Most parents want to keep their children as safe as possible in life, and with the growth of the internet and connected devices that families are using more and more, this involves teaching your kids about online safety and security. Teaching your kids about online security will not only give you peace of mind as a parent but provide your children with the foundation for great habits for life.
Security Software:
Basics first; make sure that your kids know just how important it is to keep the security software on their devices up to date. Security software is important to protect online information and prevent hackers and cybercriminals from getting access to devices and data. However, with hackers constantly coming up with new and more sophisticated ways to commit their crimes, security software companies have to keep up to ensure that their customers are protected. It’s worth educating older kids and teens on the importance of using a good security software program and keeping it up to date.
Sharing Information:
Most kids today use social networks like Instagram and Snapchat and many parents prefer to educate their children on how to use these platforms safely rather than not allowing them to use them at all. It’s worth speaking to your kids about the importance of keeping private information private and being careful regarding who they are talking to online. If you suspect that your child is communicating with somebody online who is up to no good, Nuwber can help you find out who they are using just a phone number or an email address.
Phishing Scams:
Phishing is one of the most common scams out there and is usually in the form of a bogus email or text that appears to be from a trusted source. It’s worth having a conversation with your children about what to look out for when it comes to phishing especially if they are old enough to use services like online banking. Teach them about the risks of clicking on links that they don’t trust and how to ensure that a message asking for sensitive information is from a trusted and reliable source.
Online Shopping:
If your family does a lot of online shopping then it’s worth making sure that everybody is aware of the common scams and risks involved with this. Thankfully, online shopping today is more secure than ever before, however, there might be instances where trusted sites are duplicated or hacked. Make sure that your kids know how to check that an eCommerce site is secure by making sure that the address starts with ‘https://’ or looking for the security padlock in the browser bar before buying.
Passwords:
Finally, make sure that your kids know the importance of setting strong passwords for the accounts that they use online. Speak to them about the importance of creating strong passwords that will not be easily guessed and the risks involved with using the same passwords for everything. It’s worth using a password manager tool and encouraging your kids to do the same.
Online security is more important than ever and for many parents, teaching kids as early as possible about staying safe online is crucial. With kids now starting to use the internet at a younger age than ever before, it’s important to make sure that your children know how to stay safe when using their devices.
