcome this, it is important to use more than one source of information, and try to ensure that they have at least small differences in their political views.
A final thought

Fake news spreads so fast because we all like the idea of telling people something that they did not already know, something exclusive, and because we want to share our view of the world. It's a bit like gossip.

But like false gossip, fake news can harm. Next time, before you click on 'share' or 'retweet', just take a moment to think about whether the story that you are spreading is likely to be true or not. Even if you think it is true, consider the possible effect of spreading it. Is it going to hurt anyone if it turns out to be false?

If so, don't go there, think before you share.

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Since the 2016 US presidential election, the phrase ' fake news ' has become standard currency. But what does the term actually mean, and how can you distinguish fake from 'real' news? The bad news is that 'fake news' is often very believable, and it is extremely easy to get caught out.

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How private is your personal information?

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password

Policy

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Advice for system owners responsible for determining password policies and identity management within their organisations.

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Whether you're new to online banking or just need a recap, access our tutorials to get the most out of HSBC online services.

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Good information about scams and how to avoid them.

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Delivery Text Scams & How to Deal with Them

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Delivery Text Scams & How to Deal with Them

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If you have a habit of ordering stuff online, you're probably no stranger to a "your parcel has been delivered" text.

That's why they're a good way for scammers to hook unsuspecting people in.

Three in five of us have had fake delivery company texts over the past year, according to new figures from consumer group, Which?.

The messages often contain a link that brings you to a scam website.

Adam French is a senior consumer rights editor at Which? and says there's no way you can really stop scammers from texting you.

They track down your number using "pot luck", he tells Radio 1 Newsbeat.

"We set up four brand new mobile phones, phone numbers that had never been used anywhere before, and two of those phones still received these scam messages," he said.

"They just send out these text messages to as many phone numbers as possible."

Thankfully, 79% of those who had a scam delivery text in the past year said they immediately knew it was fake.

But some still fall victim to the trick - and 3% of people said they ended up losing money because of one of these scams.

One young couple lost all of their savings because of a scam Royal Mail text last year.

Tom and Freyja Cuff, from Frome, Somerset, received a text about a parcel collection which eventually led to their bank account being emptied of £2,500.

Which? wants it to become standard practice for certain types of companies, such as banks, not to include links or payment requests in texts generally.

This, they say, would make the advice clearer - because, for example, if Royal Mail told customers they never send external links in texts, the scams would be easy to spot.

There are things you can do to make sure you're not one of the unlucky ones.

1. Take precautions

Quite simply, don't click links in texts.

Adam says: "The best thing you can do is actually look at the URL within the text message.

"If the domain name (that's the bit just before .co.uk or .com) doesn't match the business it says it is, that's a pretty sure sign that text is not legitimate.

"But that can be quite fiddly to spot, and sometimes it can be cloned as well, so it's not foolproof.

"The best way to stay safe is still to ignore any links in text and contact the business yourself."

2. Report it

If you do get one of these texts, Adam says you can help to protect others by reporting it.

You can do this by forwarding the text to 7726, the network operator.

"Until the network have that information, they don't know to shut it down," Adam says.

An easy way to remember who to forward it to is that 7726 are the digits on a telephone keypad that spell out the word "spam".

3. Contact your bank, ASAP

If you've clicked the link and sent money before you realised it was a scam, try not to worry.

You can report it to your bank, and you have "every chance" of getting your money back, Adam says.

"There's a few different routes to go down to recover some money. The best thing to do is speak to your bank straightaway."

If that doesn't work, try making a complaint to the bank.

Failing that, the Financial Ombudsman Service might be able to help.

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.

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Delivery text scams and how to deal with them

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If you have a habit of ordering stuff online, you're probably no stranger to a "your parcel has been delivered" text. That's why they're a good way for scammers to hook unsuspecting people in. Three in five of us have had fake delivery company texts over the past year, according to new figures from consumer group, Which?.

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Note: the 2021 Scams Awareness campaign ran from 14 - 27 June, and is now over. However, you can still raise awareness of scams throughout the year. These materials will continue to be available to help you in your efforts.

We have produced a range of materials and tools to help local Citizens Advice service, Trading Standards and any other partners who'd like to take part campaign.

Sign up to our Scams Awareness campaign mailing list to receive updates.

All of the resources are available for download. Public facing resources are available in English and Welsh.

Campaign resources

The Scams Awareness campaign briefing will set out the background to the campaign and includes a range of local activities for participating organisations.

Campaign poster

Postcard flyer - a short information leaflet to help people spot scams and signpost them to more information.

Foldable leaflet - a more detailed leaflet with all the key things people need to know about scams, including how they can protect themselves. This is a good option if you think the person will need more information, for example if they don't have internet access to find out more.

Information postcard - Polish version [ 100 kb]

Information postcard - Spanish version [ 100 kb]

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Note: the 2021 Scams Awareness campaign ran from 14 - 27 June, and is now over. However, you can still raise awareness of scams throughout the year. These materials will continue to be available to help you in your efforts.

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Check your password

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The PaP Machine is a little sideproject and exploration of minimalistic design by Tim Holman and Tobias van Schneider. To make the world
a better place, one smile at a time. You can follow us here: Follow @twholman Follow @vanschneider

Its simple really, you enter a password...
any password and the PaP Machine will be honest* about your passwords strength.* Honest like a lawyer, or your cold hearted X.

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PaP - Passive aggressive password machine.

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PaP - The passive aggressive password machine.

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Types of Scams

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Protect your PIN

Never give out your PINsentry codes, Mobile PINsentry codes, passcodes or Online Banking passwords and other full passwords to anyone.

Think you've been a victim?

Get in touch with us right away if you think you've seen suspicious activity on your account. Here you'll find the numbers you need, the next steps to take and what we'll do to help.

How we help to keep your money safe

We always look out for threats from fraudsters. Here are some measures we take to make sure your money is secure.

How digitally safe are you?

Would you recognise a fake caller, spot a phishing email or know when a fraudster is trying to take control of your computer? Take our interactive challenge to find out.

National awareness campaign

Take Five is led by UK Finance and backed by the Government and other organisations. If you receive a phone call, text or email you think might be fake, it urges you to stop - take five - and challenge what you're told.

And make money work for you

We all have our own personal relationship with money - our saving, our spending, our goals and our dreams. This is your Moneyverse. It's as unique as you are and we can help you become the master of it.

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Types of scams | Vishing, smishing & phishing scams | Barclays

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Never give out your PINsentry codes, Mobile PINsentry codes, passcodes or Online Banking passwords and other full passwords to anyone. Think you've been a victim? Get in touch with us right away if you think you've seen suspicious activity on your account.

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What email / text / Facebook message scams should I be aware of?

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What email / text / Facebook message scams should I be aware of?

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These are the current scams we’re aware of that look like they’re sent by Royal Mail, but are in fact fraud or phishing scams.

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What email / text / Facebook message scams should I be aware of?

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With so many aspects of our lives now entwined with using technology in a digital world, supporting our children and young people to be digitally resilient is fundamental. Digital resilience encapsulates the need to develop knowledge, skills and strategies in order for children and young people to:

manage their online experience safely and responsibly

identify and mitigate risks to stay safe from harm online

understand the importance of using reliable sources and employing critical thinking skills to identify misinformation

seek help when they need it

learn from their experiences and recover when things go wrong

thrive and benefit from the opportunities the internet offers.

Building digital resilience in our children and young people also depends on the resilience of our families and communities. The Hwb programme aims to provide learners, families, education practitioners, professionals and governors with the latest resources, information and guidance to enhance their digital resilience.

Keeping children and young people safe online is of critical importance. We are committed to promoting the safe and positive use of the online world to children, young people, families, education practitioners, professionals and governors.

Our Keeping safe online area has been designed and developed to support online safety in education across Wales. It provides an extensive suite of up-to-date bilingual resources, Welsh Government guidance and links to further sources of support on a range of online safety issues.

In addition Keeping safe online also hosts bilingual resources created by or developed in collaboration with key partners, such as SWGfL, the NSPCC, Common Sense Media and the National Crime Agency.

Cyber security is the term used to describe how both individuals and organisations can reduce the risk of cyber-attacks. Cyber security's main purpose is to ensure the technology we use (devices such as computers, tablets and smartphones) and the services we access online are protected from theft or damage. We store large amounts of personal and organisational information on devices and services and preventing unauthorised access to this information is critical. Keeping safe online will:

provide guidance and support to schools to adopt a robust approach to cyber security that ensures compliance with regulations and standards

raise awareness of best practice guidance and training in cyber safety for learners and education professionals in Wales

seek to nurture talent and promote opportunities to develop the skills required for a career in cyber security are available for Welsh learners.

Every time we go online, whether it is to search for information, to shop, use social media, send emails, we share information about ourselves. Sharing our data helps us to access information, use services and stay connected with our family, friends and communities. However, your data is your data and it belongs to you. Data protection law exists to make sure everyone's data is used properly and legally. Becoming digitally resilient includes understanding:

why my data is important

who is using my personal data and why

how I can protect my data online

my personal data rights under EU/UK law.

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Digital resilience in education - Keeping safe online - Hwb

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With so many aspects of our lives now entwined with using technology in a digital world, supporting our children and young people to be digitally resilient is fundamental.

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Online safety information and games for children and young adults.

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When Alfie's not gaming, he's making videos about gaming for his channel. He even talks about gaming in his sleep!

Alfie's gaming videos are the talk of his class, his friends can't wait to hear all the latest tips and tricks. Alfie loves teaching others his skills, he even taught his Nana Nora to game!

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When Alfie's not gaming, he's making videos about gaming for his channel. He even talks about gaming in his sleep! Alfie's gaming videos are the talk of his class, his friends can't wait to hear all the latest tips and tricks. Alfie loves teaching others his skills, he even taught his Nana Nora to game!

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Cyber Aware is the government’s advice on how to stay secure online.

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Advice on how to stay secure online from the UK's National Cyber Security Centre by protecting your email using 2-Step Verification and 3 random words

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Information and advice for how to look out for scams and how avoid them. Also provides information about what to do if you become the victim of a scam.

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A practical guide
highlighting common
tactics used in romance
fraud. Safeguarding
through knowledge and
empowerment.

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Email scams

Scammers send bogus emails in the hope that people will enter their personal or financial details. They may direct you to a fake website, trick you into thinking you've won a lottery or prize.

Some emails, known as spam or junk, may also have a link or file attached for you to click on or open. Opening these links or downloading the files may harm your device.

Scam emails can look genuine and appear to be from official places, like HMRC or a bank, but you can often tell it's a scam. Look out for:

errors in the spelling or grammar, or an unusual style of writing.

requests for personal information, such as your username, full password or bank details - genuine organisations will never ask this.

threats that unless you act now, a deal will expire or your account closed.

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Scammers send bogus emails in the hope that people will enter their personal or financial details. They may direct you to a fake website, trick you into thinking you've won a lottery or prize. Some emails, known as spam or junk, may also have a link or file attached for you to click on or open.

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If you are the son or daughter of a senior that is actively using the internet, there are a few simple ways that you can help them be safe online.

Tell Them About Common Online Scams

This article can be a good place to start for helping to inform your parent about the potential dangers of scammers on the internet. In addition to the recommendations on this page, consider the following:

Do not assume that your parent knows about the various ways that someone might seek to take advantage of them.

Ensure that you discuss online safety regularly. Clarifying that online safety is not just a topic for seniors is a helpful way to initiate a discussion with your parent about the risks and benefits of computing and the internet.

Let Them Know You're There to Help

Some seniors might not be sure whether a message, website, or request is legitimate. Let your parent know that they can ask you about how scams work online and how to safely use the internet.

Consider discussing and sharing articles that include concrete examples about how people have been scammed online.

Help Secure Their Computers

While computers have been around for decades now, they can still be complicated today. Many computers aren't set up to act like push-button appliances and instead require that you understand some of their underlying internals in order to keep them secure. Most operating systems provide a way for you to set up security updates to install automatically and many applications now also include options to enable automatic updates.

If your parent's computer does not yet have a firewall enabled or antivirus installed, add and configure these security defense tools. Configuring such complicated applications and security protections can be overwhelming and confusing to seniors. The modern internet has only been around for 30 years and modern computing has consistently changed in the last 10 years. It's difficult for anyone to stay current on all of the developments in computing and the internet.

Finally, install software to backup their files. There are several online services that will allow you to backup your files for free or for very little cost. Some malicious software makes personal files unreadable by encrypting them, only releasing the files once the victim has paid the scammer a ransom. Having a backup of your parent's important files and cherished photos will help provide you and them with peace of mind.

Here are some other tips to help you keep your parents safe online:

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Online Safety for Seniors - CyberInsureOne

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If you are the son or daughter of a senior that is actively using the internet, there are a few simple ways that you can help them be safe online. This article can be a good place to start for helping to inform your parent about the potential dangers of scammers on the internet.

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These essential guides will help you understand the simple basic principles for staying safe online.

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Remember a time when you knocked on a friend's door or called their landline to ask if they wanted to go out to play?

You watched films on VHS, recorded programmes off the TV, and listened to music on cassette tapes. If you wanted to buy something you went out to the shops. If you wanted to read a book, you headed for the library.

While some might call the pre-internet era the good old days, it's hard to deny that the online world offers endless opportunities for young people to make friends, have fun and learn new things.

But the internet also presents potential dangers we can't ignore. From bullying and mental health concerns to online grooming risks, these dangers can be difficult to spot.

What can we do to keep children safe online?

It's hard to keep up with the constant changes of the digital world. There seems to be a new app, social media platform, or game every other week. This can sometimes mean that children know more about the online world than we do.

As parents and carers, where do we start? Follow our tips and advice to get clued up on the digital world -​​​​​​and what your child is doing online.

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Remember a time when you knocked on a friend's door or called their landline to ask if they wanted to go out to play? You watched films on VHS, recorded programmes off the TV, and listened to music on cassette tapes. If you wanted to buy something you went out to the shops.

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Safeguarding Children

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Safeguarding Children

As parents - or relatives, teachers and other adults responsible to children's safety - we want our children and those we look after to be healthy and happy ... and to develop well both physically and mentally. Above all, it's also instinctive that we want kids to be safe.

Children learn through exploration and natural curiosity, and it is part of our job as parents and carers to encourage that. However, as our children grow up, develop and discover new experiences, we have to take more and different steps to ensure their safety.

Until their understanding and instincts catch up with their curiosity, our children need to be protected from everyday dangers - whether crossing the road, in and around the home, trying new foods or talking to new people they meet.

And sooner or later ... going online.

They're growing up fast

Depending on the age that your children are now, they may not have yet discovered computers, smartphones or tablets, unless it's just pressing the buttons! Alternatively, they may already be used to using certain trusted websites and apps or - if they're older - using social networking sites.

By the time they are older still, they will probably already be 'online veterans' who know their way around the internet, apps, games, downloading and social networking with ease. Chances are, they know more about these things than you do. But they almost certainly don't have the life-experience and wisdom to handle all of the situations they encounter.

Which is why we need a measured approach to keeping our children safe when they're online.

So what's changed?

Until relatively recently, most homes had a family computer, on which parents could safely introduce their children to the internet, keep an eye on what they were doing and introduce a degree of monitoring and control using parental software. When children started to get their own computers for doing their homework and playing games, it became more difficult to work with them to ensure they were visiting appropriate websites and not talking to strangers online in the privacy of their bedrooms.

Now, of course, in the age of smartphones and tablets - effectively mini-computers that can be used anywhere - most parents find it a real challenge to not only educate their children in doing the right thing, but monitor and control their online behaviour.

The risks

None of us - of whatever age - is immune from encountering problems online, as a look through this website or the daily news will tell you. Our children are certainly at a vulnerable stage in their lives ... naturally more trusting than adults and hopefully having been less exposed to the darker side of the internet. They are also not as well equipped to deal with such issues - or their consequences. Some of these potential issues are as follows:

Inappropriate contact: from people who may wish to abuse, exploit or bully them.

Inappropriate conduct: because of their own and others' online behaviour, such as the personal information they make public, for example on social networking sites. Unfortunately, children can also become cyberbullies, especially when encouraged by others.

Inappropriate content: being able to access or being sexually explicit, racist, violent, extremist or other harmful material, either through choice or in error.

Commercialism: being the targets of aggressive advertising and marketing messages.

Gaining access to your personal information stored on your computer, mobile device or games console, and passing it on to others ... or using your financial details such as payment card information.

Enabling viruses and spyware by careless or misinformed use of their or your computer, smartphone, tablet or games console.

Our advice

Everyone needs help sometimes ... and that's especially true of parents trying to stay switched-on to their children's online safety.

Please click on the links on this page to pick up some expert, up-to-the-minute advice.

We've prepared some simple checklists to help you keep your kids safe online according to their age group. Click on your child's age to find out more:

For information and advice, and to report concerns directly to The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), click on the report button below. CEOP is a command of the National Crime Agency, and is dedicated to tackling the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and young people. CEOP is here to help young people (up to age 18) who have been forced or tricked into taking part in sexual activity with anyone online or in the real world.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) is the UK internet Hotline for anyone to report online child sexual abuse imagery and non-photographic child sexual abuse images anonymously. IWF works internationally to make the internet safer. They help victims of child sexual abuse worldwide by identifying and removing online images and videos of their abuse.
For more information or to report a website visitwww.iwf.org.uk

Other Helpful Links

Childnet International

BeatBullying

ParentPort

UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS)

If you've experienced cybercrime, you can contact the charity Victim Support for free and confidential support and information.

These pages have been compiled with the kind assistance of Norton and Neighbourhood Watch

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Safeguarding Children As parents - or relatives, teachers and other adults responsible to children's safety - we want our children and those we look after to be healthy and happy ... and to develop well both physically and mentally. Above all, it's also instinctive that we want kids to be safe.

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This document is also available as a PDF here

Social networking is hugely popular. Many young people are sophisticated in the way they use social media apps and websites, tailoring their communication for different audiences, and accessing them from a range of devices including smartphones, tablets, and games consoles.

But social media, like all forms of public communication, comes with some risks. Not all of these risks turn into actual problems; and if children never face any risks, they never learn how to deal with them. By helping your child understand what the risks are, you can play a big part in preventing them from turning into problems.

1. Understand the risks children may need to deal with:

What they might see or do:

Seeing or sharing of violent, sexual and pornographic content

Inaccurate or false information and extreme views

Promotion of harmful behaviours including self-harm, anorexia and suicide

Over-sharing of personal information

Actively or unintentionally getting involved in bullying or hurtful behaviour

Who they might meet:

How this could affect them:

2. Practical tips to help minimise the risks your child might face

It's good practice for apps and websites to have safety advice and well-designed safety features which can make a real difference to how safe your child will be when using them. Work through safety and privacy features on the apps that your child is using, or might use. Make sure they understand the point of these and how to use them.

Don't be put off by believing your child knows more than you: the tools are actually quite easy to manage.

3. Keep talking and stay involved

In a mobile age, children can't be completely protected, even by the best privacy controls; another child may use different settings. So it's important to keep talking to your child about the implications of social media. Getting a sense of what they think is a useful place to start; you may be surprised by how much thought they may have given to the issues.

Encourage your child to think carefully about the way they, and others behave online, and how they might deal with difficult situations.

People may not always be who they say they are online: how can this create problems?

Why is it unwise to meet anyone in the real world that you've only ever met online?

Even if you think your messages are private, remember that words and images can always be captured and broadcast.

People present themselves differently online - do they really look like that? Are they always having that good a time?

Be aware that screens, and especially being anonymous, can lead people to say things they wouldn't say to someone's face.

What does being a good friend and a likeable person online look like?

There can be pressure to be part of a particular group online or to be seen to be following a certain set of ideas

How can you take a step back and make your own decisions?

4. For more information:

You can find out more about how children use social media, the apps they use, the risks they face, how to use privacy settings, and advice and tips about how to talk to your children at:

5. To make a report

Concerned about online grooming or sexual behaviour online?

Contact CEOP: www.ceop.police.uk

If you stumble across criminal sexual or obscene content on the internet you should report it to the Internet Watch Foundation: www.iwf.org.uk

This document is also available as a PDF here

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Child Safety Online: A practical guide for parents and carers whose children are using social media

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This document is also available as a PDF here Social networking is hugely popular. Many young people are sophisticated in the way they use social media apps and websites, tailoring their communication for different audiences, and accessing them from a range of devices including smartphones, tablets, and games consoles.

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Campaigning for change

We fight to change laws to make society safer for children. Our Wild West Web campaign has pushed for new regulations through the Online Safety Bill to make sure websites, apps and games are safe for children to use. But the draft Bill doesn't go far enough to protect children.
Help us end the Wild West Web

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Understanding online safety is tricky for all ages - we have advice and guides to help you learn about staying safe online as a family.

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From Learn my Way

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Learn My Way uses cookies to make the website easier to use.

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Thought-provoking resources to promote informed discussions about staying safe online

Safer Internet Day (SID), celebrated this year on Tuesday 9 February, is the perfect time to talk to your classes about both the benefits and dangers of using the internet. In the last 12 months, more student learning has taken place online than ever before which is what makes this years theme ' an internet we trust: exploring reliability in the online world' more significant than ever.

To help to get students thinking about how to look after themselves online, we've selected a range of popular primary and secondary lesson ideas, activities, discussion starters and guides created for students to enjoy. These can be used as complete lessons or as jumping off points for wider discussion of these very important issues.
Interested in learning more about how you as an individual can educate and protect students online? Then check out this online safety course created by EduCare in partnership with Childnet

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Thought-provoking resources to promote informed discussions about staying safe online Safer Internet Day (SID), celebrated this year on Tuesday 9 February, is the perfect time to talk to your classes about both the benefits and dangers of using the internet.

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You might need one of the best parental control apps to keep a digital eye on your adorable young moppets, or even your surly teenagers.

Just ask yourself: Do your kids have apps such as Snapchat, TikTok or WhatsApp installed on their smartphones or tablets? How about Facebook Messenger? Can you even tell what they've got on their phones?

Most importantly, do your children quickly tuck their screens out of sight when you walk into the room? If so, then they may be hiding something. Read on to find out how you can find out.

1. Best GPS trackers for kids: Keep track of the little ones at all times

2. The best (and worst) antivirus software for parents

3. Best Android apps for kids

The best parental control apps for smartphones and tablets can help you keep an eye on your offspring both online and offline. They're essential if you want to find out what your kids are doing on the internet.

These parental-control apps can track your kids' physical locations, see with whom they're communicating, set limits on their amount of daily screen time and block objectionable websites. Some of these apps log calls and texts, and a few even can give you the content of text messages and other message platforms.

However, the best parental control apps can't do everything for you. They work best when they're part of a comprehensive approach to having your kids behave responsibly online.

That means you need to talk to your kids about what they should and shouldn't do online, explain how you expect them to act, and make clear that you will be monitoring their phones and tablets.

In that light, we do not review parental-control apps that can run in stealth mode on a child's device so that the child can't tell the app is installed. Some parental-control products have this capability, and a few even advertise it.

But the sad truth is that many people use such "stealth" apps not to monitor their kids, but to spy on their spouses or other adults. This so-called "stalkerware" is often a factor in domestic abuse.

In addition, we do not consider apps that can record a child's phone conversations. That's illegal in many U.S. states.

What are the best parental control apps?

No parental-control service is perfect, but Net Nanny delivered the best mix of web filtering, location tracking and app management on both Android and iOS devices. It also works on Amazon Kindle Fire tablets, on Windows and Mac and on Chrome OS devices that support Google Play.

Norton Family was a close runner-up. Unlike Net Nanny, it offers text-message logging and monitoring, but only on Android devices. It also lets you monitor Windows PCs, but not Macs.

Parents on tight budgets should consider Kaspersky Safe Kids. Its free tier includes web monitoring, time limits and app management, and its full-featured paid plan is just $15 per year for an unlimited number of devices, including PCs and Macs.

Many antivirus products have parental controls built in. To see how well those stack up against the stand-alone services, please see our overview of the best (and worst) antivirus software for parents.

All these parental-control apps can do more on Android than on iOS, due to Apple's tighter app restrictions. A few of these apps were crippled by an Apple policy change in mid-2019, and while the apps later had some of their functionality restored, Apple could yank the rug out from them again at any time.

So if you're really serious about keeping tabs on what your kids are doing online, get them Android phones. Just be wary of any parental control app that you have to sideload - there's usually a reason it isn't in the official Google Play store.

- Qustodio has added support for Chromebooks using Google Play and a browser extension.

- ESET Parental Control for Android is cutting its subscription rates for multiyear plans, with two years of service going for $45 and three years for $60, representing discounts of 25% and 33%, respectively.

- MMGuardian has added monitoring of SMS text messages and instant messages on iOS devices.

The best parental control app you can get

Zift/Net Nanny, which we consider to be the best parental control app, has excellent web-filtering technology and a modern, intuitive design.

Among all the parental-control apps we tried, it comes closest to having feature parity between its iOS and Android versions. Its iOS abilities don't seem to have been affected by recent Apple policy changes.

Net Nanny can track your child's location, display their location history, and set time allowances and schedules equally well on both platforms. The iOS version lets you block several dozen apps on your kid's phone; the Android one lets you block them all. (Tom's Guide readers save $10 off each of Net Nanny's plans.)

Net Nanny recently added content screening that works within social media apps and services, including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, instead of blocking or allowing them entirely.

The only thing Net Nanny can't do on a smartphone is monitor calls or texts. No apps we tested can do that on iOS, but several do on Android.

Norton Family's power and features are ideal for Android (and Windows) households with many children, offering nearly every feature a parent could want from one of the best parental control apps.

This service's location-tracking, time-scheduling, and web-filtering and -monitoring capabilities work on both iOS and Android, but Norton's time allowances are only for its Windows and Android software. App management and text-message monitoring don't work in the iOS app at all. There's no geofencing on either mobile platform.

Norton Family comes free if you spring for one of Norton's more expensive antivirus suites, such as Norton 360 Deluxe, which is often discounted to as little as $50 per year. At that price, getting Norton Family along with Norton's excellent antivirus protection is a no-brainer, unless your kids use Macs instead of Windows PCs.

Like Qustodio, Kaspersky Safe Kids lets you monitor your kids' activities on PCs and Macs as well as on smartphones. Even better, Kaspersky's paid tier is only $15 per year (there's a 7-day free trial) and its free plan lets you set time limits, filter websites and manage other apps.

Kaspersky's location tracking and geofencing work in both iOS and Android, as do its web monitoring and device scheduling. But app management is limited on iOS, and the iOS app can't monitor calls or texts at all.

Likewise, a new feature that lets you block specific kinds of YouTube searches, and review YouTube search history if you're a paid user, works on Windows, iOS and Android, including the YouTube Android app -- but not on Macs.

Still, if you don't feel a need to read your kids' text messages, then Kaspersky Safe Kids is well worth considering.

In March 2019, Kaspersky Lab filed an antitrust complaint against Apple for allegedly forcing the removal of features from Kaspersky Safe Kids, part of a crackdown on parental-control apps. Apple in June 2019 relaxed some of those restrictions, but the Kaspersky case continued. In August 2020, the Russian antitrust authorities ordered Apple to reverse its changes. We'll have to wait and see what Apple does.

Qustodio has software for Macs, PCs, iOS and Android devices, Amazon Fire tablets, and, as of February 2021, Chromebooks. It also lets you set time limits for individual apps and individual devices.

This service's limited location tracking works on both iOS and Android, and Qustodio finally added a geofencing option in the fall of 2019. A Family Locator feature that shows you where all your kids are at once was added in September 2019.

You can manage only a few dozen apps on iOS, as opposed to all Android apps. Web filtering is more powerful on iOS, while monitoring texts and calls works on only Android.

The one big drawback is that Qustodio can get darn expensive, costing up to $138 per year for 15 devices. (Tom's Guide readers get a 10% discount.) In early 2019, Qustodio experimented with offering a much cheaper three-device plan for $40 per year, but that did not last.

Once the most powerful parental-control app for iPhones, OurPact was hobbled by an Apple rule change in late 2018 that nixed the service's geofencing, location tracking and time allowances on iOS.

In early 2019, Apple quietly expelled OurPact from the App Store, but in July of that year, after Apple eased up on its restrictions, OurPact was reinstated.

At its peak, OurPact was the only parental-control app we tested that could manage or block any iOS app. It can still do so for Android devices. OurPact also gets kids involved in managing the daily allowance of screen time that you give them, and it does a good job of scheduling.

Yet, its website filtering simply blocks porn, and it can't monitor calls or texts at all, even on Android. However, you can block messaging apps, and OurPact remains a joy to use.

6. Screen Time

Today's best Screen Time Parental-Control App deals

No text or call monitoring

Screen Time -- not to be confused with the "Screen Time" feature in iOS -- does an excellent job of managing and scheduling kids' device access. Unfortunately, it doesn't do a whole lot else, at least on iOS devices. App management and web filtering are for Android only.

Screen Time also has baffling upcharges for location tracking and web filters, both of which are arguably essentials and come standard with other parental-control apps. (You can get both features in the 14-day Screen Time premium trial.)

We did like how Screen Time lets you dole out additional, yup, screen time to kids who perform chores or good deeds. But you can't block apps on iOS, and there's no call or text monitoring at all, although geofencing and location history were recently added.

7. ESET Parental Control for Android

Leaves room for improvement

No call or text monitoring

ESET Parental Control for Android sticks to a single platform, but it doesn't shine even there, lacking text-message- and call-monitoring (and number blocking) features and implementing clunky controls on what it does have.

The app management and time management you receive with the free version of ESET Parental Control for Android do work well, as do the location tracking and geofencing you'll get if you pay for a subscription. (There's a 14-day free trial, plus steep discounts for multiyear plans.) And we liked the feature that lets a kid send an SOS message to designated phones with a single tap.

Still, the $30 yearly plan is not worth shelling out for unless you get it bundled with ESET Smart Security Premium. That's because Kaspersky Safe Kids does more than ESET Parental Control for Android on four times as many platforms and at half the price.

Read our full ESET Parental Control for Android review.

8. MMGuardian

Full-featured but frustrating

MMGuardian has nearly every parental-control feature you might want on Android phones, but its abilities are somewhat limited on iOS and the user interfaces are outdated and frustrating on both platforms.

The iOS and Android smartphone apps offer location tracking and excellent web filtering, and MMGuardian now has an artificial-intelligence component to spot nudity in saved images.

On an Android phone, the parent can use MMGuardian to read every text and block any number. Unfortunately, time management and screen-time scheduling are Android-only, and the separate MMGuardian app for Android tablets has no location tracking.

On iOS, MMGuardian's app management is primitive, and there is no call and SMS blocking. However, it recently added SMS and instant-message monitoring via a desktop app connected via Wi-Fi to a child's iPhone.

How to choose the best parental control app for you

What you need from a parental-control service mainly depends on how old your kids are. If you're the parent of children under 12, you absolutely want to be able to block objectionable websites, but you might also consider an app that's available on Amazon Fire tablets.

If you've got teenagers, you might want to let them have a look at objectionable things online, but only if you're aware of it. You might also want to see whom your teens are talking to in messenger apps, and to see where they are late on a Friday night. And you might want to consider a service that monitors your kids' Windows and Mac devices as well as their smartphones.

The best parental control apps will offer, at a minimum, a website filter, location tracking, screen-time limits including a scheduler, and an app blocker that works at least on Android.

Useful extra features include geofencing, which alerts you if a child's phone leaves a designated "safe" area like school or a relative's house. Some of these apps let you block and log the calls and texts a child makes and receives, but only on Android.

A couple even let you read a child's text messages, but none lets you listen in on call, because that's illegal. And most let you monitor your child's phone from a desktop computer web interface as well as your own smartphone.
See the chart below for what each of our reviewed parental control apps offers.
Feature comparison chart

How we test and rate the best parental control apps

Evaluation criteria
We focus on parental control apps that emphasize proactively setting up filters and limits before your child uses the phone rather than merely tracking activities after the fact. We take the following criteria into account:

Price: How much does the service cost annually? How many children and devices can you monitor or control?

Installation: How easy is it to install and configure each app on a child's smartphone and a parent's phone? Are there cross-platform compatibility issues?

App management: How well does the app monitor, block or restrict app usage? Does the app let you see all the other apps on the child's device?

Filtering: What kind of filtering tools does each app offer, and how effectively do these tools restrict kids' access to content that you deem inappropriate ?

Time management: What kind of tools does the app provide for restricting the amount of time your child spends on his or her device(s)?

Texting and messaging management: Does the app let you review the content of your child's text messages? Can you create rules for or block specific contacts? Are you notified of new contacts? Do the features extend beyond the built-in messaging app? Can you block messaging apps altogether?

Location tracking: Does the app let you locate your child in an emergency? Does it provide a continuous log of their previous locations? Does the app allow you to create geofenced areas for your child?

Our most recent testing was done on a Google Pixel 2XL running Android 9.0 (Pie), an iPhone 7 Plus, an iPad Air 2, and a 15-inch 2017 MacBook Pro running macOS 10.13.6 and Windows 10.

We tested each app on every platform it supported twice, from installation to testing to uninstall. We typically monitored activity from the MacBook Pro, but if apps offered control from a smartphone app, we tested those features as well. Calls and texts for monitoring purposes were made from a secondary Android device.

The best Android parental-control apps remain more robust than their iOS counterparts in most cases, especially with regard to call and text monitoring. But new additions to iOS have closed the gap somewhat.

We note areas in which there are discrepancies in the functionality offered on each platform, but we are not providing distinct ratings and reviews for the iOS versus the Android version of each app.
Photo credit: Tom's Guide. Brian S. Hall and Sean Riley contributed to this report.

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The best parental control apps for Android and iPhone 2021

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You might need one of the best parental control apps to keep a digital eye on your adorable young moppets, or even your surly teenagers. Just ask yourself: Do your kids have apps such as Snapchat, TikTok or WhatsApp installed on their smartphones or tablets? How about Facebook Messenger?

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The best free parental control software makes it simple and easy to manage your family and children's access to the internet, without incurring fees.

This gives you the peace of mind in knowing that your children are safe from inappropriate or adult content.

The best free parental control software is Qustodio, which offers a comprehensive suite of tools to keep your kids safe online including content-filtering and time limits. However, it's not your only option, so we've also gathered together four of the best alternative tools so you can make the best choice for you and your kids.

In an ideal world, the web would be a safe space for kids. Unfortunately, that is far from reality, and as a busy adult, it's not always possible for you to spend the time to be there while your children are online. This is where free parental control software can help - by allowing you to either block access to particular sites that may have concerning content, or only permit access to sites you deem suitable, this tool can help protect your kids.

The best free parental control software will look after the kids when you're unable to, whether they are conducting research for a school project, keeping in touch with friends, or simply enjoying all the good things that the Internet does offer. It does not matter what age your child is, or whether they are using a mobile device, Windows or a macOS computer. In this roundup, you will find the perfect free parental control software to lend you a vigilant hand.

The best parental control software right now is: Qustodio
Qustodio's premium parental control tools are the best around. YouTube monitoring, the ability to see time spent on social networks, time limits for games and call tracking are just some of the options available. These tools aren't free, but they'll provide an extra layer of protection to keep your kids safe.

1. Qustodio

Most parental control software is aimed at Windows users, but Qustodio (think 'custodian') is also available for Mac, Android, iOS, Kindle and Nook.

The free version is one of the most comprehensive parental control apps around, enabling you to set rules and time schedules, block pornography and other unsuitable content. If you go for the paid-for version, you'll also get SMS monitoring, social media features and per-app controls.

Its raft of features and support for a wide range of platforms make Qustodio the best free parental control software, but there are some other excellent free programs available, some of which may be better suited to your individual needs as a parent. Read on for the rest of our our top choices.

2. OpenDNS FamilyShield

FamilyShield is a free service from OpenDNS. Its parental control tools automatically block domains that OpenDNS has flagged under the headings "tasteless, proxy/anonymizer, sexuality, or pornography".

One of the big pluses here is that while FamilyShield can run on PCs and mobile devices, you can also apply it to your network router and filter all the traffic that passes through it - it's just a matter of changing the DNS server numbers in your control panel.

This has the happy benefit of improving DNS lookup speeds on some ISPs. By filtering everything at the router level, every device on your network benefits from the filters. For more options, there's also a premium service available.

3. KidLogger

Nothing gets past KidLogger. This free parental control software not only tracks what your children type and which websites they visit - it also keeps a record of which programs they use and any screengrabs they take.

If you're concerned about who your kids might be talking to online, there's even a voice-activated sound recorder. If your children are a little older and more responsible, you can pick and choose which options to monitor and give them a little privacy.

The free software only covers one device and lacks some of the sneakier features of the premium editions (including silent monitoring of WhatsApp conversations and the ability to listen to Skype calls), but it's still a well-rounded tool if you're concerned about your kids' safety.

Kidlogger is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and BlackBerry.

4. Spyrix Free Keylogger

Keyloggers have something of a bad reputation online, as they're often used by crooks hoping to capture passwords and bank details, but they can be a force for good too, and Spyrix Free Keylogger enables you to see what your children have been up to.

Although it's dubbed parental control software, the free version of Spyrix really a monitoring program; it doesn't stop the kids getting up to no good, but it does let you see exactly what they've done. If you want content blocking too, premium subscriptions aren't expensive.

The absence of filtering means Spyrix might not be the best choice for younger kids' computers, but it may be useful for older children if you suspect online bullying or other unpleasantness.

(Image credit: Kaspersky)

5. Kaspersky Safe Kids

Kaspersky Safe Kids is parental control software for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS devices, with both free and paid-for versions.

The free edition includes a blacklist that prevents your kids seeing inappropriate content online, plus app controls that let you manage app use by time used, age restrictions, and category (if you don't want your kids playing games on a school night, for example). There's also a screen time management tool to help you control overall device use,

The paid version adds more mobile-specific features, including a battery tracker so you can see if your kid's phone is about to go flat, leaving them without a way to contact you. You can also keep an eye on their location with GPS tracking, manage their social media use, and receive real-time alerts if they visit websites they shouldn't or leave a pre-defined 'safe' area.

We found that it took longer than usual to log into a Windows account when Kaspersky Safe Kids was running on a Windows 10 PC, so this is worth bearing in mind if your kids' PC is a little on the slow side already.

Other apps to consider

A premium parental control app for mobile devices, Famisafe can be installed on up to 30 devices per account. It features all the usual tools for keeping kids safe, including setting time limits and blocking inappropriate content, but can also detect potentially inappropriate photos and text messages, block games, and monitor your kids' whereabouts with GPS and geofencing.

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Best free parental control software and apps in 2021: protect your kids online

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The best free parental control software makes it simple and easy to manage your family and children's access to the internet, without incurring fees. This gives you the peace of mind in knowing that your children are safe from inappropriate or adult content.

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Setting limits and keeping your children safe are two important responsibilities of parenting. Controlling what your child does on the internet isn't always easy, but there are a variety of tools you can use to make the task less difficult. Parental control apps allow you to limit how much time your child spends online, restrict access to certain apps or websites, and keep track of where your child is.

There are a number of different parental control apps available on Android and iOS, but not every option is a good one. It can be hard to keep control of kids while you're with them, never mind when they're off on their smart device - so you want to make sure the protection you're using is the best. That's why we've put together this list that includes both in-built options and powerful subscription-based services.

Further reading
Please note: There are thriving teen forums online discussing all the possible ways to get around parental controls, some with highly advanced or sneaky tactics. If you know teens, that shouldn't surprise you, but it's still something to prepare for. When picking a parental control app, don't write down your password or login information (no matter how well you think you can hide it). You may also want to create a news alert for the software you choose, to help keep an eye out for any new vulnerabilities or workarounds. Some software can be bypassed with phone resets, customer service requests, and other tricks that you should know about.
Apple Screen Time

Is there any better tool than the one already installed on iOS? Apple's Screen Time app has some pretty good parental control features built in, meaning this should be your first stop if you're looking for some basic controls. Access it from Settings > Screen Time, and choose This Is My Child's [device] from the device you want to set controls on. You can set restrictions on downloads from the App Store, content, and in-app behaviors (including in-app purchases). Time spent using the device can be restricted as well, including controls for specific apps. You can even stop your child's device from being able to request specific permissions, like photos and location. On the minus side, you won't get some of the more powerful features you'll get on other apps, like geofencing. But if you're worried too much about that and simply want to restrict content and screen time, Apple's free option is a solid choice. Since it's made by Apple, you'll only find it on iOS. Find out how to use it in our Screen Time guide.

Google Family Link

Just as Apple offers its own tools for parental controls, so does Google. Unlike Screen Time, you'll need to download Google Family Link, but it's available for both Android and iOS. Like Apple's app, it's fairly basic, but it does offer everything you need to keep an eye on children's screen time. Family Link is geared toward making sure kids can only access appropriate content, and keeping an eye on how much screen time they're getting. Once set up, you can see how much time each child has spent in apps and which ones they've been accessing. You can set limits for individual apps and restrict whether in-app purchases are available or not. You can also decide whether to vet every app download your child makes, before they're able to make it. So while you're again not able to set up a geofence or track your child's location, it's still a great free option for keeping an eye on what your child is looking at on their phone.

FamiSafe

If you don't want to rely on Apple's or Google's fairly limited options, then you might consider FamiSafe's powerful suite of options. It offers real-time location (with history), geofences, app blockers, schedules, web filters, activity reports, and a lot more, making it an excellent all-in option. One very important feature is "YouTube Monitor," which detects disturbing videos and allows you to monitor your child's viewing history, and block videos or channels from being watched. FamiSafe is available across pretty much every device you might pass to a child, including Android, iOS, MacOS, Amazon's Kindle, and even Windows PCs. A monthly plan will cost you $10 a month and protects up to five devices - or you can pay $20 every quarter (equal to about $7 a month) for 10 devices, or even $60 a year (equal to $5 a month) for a huge 30 devices.

OurPact

OurPact works a little differently than most others, but it's very easy to get to grips with. It allows you to block messaging, apps, internet access, and to schedule screen time. You can also track your child, set up geofences to get real-time alerts if they go somewhere you'd rather they didn't, and receive alerts when they install new apps. Information is very clearly laid out in the parental interface, so you can quickly decide whether to schedule, grant, or block a request. It's easy to set complex schedules for different days and hours, and you can block entire categories of apps, and block all porn on their phone.

There are three tiers available for this app. The free tier lets you set a single schedule and five blocks and unlimited grants on a single device. $7 a month gets you the premium plan, which grants you unlimited use of the standard features, as well as app rules, time allowances, web filter, and more, for up to twenty devices. Finally, the premium plus plan gives you the ability to view your child's device through remote viewing as well, and will set you back $10 a month. This app is available for Android and iOS.

ESET Parental Control

ESET has a decent parental control app, but it's just for Android devices. The free version offers web guards, app blocking, time limits on games, and basic reporting. The premium version gives you website blocking, location tracking, parental messaging, and more detailed reports about what they're doing. The parental message feature is a clever idea. It allows you to send out a message that your child is required to respond to before he or she can continue using the phone. You can try the premium features for free for 30 days, but then it costs $30 per year, per device.

Norton Family Premier

Norton is a big name in the field of antivirus software, and Norton Family Premier is a program for restricting and monitoring your kids' behavior online. Family Premier offers parents a variety of features and makes it easy to manage all those options thanks to its clean interface. Among Family Premier's most notable features is its robust web supervision, which allows you to block sites entirely, or simply keep a log of sites visited. You can also set Norton to issue warnings for sites that you may not want to ban, but would prefer your kids to be careful on - for example, you might want to discourage them from spending all their time browsing memes on Reddit. Norton also lets you set time limits, shut down devices during specific hours of the day or night, and there's app blocking, too. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work correctly according to a lot of reviews in the app store the iOS version is limited, and the Android app no longer lets you block calls or monitor text messages.

It costs $50 per year, but it doesn't limit the number of devices you can have on an account, so simply install on any iOS or Android devices (or Windows desktops) your kids use.

Kaspersky Safe Kids

There are plenty of mobile antivirus options with decent parental controls as well, as Kaspersky Safe Kids shows. This child protection app has everything a concerned parent could ever want, like screen time management and monitoring tools, a battery level checker, and Facebook activity controls. It even gives you the ability to view the child's location in real-time as well as geofencing. Parents can successfully block inappropriate sites, apps, and games. You can also sign up for tips from child psychoanalysts for guidance through the more challenging situations. Unfortunately, iOS users will miss out on all these incredible options because of related constraints.

Kaspersky Safe Kids is one of the most inexpensive antivirus options on this list. For the low price of $15 per device annually, you can take control of your child's safety. Of course, the cost adds up if you download it onto a bunch of different devices, but it's a reliable, cost-effective option if you only need it on one.

Kidslox

is an Android and iOS-compatible parental control app that lets parents block inappropriate content (apps and websites) on up to 10 devices. This app enables you to control how much time your child spends on their phone each day, so you can prevent them from scrolling through social media when they should be doing homework. Various Kidslox modes allow you to change from unrestricted Parent Mode to a customized Child Mode or a highly restrictive Lockdown Mode. It also tracks your child's location through their device, so you always know where they are. When you first sign up for Kidslox, they give you a short, free trial. Once the trial ends, it costs $5.99 per month, depending on your devices. If you prefer, you can choose the money-saving $ 100-lifetime payment option. Overall, the app is easy to use and set up. Just note that you have to download it on each app you want to control.

Editors' Recommendations

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The Best Parental Control Apps for Android and iOS | Digital Trends

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Setting limits and keeping your children safe are two important responsibilities of parenting. Controlling what your child does on the internet isn't always easy, but there are a variety of tools you can use to make the task less difficult.

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Help your kids tell fact from fiction online. We've launched a new webinar for parents (grandparents, carers, aunts and uncles etc.) to help children spot misinformation in their newsfeeds, searches and social media. The pandemic has shown us how vitally important it is to know a trusted source and recognise 'clickbait'. Youngsters are often seen as 'digital natives' but [...]

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Help your kids tell fact from fiction online. We've launched a new webinar for parents (grandparents, carers, aunts and uncles etc.) to help children spot misinformation in their newsfeeds, searches and social media. The pandemic has shown us how vitally important it is to know a trusted source and recognise 'clickbait'.

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Are you being bullied?

If you are being bullied, or you are not ready to make a report to CEOP, you can talk to Childline anonymously online or on the phone - No worry is too big or too small.

Visit Childline

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Are you being bullied? If you are being bullied, or you are not ready to make a report to CEOP, you can talk to Childline anonymously online or on the phone - No worry is too big or too small. Visit Childline

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Romeo and Juliet: The world changes. Children don't.

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More than 22,500 people had their social media or email accounts hacked last year, new data shows.

Sun seekers looking to book their summer getaway are being warned to look out for fraudulent deals, as new data released today shows victims lost a staggering £12.3 million to holiday fraud last year.

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National Fraud & Cyber Crime Reporting Centre

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68% of teens agree that cyberbullying is a serious problem.

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What is fraud?

Fraud is a criminal act to deceive you and take your cash - it's a transaction that you didn't make or authorise.

What is a scam?

A scam is where you're tricked into making or authorising a payment to a criminal's account. Scammers impersonate banks, retailers and official organisations using emails, phone calls and texts that look and sound genuine.

How do you know it isn't us?

There are things that scammers do that we never do. Knowing what these things are makes it easier to stop fraud.

Learn about different fraud types

It's easier to protect yourself when you know what to look for.

Different scam types

Knowing about the different types of scam can help you protect yourself if you get targeted.

Latest scams

Scammers are quick to adapt and are constantly creating new scams. Stay up to date on the latest scams.

Remember, we'll never contact you by phone, text or email to ask you to

Move money to another account

Help with an 'internal investigation'

Give us access to your device to view or manage your accounts

Reveal your PIN, PINsentry or other membership details

We'll also never

Disclose your personal details to prove it's us

Text you unexpectedly with a link to make a payment

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Fraud is a criminal act to deceive you and take your cash - it's a transaction that you didn't make or authorise. A scam is where you're tricked into making or authorising a payment to a criminal's account. Scammers impersonate banks, retailers and official organisations using emails, phone calls and texts that look and sound genuine.

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Identifying Scams

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Find out how good you are at spotting a scam!

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Over 3 million people in the UK have fallen victim to fraudsters during the past year. Test your ability to detect fraud with this simple quiz.

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Tools and tactics to stay secure online- multilingual

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The Tactics Guides in this toolkit cover basic principles such as how to create strong passphrases and avoid malware. The Tool Guides offer step-by-step instructions to help you install, configure and use essential digital-security software and services.

Security in a Box is jointly developed by Front Line Defenders and Tactical Tech, along with a global network of activists, trainers and digital security experts.

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Security in a Box - Digital-security tools & tactics

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The Tactics Guides in this toolkit cover basic principles such as how to create strong passphrases and avoid malware. The Tool Guides offer step-by-step instructions to help you install, configure and use essential digital-security software and services.

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Cyber bullying advice - bullying on mobiles, Facebook and social networks what to do and how to prevent it

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Help children tackle cyberbullying

Created by young people for young people, the Stop, Speak, Support code offers simple steps for positive action to deal with cyberbullying.

Pledge to share the code with kids to encourage good digital citizenship and help stop cyberbullying.

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Stop, Speak, Support: a digital code of conduct | Internet Matters

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Created by young people for young people, the Stop, Speak, Support code offers simple steps for positive action to deal with cyberbullying. Pledge to share the code with kids to encourage good digital citizenship and help stop cyberbullying.

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1. Choose, use and protect your passwords carefully, and use a different one for every online account in case one or more get hacked.

2. Look after your mobile devices . Don't leave them unattended in public places, and protect them with a PIN or passcode.

3. Ensure you always have internet security software loaded on computers and a similar app on your mobile devices, and that this is kept updated and switched on. Remember that smartphones and tablets can get compromised as much as computers.

4. Always download software, operating system and app updates when prompted, as these frequently contain security fixes and improvements. If possible, set them to update automatically.

5. You mustn't assume that Wi-Fi hotspots in places like cafes, bars and hotel rooms are secure, so never use them when you're doing anything confidential online. Instead, use 3G or 4G or if it's for work, a VPN (virtual private network).

6. Never reveal too much personal or financial information in emails, on social networking and dating sites and in person. You never know who might see it, or use it.

7. Always consider that online or on the phone, people aren't always who they claim to be. Fake emails and phone calls are a favourite way for fraudsters to approach their victims.

8. Don't click on links in emails , posts, tweets of texts - and don't open attachments - if the source isn't 100% known and trustworthy, or it seems strange that you'd be receiving them.

9. Never pay for anything by direct bank transfer - including goods, services, tickets, travel and holidays - unless it's to someone you know personally and is reputable.

10. Take your time and think twice , because everything may not be as it seems.

11. Remember that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Get Safe Online is a signatory of the UK Government's Digital Inclusion Charter

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Choose, use and protect your passwords carefully, and use a different one for every online account in case one or more get hacked. Look after your mobile devices . Don't leave them unattended in public places, and protect them with a PIN or passcode.

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Family members of online daters are being urged to help protect their relatives from becoming a victim of romance fraud, as new figures show almost £92 million has been lost through dating scams this year alone.

Could you recognise a cloned company scam? Criminals are copying real websites to steal savings.

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Family members of online daters are being urged to help protect their relatives from becoming a victim of romance fraud, as new figures show almost £92 million has been lost through dating scams this year alone. Could you recognise a cloned company scam? Criminals are copying real websites to steal savings.

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Most of the apps and social networking sites are for people aged 13 and over. They also state that bullying, abusive behaviours which includes harassment and impersonation will result in the account becoming shut down and the user banned. A general rule when making a complaint about being bullied online is to copy the terms and conditions which have been breached and take a screenshot of the comment or photo as evidence.

Reporting bullying on social media

Facebook

Facebook does not tolerate bullying and say they will remove bullying content when they become aware of it and may disable the account of anyone who bullies or attacks another. They have a set of community standards that they adhere to and it states that they will not tolerate bullying in any shape or form.

You can report bullying on Facebook using the report links which appear near the content itself, as 3 dots and will give you an option to hide or report the comment or post. They will investigate and let you know their outcome. You may want to read their help pages on bullying.

Twitter

If you receive a tweet or reply that you don't like, you can unfollow that person. If they continue to contact you, you can block the user (just click on the head icon on their profile and select block user). You may find that as they are unable to get through to you, they will lose interest. However, if this is not the case and you continue to receive unwanted replies, abuse or threats, you can report it here straight to Twitter directly.

On Twitter you can choose to protect your tweets so that people can only follow you if you approve them first. You can select this by going into the 'settings menu' then 'security and privacy' and ticking the box for 'protect my tweets'. Find out more about the difference on Twitter between public and protected tweets.

YouTube

You have every right to use YouTube without fear of being subjected to bullying or harassment. Bullying can be reported and action taken when things cross a line. To flag a video you think is inappropriate (click on the little flag bottom right of the video) and YouTube will take a look at it to see whether it breaks their terms of use. If it does then they will remove it. YouTube rules say you can't upload videos with hate content, nudity or graphic violence and if you find one on someone else's space, click on the video to flag it as inappropriate. If under comments, you are being bullied, harassed or threats are being made, they have a reporting tool page where you can report the bullying and they will investigate.

Instagram

Bullying or abuse on Instagram can happen in many ways. It can be either negative comments, fake profiles or hacking of accounts. Instagram take all of these violations very seriously and have plenty of advice on their pages if you or someone you know is being bullied or abused on Instagram. Their advice initially is to block and unfollow the person who is being abusive. However, if it continues or it has gotten worse, you can use their in-app reporting tool. This page has details on how to report the abuse directly to them.

Snapchat

Snapchat is an app that allows users to send pictures to each other that disappear off screen within a set amount of time. Unfortunately, there is bullying on Snapchat in the form of screenshots, sending pics without permission, negative comments and more. If this is the case for you or someone you know they can block a user, tap the Menu icon, select "My Friends," locate their name in the list and swipe right across their name. If you would like to delete a friend from your contacts, press "Delete." Even if you haven't added the user as a friend, their name will still appear in the "My Friends" list under "Recent" if they have sent you a message recently. If you receive an inappropriate photo or someone's harassing or bullying you, report it by filling out their online form.

TikTok

TikTok is a fun app for many young people. It has increased in popularity and is a platform that allows users to create short videos incorporating music. If you are worried about your child experiencing bullying on TikTok, visit their safety centre first and foremost. If you want to report bullying directly to them, please click here. There are some safety points to consider when using this app. Ensure that all privacy and security settings are checked and are private rather then public. When your profile is private, you have the ability to approve or deny any followers from viewing your content. If comments are made on your video, you have the ability to delete it. If someone is making you feel upset or they are being inappropriate, you can block them too. Ensure as a parent that you have access to your child's account so that can monitor it fully. Please remember that this app is for those aged 13 and over. if you suspect that someone under this age are using it, you can report this by clicking here.

If you are a parent or guardian, you can use Family Pairing to link your account to your teen's account. Once you turn it on, you will be able to set controls including screen time, restricted mode, search functions, privacy settings, messages, comments and more.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp Messenger lets people sends instant messages, videos, photos, and short audio messages to either one person or within a group chat. Messages can only be sent to other smartphone users who also have WhatsApp. Once you install the app, it checks your address book to see if anyone else you know is already using WhatsApp, and connects you automatically. You have to be over 16 to use WhatsApp legally. Bullying can take many forms as it is a messaging service and we often hear of abusive group chats. You can block and delete the contact. You can find out more by emailing them at support@whatsapp.com.

Keep it private

Don't post anything on a social networking site which gives your real name, address, school, phone number or which will allow a stranger to contact you in real life. Make sure you don't ID your friends either.

Don't upload anything that might embarrass you at a later date. You might not realise it but things you post on the internet now could come back to cause problems for you later on, for instance when you go for an interview for college or a job. So if you are not happy for it to be shown to the world then do not hit send. Remember once you send it you have lost control of that image or comment.

Never be pressured into taking pictures of yourself that you wouldn't want other people to see. Trust your gut instinct over this. Once again, once you hit send, you have lost control over that picture and this can cause anxiety and stress.

If you're using a shared computer at school, in an internet cafe or library then you'll stay logged on even when you close the browser. So don't forget to log off when you've finished the session. Read more tips about staying safe online.

Location settings

Many social networks allow you to post your location or check in each time you tweet or post a status update. To turn off the location settings, go into the settings or privacy menu and double check.

Snapchat has developed a feature called Snap Map which can show your location. It is very important to turn this feature off so you are able to keep safe. Snap Map tracks your current location and places your avatar on a map like a pin. This can allow others to zoom in and find exactly where you are. It doesn't take effect until you update the app, and it has an opt-out option. If you're opening the app for the first time after the update, Snapchat will walk you through a step-by-step tutorial on how to use the Snap Map. First, it'll show you how to pinch and zoom in the camera tool to access the map. Then, it'll ask who you want to see your location. You get three choices: all your friends, select friends, or only me. Choosing 'only me' activates what it calls 'ghost mode' meaning you can see others but they can't see you. To turn off location data altogether, you'll need to visit your phone's settings where you can scroll down to Snapchat, click on 'location', and choose to never share.

Hashtags

Be wary of using hashtags as that can open up your post to be visible on that particular hashtag thread on any social network or app. It can open up your post and your account to a wider audience than you originally intended.

Inappropriate behaviour

If anyone makes you feel uncomfortable or embarrassed online then please tell your parents or someone that can help. If they're doing it to you then they might also be doing it to other people. It's particularly important never to meet up with anyone you meet online in real life, if anyone suggests that to you and particularly if they suggest you keep it secret that's a real danger sign.

When you go into a social networking site people might approach you to be a friend but remember that no matter how much they tell you about themselves, they are still strangers and they might not be telling you the truth about themselves. There have been cases of adults pretending to be young people to chat to them online and try and involve you in inappropriate activities. This is called grooming and is a criminal offence. CEOP (The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) investigates cases of sex abuse and grooming on the internet. Incidents can be reported by clicking the red button on the top right hand corner of the CEOP website.

Although the police can get information from your computer's hard drive, it's helpful if you don't delete anything you think is dodgy until the police have decided whether they need it as evidence.

Removing or blocking friends

Facebook - click on their profile, then on the 'message' button dropdown and you will see the option to 'unfriend'. You can also block a person this way.

Twitter - to remove or block someone on Twitter, click on the button with a head icon on it next to the 'Follow' button on a user's profile. If you click on this you will see a menu with the options to BLOCK the user to prevent them from seeing your profile, and vice versa, and you can also REPORT FOR SPAM, which will alert Twitter to any users who are abusing the service. Read our article about Twitter safety.

YouTube - go to your account page and click on "All Contacts" link in the "Friends and Contacts" section. Choose which person you want to unfriend and the click on "Remove Contacts". From then on the person won't be on your "Share Video" list.

WhatsApp - You can click on the name and then you will be taken to a dropdown menu and you can then choose to block the person.

Snapchat - to block a user who added you follow the steps below. Tap 'Added Me' on the Profile Screen. Then tap their name, and tap the wheel icon next to their name. Press 'Block' to prevent them from sending you Snaps, Chats, or from viewing your Stories.

Instagram - when you block someone, they can't see your profile or posts. People aren't notified when you block them. To block or unblock someone, tap their username to open their profile and then tap the three dots and press the option to block user.

Closing your account

Facebook - to deactivate your Facebook account go to the "settings" tab on the Account page. That will remove your profile and content and nobody will be able to see your details or search for you. But if you decide to reinstate the account later then the whole lot will be restored, including your friends and photos. If you would like to permanently delete your Facebook account, log in to your account, click 'Privacy and Settings', 'See More Settings' and select 'Delete my account'. Once you have confirmed your wish to delete your Facebook account it can take up to fourteen days for it to happen.

Twitter - on the settings tab on your profile, you will see 'deactivate my account' at the bottom. Click on this to delete your account. You have 30 days to change your mind otherwise your profile, all of your tweets and data will be permanently deleted.

YouTube - click on "My Account" in the top right hand corner and under "Account Settings" click on "Delete Account". Give the reason you're quitting the site and your password and then click "Delete My Account". Log out by clicking the link in the top right hand corner. Your videos will be removed from the site immediately and the thumbnails will disappear as soon as YouTube is updated. Your profile is removed permanently.

WhatsApp - you can remove the app from your smartphone either through app management in settings or by going into the settings of WhatsApp.

Snapchat - Open the Snapchat app, login and tap the Settings icon in the upper right corner. Navigate to Support and then Learning the Basics and then click on delete an account.

Instagram - Log into Instagram from a mobile browser or computer. You can't temporarily disable your account from within the Instagram app. Click your username in the top right and then select Edit Profile. Click temporarily disable my account in the bottom right and follow the on-screen instructions. If you want to delete your account permanently, go to the Delete Your Account page. If you're not logged into Instagram on the web, you'll be asked to log in first. Select an option from the drop-down menu next to Why are you deleting your account? And re-enter your password. The option to permanently delete your account will only appear after you've selected a reason from the menu. Click or tap permanently delete my account.

Posting offensive comments or posts

Don't get into arguments online, this is called flaming and it can get nasty. If you break the rules of whichever site you're on then the content is likely to be removed and you might have your membership terminated. You're not allowed to upload anything which is offensive or racist and which promotes physical harm so don't make threats to anyone. Neither are you allowed to harass people or to encourage other people to harass them.

Further resources

It may help to chat to other parents on our forums to find out how they are dealing with this issue within their family life. You can also talk to us online via our live chat service, email us at askus@familylives.org.uk or call us on our helpline on 0808 800 2222 to speak to trained family support worker. You can also report bullying to an organisation called Report Harmful Content online and they can help to get things taken down.

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Most of the apps and social networking sites are for people aged 13 and over. They also state that bullying, abusive behaviours which includes harassment and impersonation will result in the account becoming shut down and the user banned.

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Thank you for visiting the Me & My Shadow website. Please note that this website is no longer being updated. It will remain live as an archive, but some of the information may be out of date. In 2019 we will be migrating some of the content to Tactical Tech's other websites, so please stay tuned!

take control of your data

What are digital traces?

Through your computer, mobile phone, and other digital devices, you leave behind hundreds of digital traces (also called data traces) every day: bits of information about you that are created, stored, and collected.

When your digital traces are put together to create stories about you or profiles of you, these become your digital shadows. These can give others huge insight into your life; and they can also be totally wrong. Either way, once they're out there, they are almost impossible to control....

We leave hundreds of digital traces every day. What are they and how do we create them?

Once digital traces are created, they usually leave our immediate control and land up in the hands of others.

A closer look at the often-made claim that "effective anonymisation is possible".

We're being followed around the internet, and tracked through our mobile phones. What personal data are companies and institutions collecting, and what for?

GO: SEE HOW YOUR DATA IS BEING COLLECTED

"SO WHAT? I HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE"

"I've got nothing to hide"; "It's just the internet"; "But I'm just one in millions".....and four more.

How to change settings, block trackers, and choose usable alternative tools.

Investigations
into the data society

We live in a world currently suffering from an extreme case of Obsessive Collection Disorder. What is actually going on? Where do we fit in? What does all of this mean for us? This section takes a deeper, more in-depth look at things.

Who is reading over your shoulder when you read the news online?

More to come......

Watch this space!

Stuff We Like

Resources on privacy from other excellent organisations and individuals:

40 maps that will help you better understand where the internet came from, how it works, and how it's used by people around the world.
-Timothy B. Lee

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Thank you for visiting the Me & My Shadow website. Please note that this website is no longer being updated. It will remain live as an archive, but some of the information may be out of date. In 2019 we will be migrating some of the content to Tactical Tech's other websites, so please stay tuned!

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From Twitter clones to scam websites with green padlocks, fraud is continually evolving. Scott McGready explores some of the most popular scams around.

Fraudsters are continually embracing new technology and changing their methods in order to get at your hard-earned cash and data.

Here are some of the current most popular scams, how they work, and how to spot them.

Attack of the Twitter clones

Early last year, a spate of cloned Twitter accounts popped up posing as various banks and immediately responding to customers who had tweeted their own bank asking for help.

As the fake accounts looked identical to the real one, were named very similarly to the official account, and were usually the first to respond to the original question, many people gave the fraudulent account their bank details and security information via direct messages without even realising.

While most of these accounts were quickly reported and shut down by Twitter, a similar trend has sprung up recently trying to hijack verified Twitter accounts in order to lure people into giving them money in the form of cryptocurrency.

Donald Trump, John McAfee, Jordan Belfort, and many other verified users have all been impersonated by fraudsters trying to scam their followers.

In the screenshot above, the cloned account responds to a legitimate tweet put up by Jordan Belfort in order to make it seem like Jordan himself had forgotten to say something in his original tweet.

Starting with phrases such as "By the way..." or "Oh and another thing..." attempts to add an air of legitimacy to the fake account with the aim of extorting money in the form of cryptocurrency from any of Jordan's followers.

Looking closer at the fake account in the screenshot, the inconsistencies between it and the real account become quickly apparent.

The lack of a verified tick and a slight misspelling in the Twitter handle are just a few of the warning signs that might not be obvious at first, especially if you're hooked on the prospect of getting something for effectively nothing, but upon further investigation start to reveal themselves.

While this particular scam seems to be only mimicking verified Twitter users and focusing specifically on cryptocurrency as its "cash out" at the moment, it's only a matter of time before the medium, content, targets, or even social network changes.
Check your credit report for any unusual activity
Text and call spoofing is still a dangerous problem

Banks, HMRC, DVLA, private companies, the NHS, and many other organisations now use text messages to communicate with their customers, notifying them of any issues or keeping them informed of any changes to their accounts.

Scammers know this - and use it to their advantage.

Spoofing popular banks or companies, fraudsters will typically use language to encourage a reaction from the victims, such as "Your account is being blocked due to unauthorised access" or "Your account is overdrawn".

The natural reaction to receiving a message like this is to immediately want to resolve the problem.

Messages will include either a number to call, a link to a website, or can even indicate a time when you'll receive a call from their "fraud department".

Spoofed text messages are incredibly believable because they "thread" into the chain of messages you've previously received from that company, thereby giving some sort of credibility to the message itself.

By matching known language used by banks, or ironically even occasionally including a warning about fraudulent messages, fraudsters seek to further legitimise their claim of representing a company you know and trust, with the ultimate aim of luring you into revealing financial information.

Never feel pressured into responding to, or interacting with, a text message - even if it demands urgent action.

Call the purported sender immediately on a number you trust, never a number provided via a text message, and ask them to verify if the message is genuine.

Not only will it confirm you were right to be suspicious if it isn't genuine (or give you peace of mind if it is), it could also let the company or bank know that their customers are currently a target of fraudulent messages.

Similar in function to text spoofing, but arguably more dangerous, is call spoofing.

This is where fraudsters mask their own telephone number by spoofing various organisations such as a bank, an 0800 number, or even a number that shares the same area code to where you live.

To make things even more believable, fraudsters have been known to assure victims that they are a representative of their bank by spoofing the bank's recognised telephone number and then asking the intended victim to check the number against the one on the back of their bank card.

As the numbers match, most people believe that the caller is genuinely the bank and are guided through an extensive "security check" where they unknowingly give the fraudsters all their information.

This is why it's incredibly important to hang up the call if you're unsure about the caller's legitimacy and call the company back using a number you trust, found on their website or a letter, from another phone.
Think you might have fallen victim to a scam? Check your credit report for anything suspicious
What does a "green padlock" really mean?

There's a fair amount of confusion surrounding so-called "green padlocks": what do they do and, more importantly, do they make the website they're attached to legitimate?

While it's true that you should always look out for a green padlock in the address bar before submitting any personal data, including credit card information or passwords, the presence of one doesn't mean that the website is legitimate.

A number of years ago, SSL certificates (the technical term for green padlocks) were fairly difficult and time consuming for both legitimate and fraudulent websites to obtain.

This meant that most fake websites didn't even bother trying to get an SSL certificate and, as a direct result, a lot of the advice that was given out surrounding fake websites was to look out for the absence of a green padlock.

Although it wasn't impossible for a fake website to have an SSL, at the time it was highly unlikely. In the last few years, however, SSLs have become much easier, cheaper, and quicker to obtain, yet the advice hasn't changed to reflect this.

Simply put - websites that have a green padlock in the address bar only ensure that data sent to or from the website (such as your username, password or credit card details) is encrypted and cannot be intercepted by anyone "listening in".

However, it doesn't verify that the website is legitimate. You could be sending your data in a secure way, but delivering it directly to the fraudster who owns or maintains the website.

You can't use gift cards to pay fines

Targeting one specific demographic, rather than the entire population, has already proven an effective tactic for fraudsters as there's a greater chance a scam will be successful.

For example, when it comes to over 65s, fraudsters will often try and confuse their victims by throwing overly technical terms around or, as in this case, asking for fines to be paid using iTunes gift cards.

Commonly, a fraudster will call a victim claiming to be from a Government authority, such as the police or HMRC.

They then inform the victim that a large amount of unpaid tax is due, or that they are suspected of criminal charges, and to avoid any criminal convictions they must pay a fine via a gift card.

As the over 65s demographic tend not to be frequent users of services like iTunes, Google Play, or PlayStation Network, fraudsters are able to use this unfamiliarity to their advantage and insist it's the only way to process payment of the fine.

The underlying reason for this is that it's infinitely more difficult for banks and the police to track the money leaving the victim's account and arriving in the fraudster's account.

With an average loss of over £1,000 per victim it's a very profitable scam for fraudsters to conduct and, while companies like Apple and organisations like HMRC are actively distributing advice warning people of the scam, it's still highly successful and shows no signs of slowing down.

How to protect yourself from scams

The fight against the fraudsters can seem to be an unwinnable battle at first, but there are some simple and effective steps you can take to fight back and to help protect yourself, your money, and your information.
Take Five
The national Take Five campaign's advice of taking five minutes before responding to a suspicious email, text, or call, and taking some time to think before parting with any money or data sounds simple, but is remarkably powerful. Taking that extra time to think about what's being asked of you, contacting the company via another trusted means, and not making a quick decision could save you from falling victim to a scam.
Tell 2
The aim of another national campaign, Tell 2, is to encourage everyone to share information on scams, or how to avoid them, with two people. The idea is that if everyone makes a conscious effort to tell two people, information about the latest scams can spread quickly and the public's heightened awareness can stop the fraudsters in their tracks.
Action Fraud and Police
Again, another seemingly simple piece of advice is to always report suspected scams to Action Fraud and the police - even if you weren't a victim. By reporting these scams as soon as possible, police can immediately start disrupting the fraudsters' attempts while more relevant safety advice can be given out to help protect others.

By taking five minutes, telling two people, and reporting any suspicious activity to both Action Fraud and the police, not only could you save yourself from falling victim to a scam, but you could save countless others.
Think you might have fallen victim to a scam? Check your credit report for anything suspicious

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