Cybersecurity Basics To Teach Your Children
Babysitting used to be sitting in front of the TV and watching cartoons, now it is giving them a phone to play games with and watch videos. It is common for a child as young as 3 to have a phone, and to have access to the internet, and clearly they do not know what they are doing, so you must be aware of the risks and try to teach them the risks too.
An adult can’t also constantly be present to monitor a child’s every move on the internet, even though it’s an essential aspect of today’s life fraught with potential risks. According to a study, 33% of children and young people have internet access at home thus, internet safety for kids should be at the top of every parent’s priority list.
In this post, we will explore key cybersecurity initiatives to educate children as they begin to use the internet more actively and wisely.
1. Make your child understand the importance of Internet safety
Telling your children to be careful online isn’t enough; they also need to know why and how to practice being cautious on their own. Even better, make a poster with a few basic concepts and place it in their bedroom or on their table so they may always see it while using a smartphone or a computer. There are desktop mats available too.
2. Teach your kids responsible internet use
A child’s mental health may be severely impacted by online bullying. Be sure your kid understands the impacts of cyberbullying and that it is never acceptable for them to make hurtful or threatening remarks or posts about others online. In addition, when a child develops an online presence, it is crucial that they realise that whatever they publish online will be there forever.
3. Instill best practices for content and data security.
As adults, we save our data proactively and follow other recommended practices including using secure passwords, avoiding suspicious emails, and installing software updates. Likewise, these are important lessons that should be instilled in children at a young age too. Strongly teach your kids not to save credit card details for future online or in-game transactions or if your kid has access to his Social Security number, tell them never to share it online are some of the instances you have to highlight to them.
Making sure that they remember and understand the passwords and why they are there is crucial to online safety. Teaching them that apps cost money and not to waste it is important too.
Helping your kids become more aware of the dangers lurking online is a valuable task. Creating a thorough awareness among them is usually preferable for this.
