Nottinghamshire Police

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Internet safety

Children and the Internet 

• Keep your computer in a family room where you can supervise its use
• Discuss and encourage your child to share information with you about what they have seen and learnt from the internet. Urge them to show you anything they see that makes them feel uncomfortable
• Explain to your child the dangers of chat rooms and what are inappropriate subjects to discuss. Ask your child to tell you about anyone trying to contact them privately or users talking inappropriately
• Warn your child about the dangers of sharing personal information over the internet with people they do not know. Remind them that they should think of people they encounter on the internet as strangers
• Never let your child meet in person anyone they have met via the internet unless it is under your supervision
• Use safety filters, if your internet service provider has them, to prevent your child from accessing adult or illegal content
• Don’t allow your child access to your credit or debit card details

On-line security

• Protect your computer and email accounts with strong passwords. Use a minimum of seven characters using both letters and numbers for maximum security
• Ensure your anti-virus software is up to date. New strains of malicious computer viruses are being created every day
• Use a personal firewall to stop hackers accessing information on your computer while you are on-line
• Download and install the latest update patches for your computer. Often new programmes will have security flaws that can be exploited by hackers to access information on your computer. The latest patches for computers and software can usually be found by visiting the manufacturers’ websites
• Be aware of unsolicited emails – they are usually scams. A number of fraudsters are using email to get people to divulge their bank and credit card details. This method of fraud is called “phishing”. The emails may appear to be from a reputable bank, but your bank would normally contact you in writing if they required you to update your details
• Don’t open attachments from email addresses you don’t recognise – they could be viruses
• Think carefully before replying to unsolicited emails
• Before buying anything on-line, make sure you can see the yellow padlock logo in the explorer status bar. This shows that you are have a secure connection and any information, such as credit card numbers, will be encrypted before they are transmitted via the internet
• If you buy goods from auction sites, but they arrive in a different condition to how they were described, you should contact the seller directly first and explain the situation. If that does not work you should contact the owners of the website directly for help. If there is still no resolution to your problem and you believe you were deliberately conned, then you should contact trading standards or the police for further guidance

Wi-Fi Security

If you're connecting to the internet using a wireless modem make sure you use all the security features that are available to you. Ensure your connection is encrytped by using a minimum of 64BIT WEP.

Internet Watch Foundation (IWF)

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) operates the UK internet Hotline for reporting criminal online content. Their remit covers three areas:

• Child sexual abuse images hosted worldwide
• Criminally obscene adult content hosted in the UK
• Non-photographic child sexual abuse images hosted in the UK

In partnership with police, Government, the internet industry, and international partners, the IWF works to remove criminal content online and helps to make the internet a safer place for everyone.

Don’t ignore it, report it!

If you stumble across such images accidentally you should report them to the IWF.

Why should I report these images?
Reports from the public help the IWF to remove the images from the internet and to support the investigative processes which could bring those responsible to justice.

Child sexual abuse images record the real abuse of a child and your reports to the IWF might help the authorities to trace and rescue a young victim from further exploitation.
 
How do I report?
Go to the IWF website www.iwf.org.uk and complete the step-by-step form. The form is easy to navigate and reports can be submitted anonymously.