Most of us habitually check our doors are locked each night. We don’t leave our cars open with the keys in the ignition. We take care not to let anyone watch us enter our PIN at the cash machine. When it comes to cyber-security, however, many people aren’t anywhere near as routinely cautious – which is one of the reasons that online crime continues to pose a major threat.

The UK had the largest percentage of cyber-crime victims per million internet users in 2022; the US had the second-highest ratio. Nations with (relatively) wealthy populations who spent a lot of time online are, therefore, lucrative hunting grounds for cyber criminals. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide this week has useful tips to help you avoid joining the growing number of victims.

Read on to access your free guide…National Online Safety

A sprawling fantasy epic of wizards and warriors, World of Warcraft has raked in an estimated $9 billion plus in revenue, mainly through monthly subscription fees and in-game purchases. It’s this lucrative seam which has helped guarantee the game’s incredible lifespan: Warcraft continues to receive developer support and expansion packs almost 20 years after its initial release.

The game’s longevity is matched by its immersive – and often addictive – nature. There are frequent reports of players eating meals at their keyboard, guzzling energy drinks to prolong marathon gaming sessions late into the night. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide highlights this and other potential pitfalls that parents of young Warcraft fans should be aware of.

Read on to access your free guide and catch up on the latest online safety news…National Online Safety

Happy new year! We’re going back to basics with our first #WakeUpWednesday guide of 2023 – a special edition in poster format, with some January reminders about simple things that children and young people can do to make themselves safer online. They’re likely to have encountered some of these suggestions before, but there’s no harm in refreshing their memory for the months ahead.

Most tech-savvy youngsters will probably have memorised the fundamentals, like keeping passwords secret and not chatting to strangers on the internet – but some children may benefit from remembering slightly less obvious steps such as treating anything they read online with caution or asking permission before downloading a game or app.

Read on to access your free guide and catch up on the latest online safety news…National Online Safety

Using social media has plenty of potential benefits for young people: it helps them stay connected to their friends, hear contrasting views on the world, find reassurance or support, and ease social anxiety. It also brings, however, a corresponding number of negative possibilities – including compulsive use, unhealthy comparisons with others online and exposure to harmful content.

Ironically – for a medium designed to enable engagement with other people – social platforms can actually lead to children feeling increasingly isolated and lonely, taking an obvious toll on their mental wellbeing. This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide has our top tips on how trusted adults can support healthier social media habits in young people.

Read on to access your free guide and catch up on the latest online safety news…National Online Safety

Around an eighth of the world’s population use TikTok. Consider the scale of that reach, and that the app’s demographic is heavily skewed towards younger people – with almost half (41%) of those users aged 16–24. TikTok itself advises a minimum age of 13 to access the platform (with certain features for over-18s only), but reports suggest that some children as young as 10 use it.

Given the youthfulness of its user-base, TikTok has faced numerous age-related challenges such as inappropriate content in videos, in-app purchasing and children being contacted by strangers on the platform. Updated for 2022, this week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide tells trusted adults everything they need to know to help young people stay safe on TikTok.

Read on to access your free guide and catch up on the latest online safety news…National Online Safety

According to Ofcom’s 2022 Media Use and Attitudes report, children are now more likely to be bullied via technology than they are to experience it in person. An alarming 84% of 8 to 17-year-olds who reported being targeted said it had taken place via messaging, social media, online gaming and so on, as opposed to 61% who had been intimidated face-to-face.

Just like its offline counterpart, cyber-bullying creates feelings of isolation and anxiety in its victims, along with a loss of self-esteem and potentially thoughts of self-harm or suicide. In support of Anti-Bullying Week, today’s #WakeUpWednesday guide has expert tips on how trusted adults can help to prevent online bullying or reduce its damaging effects.

Read on to access your free guide and catch up on the latest online safety news…National Online Safety

On general principle, any app which allows children to communicate with others anonymously online should be treated with a substantial measure of caution – and Sendit is no exception. For some individuals, the extra layer of security that anonymity provides is an open invitation to post negative and hurtful comments without fear of the consequences.

Indeed, some Scandinavian schools have already gone as far as warning parents about the dangers of children downloading and using Sendit, following a spate of bullying and harassment incidents. As this week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide highlights, the cost of subscriptions and the tendency for young people to be drawn into using the app habitually are among Sendit’s other potential risks.

Read on to access your free guide and catch up on the latest online safety news…National Online Safety

You don’t have to be football crazy or an avid gamer to have heard of the all-conquering FIFA franchise. What you might not know is that this latest edition will be the last release to bear that name, thanks to a parting of the ways between football’s governing body FIFA (that’s Federation Internationale de Football Association, acronym fans) and developers EA Sports.

There’s no disputing that the game’s been an immense success – but what’s less impressive is its tendency to look defensively shaky against some online threats. Young players aiming to recreate their football heroes’ exploits can be at risk from abusive opponents, expensive in-game purchases and the “just one more game” mentality. This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide tackles FIFA 23.

Read on to access your free guide and catch up on the latest online safety news…National Online Safety