Expert Comment
5 expert tips to protect your children this Safer Internet Day (6th Feb)
Tomorrow is Safer Internet Day, a day which is dedicated to help the young and vulnerable to stay safe online.
This can sometimes feel like a difficult task, but expert in cybersecurity at the University of Warwick Dr Shweta Singh has shared her tips to help keep your children safe online:
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- Educate your children about safety online – It’s easy to be cynical about the experience online from an adult perspective, but remember your child sees the boundless potential of all the different parts of the web. Educate them about the good and the bad in an age appropriate way, and set a good example. If they see you practicing what you preach online they will follow your lead.
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Parental Controls – almost all devices now have parental controls available. These controls can do lots to keep children safe, including managing children’s access to the web, logging time on different apps and more. Make sure to have parental controls active on your children’s devices.
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Know your children’s online friends – This is vital to keep children safe. No one wants to intrude on privacy, and this step may look very different depending on how old the child is. It’s worth checking who your child is friends with, in case any feel ‘off’. If you find people with no obvious connection to you or your family, or a large age gap, you might want to investigate further.
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Make sure passwords and cybersecurity is up to date – Just as this is important on your own devices, your children’s are no different. Passwords, anti-virus software and biometric data like face ID for older children can help protect kids against scams and hackers and can normally be found for free.
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Don’t share personal data – It’s vital to let your kids know they should never share their personal data, even with their close friends. Whether this is passwords, photos or other sensitive information, try to drum into your kids that this is their own private information. There’s no need for their friends or others to know this information.