More and more people are accessing the internet for services such as information and advice.
Adviceguide, Citizens Advice's self-help website had almost 14.2 million visits in 2010/11 and that number is set to increase in 2011/12.
The public are not only using the internet for advice, but to socialise, shop and carry out their banking and it has become increasingly important for people to be aware of how to use these services safely.
In line with this, Citizens Advice has partnered with Google on its ‘Good to Know’ safety campaign. The campaign aims to give people practical advice on how to keep their private information private when they use the internet and will run until the end of November.
The Good to Know website features information on a range of issues, from creating a strong password to understanding how cookies work, and is aimed at computer users of all levels. It can be found at www.google.co.uk/goodtoknow
CAB and Google have also come up with five tips for consumers who want to stay safe online:
• Pick a strong password. One idea you can try is to choose a line from your favourite song, film or play, such as "To be or not to be, that is the question". Then use numbers, symbols and letters to recreate it: 2bon2btitq. The more unusual the phrase you choose the better.
• Never reply to suspicious emails with your personal or financial information, and never enter your password after following a link from an email you don't trust.
•Look for "https" and a padlock in the URL bar to check a site is secure. When you go into a branch of your bank you recognise the official staff by their name, uniforms and the services they offer. Having this level of reassurance shouldn't be any different for online banking or other sensitive services.
•Always sign out and shut down your browser. Ever gone out for the day and left your front door wide open? Exactly. The same principle applies when you leave yourself signed in to online accounts on the computers you use.
• Use two-step verification for accounts that offer it, such as Google and Facebook. Two-step verification adds an extra layer of security to your account by requiring you to have access to your phone – as well as your username and password – when you sign in. This means that if someone steals or guesses your password, the potential hijacker still can't sign in to your account because they don't have your phone.