Connecting safely

Lock codes prevent others accessing a phone or tablet, and the contacts, emails and other account information within.

A lock code is like a combination for a safe.

It has to be entered before a device will open.

It can be a series of numbers or a mix of numbers and letters.

For later model Android devices, a finger print or pattern can be used.

Because a phone or tablet contains your personal information, passcodes should be hard for other people to guess.

The example we showed should be similar on most Android devices.

To set your lock code open settings.

Go to lock screen and security.

Select screen lock type.

Create a lock code that is at least six digits long.

Eight digits is ideal as it is harder to guess.

Remember, don't use birth dates, names or addresses.

For extra security, [use] touch fingerprint.

Select add finger print and follow the directions.

Many later model Android phones and tablets offer iris eye scanners and facial recognition for security.

The iris scanning technology is good at only allowing people with matching iris
features into the device.

To set up iris scanning on the Samsung S eight open settings.

Lock screen and security.

Tap iris scanner and enter the lock code password or pattern if asked.

If an iris is not yet registered the phone will walk the user through the process.

To change the iris scan the user must first unlock the phone before being allowed to register a new iris scan.

Some android devices offer facial recognition security.

It is important to know that the facial recognition security offered on some Android phones is not yet secure.

People have been able to access Android devices using faces with similar features.

Anyone at risk of technology-facilitated abuse should not use facial recognition to secure their Android device at this stage.

Two-factor authentication is an increasingly common way to protect the online security of personal information.

When you log into an online account with your username and password you're using single-factor authentication.

With two-factor authentication, you need something extra to access your accounts, like an SMS code sent to your mobile phone, or something physical like a fingerprint.

If you need verification code sent to your mobile phone to authorise activity on your bank accounts, then you're already using two-factor authentication.

This extra layer of security afforded by two-factor authentication makes hacking of any of your accounts much harder.

Apple, Google, Twitter, Facebook, Microsoft, and Amazon all offer two-factor authentication, and encourage users to adopt it.

Many banks insist on it.

While using two-factor authentication makes things more secure, it's not a 100% guarantee of security.

So it's important to adopt and maintain good online security habits.

These include, setting strong passwords, not sharing your passwords with others, and not leaving your phone unattended.

You might want to also watch our separate videos on how to setup two-factor authentication on Google and Twitter.

You wouldn't invite a stranger into your home or bedroom, right? But that's what's really happening if someone you don't know contacts you online, which happens to one in four young people like me. 

There's no way of telling if the person is who they say they are. 

So if they ask you for favours, say they like your body or your appearance, ask personal things, want photos of you or want to meet you? Tell someone straight away. 

You can also stop responding to them, block and report them and make your accounts private. The eSafety Guide has tips on how to do this.

But most importantly, if you think something's not right, trust your instincts and tell people straight away.

Because staying safe means staying safe online too.

For more information on how to stay safe online, visit esafety.gov.au. 

Funding for this project has provided through the eSafety Online Safety Grants program, an Australian Government initiative.

Young boy: Hey, Dad. Mind if I head off to that party and hang out with those guys.

Dad: We all have rules to help keep our kids safe at home and in the Community, right? So it should be the same when they have a smartphone. 

We need to set up some clear boundaries to keep them safe.

Here’s some that you and your kids might want to agree on. 

No phones after a certain time and keep it to a daily screen time limit, like one hour on school nights. 

No sharing their passwords with others or sharing their real name, age and address when posting, talking to strangers or on sites where anyone can see it.

Be kind to people and don't take or share photos of others without their permission. 

And remember, you can use technology tools to help set the boundaries to keep your child safe, like using parental controls to help manage their privacy and the types of content they can access, because having some rules to keep our kids safe means rules for using their phones too.

For more information on how to stay safe online, visit esafety.gov.au. 

Funding for this project was provided through the eSafety Online Safety Grants program, an Australian Government initiative.