Parents urged to be proactive in educating children on threats
KUCHING: Children these days are becoming increasingly comfortable with smart devices. With the ever- present threats online, parents should be proactive in educating their children on online safety, Norton by Symantec advised.
The social media has become the weapon of cybercriminals to find and exploit their potential victims. Choon Hong Chee, director, Asia Consumer Business, Norton by Symantec
Online predators and privacy are some of the biggest issues parents in Malaysia are grappling with as bullying moves from the playground to the online world, it observed.
Norton by Symantec recently released findings from the Norton Cyber Security Insights Report, which highlighted parental concerns about their children in the online world.
In a press statement, Choon Hong Chee, director, Asia Consumer Business, Norton by Symantec, said “The social media has become the weapon of cybercriminals to find and exploit their potential victims.
“As more children in Malaysia adapt to the fast- evolving digital world and social media, we encourage parents to take proactive measures to take responsibility and teach their children online etiquettes.
“Children are becoming increasingly comfortable with technology devices like smartphones or tablets, and parents must be proactive in educating their children on online safety.
“Protecting children online is weighing heavier on parents than ever before as cyberbullying, online predators and privacy are now ‘real’ world concerns.”
The report found that 62 per cent of parents say their child has already experienced online crime. Parent’s worries are many when it comes to their children’s behavior online.
Amongst them are that 64 per cent of parents are afraid that their children will give out too much personal information to strangers.
Additionally, parents are concerned about their children being lured into meeting a stranger in the outside world ( 64 per cent) and 60 per cent of parents are worried that their children will be lured into illegal activities like hacking.
Nearly all parents surveyed ( 95 per cent) worry about their children’s safety online – and in particular, how their actions will have repercussions on the family. The report revealed that fathers are the most likely to report their child has been a victim ( 67 per cent) compared to mothers ( 57 per cent).
Additionally, millennial parents are more likely to report crime (67 per cent) than older parents ( 59 per cent, the report showed.
To alleviate these concerns, Norton by Symantec observed parents are taking measures to protect their children online and these include allowing Internet access with parental supervision, limiting the amount of information they share online about their children, limiting access to certain websites, and checking the browser history of the children
Despite these measures, downloading a virus is the most common (26 per cent) online crime parents report their children experiencing.
There are some actions parents can take to protect their children and keep their family safe online.
Norton by Symantec advised parents to have an open dialogue. “It’s important to start the conversation with your children early and have an open dialogue.
“Set aside time to discuss appropriate online behaviour and create age-appropriate ‘House Rules’ about how computers, smart phones and gaming systems are used. It is also important to be a positive role model for children and lead by example,” it said.
Additionally, parents should educate children regularly about the dangers of the Internet. It said that parents should create awareness around issues such as sexting, cyberbullying, online predators and privacy.
“Check to make sure your children are not sharing private information like passwords, addresses and phone numbers with people they don’t know,” it added.
Aside from that, Norton by Symantec said parents should consider free parental control technologies, such as Norton Family, that help to set and enforce the ground rules and can limit the sites that can be accessed and the type of information that can be shared online.