Valuable tips on safer internet action for children
THE internet can be a truly valuable resource for kids, as it can provide educational material, fun games and ways to connect with their friends. However, it can also be a playground for cyber bullying, malicious content, and criminals and predators who seek to prey on kids and their families for things such as identify theft, crime and much worse.
As we are in the middle of the July holidays and kids are out of school, they have even more opportunity to spend time online.
Below are some things that you can consider doing to help keep your kids safe online:
Talk to your kids about your expectations for them online – Consider setting boundaries that may include rules about how long they are allowed to be on the computer, what sites they are allowed to visit, what software programmes can be used, and what tasks or activities they are allowed to do based on age appropriateness, knowledge and maturity.
Teach them the importance of keeping information private – Posting personal information and photos on the internet can be dangerous, as it can be leveraged by those who want to do harm.
In addition, once information is posted, it can have haunting effects later, as it can be hard to remove once it’s in the public domain. Be sure to also check their privacy settings on social media sites to prevent strangers from accessing personal information. These settings may not always be set up properly by default. Ensure that your kids understand:
Never give their name, phone number, e-mail address, password, address, school name or picture without your permission.
Don’t respond to malicious or hurtful posts. Don’t open e-mails or attachments from people they don’t know. Don’t get together with anyone they “meet” online.
Let them know that if they see something, say something
You should talk to children about the dangers of the internet so that they recognise suspicious behaviour or activity. Let your kids know that if they see something on a website, in an e-mail, or a chat room that doesn’t seem right or makes them uncomfortable, they can come to you with their concerns.
Be aware of their computer activities
Know what your child is doing on the computer, including which websites they’re visiting. If they are using e-mail, instant messaging, or chat rooms, make sure you have a sense of who they are communicating with and that your child actually knows the people they are talking to.
Keep computers in a common area
If your computer is in a common area, you will be able to easily monitor computer activity. This can help prevent kids from doing things they shouldn’t do and it also gives you the opportunity to intervene if you notice a behaviour that could have negative consequences.
Leverage your Internet Service Provider (ISP)
Some ISPs offer services (sometimes free) specifically designed to protect children online by restricting access to websites and communications features, such as e-mail, chat and instant messaging, by age, content, time and other categories. Contact your ISP to see if any of these services are available.
Consider implementing parental controls
You may be able to set some parental controls within your web browser. Some browsers enable you to restrict or allow only certain websites to be viewed on your computer, a process known as whitelisting, and you can protect these settings with a password. While no technology is foolproof, there are also commercial software applications available that you can install to add an additional layer of protection by monitoring, filtering and restricting access to dangerous content.
Since every family situation is different, you need to do what is best for your family. Do your own research, and even consider consulting an adviser to make the best choices based upon your unique situation. To help you get started, additional cyber-security resources for online safety can be found here.
You may also want to consider sharing this information with your family, friends and neighbours so that your children and their friends remain safe as they access the internet on different devices and wi-fi connection points during this break.
More Information: Check out our entry level designation of the Fortinet Network Security Expert (NSE) programme. It is intended to provide a basic understanding of the threat landscape facing networks today. Anyone interested to learn about the threat landscape and cyber-security should take this course for more learning.