Protecting Your Family Online
Written by Joe Zhou
The online world continues to evolve, especially with the invention of high powered smart devices. There is a lot that the internet has to offer. Life has become smoother, faster, and better all thanks to the virtual space and the solutions that it provides for individuals and families alike.
However, the internet also comes with threats that can put your family at risk. These threats include viruses, malware, Trojans, phishing, as well as botnets, spyware, and worms.
The presence of these online threats makes it paramount that parents take steps to equip themselves with knowledge about these dangers and how to combat them. Keeping yourself and your children safe should be your objective. There are different approaches and security strategies that you can employ to ensure that your family stays safe from these online threats. Here are some best practices that you can implement to keep your loved ones protected –
Stay Away From Malware & Adware
A lot of social channels and free applications make use of adware. Your kids are bound to come in contact with a lot of ads. There's also in-app purchasing, which is very convenient. Parents must take steps to monitor the amount of time kids spend online and determine the apps that they can access. Make sure that you have your kids understand the way free applications function so that they do not unconsciously make expenditures.
Beware Of Online Predators
Educate your children about interacting with strangers, both offline and online. Ensure that they understand how predictors function and that people can lie about their identities on the internet. Always be involved in your child's online activities and monitor their contact lists online. Do you know the social websites that your child is interacting with? There are parental control tools that can help you monitor or block contacts that you consider risky for your family.
Keep Passwords Secure
Most people do not really understand how important securing passwords is. Make use of passwords that are very unique. Ensure that you mix them up and combine letters with digits and symbols. This will help to protect you from online bots that are designed to steal passwords. Changing passwords at regular intervals and using different passwords for different accounts online can help to keep you safe as well. You can use free password managers to keep track of all your account passwords.
Monitor Social Networks
Everyone wants to interact on social media today. The appeal of having friends on different social channels is too good to pass up. Since you cannot totally ban your kids from interacting on social media, you can set restrictions and decide where you permit your child to hang out online. Restrict your kids from accessing websites with adult content. Also, monitor the amount of information that they share about themselves in online forums and social profiles.
Fight Identity Theft
Identity theft is an online crime that is on the increase. With so many organizations collecting and storing data about individuals, take the time to question and analyze the kind of information being demanded even if the intentions are right. Also, determine the level of information that any organization will be privy to concerning members of your family. Teach your kids to avoid sharing their data online like where you reside, where they school, etc.
With the increasing level of cyber threats, make use of online security tools. Apply the steps that have been outlined above and always equip yourself with the latest information about online security. This will help to ensure the safety of a family at all times.
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