May 25, 2016

Is Your Family’s Online Presence Safe?

Do you ever wonder as a parent how safe it is for your family to spend time on the Internet each and every day?

While millions and millions of peoples surf the worldwide web on a daily basis without the slightest of problems, others find themselves being targeted, specifically that is by cyber-criminals and even online predators.

So, what can your family do to lessen the odds of not only being singled out, but becoming the next victims?

Secure Your Computer, Educate Your Family

One of the biggest gaffes families using the Internet make is not having a secure connection.

To start with, do you have the right security software system protecting your computer/s at home? If not, what do you intend on doing about that?

A CSID protection review can help take you and your family out of harm’s way when using the Internet. Finding the right provider for identity protection and fraud detection allows for a safer web experience, keeping cyber-criminals and others with bad intentions at arm’s length.

Once you have decided on which identity protection and fraud detection provider to go with, the rest is pretty much up to you and your family when it comes to online safety.

 

Among the safety areas you should be focusing in on:

  • Your children – First and foremost, be sure your children are not being exposed to dangers on the web. The biggest fear of any parent when their child is using the Internet is receiving unwelcomed contact from a stranger. Educate your little ones about not talking with anyone they do not know. That means responding to contact and also initiating contact. You don’t have to scare your child into thinking all strangers on the Internet are bad, but being too lenient in this area can be dangerous;
  • Your personal finances – When it comes to cyber-criminals, many are adept at finding out personal financial details on the Internet. Whether they send someone an email attachment suited with malware or obtain a user’s log-in information to their banking account, the damage that can be done can prove devastating. Guard your personal finances online just as you would your children out in public. If someone sends you an online request for financial information, vet that subject thoroughly to make sure the request is legitimate. Also make sure you avoid doing online banking on computers in hotels, motels etc. when traveling (see more below) unless you’re 100 percent confident the connection is secure. An unsecure connection can be a ticket for a cyber-criminal to gain access to your banking or other such financial data online;
  • Your travel plans – Never post travel plans and/or current details, pictures etc. from your trip while on it. It is not unheard of for cyber-criminals to work with other criminals, specifically those who break into homes and other properties when people are on the road. If you want to post your travel pics (while on the road) on your Facebook or Instagram accounts, be sure those accounts are locked, meaning only those you’ve approved have access to them. The best solution is to wait until you return home from the trip, then turning to social media to show everyone what a great time you had. Don’t turn a wonderful family trip into a nightmare by coming home to a house that has been vandalized;
  • Your work – In today’s world where it seems there is never enough time to get one’s job done, many parents bring their work home with them and/or work out of their residences. In doing so, make sure you have a secure connection at all times. Handling customer data (especially personal details) can quickly turn to trouble if your home computer is breached. You should also make sure that any work you do on a computer is not shared with your kids. If you can’t afford to get them their own computer, use a laptop for your work needs and then just have one main family computer for non-work matters.

Families can get great use from the Internet, including quality time together learning and even playing on it.

Using the Internet the smart way will better ensure your time spent is safe time.

CSID is a leading provider of global enterprise level identity protection, and fraud detection solutions and technologies.