Providing a safe online experience for children

Internet-connected devices are a part of many children’s lives from the moment they can hold an object.

Helping children stay safe when they’re connected to the internet is a top priority for parents, educators, the community and government. That means there are many helpful online resources available to help guide families through managing potential risks and what to do if something goes wrong.

Talk with your family about why it is important to stay safe online and share tips to help protect one another.

There are a number of steps you can take to protect your children from online threats. You’ll need to adjust your approach to each of these based on the developmental age of your children.

Talk openly and often about what’s happening online

Your children need to understand the potential threats that the internet can expose them to. Talk regularly about online risks, and how you can work together to manage them.

Ways to stay safe online include never:

  • sharing personal information, images or passwords
  • filling in forms, agreements or contracts without speaking with you first
  • downloading software, apps or games without speaking with you first
  • opening emails from people they don’t recognise, or connecting with people they don’t know.

Establish house rules on:

  • online time limits
  • what they can do online including social media and gaming guidelines
  • treating others respectfully online
  • where they can access the internet from, for example in the living area, not behind closed doors
  • the consequences of not following family internet rules.

Encourage talking openly about any concerns about what they have come across or experienced online.

Balance access with security

Set up child friendly internet filters on your modem. Your modem is what connects all your devices to the internet. You can then control your family’s internet access from the modem, including turning off internet access.

Read the article How to secure your mobile devices and apps to find out how to protect your family when they’re not accessing the internet via your home modem.

Supervise your children online

Get involved with your children’s online activities to understand how they’re using their time online, and where any new risks may lie. Introducing an online rule of only accessing the internet in shared living areas of your home is a good way to stay connected with your children’s online behaviours and activities.

Australian Government | ReportCyber

ReportCyber, opens in new window is a secure reporting and referral service for cybercrime and online incidents which may be in breach of Australian law. The ReportCyber website provides a cybercrime reporting mechanism as well as helpful information about cybercrime.

Office of the eSafety Commissioner

This Australian Government website provides helpful advice for staying safe online. It also provides a range of resources, tools and information for parents with a focus on managing cyber bullying, trolling, sexting and grooming risks.

The Alannah and Madeline Foundation

AMF is dedicated to keeping children safe from violence and operates a number of award-winning educational courses for children, teachers and parents covering online safety.

Helpful resources

How we can help

If you’re a NAB customer and you believe your business or personal accounts have been impacted by fraud or a scam, we’re here to help. Explore the immediate steps you can take to protect yourself and discover when you should get in touch with us to make a report.

Learn what to do in the event of fraud or scams

Get updates on the latest fraud alerts

IDCARE

IDCARE is Australia and New Zealand's not-for-profit counselling and support service set up to assist Australians impacted by identity theft and cyber-related crimes.

IDCARE can assist NAB customers to navigate through the process when identity details or credentials have been compromised through fraud or scams. IDCARE is a free service for all Australians.

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Australian Government | Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC)

The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) brings cyber security capabilities from across the Australian Government together in a single location. It’s the hub for private and public sector collaboration and information sharing to combat cyber security threats. ACSC provides topical, relevant and timely information on how home internet users and small businesses can protect themselves from, and reduce the risk of, cyber security threats such as software vulnerabilities, online scams, malicious activities and risky online behaviours.

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Australian Government | ReportCyber

ReportCyber is a secure reporting and referral service for cybercrime and online incidents which may be in breach of Australian law. The ReportCyber website provides a cybercrime reporting mechanism as well as helpful information about cybercrime.

Learn more about ReportCyber, opens in new window

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission | Scamwatch

Scamwatch provides information to consumers and small businesses about how to recognise, avoid and report scams using publications, videos and other online resources.

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Australian Government | Office of the eSafety Commissioner

The Office of the eSafety Commissioner provides online safety education for Australian children and young people, a complaints service for young Australians who experience serious cyberbullying, and address illegal online content.

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Australian Government | Attorney-General’s Department

The Attorney-General’s Department website provides helpful information and resources about your rights and protections in regards to identity security, freedom of information and cyber security. The Department has developed a range of resources to assist people protect their identity and recover from the effects of identity crime.

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Related articles

How to use social media securely

Social media can provide others with access to your personal world. Make sure you're only sharing what you want to share.

Keep your mobile devices and apps secure

Your mobile device is the portal to almost every detail about you. So it's important to keep it secure.

Six simple ways to protect your passwords

Good password management, like using strong passwords, will help you stay cyber-safe.

Important information