SAPOL is highlighting its commitment to cyber safety by supporting Safer Internet Day today and is encouraging you to learn more about digital safety and how to stay safe online.
Today (Tuesday, 11 February), South Australia Police is pleased to be supporting the work of Australia’s eSafety Commissioner by spreading online safety messages and promoting the positive use of digital technology on Safer Internet Day.
Managed and promoted in Australia by the eSafety Commissioner and celebrated in over 150 countries, Safer Internet Day empowers individuals and communities with tools for more positive online experiences. The Safer Internet Day theme is: ‘Together for a better internet’ and we are encouraging all Australians to start the chat to help improve online safety within their communities, and make every day a Safer Internet Day.
The first step to a better internet is to talk about the potential risks and ways to avoid them. Safer Internet Day is a great opportunity to start this conversation with family, friends and colleagues to raise awareness about the role we can all play in creating a better and safer internet for our community.
Apart from getting on board with promoting the awareness day, did you know SAPOL is committed to creating a safer internet through initiatives such as delivering over 500 AFP ThinkUKnow cyber safety presentations in the past financial year in South Australian schools to educate young people about cyber safety.
SAPOL’s activity not only focuses on programs such as ThinkUKnow but extends to disrupting and disabling serious and organised online crime together with the prevention of victimisation through building community resilience against cybercrime. This involves SAPOL proactively engaging with the community to provide awareness about online safety, information about emerging trends and cyber bullying.
Financial and Cybercrime Investigation Branch actively enhance internet safety by working with businesses, government and law enforcement agencies providing solutions to cybercrime issues affecting South Australians. Various policing operations run by the branch, such as Operation Disrepair, provide a proactive, intelligence-led policing initiative concentrating on intervention and the prevention of online fraud and scam activity within the community. The operation has seen a significant reduction in both the number of romance scams and amount of money being sent overseas.
But SAPOL cannot do it alone. Everyone in our community has a part to play in creating a safer, better internet for all.
BE IN THE KNOW – Inform yourself
- Adults: Find helpful resources on SAPOL’s Scams and Cybercrime page. Here you can find cyber safety information and tips that you can download, print or share online including information on protecting your privacy, identity theft, scams, tap and go and shopping online.
- Youth: Find the ‘Think about it’ section on SAPOL’s Safety and security page to find info and tips that you can download, print or share online including cyber safety tips, how to avoid ‘online sharks’ and sexting – think before you send.
- Get information from these other useful websites to help protect yourself online:
- eSafety Commissioner
- Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC)
- Scam Watch
- Think You Know
- Sign-up to SA Police News or Scamwatch to get alerts of current scams and help protect yourself.
- Parents: can join one of eSafety’s free Safer Internet Day Parent webinars and/or get advice and resources all year round on the eSafety Parents pages at the online safety hub at esafety.gov.au.
TAKE ACTION – REPORT CYBERCRIME
- If someone is in immediate danger ring Triple Zero (000).
- For police assistance ring 131 444.
- Report online to theReport Cyber website.
Report Cyber empowers members of the public to securely report instances of cybercrime online and enables better and more targeted responses to cybercrime which includes online scams and fraud, identity theft, attacks on computer systems and illegal or prohibited online content. Not all Cyber reports will be referred to police or result in a police investigation. However, all reports will help to prevent and disrupt future criminal activity and in all cases, the individual reporting an incident will be provided with appropriate advice and resources.
- Report offensive and illegal content, image abuse and online bullying via the eSafety Commissioner website.
WHAT ELSE YOU CAN DO – SHARE THE CYBER SAFETY MESSAGE
- Talk to family, friends and others in your community about cyber safety and spread the message. Share cyber safety tips. Use #SID2020 or #SIDesafety on social media posts in support of the day.
- Find out more about Safer Internet Day 2020 and other ways to get involved go to: https://www.esafety.gov.au/safer-internet-day
