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From the desk of Jason Balderama, CISO, County of Marin
Everyone, including children, should be taught how to be safe online. The Internet can be a place of inappropriate conduct and content. There are bullies, predators, hackers, and scammers that may pose a threat to children. These factors can make it challenging for parents to guide their children today on interacting with others through technology. It begins with talking about it and encouraging safe and smart decisions about online activity.
Let’s explore some concepts and tips that apply to keeping children and everyone safe online.
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There are several cyber threats that are important to recognize.
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Cyberbullying is bullying that happens online. It can happen in an email, a text message, an app, an online game, or on a social media site.
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Phishing / Identity Theft is when a scam artist sends text, email, or pop-up messages to get people to share their personal information. They can then use that information to commit identity theft.
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Sexting is the sending or forwarding of sexually explicit photos, videos, or messages from a mobile phone. In addition to risking their reputations, friendships, and safety, this could be illegal activity.
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Social Media can help kids connect with family and friends, but it can invite danger if not used appropriately. Sharing too much information, posting pictures, videos, or words can damage reputation, hurt someone else, or invite a predator to make contact. Once something is on the Internet, it may not easily be removed. Oversharing may be leveraged by cybercriminals to facilitate identity theft.
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Start at an early age! As soon as children can use a computing device, it is time to talk to them about using it safely. Parents and family have the best opportunity to teach children.
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Know what your kids are doing. Consider having a common area in the house for the family to use the Internet, where children can feel independent, but not alone.
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Keep an open and honest environment. Let your children know they can come to you with any concerns or questions about online safety.
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Protect your children’s information. Don’t over-share information about your children and teach them this principle. Set social media accounts so only approved friends can see their content.
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Respond appropriately to cyberbullying. Tell children to ignore or block bullies, unless it becomes threatening. Report abuse to the website where it is taking place, or if you fear for your child’s safety, report it to the authorities.
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Configure the security and privacy features on devices. Change default settings on your devices and enable security features like strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, and automatic updates.
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Keep all computers and devices up to date. Install the latest security patches and updates for your device and antivirus software as soon as they are available.
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Consider installing or enabling parental controls on devices. Monitor your children's activity online.
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Teach kids to be cautious of suspicious messages. Send suspected phishing e-mails to reportphishing@antiphishing.org.
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Copyright © 2023 County of Marin, All rights reserved. |
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Disclaimer
The information provided in Marin CyberSafe News is intended to increase people’s awareness of cybersecurity and to help them behave in a more secure manner. Links in this newsletter are provided because they have information that may be useful. The County of Marin does not warrant the accuracy of any information contained in the links and neither endorses nor intends to promote the advertising of the resources listed herein. The opinions and statements contained in such resources are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions of County of Marin.
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