As we enter the Fall and Winter seasons, many of our children will be turning to Virtual Learning in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Along with the normal concerns with technology use and the cyber risks which come with extended periods of being online, the uptick in phishing and malware attacks has become ever so concerning.
Many kids think they are knowledgeable about the risks and that they know how to avoid being hacked, but the fact remains that the Cyber Criminals are one step ahead of the game.
Children are spending more time then ever online with their school work and socializing with friends. Everything from watching videos on YouTube to using APP’s on their phones provides an avenue for predators to attack. Over 1 million identities of children are stolen every year and 1 in 4 teens admit to sexting!
Here are some topics which will help you be more prepared to protect your children and educate them about Internet Safety
What Children Are Doing Online
The children of today are more advanced in technology then any other generation. There are tons of online platforms and mobile APP’s which fall under ‘Social Media’ and very popular among kids. Most of these can potentially expose your kids to sexual content, predators or even allow open access to their device.
Some of the most popular platforms include:
– Tick-Tok: A social media platform for creating, sharing videos.
– Instagram: Free photo and video sharing app.
– Snapchat: Camera APP to send short videos and photos.
– Houseparty: Face to face social network where users can video chat.
– Omegle: Free online chat room
– Calculator Vault: APP which look like a ‘Calculator’ to hide other APP’s.
As a best practice you should be aware of your children’s activities and check the settings on all APP’s to verify they meet any privacy and security standards you approve. Find out how DP360 Media can help with your schools Cyber Safety program.
Talk About Online Safety
Your kids may be ahead of you in terms of technology, but emotionally they are behind. Teaching kids/teens about cyber security is not much different than teaching grown-ups. Cyber criminals use the same type of attacks, they just use it in different contexts. For example, instead of sending a phishing email, they may send a link on Instagram Messenger.
Cyber criminals usually go to the extreme. They will either offer something too good to be true – like free virtual coins for a game, free homework, or will try to scare you to death – like claiming they hacked your webcam or have embarrassing footage of you.
Start the conversation when they are young, admit when you “don’t know it all” and seek help if you need advise on how to speak with your child. Many schools and community programs offer free information.
Identify A Possible Problem
If your child confides in you about something scary, inappropriate, or concerning that they encountered online, your first response shouldn’t be to take away their Internet privileges. Be supportive and work with your child to help prevent this from happening in the future,
Next find out what happened, how did it happen, what can you see, what can you discuss, and can you get close enough to the source or root cause to understand the implications and what might have been compromised?
Decide what course of action needs to be taken, is it a financial, social media, school, healthcare, or another type of incident? Once that’s been established you can move onto the remediation/action stage, with a plan, a full grasp of the situation, and can readily articulate it to others who have the potential to act upon that information.
Resources For Information and Assistance