The ICT Lounge
Section 8.2:
E-safety is all about knowing how to use the internet safely and responsibly.

This sections looks at some of the ways you can avoid potential dangers when communicating over the internet.

Key Concepts of this section:
Understand what is meant by E-safety.
Know the dangers of posting personal data online.
Be able to describe some precautions you can take in order to use the internet safely.

Dangers of online communication
Key Words:
Communicate, Dangers, Misuse, Anonymity.
Using the internet to communicate

The internet provides us with lots of different ways in which we can communicate with each other. Some of these ways include:
  • Instant messaging - (WhatsApp, Viber, Kik etc.)
  • Social networking - (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.)
  • Bloggs - (Huffington Post, Mashable, Life Hacker etc.)
  • Emailing
  • VoIP services - (Skype, Viber etc.)
  • Chatting in online games.
Social media make it easy for online predators to communicate with potential victims.
Unfortunately hurtful messages can be sent anonymously online.
The internet is full of online scammers trying to get hold of people's financial details.
The Deep Web
The deep web refers to all of the web sites that are not accessible through search engines like Google.

Web sites that you can find through search engines are known as 'The surface web'. The surface web makes up only about 4% of all web sites.

The deep web contains the other 96%.

Users and web sites on the deep web are completely anonymous which can make this section of the internet even more dangerous.

Click the image below for more information about the deep web:
When used responsibly, all of these communication tools can make it extremely easy for us to keep in contact with friends and family.

For example:
If you have family who live in a different country, you can easily send a message over WhatsApp and as soon as they are online they will receive it and respond.

Before the internet, we would have had to use a standard telephone, arrange a time for the call to be made and incur a large phone bill.

However, the internet can also be misused and abused which can make using it dangerous.

What are the dangers of communicating over the internet?
You have to be careful how, and with who, you communicate online.

The internet is full of potential dangers including:
  • Cyber predators - (e.g. pedophiles)
  • Cyber bullies - (e.g. nasty messages being sent over Facebook)
  • Data theft - (e.g. online con artists stealing our bank details)
  • Adult content - (pornography, uncensored videos etc.).

Internet anonymity
When people communicate over the internet, they do so whilst being largely anonymous.

Anonymous means 'unidentified'.

If people are using the internet anonymously, it can be difficult to trace them if they choose to misuse communication tools like social media or instant messaging etc.

This makes it more likely that some people might do things they wouldn't normally because they don't have the fear of getting caught.

For example:
Internet 'trolls' are people who use the internet to post comments that are deliberately hurtful, inflammatory or racist.

They would be less likely to make such comments on the street or in public because they know they would probably face consequences.
The problem of anonymity is even greater on the deep web.

See the yellow box to the right for more information about the deep web.

Some videos:
Here are some links to videos that contain more information about dangers found on the internet:


Personal data and the internet
Key Words:
Personal data , Identify, Private.
What is personal data?
Personal data is anything that can be used to identify a person.

You should never give out personal data online.
Identity theft allows cyber criminals to pretend to be you.
If a cyber criminal obtains your bank details, they can steal your money.
Facebook status posts can be read by the wrong people .

Examples of personal data include:
  • Name
  • Address
  • Phone number
  • Photograph
  • Bank details.

Why you should keep personal data private whilst online:
Bearing in mind the potential dangers of using the internet, it is very important to keep personal data private for many reasons.

Some of these are described in the table below:

Prevent identity theft
Identity theft is where someone gets hold of your personal information and then pretends to be you.

They could then go on to commit cyber crimes (like fraud) while posing as you.

Prevent theft of your money
If online criminals obtain your bank details or credit card number, they can use that information to withdraw your cash or make online purchases at your expense.

Prevent burglary of your home
It has been known that people have been burgled as a result of Facebook status posts.

Publicly posting dates and times when you are on holiday can let burglars know your house is empty and an easy target. It's almost like saying 'Please rob me!'

Prevent physical harm to yourself
Unfortunately, the internet is sometimes used by people who can only be described as 'online predators'.

This can include pedophiles who deliberately look for and target children.

Posting personal data online such as your age or an image of yourself in a school uniform can attract online predators.

Stay safe and don't do this!

Some videos:
Here are some links to videos that contain more information about data protection:


Understanding e-safety
Key Words:
Personal data , Identify, Private.
What is e-safety and why is it needed?
E-safety is all about knowing how to use the internet safely.

Never post personal information or images which can be used to identify you.
Online filters can block inappropriate web sites.
Only accept friend requests from people you know.
Report inappropriate messages or abuse.
Use a nickname when playing online games.

This includes keeping your personal information private in chat rooms, social media, emails and when playing online games.

Understanding e-safety can help protect us from online dangers.

How can you use the internet safely?
As we discussed above, the internet is full of potential dangers but fortunately these are easy to avoid by taking certain precautions.

Precautions you should take when using the internet are listed below:
  • Never reveal personal information - including name, home address, phone number and photograph
  • Only use web sites recommended by teachers or parents
  • Use search engines and web sites with filters so that inappropriate content can be filtered out
  • Only open emails from people you know
  • Only open email attachments from people you know
  • Only accept social media friend requests from people you know
  • Use the privacy controls on social media - this will minimise the number of people who can read your posts
  • Never arrange to face-to-face meet people that you have met online - if you do, then take an adult with you and meet in a public place
  • Make sure that your parents know what you are doing online - this includes using social media and chat rooms
  • Know how to block people on social media and in chat rooms - block people who send unwanted messages/content
  • Report unwanted users - contact the owners of a chat room or social media site if you receive inappropriate attention from other users
  • Never post or email pictures of yourself in school uniform
  • Never give out the name of your school.

How can you play games on the internet safely?
Playing computer games over the internet has become very popular in recent years.

Playing games over the internet is known as 'online gaming'.

There are literally millions of online gamers and most games allow them to communicate with each other in game.

This can lead to similar dangers as in chat rooms, social media sites and emails.

Precautions you should take when playing online games are listed below:
  • Never reveal personal information - including real name, home address and phone number
  • Use a nickname as your game name - instead of using your real name in the game, use a made up one
  • Play online games that use anti-virus/anti-spyware software - this helps prevent identity theft
  • Know how to block people in the game - many online games allow you to block other users who send inappropriate messages
  • Report unwanted users - many online games have facilities for you to report abusive gamers. This can lead to them being banned from the game.

Some videos:
Here are some links to videos that contain more information about practicing e-safety:



Click the above task and answer the questions about E-safety.

Please add your questions/comments below:

Links to Theory Units:
Links to Practical Units:
Section 11: File Management
Section 12: Images
Section 13: layout
Section 14: Styles
Section 15: Proofing
Section 16: Graphs and Charts
Section 17: Document Production
Section 18: Data Manipulation
Section 19: Presentations
Section 20: Data Analysis
Section 21: Website Authoring