Overview and key points
In today’s hyper-connected world, keeping your family safe online is more important than ever.
With 67.8 million internet users in the UK alone, cyber threats are a growing concern for households of all sizes.
This article shares 10 practical online safety tips for families – from using secure Wi-Fi and parental controls to encouraging open communication and positive digital behaviour.
Whether you’re tech-savvy or just getting started, these simple steps will help build cyber resilience and protect your loved ones from online risks.
Read on to discover how to stay safe, smart, and secure in the digital age.
Key takeaways
- Learn how to spot and avoid common cyber threats as a family.
- Discover tools like parental controls and antivirus software to boost protection.
- Understand the importance of secure connections and privacy settings.
- Build a culture of open communication and positive online behaviour at home.
At the beginning of 2025, there were 67.8 million individuals using the internet in the UK (Digital 2025: The United Kingdom — DataReportal – Global Digital Insights). Whilst the internet and everything that can now connect to it brings great innovation and convenience to our lives, it also brings new and unprecedented risk.
How do you avoid becoming a victim of cyber-crime and keep your whole family safe online?
We’ve put together a list of 10 practical steps you can take to be resilient to the cyber threats in your world, including what to do when the worst happens.
10 practical tips for keeping your family protected online:
1. Be alert – Teach your family members about online safety, such as avoiding suspicious links and downloads, creating strong passwords, and keeping personal information private.
2. Use parental controls – Many devices and apps come with built-in parental controls that can help you restrict access to inappropriate content and set usage limits.
3. Install antivirus software –  Install reputable antivirus software on all devices to help protect against malware and other online threats.
4. Stay up-to-date – Make sure all your devices are up to date with the latest security features and software patches by switching on the option to install automatic updates (where available) and always following any prompts to install manual updates.
5. Use secure Wi Fi connections –  Encourage family members to use secure connections when accessing sensitive information, such as banking or shopping sites. This means connecting to secure and private Wi-Fi networks rather than public options where your data could be visible to other users.
6. Look for HTTPS when online – When you’re making purchases or entering personal data, look for HTTPS and the lock icon in the address bar of the website you’re using to make sure your data is safe.
7. Check your privacy settings – Encourage members of your family to use privacy settings on social media accounts to limit who can see their posts and personal information.
8. Monitor online activity – Keep an eye on your family members’ online activity, especially for younger children. This can help identify potential risks and allow for early intervention, if necessary. Limit access to social media until they are mature enough to understand as well as handle the potential risks.
9. Communicate openly – Encourage family members to communicate openly with you about any online concerns or incidents, and make sure they know they can come to you for help or advice.
10. Encourage positive online behaviour – Talk about the importance of being respectful and kind online and to think before posting or sharing anything that may be hurtful to others.
To understand more about your personal or business cyber risk, get in touch.
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