Today the personal computer, portable phones and the internet play a significant role in our lives whether we like it or not. The access to and the exchange of information alone is something I would not want to be without.
However, as is with all things good, it can be used for evil. And no one is more vulnerable to this evil than children. This is evident by the easy accessibility to pornographic materials that are waiting for any kid with a smart phone or other internet access device.
But it doesn’t end there. More evil and deception lurks behind every new email, every game played online, every file downloaded, and every tracking device installed by stores and tech companies.
These snippets of tracking code are installed without permission to their phones and even social platforms such as Facebook and YouTube (which is owned by Google…big red flag).
How Deep Does It Go?
Did you know that over 45% of kids between 10 and 12 years old own a smart phone?
We accepted smart phones, innocently enough, in the beginning because they were liberating and convenient. They made it possible to reach out to people by merely typing a message and pressing a button.
We didn’t have to interact face-to-face any more if we didn’t want to. This allowed us to unleash our baser nature on society anonymously, which accounts for the explosion of bullies as well as teen-on-teen crimes.
The smart phones of today arrive in stores pre-loaded with spyware that tracks the owner’s whereabouts at any given time, storing the pilfered information in databases somewhere to be sold to the highest bidder.
A hacker living in his mother’s basement or a tech nerd half-way around the world could use that information to locate your child. That is why is crucial that you teach your children proper internet protocols.
How young To Learn Cybersecurity?
It is never too early to start having “the talk” with kids about cybersecurity. The earlier they learn about responsible online practices the more safe they will be.
There is no denying that crimes against children are on the rise. Many parents, harried and overwhelmed…especially single parents, think it is a problem for the schools.
But teachers have to submit to the government’s curriculum policies. And they are already overwhelmed.
Teachers can hardly get their students to put their phones away during class time, much less motivate them to listen about internet safety.
Just as math and English scores improved with the initiative of Home Schooling, so will the educational disciplines of cybersecurity be proliferated by parents who step up and make it their personal mission to educate their kids in internet safety.
Where to Begin
Even if your child has not been given his or her own phone yet, it’s not too early to start indoctrinating them to world of web safety. Like anything else you teach your kids from early on you should spot the “teachable moments” and take a minute to have an age-appropriate conversation.
For the pre-teen child you will want to start educating them in such security threats as email phishing and malware, cyberbullying, and inappropriate content.
The sooner your child learns these lessons from you the more safe they will ultimately be. Learning it all before starting school is the ideal scenario.
Some tips on email security are:
- Learning to check the header for the actual sender. The name mentioned in the “FROM” field may just be an alias
- Hover your mouse pointer over links to see where the link actually points to
- Never click on a link unless you know who the person who sent it
- Remember that no legitimate financial institution will ever ask for your password in an email
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is when a person or a group of people uses the internet to harass, embarrass, harm another person.
Teach your kids that cyberbullying is a crime, just like stealing or hurting someone with a weapon. Encourage them to talk to you about any incident that may happen (then report the incident to the police).
If the bullying happen on social media, report it to the platform (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) because it is against their usage policy. They should investigate and ban the offender’s account.
Inappropriate Content
It is a sad fact that most pornographic websites are not illegal. So it is up to a responsible parent to strictly monitor their child’s internet usage. Computer, laptop, and tablet usage should be done in a public area of the home, not in the kid’s bedroom.
Another way to ensure your children only access safe sites is to use directories of links that have already been assessed. For example, 최신 주소모음 uses advanced security AI tools to make sure the sites on their page are safe to use. This can give your child freedom but within selected boundaries.
Have a talk with your kids about what is appropriate and what is unacceptable. You can also set up “Parental Control” settings on their devises to help thwart their effort in making an unwise decision.
Make it clear to them that they can come to you about anything; keep an open-door policy and be conscious of your body language while listening.
Please check-out the resources listed below for more in-depth information, tips, teaching and learning tools.
RESOURCES:
- https://www.cybrary.it/2017/04/teaching-kids-cybersecurity-never-early/
- https://www.firmex.com/resources/blog/what-makes-a-virtual-data-room-secure/
- https://incyberdefense.com/featured/teaching-cybersecurity-children-best-practices/
- https://www.knowbe4.com/cybersecurity-activity-kit