By Ondrej Kubovič posted 1 Jun 2016
The first of June isn’t just a sign of the
approaching summer or vacation, but it is also one of the biggest celebrations
of young people – International Children’s Day. However, this annual event does
not only remind us of how precious and courageous today’s kids can be, but also
how vulnerable.
With the rise of technology and the growing
prominence of social networks, children often tend to be absorbed in the
virtual world. Some even spend more time online than with their parents or
friends outside of it.
For many parents this poses a great challenge as a
lot of them aren’t digital natives and struggle to recognize all the risks that
might loom in cyberspace. For those moms and dads, we have prepared a short
list of what to look out for.
Malware
Short for malicious software, it is one of the most
prevalent risks online. There are many different methods malware uses to reach
its targets, however children mostly encounter it disguised as a fake copy of a popular game. Infected versions often come from
third party markets or forums, but some of these “free” games can also found on
the official Google Play market. By using reputable security software, you can limit their access to
dangerous websites and block inappropriate apps.
Cyberbullying
This hostile behavior is frequent, especially among
teenagers. A child is usually threatened and humiliated by his or her peers in
cyberspace, potentially causing him or her emotional trauma. But whether or not
your offspring is the victim of such malicious behavior, he or she should not
retaliate, as this is exactly the kind of reaction a bully wants to provoke.
Instead, they should come to you, and with your help, both notify the
authorities and provide the (bullying) messages as evidence.
Grooming
When an adult tries to persuade a child to
participate in sexual activity by creating an environment of trust and building
an emotional connection, it is called grooming. Many times these perpetrators even pretend to be
their peers in order to establish a close relationship and arrange a meeting in
person. For parents it is best to use parental tools to keep an overview of who their kids are
interacting with online.
Sexting
Sexting comes from the combination of the words sex
and texting. Initially, as its name indicates, it referred to emails that
contained sexual messages. More recently, due to technological progress, this
evolved to include the exchange of images and videos, and it has become
commonplace since most teenagers have their own mobile devices. To counter this
risk, explain that such pictures and messages can end up online and spread to
people they weren’t intended for. Sometimes this kind of soft dialogue can be more
effective than strict control.
Information theft
All the information that travels through the web,
without the necessary precautions, may be intercepted by third parties. A wrong
step may expose a minor to the loss of family money or in the worst case
scenario, to identity theft. Therefore, parents should educate their children
as to what information is sensitive and how to handle it properly. Also,
parents should ideally be the ones carrying out financial transactions online.
Spam
An unsolicited email that arrives in your inbox is
nothing new. But with the growing number of campaigns, ransomware can also hit your child’s device,
especially if he or she doesn’t know how to handle these messages.
Scams
Scams are deceptive acts carried out via the
internet. They can take many forms, such as the use of social engineering
techniques launched over social networks. For example, while attackers may
offer something for sale, what they really want is to obtain confidential
information. False messages requesting our social network user IDs and
passwords over the internet are also a frequently seen example of scams.
Want more tips?
1.
If possible,
create a specific account for your child in order to efficiently control his or
her activities online.
2.
Keep a
reputable security solution and parental control tool installed and up to date.
3.
Monitor your
child’s browsing history and if deleted, have a talk.
4.
Make sure the
webcam is disconnected or covered (if built-in) when not in use.
5.
If you allow
your child the use of social networks, keep an eye on the settings. A profile
that is publicly shared with no limitations may put a young person’s integrity
at risk.