Cornwall Council has said it will be supporting Safer Internet Day on 10 February, to promote safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, especially among children and young people across the world.

Cabinet member for Children and Young People, Andrew Wallis, said: “We want to make sure that we are doing all we can to help to protect individuals, families and communities to stay safe online.

"E-safety is important to everything we do online whether it’s for work or pleasure. The virtual world provides huge opportunities for everyone to work, learn and be creative but we need to remember that it creates challenges for us as individuals, our family and friends and our communities. We all need to understand these challenges and know how we can stay safe online which is why we are showing our support for Safer Internet Day.”

To see how safe you are online, the council is proposing you ask yourselves these questions:

Do you use the same password for all of your online accounts such as banking, shopping, and social media?
How unique are your passwords are they simply your date of birth, mother’s maiden name or the name of your nearest and dearest?
How much information about yourself do you share online?
Who has control over what photos, images or stories about you are being added to social media?
Who has access to this information? You, your friends or everyone?

The council will be sharing e-safety hints and tips throughout the day and will share useful links to websites including Cyber Streetwise where you can find all of the information you need to stay safer online. 

Cyber Streetwise is part of the governments national cyber security programme aiming to change the way people view online safety. The interactive website provides advice such as installing antivirus software, strong passwords, online shopping and social privacy settings to help people enjoy a safer experience online.

Cornwall Council will also be letting you know more about how it uses your information and why it holds, uses and shares that information.

To find out more about Safer Internet Day, Cyber Streetwise and other hints and tips look for #ccsafeinternet on Twitter and Facebook.