Staying safe online

There are lots of sites around and social networks that allow you to talk to other people on the web. Chat rooms give you the chance to have a conversation with other people and get instant replies. Online message boards and forums let you post questions or comments and ask other users to give their opinion in their own time.

It can be a great way to chat to other people and share interests, ideas, advice and virtually anything, but you should always be careful not to pass on any of your personal details. You should always keep in mind that internet users can pretend to be anyone they like. They can lie about their age, their interests and whether they're male or female. There's no real way that you can verify somebody's identity online.

No matter how long you've been in contact with a person or group of people, remember that they're still strangers; you don't really know them at all and you could be opening yourself up to more danger.

Keep your online friends separate from your real friends!

Some of you may already have your own Bebo account or Facebook profile that lets you chat and interact with friends or communicate with other users who share your interests in your network. These 'social networks' let you create your own blog, upload photos and videos for others to see and add people to an online friends list.

Social networks are a great way of keeping in touch but you should think carefully before adding someone to your list of online friends or posting a blog entry that could get you into trouble at school, college or work.

Remember that once you accept a friend request they will automatically be able to see all your posts, photos and anything that you have uploaded to your profile page, so putting anything on your page that you wouldn't want your parents, teacher or boss to see is not a good idea.

You can never be sure that other users are being truthful about their online identities, so be careful about what information you give out and think about whether you know someone well enough before accepting someone into your group of linked friends

When you're using a chat room or posting on a message board, you should never give out any personal information like your address or your phone number. You should always use a nickname that is different to your real names, so no-one can look you up in a telephone directory and get your home phone number.

It's never a wise idea to arrange to meet up with someone that you've been chatting to online. Remember that you can never be sure that they're telling the truth about their age or their interests and you could be putting yourself in danger.

If you do want to meet up with someone you've met online, make sure that you discuss it with your parents beforehand. If they do agree, make sure that you arrange a meeting in a public place and that you take an adult with you.

NEVER go alone and Always speak to your parent or career if you have any concerns.

Some websites will ask you to fill out a registration form before you can use them. While this is normal, it's a good idea to find out what the website will do with your personal details. All companies that collect information have to tell their customers how personal information will be used under the data protection laws. Make sure you check the website's terms and conditions if you want to know.

Some sites allow other companies to use details from their user database for market research purposes. Companies have to give you the chance to tell them if you don't want your details to be used in this way. This is often done by having a tick box on the online registration page. If you don't want your information to be used, tick that box before you submit your information.

Sometimes you can never tell if a website is genuine, particularly if the site is offering a too-good-to-be-true deal and asking for personal details. While there are some anti-virus scanners like AVG that actively scan links and alert you if the website is fraudulent or contains viruses, this is nothing to go by when it's a question of providing your personal details.

If you're unsure leave the website....there are many ways that criminals can use your information against you.

Many people still don't like shopping on the internet because they think their bank details are not safe. Luckily, shopping and using online banking on the web is now just as safe as ordering goods over the telephone, as long as you follow a few common sense rules.

If you do order goods over the internet, make sure that the company you're buying from uses a secure shopping server. You'll know if it is a secure site if a padlock icon appears at the bottom of your browser window, or the web address begins with 'https:' The S at the end means that all the data sent is encrypted, if the browser doesn't show https when your prompted to enter your bank details leave the website.

If it's a company that you've never heard of before, search their site for any contact numbers and postal addresses. If they're a respectable company, they won't mind you giving them a quick call to ask them a few questions.

Also, make sure that you never send your bank details to anyone in an email. Banks and online stores will never ask you to do this as it is not a secure way of sending information.

If you do receive an official-looking email that asks you to send your financial details, you should never reply as you could become a victim of identity fraud. Also replying to these emails will open you up to more spam as the sender will know that your address is active.