Cybercriminals use computer systems and the internet for illegal or criminal activities, including stealing information and disrupting services. You can either conduct electronic or traditional cybercrimes.
Most electronic cybercrimes involve identity theft through phishing. Traditional cybercrimes, on the other hand, include committing hate crimes, terrorism, bullying, and stalking using the internet.
You can keep your children safe from cybercrimes by providing access to age-appropriate information that is safe and relevant. The following are some great tips to keep your children protected from cybercriminals.
Monitoring Online Behavior
Monitoring your children’s online behavior is about evaluating how they use the internet. You can find out which social media sites they access on their own and the nature of their participation therein. However, you should conduct parental monitoring according to your children’s age and needs.
Parental control software is a great tool you can use to monitor your children’s online activity. This software works by limiting access to dangerous sites. However, you should ensure that your parental controls are child-friendly and not too restrictive.
Other tools for effective parental monitoring include password protection, spam detection, and updating yourself about the kind of technology your children use.
Establishing Rules of Engagement
If you do not have enough time to monitor your children’s online behavior, establishing some rules of engagement will come in handy. Such policies will make them aware of the merits and dangers of the internet.
Engaging with these guidelines will also help them maximize their online activity without falling victim to predators on the internet. You can set robust privacy features and always use VPN to encrypt your connections and those of your kids when online. These steps will keep your kids’ devices safe. Controlling screen time, establishing internet security standards, and providing an education on internet safety are also some of the ground rules you can implement. Using parental settings will also go a long way in restricting their access to the internet.
Encourage Personal Cyber Responsibility
Personal cyber-responsibility entails questioning the intention behind online proposals before participating in them. Encourage your kids to go through all the terms and conditions of online applications before using them.
It would help if you also taught them to be vigilant about online requests for vital details like passwords and financial information. Let them know the importance of online privacy and how vital it is to protect their identity. Make them aware that disclosing their passwords or financial information may help people steal their identity.
You can also request that your kids periodically update their security software, operating systems, and browsers. Using biometric and password protection programs will also go a long way towards protecting their online accounts.
Teach Them About Cyberbullying
The online space can be extremely cruel to your children if they are unaware of the harmful impacts of cyberbullying. You need to help your kids develop healthy and appropriate social connections online.
It would be best to teach them about cyberbullying before giving them internet access. Explain to your kids that cyberbullies use online tools to make people feel terrible about themselves. Also, teach them about the available tools like blocking to help them stay clear of cyberbullies.
It would also be great to remind them not to send private information like their name, contact details, and inappropriate pictures while conversing online. Teach them to say “no” when asked to send that sort of information. Make sure you let them know who to consult if they are unsure.
Conclusion
Parents need to keep up with the changing trends in online communication. If you have children, you must actively find ways to help them maximize the online space without falling victim to internet predators.
However, it may prove to be quite challenging to keep up with the ever-changing online environment. If this is the case, consult technological and psychological experts to find out how you can best protect your kids from cybercrime.
