But while products like this will raise your digital drawbridge and keep your cyber-moat filled (possibly with hungry crocodiles), there will still be dodgy things out there looking to storm your online fortress. So arm your kids with the tools that will enable them to see off these nefarious attackers and stay safe behind the, er, electronic walls. Pretty sure that metaphor all holds up. You know what we’re saying, right?

There are loads of benefits to staying connected and no one wants to miss out. Here’s some advice and a few suggested rules that can help keep everyone browsing safely.

There’s lots of brilliant stuff online, from tools that make learning fun to easy ways to stay in touch with friends. But there are also things that might make you feel bad. Remember, you don’t have to look at things you don’t like! If you see something scary or disturbing:

• Close the web­site, app or video
• Tell a parent or a trusted adult
• Don’t be scared to tell someone – it’s not your fault it’s there!

When you chat with people online, comment on their photos or play games together, you may not be able to see them as you can with your friends in real life, but remember they’re still real people and you should take their feelings into account. In your online interactions:

• Be kind and treat others with respect and politeness
• Don’t leave anyone out or bully others
• If you see cyber­bullying, stand up for others and tell adults

You can learn wonderful new things on the internet – indeed home learning often includes internet-based research  – but there is also a lot of false information. Keep in mind that anyone can post things online and not every­thing you see is true. There are a few key things to look out for:

• Beware of ads that try to trick you to click by offering rewards
• Unknown down­loads can contain viruses or malware
• If some­thing feels too good to be true, it probably is

The internet can be a great place to make new friends but it’s vital to be careful with people you meet online. Some­times people pretend to be some­one they are not, and it can be hard to tell what the truth is. Always keep this in mind:

• Don’t tell them every­thing that you can tell your real friends
• Tell your parents if an online friend makes you feel uncomfortable, even if they’ve ask you to keep a secret
• Never meet with a stranger in person without your parents’ approval

Your pass­words, location, home address, phone number, school name and other personal information belong only to you and your parents. If some­one gets hold of your login credentials, they can pretend to be you or steal information from your accounts. That might sound scary but in fact it’s easy to keep this information safe:

• Don’t share passwords or identifying information, like your address, with anyone
• Have a different pass­word for every account
• Ask your parents or a trusted adult for help with creating and storing passwords

When you’re having fun online, it’s easy to lose track of time. But too much screen time isn’t good for you – you should also have enough time for other important things like active play, exercise, friends… and yes, school work! Here’s how to keep your screen time to healthy levels:

• Agree with your parents when and where you can use your devices
• Pick times when phones and other devices are not allowed, such as mealtimes
• Don’t take your connected device to your bedroom at bedtime, so you’re not tempted to use it

It’s brilliant that we can take loads of photos and selfies to create memories and look back on fun times – but always remember these are just for you, your family and your friends. Sending your pictures to people you meet online isn’t a good idea, even if they appear to be your friends, because you lose control of them. Follow this guidance to keep your photos safe:

• Share your personal photos only with family members
• When you appear in photos, make sure you are fully clothed
• Never post pictures of others online without their permission

To help protect against online threats, all Virgin customers can get Virgin Media Internet Security for all of the family’s smartphones, tablets or computers. No upfront card details are needed, you can try it obligation free for the first 3 months. After that, it’s just £3 per month (or £30 a year). To get protected today, simply register here, then install Virgin Media Internet Security on your devices.