The internet is a wonderful source of information to explore and experience - but there are some risks. At TelstraClear, we also take online safety very seriously and have provided these guidelines to help you surf the internet safely.
Protecting yourself and your family:
- Think carefully before revealing any personal information such as home address, telephone number, age, marital status, or financial information online - such as in chat or bulletin boards or on a web page.
- Ensure you are dealing with someone you and your child know and trust before giving out information via email. (It is also easy to unintentionally include this information in an email signature).
- Consider using a nickname rather than your real name.
- Not everything you read on the internet can be relied on. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Fast and incredible earnings, commissions for recruiting others, and joining fees are some of the warning signs.
Protecting your children:
- The best way to make sure your children make wise use of the internet is to apply good sense and sound parenting.
- If the internet is going to be a part of your child's life, make it a part of your own. Spend time with your children online, just as you do in other areas of their lives. Get to know your children's online friends, just as you would their other friends. By keeping the computer in a family room rather than a bedroom you can make time on the Internet more of a family activity.
- Set your children reasonable rules and guidelines for computer use. Discuss these, post them near the computer as a reminder, and make sure they are followed.
- Talk to your children if you are worried about their online activities.
More Information:
For more information about Online Safety, visit the NetSafe website.
NetSafe is a programme of New Zealand's Internet Safety Group (ISG), which has been designated the Ministry of Education's 'agent of choice' for cybersafety education in New Zealand.
