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National Month for the Protection of Children Online: This is how you can keep them safe
In the "routine" of the corona, we are online more than ever, from teens to adults.
Hackers recognize the potential that lies ahead, and they, too, are showing more sophisticated scams than ever before.
Rene Taron, Vice President of Information Security at Fortint, with tips to help keep kids safe online
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Rene Taron
Sunday, 28 February 2021, 10:57
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The Internet surrounds us everywhere - we use it for personal, professional and educational purposes.
Kids learn how to operate a touch screen even before they can talk and teens enjoy a variety of games and educational materials that are at a click.
But along with the many benefits that the Internet has brought to our lives, its use also carries with it concerns about security and cyber threats.
To address these threats, Israel is now marking the National Month for Protecting Children Online, with the goal of encouraging everyone who uses the Internet - whether children, parents or educators - to play their part in creating a safer online environment.
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"Everyone who uses the Internet must defend themselves" (Photo: ShutterStock)
Why is it important to protect ourselves when surfing the web?
As of 2019, over 85% of people living in developed countries have used the Internet, making them potential victims of cybercrime, including identity theft, financial theft, intellectual property infringement, malware malware and social engineering-based attacks.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in 2019 a record 3.2 million reports of identity theft were broken, with most thefts occurring due to Internet use and about a quarter of them even resulting in financial loss.
In other words, cybercrime can cause various damages and therefore, anyone who uses the internet must protect himself, his data and all the devices he has access to whether at home, school or work.
How do we maintain our and our child's security in the online space?
National Online Child Protection Month provides an opportunity to examine our use of the Internet and implement safe use practices for us and our family.
Here are some recommendations to help you get started.
"Instruct family and children to keep their personal data confidential" (Photo: ShutterStock)
Educate and encourage safe use
Instruct family members and children to keep their personal data confidential while surfing the Internet by encouraging them not to share their real name with strangers or to provide information about their place of residence.
Establish clear rules regarding surfing the Internet for children and teens including creating a list of approved sites and apps to use or requiring parental approval for certain online activities.
Make sure the whole family understands the importance of strong passwords, how to create them and why not share them with anyone else.
You can also create a different password for each account, avoid using common expressions, and include special numbers and characters in the password.
Explain about phishing attempts and how they can be identified.
Make it clear to family members not to click on a suspicious link or open attachments that they do not expect and whose source is unknown.
Encourage children and teens to contact an adult they trust if they are unsure about something they have found online or have concerns about a site or interaction with a particular person.
Be one step ahead of the possible threats
Check the apps that are in use by you and other family members and explain about security issues regarding their use.
Install anti-virus software and other security software such as parental controls on your devices to prevent various threats.
Use VPN (Encrypted Link) technology to maintain anonymity while browsing the web and increase security when browsing public networks.
Make sure online purchases are made through secure sites.
FortiGuard Labs' latest threat study has shown that online trading platforms are a popular target for cybercriminals.
Resources like Fortint's free cyber security tutorials can help improve your children's security awareness.
These are basic tutorials that explain how to identify and defend against cyber threats so that children will be protected while surfing the Internet.
Creating an online presence can open the door to a variety of cyber threats, from social engineering attacks to the theft of personal information.
Taking the appropriate steps and following up on safety recommendations will allow you to create a safe online environment for you and your children.
Rene Taron, Vice President of Information Security at Fortint
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