YOUNG people in Clydebank are being warned not to share passwords or PINS with anyone – even boyfriends or girlfriends.

This is because friendships and relationships that start innocently at a young age can turn sour later in life, leading to problems such as cyber hacking.

The warning has come from a Government-funded cyber security programme which advises young people about the dangers of so-called “re-data-ships”.

Cyber Discovery has revealed that nearly half of the people surveyed have shared passwords and PINs with boyfriends and girlfriends.

Creator of Cyber Discovery and cyber security expert, James Lyne, said: “Young people are taught about things like stranger danger from a young age but often we concentrate so much on our enemies that we forget to think about our friends and partners, particularly when it comes to staying safe online.

“Friendships and relationships constantly change throughout a lifetime but those that start at a young age can be particularly susceptible to bad break-ups and fallings-out.

“We need to teach young people about the importance of protecting their personal data and the risk of ‘re-data-ships’, as it will lead to greater protection later in life.”

The Cyber Discovery guide on re-data-ship features rules for young people to follow in order to protect their online security.

Among them is a warning to avoid “re-data-ships” – where you share personal data with friends or partners.

It also warns young people to stay away from using, for instance, a favourite musician or athlete’s name as a password, as well as birthdays and pet names – and to change them regularly.

Also, it is best to have different passwords for each site, and to create complex passwords or even to use a password manager tool to keep them all together.