Celebrating 10 years of TELUS Wise

Since 2013, we’ve helped more than 660,000 youth, adults, parents and seniors stay safe in our digital world. In those early days of the program, I remember attending one of the very first workshops and feeling compelled to get involved with the program as a TELUS Wise ambassador.

We pride ourselves in delivering a quality program and driving positive outcomes. We think our program is awesome and so do our partners and participants; after participating in our workshops, 92% of participants felt more empowered to stay safe in a digital world and 90% say that they’d recommend our workshops to others.

I have personally hosted 460 TELUS Wise workshops reaching over 40K workshop participants to date - not only has it been a meaningful way to give back, it’s helped me build connections with people of all ages both locally and nationally.

In recognition of the TELUS Wise 10 year anniversary here are ten of my favorite tips to help you and your family to stay safe online:

1. Set strong passwords: A strong password is your first line of defense against fraudsters and is at least twelve characters long (a longer passphrase is even better), including a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers and special characters. Remember to treat your password like your toothbrush - don't share it with anyone and change it often. Learn more about pins and passwords.
2. Think before you post online: Social media posts can be forwarded and shared in an instant and can be seen by people you didn’t realize. Remember that your online reputation is an extension of your personal brand. 67% of employers say they use social networking sites to research potential candidates and 55% have found content that caused them not to hire the applicant according to The Harris Poll. Learn more about making good privacy choices.
3. Manage privacy settings: Regularly review and adjust the privacy settings on your social media accounts and other online platforms. Limit the amount of personal information visible to the public and only accept friend or connection requests from people you know and trust. Learn more about privacy on social networks.
4. Protect your personal information: Be wary of sharing any personal information online. Even social media quizzes that seem harmless can lead to identity theft. Some questions may be designed to collect your personal information which can then be used to answer password recovery questions on your online accounts. Learn more about social media privacy settings.
5. Avoid online scams: Stay vigilant against online scams and phishing attempts. Be cautious of suspicious emails, messages, or links that ask for personal information or financial details. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Learn more about avoiding online scams and common scams.
6. Manage your digital footprint: Remember that everything you do online leaves a digital footprint. This includes posts, comments, and even search history. Think about how your online activities may be perceived by others. Unlike footprints left on the sand, our digital footprint can’t be easily erased. Learn more about managing digital footprints.
7. Help #EndBullying: Respect yourself and others in both your digital and physical world. Avoid engaging in cyberbullying or sharing hurtful content. Learn more about helping youth deal with cyberbullying and simple tips to #EndBullying.
8. Stay informed: Keep up-to-date with the latest trends, technologies, and potential risks in the digital world. Sign up for the TELUS Wise newsletter.
9. Have fun: Make digital literacy learning fun for the family. Check out our online workshops for people of all ages, printable activities and online games for youth.
10. Remember, to always be kind online: When we are kind to someone, that person is much more likely to be kind to others in the future. Be kind online by sharing happy, feel-good content and posts, lifting others up with positive comments and by being respectful, even if you disagree.

As you can see, we have created a number of digital literacy and online safety resources over the years in collaboration with our partners to help people of all ages stay safe in our digital world. For more learning and insights check out our latest panel discussions with industry subject matter experts covering topics including online safety for seniors, sextortion, online gaming and more.