How to stay secure online

Technology can sometimes be complicated, but you mustn’t be a computer scientist or security expert to stay safe online.

 Protecting users is one top priority.

Here are three quick safety tools that parents can use to keep any content they would rather not see from popping up on the family computer.

 It takes less than five minutes to turn them on; so, follow the steps below to make your search results more family-friendly this summer.

Turn on SafeSearch in Google Search

Turning on SafeSearch is an easy way to hide images, search results and videos intended just for adults.

 It is especially helpful if you are concerned about the content that might pop up on your family computer, and it is easy to turn on.

 Just visit the Google Search settings page, go to the ‘SafeSearch filters’ section, and check the box to filter mature content from Google Search result pages.

These preferences will apply for any searches done using that browser on your computer.

 If you have multiple browsers on your family computer, you might want to turn SafeSearch on for each one.

You can turn SafeSearch on or off from the search settings page.

Save and lock your preferences

Once you have set your preferences, make sure you click the Save button at the bottom of the page.

 And if you are signed in to your Google Account, you can also lock the SafeSearch filter so that others can’t change your preferences – just click ‘Lock SafeSearch.’ Now, the setting is protected with your Google Account password.

 While no filter is 100 per cent perfect, with SafeSearch on, you can feel more confident browsing the web with your family.

 Turn on SafeSearch on mobile

SafeSearch is available on your phone or other mobile devices, as well as the web.

 You can turn on SafeSearch for Google on your mobile device by opening your phone’s browser and visiting google.com/preferences.

 Scroll to the SafeSearch Filters section to select what level of filtering you would like to enable.

 Be sure to tap ‘Save Preferences’ after you’ve made your selection.

To enable SafeSearch on YouTube’s mobile app, first open your settings, then press ‘Search.’ From there, select ‘SafeSearch Filtering’ and select moderate or strict filtering.

Helping your family to have a positive and safe experience with Google is important to you, and it is important to us, too.

 That is why we have partnered with parents and experts on free and easy to use tools and resources to help your family to stay safe and secure when browsing online.

 If you are interested in even more of our tools and tips, please see our Good to Know site, and stay tuned for more security tips throughout the year.

Source: Google Nigeria