North Wales Police join online safety awareness drive
Monday 6 October to Friday 10 October marks Get Safe Online Week, and this year North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin has joined forces with North Wales Police and the charity Get Safe Online to launch a “back to basics” campaign promoting safer use of the internet.
Get Safe Online, which is commissioned by the PCC and the local police force, provides practical advice to help people in North Wales stay safe, secure, and confident online.
Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin said: “As Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales, keeping people safe online and preventing cyber crime is one of my key priorities. The internet is a hugely powerful tool that has changed our lives, often for the better. But there is always a criminal who will try and use it for their own ends, whether that be through fraud, theft, or deception. That’s why it’s always important to remind ourselves every so often of how to stop possibly falling victim to crime. With this in mind, I am supporting this back to basics campaign from Get Safe Online and I encourage people to follow the advice and stay safe while using the internet and information technology.”
PC Dewi Owen from North Wales Police’s Cyber Crime Team added: “In the spirit of the back to basics campaign there are a few simple steps that anyone can take that will help them to stay safe and secure when online. For example, email and social media hacking are the most common forms of cyber crime reported in the UK, with 35,434 people reporting their email or social media account hacked in 2024, according to Action Fraud. Having a strong and long 3 random word password will greatly reduce the probability of an online account being compromised and Microsoft state that having Multi-Factor Authentication turned on would prevent 99.9% of online account compromises that they see.”
He continued: “Most online scams and cyber-attacks also involve an element of social engineering where the cyber criminals or fraudsters will trick individuals into sharing personal or financial information with them or even passwords or one time codes. Therefore, taking the time check and verify any unexpected contact online before sharing any information will often be enough to identify and prevent a scam or cyber-attack from happening.”
Get Safe Online has shared the following advice for residents across North Wales:
Protect your passwords: Use different, strong passwords for each account, ideally using three random words. A password manager can help.
Keep your devices secure: Install reliable internet security software and use unique passwords or passcodes.
Update regularly: Install software and app updates promptly or set them to update automatically.
Pause and check who you’re dealing with: AI-generated fake messages can be convincing—verify before sharing details.
Think before you click: Avoid clicking on unexpected links or attachments.
Stay smart on public Wi-Fi: Use mobile data or a VPN for private tasks like banking.
Choose safe ways to pay: Use secure payment methods such as credit cards or trusted services.
Take care what you share: Limit personal information posted online.
Check information and news: Verify sources to avoid misinformation and fake news.
Be kind and responsible: Treat others online with the same respect as you would in person.
For more tips and guidance, visit www.getsafeonline.org
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