By Harry Tucker
How parents can help keep their family safe
I
t seems we all have a bit to learn about how to protect ourselves and the ones we love. Here’s some ideas about what you can do.
Almost half of all Australians (47%) think they’ve already been scammed. Just as many (49%) admit that they should be paying more attention to cyber security but aren’t sure how to go about it. And to top it off, 91% of parents said they were concerned about their child’s safety online. Those are figures from a poll we recently undertook*. So what can Australian parents do to help keep their kids safe? We’ve got some tips you may like to try: START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT CYBER SAFETY EARLY It’s really never too early to start talking to your children about cyber safety.
You could think about setting some boundaries around what your kids can and cannot do online, such as the websites they can visit and the amount of time they can spend online. Encourage your children to ask questions and clarify any doubts they might have. Additionally, you could use parental controls to monitor online activity and block inappropriate content. Helping to familiarise them with the risk environment early is always going to help set the scene for a positive relationship with the internet going forward. USE PARENTAL CONTROLS Many devices and operating systems come with built-in parental controls that can help you limit your children’s access to inappropriate content and help prevent them from making unauthorised purchases or downloading malicious apps.
Of the roughly 21% of surveyed parents with children under 18 that had not yet talked to their kids about staying safe, almost all of them said they planned to in the future. You could begin the talk at a young age by explaining the concept of the internet and its uses. Discuss with your kids the risks that come with being online such as identity theft, cyberbullying, and SMS and phone scams. Teach them the importance of keeping personal information private and never giving out information to strangers online. Real-life examples can help kids better understand why being safe online is so important, such as stories of people whose identities were stolen online. Follow the instructions below to set these up! KEEP YOUR DEVICES UP TO DATE Software updates are essential for keeping your devices secure. Make sure to install updates as soon as they become available to protect your devices from the latest security threats. This is also important given one in three Aussie workers surveyed admitted to family members having used their work computers to browse the internet (34%) and even installing software on their work computers for personal use (34%). Follow Google’s instructions to update your Android devices, and follow Apple’s instructions to update your iOS devices. USE STRONG PASSWORDS By teaching your kids to use strong passwords, you’re instilling good cyber security habits that they can carry with them into adulthood. You’re also helping them to protect their personal information and online identity, which is especially important in today’s digital age. Passwords are the first line of defense against cyber threats. Make sure you and your children use strong passwords that are difficult to guess, and never use the same password for multiple accounts. 24 Peninsula Kids – Spring 2023