Introduction

Children can be easy targets for hackers or other people with malicious intent. Providing your children some basic knowledge will help to ensure their safety. 

Take Action

The following tips can help you to keep your children safe while online. Also, please speak to your children before they are at risk. It is important that children know how to stay safe online and have an open rapport with their parents to openly discuss the internet. Below are some ideas to help ensure a happy and safe online experience:

  • Posting to social media. Social media is a fantastic service. It allows us to connect in ways that we never have been able to do before. However, we must teach our children this lesson. That once you have created a post, you can never truly delete it. You may be able to remove it, but you will never truly know what other copies exist or who has seen it.
  • Connect with your children on social media. Being aware of your children’s posts and who their other connections are will allow you the ability to intervene if necessary to protect your children.
  • Use parental control software. Many times we forget that parental control software is available on most devices and can restrict access to questionable websites and services before doing harm. Depending on the platform, the name of the software may vary. So check with the manufacturer before assuming this option does not exist.
  • Never trust people online that you don’t personally know. Speak with children about what they should not tell strangers online. Keep in mind that nefarious people may impersonate someone else or adopt an online persona to get children to lower their guard and trust them.
  • Only allow software and websites that you know. Free software and websites may contain malware and/or inappropriate material. Always be careful before allowing your children to install software or visit new websites. Use google to research the software and websites for issues before allowing your children to interface with them.
  • Teach the Golden Rules of the Internet. The first being… If you wouldn't do it face to face, don't do it online. It's a simple rule and one we should train children to implement early. This might also be referred to as netiquette.