Cyber Security for Kids

Protecting your kids from shady strangers offering them candy, has become increasingly difficult in this age of computers and the internet. More and more children are having easier access to the internet. According to some studies, more than 80% of teenagers in the US have access to the internet at home. The parents should take an active role in teaching their children proper cyber security measures.

Most of the time these kids who access the net are not particularly careful with their personal information online – they often don’t realize yet the risks of having confidential stuff out in the open, being prey to hackers and identity thieves, to name but a few. There are several ways to teach your children the proper ways of accessing, behaving and protecting themselves online.

Very popular among kids are the social network sites where they have online profiles and photos, and keep blogs or online journals. Remind your kids not to accept the devil and his grandmaw into their circle of online friend, and to be very careful in deciding what what they publish about themselves. The problem with these social network sites is that once you add someone as a friend, you can be viewed by friends included in his own network… which most of time you don’t even know. These are venues where scrupulous individuals can gain access to your personals.

To monitor your childrens’browsing activities or to encourage them to ask you questions, place your computer in an area of the house where there’s heavy foot traffic. This will make it easy for them to call your attention to their monitor if they want to ask questions or show you something. This also discourages them from visiting websites that you really don’t want them to see like warez and the nore abject kind of “erotics”. Such websites are often a repository of malware, spyware and virus applications that can destroy files and even your whole computer system. It’s a good idea to use controlling mechanisms like content blockers which prohibit them to access certain websites, and to teach them what you know about the pros and cons of social networking, online file sharing, software piracy and illegal downloads.

Tagged with: Computer safety • Cyber safety • Cyber security for kids • How to protect your children on the internet

Filed under: Kids and computer safety

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