Due to the Covid -19 many families have now found themselves in a position were their children must use the internet. The main concern for most people is how safe are they while using the internet.
Children nowadays are more apt to using technology much more than previous generations before a lot of them can use tablets, laptops and smart devices better then their parents can. The internet is a wonderful tool for information when used correctly. However it can be equally as harmful to us if we connect to the wrong places.
So the big question is,” How can I ensure my family is safe on the internet?”.
It is only natural that children my click on the wrong link from time to time.It is vitally important that you teach them about suspicious activity and more importantly encourage them to tell an adult if they come across something strange. Install security software that can block them from visiting unwanted site's.
Many applications collect your information for marketing research in order to provide you with appropriate advertising. It is important that you advise everyone who is using these apps to read the privacy policies. As they maybe agreeing to share your information. It is quite common that people accept these policies without reading them.
Keep your privacy settings as high as possible. You should always remember that nothing is ever really private. Law enforcement, website administrators and even hackers can access your private data.
Both children and adults could easily expose themselves to Identity theft, by giving out your personal information. You need to educate your children and tell them of how valuable their identity is.
Social Security numbers along with date of birth details and home addresses are often shared voluntarily. Scammers are professionals and they use many tricks to get the children to disclose their personal information. You should never give these details out.
Everyone has come across at some time in their lives strange links supposedly from your bank or a friend. Your immediate reaction is not to click on the URL.
Have you informed all the other internet users in your household to do the same? It comes back to the importance of educating everyone about Phishing. Which is basically an email or message looking for your personal information, bank details etc. Your option could be to install a Security program such as Norton to block the URL´s.
How many of you are guilty of using the same password for multiple accounts?
Passwords are the first line of defence for your computer system. Hackers can access your accounts as many people use easy to remember details. Such as your date of birth, children names, house number etc. So it is very important that you have unusual passwords to make the hackers job more difficult.
If you find it difficult to remembering the passwords you could always use a password management program. The program will remember all the different passwords and you will only have to recall one.
It is extremely important that you never share your passwords!
Let's face it everyone has a Social Media account of some description these days. Cybercriminals use social media as a way of hacking into our accounts.
An example could be a friend who you haven’t had contact with in a while contacts you.If this is the case it’s best to check with the friend to see if they have had their account hacked.
Cybercriminals are constantly coming up with new threats. That means you need to be think carefully before downloading the latest security updates and patches. Stay up to date by following the news about new threats.It is important to share the information with your family about any new ways cybercriminals are doing business. For examples it might be an email or a text message that they shouldn’t open.
It is extremely important that you back up your files on regular basis. Ransomware is the term given to when Cybercriminals lock down your computer and prevent you from accessing your files, photos or tax information.
Everyone should be aware of how much information is too much information. In their excitement to share their milestones, children may sometimes post their personal information online.This is often very common on Facebook. How many court cases have been won over the years with personal information about holidays, been posted while the people were out on sick leave? Other examples would be sharing a driver’s license or a travel itinerary online this could be valuable information for identity thieves and burglars.
You may not be aware but your home Wi-Fi network is another entry point for hackers. Cybercriminals can hack home routers and gain access to various internet-connected devices like home security systems and smart doorbells. Make sure your home Wi-Fi system has difficult passwords and you could consider security software that identifies “intruders” on the network.
Stress the importance of avoiding using public Wi-Fi networks. Kids may not think about hackers and cybercriminals when they connect to public Wi-Fi in shopping centres and coffee shops. Always use a VPN, like Norton Secure VPN or Proton VPN when connecting to public Wi-Fi.
There are various Security software programs available to buy on the internet, it is just a matter of choosing the best option for you and your family.
If you would like to discuss this topic in more depth why not book a lesson today!
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