How to Talk to Your Kids About Online Safety
By Cyber Mom, Carol Carpenter
The kids are back at school, and we're heading into fall. I'm sure for
most families they've started their daily routines, which consist of
something along the lines of making sure the kids are picked up on
time, dinner is on the table, the pets are taken care of and everyone's
homework is completed before going to bed at a reasonable time. It feels
like we're trying to pack more and more activities into our days, and
the days aren't getting any longer. At least when it comes to homework,
today's kids have the benefit of the Internet and having millions of
resources at their fingertips to help with their homework. It's amazing
how times have changed.
Now I have children of my own; two tweens whom use computers on a daily
basis. Instead of whines of boredom or cries for homework help in the
house, I have noticed as my kids have gotten older that they are fewer
and far between. Don't get me wrong, I cherish those moments of peace.
That said, I know that those quiet moments are given to me by what I
call the "one-eyed babysitter" - the computer. Like most moms, I work
outside the home. The difference is just who I work for and what I do.
I work for a large Internet Security company and focus my attention on
technology that keeps families safe from Internet threats. Those
peaceful moments usually signal one thing to me. My children are
playing on the Internet surfing the Web, emailing, texting and doing
much more.
The Internet gives us so much useful, important and educational
information. At the same time - as a mother and a security expert I
know that the Internet could prove to be a danger for my family. Every
family has to deal with these security issues when they have technology
that connects to the Web including PCs, MACs, iPhones, iTouches etc.
It's imperative that everyone, including the children, know about the
potential dangers in order to surf the web safely. Talking to your
children about online safety is just as important as having the most
up-to-date security software. Sitting down with your children at the
computer and showing them the various threats and how to avoid them is
one way to introduce cyber safety. However, most parents that I talk to
are not aware of all the latest threats online.
When it comes to kids' online safety, there are some areas of risk that
my company Trend Micro has identified. What parents need to know is
that kids are at risk of the following:
- Being targeted by aggressive or unwanted commercialism (ads or
marketing that is intrusive and/or age-inappropriate) -- Some sites for
kids are guilty of serving up ads that are simply inappropriate for kids
(such as dating services, gambling sites). They are funded through
advertising money, and are careless about thinking through the
implications of the ads they are showing to the users of their sites.
Some ads are designed to be so engaging, the child thinks it's a game
and not an ad, so they are enticed to click away. This could end up
infecting their parents' computers with malicious software that can spy
and/or steal information from them.
- Being a victim of security threats such as hack attacks or scams.
Social networking sites are popular among young people and
cybercriminals alike. While kids are not necessarily the intended
victims of crime perpetrated on these sites, they can be at risk simply
because they use them. Some cybercrimes are designed to impact as many
people as possible - they do not discriminate based on age. Criminals
will use techniques that seem normal to the average user to lead someone
to download malicious software without their knowledge (a technique
called social engineering). An example of this is when a young person
is offered to view a racy photo or video of someone.
- Being more uninhibited with what they say or do online because they
believe they have anonymity. Kids can put themselves at risk, too.
Posting information or photos of themselves that they did not intend the
world to see can damage their reputations, candidacy for a job, or
admission to a college. Posting too much personally identifying
information (PII) can open themselves up to identity theft (even kids
can be victims of this). Harassing others, if considered violent, lewd,
or racist can be considered a crime. Creating or distributing music,
movies, or video games that are illegally copied or infringe on
copyrights is illegal.
I don't want to cause unnecessary alarm and give doomsday predictions.
I believe that knowledge is the best armor when dealing with the above
topics. The Internet is a necessary tool in the digital age and can
help educate the family in numerous ways. What I find is that parents
truly want to help protect against the pitfalls but are unaware of the
tools to use in order to do so. Part of the solution is relying on good
old fashion parenting skills - time limits, open conversation etc. The
other part of the solution lies in technology that can help limit the
risk and act as a tool to continue talks with kids. Using both
techniques, you'll keep you and your family safe from online threats and
enjoy all the positives that the Web offers.
