Study guide · 2.2
Explain best practices for digital citizenship
Good digital citizens keep learning as technology changes and act responsibly when they see something dangerous or harmful online. Staying current protects you and the people you support, and reporting the right way helps victims without spreading harm.
A study feature written by ExamDragon, not part of the real exam. Each heading is one of Certiport's skills for this objective.
2.2.1Keep your digital knowledge current
- Install operating system and app updates promptly; they fix security weaknesses and add features.
- Follow reliable sources: vendors' official blogs and release notes, reputable technology news and your organisation's IT announcements.
- Take short courses or training to learn new tools and new types of scams.
- Review your own settings, accounts and devices from time to time, and remove what you no longer use.
- Be ready to explain changes to colleagues or family who rely on you.
Example: After reading an IT notice about a new phishing method using fake meeting invitations, a team lead shares a short warning with the team at the weekly meeting.
2.2.2Responsibly report dangerous, illegal, or harmful behavior
- Dangerous, illegal or harmful behaviour includes threats of violence, harassment, bullying, fraud, self-harm content and the exploitation of children.
- Use the platform's built-in report tools, and block the person if you are being targeted.
- Keep evidence such as links, usernames, dates and screenshots, but never save or forward images of child sexual abuse; report them to the platform and the authorities instead.
- At school or work, tell a teacher, manager, HR or IT; if someone is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services.
- Do not reply to provoke, share the content further or try to investigate on your own.
Example: A student sees a classmate threatened in a group chat; she takes a screenshot of the message, reports the account in the app and tells a teacher the same day.
Key terms
- Digital citizenship
- Responsible, safe and respectful behaviour when using technology.
- Release notes
- A vendor's description of what changed in an update.
- Cyberbullying
- Repeated harassment or humiliation of someone using digital tools.
- Report tool
- A built-in feature for telling a platform about harmful content or accounts.
- Evidence
- Saved records, such as screenshots, links and dates, that show what happened.
Easy to confuse
- Sharing harmful content 'to warn others' spreads it further; report it instead.
- Blocking someone stops contact but does not report them; do both when needed.
- Postponing updates leaves known security weaknesses open.
After this guide: You can keep your digital skills up to date and report harmful behaviour through the right channels.