Ballakermeen High School Association

Safe Surfing

In chat rooms, you can never be sure if the person you are talking to is as they describe themselves.
We spend years as parents telling our children not to talk to strangers!
It is good practice, particularly for young people, not to give strangers personal details which can identify where they live or go to school, or which could identify them in any way.
It is also good practice for parents to talk to their children about where they go on the net - stay interested even if it's all "tech talk" to you.

The main problem with e-mail is "spamming" or junk mail. You don't want to have to wade through loads of irrelevant mail, so be careful who you give your address to. Be aware that if you post to a Newsgroup, unscrupulous companies can get your address.
Children are advised not to use full names which might identify them when they are on line.

Always know where you are downloading from!
Have an up to date "Virus Scanning" programme installed on your computer.
Don't be alarmed by the prompt screen in Windows: it is there to remind you, not to scare you.
A good virus checker will scan your download automatically, provided it is enabled

Never give your card details to avail of a "free" trial
Look for the secure site icon at the bottom of the screen - it's a closed padlock, and sits on the bar at the bottom of your browser
Know the site or company you are dealing with
It's a personal decision whether you shop online - but remember the process your cards go through in a shop or restaurant is no more secure!

Ballakermeen High School Association