This section is intended to provide advice on areas of risk relating to IWF remit - namely illegal content and guidance on how to protect yourself from possible exposure to this type of material.

Because the IWF often receives enquiries about non-remit internet issues, it has also provided 'signposts' in the form of links to websites and organisations specifically designed to give advice and support on safe surfing and the protection of children online.

The IWF’s FAQs may also provide you with answers to queries they are not able to help with directly.

New guidance to protect children using chat rooms and search engines has been published by the Home Office. The collective effort of the main search providers in the UK, together with other experts, and under the Chairmanship of the IWF's CEO led to the publication of a good practice guide for search service providers and advice to the public on how to search safely. This is an outstanding example of specialist Internet companies volunteering to work together to improve the experience of children and other users when navigating the Internet using search engine technology.

The purpose of this initiative was to create a guidance document that comprehensively explained the full range of search services currently available via the Internet. The document provides a model of good practice for search providers across all platforms in the provision of services for customers in the UK with regard to consideration of the issues and importance of child safety.

Furthermore, it gives advice and information to help members of the public, especially parents, carers and those responsible for children, on how to make good use of search engines to explore the Internet and how to reduce the risk of being exposed to unwanted and unsuitable results.

In addition, a book produced by Educational Publishers; Independence, called 'Our Internet Society' has been developed to look at some of the key benefits and threats posed by the internet.

The latest surveys show that 75 per cent of the British public now use the internet for personal use. E-mail, on-line banking, on-line shopping and finding information about goods and services on the Internet have become part of most people's everyday experience. And there are now over one million computers in schools.

The information in this book is comprehensive and comes from a wide variety of sources and includes government reports and statistics, newspaper reports, features, magazine articles and surveys, literature from lobby groups and charitable organisations.

Topics covered include: online shopping, internet banking, how the internet has transformed learning and children's services, the digital divide, online risks and safety advice, resources, guidance and specialist internet organisations, spam, phishing, scams, chat, instant messaging, file sharing and so on.

The book is a useful for anyone interested in the broad issues posed by the internet and offers useful referrals to organisations which specialise in certain areas and could provide you with more in-depth information.