Staying safe online takes good habits. Your name is private. So is your phone number. So is where you live. Keep them to yourself. Do not share your home address online. Before you share your name, ask a trusted grown-up.

A strong password is long and random. It is different for each account. Simple passwords like "password" or 12345 are easy to guess. Do not use them. Your birthday is a poor password. So is your pet's name. So are your family's names. They are easy to find out.

A passphrase is a password made of several unrelated words. Use a different password for each account. Then one stolen password cannot open everything. A password manager makes and stores your passwords. It fills them in, too. You only remember one strong one.

Phishing is a trick. Criminals try to get you to open links, emails or attachments. These ask for your personal information. Phishing messages arrive as an email or a text. They can be a direct message or a phone call.

Some messages push you to act right away. They warn about what happens if you do not. That is a sign of phishing. Look for these signs. Another sign is a message that asks you to send personal or financial information.

Think a message might be a scam? Do not click its links. Do not open its attachments. Could it be real? Look up the company's real contact details yourself. Do not use the ones in the message. You can report scam messages. Then you can delete them.

Be kind online. Do not be mean. Treat people the way you want to be treated. Sometimes something online makes you feel sad, scared or confused. Then tell a trusted grown-up. Telling is the right thing to do. You should not be in trouble for telling.

Words to know

• passphrase: password of words
• phishing: tricks for information
• attachments: sent with emails