How to Cultivate a Child's Awareness of Cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity should be considered just as important as securing your house with the biggest padlock available. Due to the needs and change of lifestyle, we have quickly adopted the latest technology. However, most of us are unaware of how this technology works and what harms lie behind those friendly screens. The significance of cybersecurity awareness can be observed from the fact that every year October is dedicated as a cybersecurity awareness month.

Cybersecurity awareness month was established by US Homeland Security and National Cyber Security Alliance. Annually, almost 594 million people are affected by cybercrimes. It is not just the businesses and corporations at risk of cybercrimes, even our devices can be hacked and sensitive information stolen. Cybersecurity awareness month aims to educate all individuals about these threats and find appropriate solutions.

Cybersecurity Threats Faced By Kids

If cybersecurity awareness is necessary for every adult, we can only imagine how essential it is for kids. We taught our kids to stay away from strangers in the real world, but cyberbullies and criminals are hidden behind devices that are hard to recognize. Before handing devices to the kids, it is parents' responsibility to recognize the threats lurking online.

1. Inappropriate Content

We are all aware of the inappropriate content present online. Kids may stumble upon them accidentally, and their curiosity leads them to continue browsing. Usually, the advertisements can also divert them to such unsuitable websites.

2. Cyberbullies

As children indulge in hours of chats on social media sites and personal chatrooms, they are sure to face cyberbullying. The lack of accountability and absence of supervision allows freedom of online abuse. According to studies, 90% of teenagers consider cyberbullying to be a threat.

3. Predators

Hidden behind the screen, these predators can easily manipulate young adults and children. They play on the innocence of the children to gain their trust. Then, they make them participate in inappropriate online events and acts. Most teenagers do not realize the consequences of such activities until it is too late.

4. Scams

Children are not attracted by millions of dollars in lottery wins, but they do want to gain rewards for their favorite games. Scammers monitor online gaming platforms for children and send them malicious malware concealed as rewards. These dangerous links and attachments download viruses and botnets onto electronic devices that steal personal information and corrupt them.

What Actions Can Parents Take To Protect Their Children Online?

There are two methods every parent should apply to ensure cybersecurity for kids. Firstly, they need to properly introduce what cybersecurity is. Explain to them what the threats are that they may face online. An aware child is more likely to pick up suspicious behavior and identify untrustworthy individuals. As the children grow older, their online activities and interactions will change.

Similarly, the issues will differ. Parents should have regular cybersecurity awareness talks and meetings with their kids. They can hire services of a trained professional to teach their kids methods to protect themselves from cybercrimes.

Secondly, install reliable and authentic protection and tracking software on your kids' devices. A small child watching videos for entertainment can easily have their screen time controlled by their parents. For young teenagers' privacy is very important them. Instead of forcing them or secretly installing software, explain to them the need for cybersecurity and teach them to take good actions. Blocking social media sites while studying will help them concentrate better and remove distractions.

Cyber Safety Tips For Kids

• Responsible Actions

Unless kids and young adults understand that their online activities and interactions will have a lasting effect, no software can safeguard them completely. Learning responsible online behavior is part of cybersecurity awareness within children. There is no rewind or delete option. Once a post or a picture is available to view its stays there forever. Years later, it can be used for blackmail or influence their reputation.

• Reserved Activity

The need for acceptance, fame, and popularity forces children to share everything online without filters. They must learn that private information and personal details should not be shared openly online since there is no control over who is following them. Constant resharing of posts and media gives an advantage to criminals monitoring sites for opportunities. Cybersecurity awareness month has one week allocated to study the future of our 24 hours connectivity.

• Strangers Online

A stranger is just as harmful online, even if you do not meet them physically. Besides, strangers gain the trust of children through sweet talks. Internet activities should be limited to close friends and relatives only. A professional atmosphere should be established and maintained if they interact with adults from their educational institutes or online work.

• Report Problems

Finally, it is very important to create a healthy and open relationship with your child. They should be encouraged to talk about their daily activities. Strict rules and punishments usually cause resistance from teenagers. Instead, use a friendly attitude when dealing with problems. Only then will kids not be afraid of sharing something wrong that happens to them online. Listening to them, you are likely to pick up unhealthy behavior before it becomes serious.

What Is FamiSafe And How It Can Help?

Now that we have established the seriousness of cybersecurity for kids' we need to find a solution. FamiSafe is the answer to new-age cybersecurity. Millions of satisfied users highly recommend it due to its reliability and trustworthiness. Parents globally use FamiSafe to protect their kids from various online issues. FamiSafe helps them monitor and control their kids' online presence while increasing cybersecurity awareness among their families.

Parents do not need technical expertise while using FamiSafe. It is a simple software that provides strong cybersecurity for kids. Below are listed some of the valuable features of this application.

1. Online Activity

To understand the kids' online presence, parents need to learn where and how kids spend their time. FamiSafe will provide you with all the information regarding what applications are being used and their duration.

Additionally, parents are notified of the websites that their kids are visiting. The frequency will indicate what their interests are and if they are involved in anything suspicious. Without knowing what the child is doing, parents cannot take corrective action.

2. Location Tracking

Out in the real world, you cannot protect the kids. Young adults secretly visit dangerous locations. FamiSafe can help track your kids, so you are always aware of their location. It even provides tracking history so you can keep them safe.

3. Set Limitations

Once you know what your kids are doing, FamiSafe allows you to limit their actions. You can restrict the time spend on each application. You can block inappropriate applications, websites, and media content.

A unique feature of FamiSafe is getting alerts for unsuitable media content and interactions. Parents are sent notifications if their kids get involved in any unacceptable behavior, even while texting. Cybersecurity awareness can only be taught if the kids are showed what they are doing is incorrect.

FamiSafe covers all the aspects of cybersecurity for kids. The process is easy that takes minutes to complete. You begin with registering for a package that fits your needs. It is based on the number of your devices and payment plan. Next, you install the FamiSafe application on your own and the kids' devices. Finally, you connect the devices to the dashboard and rest assured that your kids will not face dangers alone.