ESAFETY ADVICE FOR PARENTS - THINKUKNOW PROGRAM

This week we have been focusing on safety with the internet. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) are urging families to be proactive this school year and update the privacy settings on children’s devices to help prevent predators from contacting them online. 

The AFP-led ThinkUKnow program – Australia’s first and only nationally delivered, law enforcement-led online safety program – has produced guides for parents and carers.

• Gaming devices and what you need to know
• Parent and carer social media starter kit

For more information, visit https://thinkuknow.org.au

SAFER INTERNET DAY

Safer Internet Day is a global event that brings together communities, families, schools and organisations from more than 200 countries to help create safer online spaces.

This website, provided by the office of the eSafety Commissioner  contains further information - and various resources (including those intended for use in schools). 

Our school has been asked to share the following resources that might be of interest to you in regards to being aware of safety and internet use by your children. 

Cyber Security Resource

The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) Kids Cyber Security Checklist provides simple tips for primary school-aged children about the basic cyber security steps to stay secure online. The ACSC’s Kids Cyber Security Checklist is available at: https://www.cyber.gov.au/cyber-security-kids.

Use the ACSC’s learning resources

Help create a more secure online environment for children by sharing our easy-to-follow guides, including:

• Kid’s Cyber Security Checklist
  A one-page list of suggestions to enhance cybersecurity
• Cyber Security Instruction Manual
  A Kid’s Guide to Using the Internet Securely
• Cyber Security Poster for Kids
• Cyber Security colouring in sheet for Kids

What can you do?

The ACSC is encouraging Australian families to strengthen their children’s cyber security online by taking the following steps:

• Turn on automatic security updates on all devices to fix weaknesses.
• Activate multi-factor authentication to add multiple layers of protection.
• Regularly back up devices to help easily restore your files in the case your device is ever hacked, lost, stolen or damaged.
• Use strong passphrases to secure gaming, social media and all other accounts.
• Check settings and set portable devices to require parental approval before software is installed. Parental controls can also be used for this purpose.
• Report and recognise scams.