5 Incredibly Important Cyber Security Truths to Tell Your Kids

As a child, you may have gotten a stern talk about accepting unsolicited gifts, or going into a stranger's home or car. While these threats certainly still exist, there are many more immediate and unexpected dangers that our kids must be wary of today. It's a new era of technology and connectivity. While this new technology improves our lives in many ways, it also brings new dangers. Reports of hacking, cyberbullying , identity theft and other cyber crimes are becoming more and more common news items: Estimates say that someone falls victim to online fraud every two seconds . When you hear stats like that, you think it will never happen to you or your kids. But if they aren’t armed with the knowledge to protect themselves, it might. It can be hard to know what to tell them when you have this conversation, especially when children are often more skilled at navigating the cyber world than the adults around them. Use this guide, which breaks down some of the top issues kids have with cyber security, to help you navigate "the talk" of internet safety and cyber security. 1. Devices need to be locked, just like doors. First and foremost, all electronic devices used by every member of your family should be secured. We have locks, deadbolts, motion sensor lights and elaborate alarm systems on our homes - our computers should be no different. Security provider Kaspersy has compiled great kid-friendly guides to securing your computer and mobile device ; share them with everyone in your household who regularly uses an electronic device! Once you’ve talked, install security software together and involve them in running regular malware checks on all devices, especially the ones they use most, such as tablets, laptops and phones. 2. Passwords are like keys to the house. You kids need to know that a password to any account—from bank accounts all the way down to an innocent puzzle app—is like a key. That key is the only thing protecting valuable information about their life, including their birthday, home address and more. Ask them to imagine their account as the house they live in, where they keep all of their toys, electronics—all the things they don’t want stolen. Their password, then, is the key to that house. Ask them: "Would you give that key out to just anybody? Or use the same key to open every important lock?" Unfortunately, that's exactly what a lot of kids do. According to one survey, 59 percent of teens say that they'd share their password with a friend, so rules must be put in place for your children to stay safe. The rule: It's okay to share a password with a trusted adult, like a teacher, family member or parent, because they can help if you get into trouble. But never share with friends, and never type up a list of your passwords and save it on the computer. That's just like leaving a house key under the "Welcome" mat outside your front door—it’s obvious and easy to get to. 3. GPS puts you on a map that dangerous people can read. With the advent of GPS technology for devices, a lot of things got easier: navigating to new places, finding a nearby restaurant and even locating our phones if they're lost. But some things also got more dangerous. Kids (especially teens) often "check in" to locations because they're excited or proud to be visiting a cool new place, and they want their friends to know it. Unfortunately, cyber criminals can also see exactly where they are when they do this. While your children may protest about no longer checking into their location—some apps are gamified, which kids love, you can talk to them about the dangers of photos with GPS data attached. Use this guide from Gizmodo to learn how to stop attaching locations to photos and then walk your kids through their new photo-posting rules. 4. People online are people in real life. When we're communicating with someone online, whether it's a customer service agent, a fellow gamer, a classmate or a total stranger in the comment section of a popular video, it's easy to forget that there's a person on the other end, especially for kids. Unfortunately, this often leads to cyberbullying and other forms of harassment. The rule of thumb for your kids to follow: If you wouldn't say something to someone's face, don't say it to them online —their face is just a screen away. 5. When in doubt, ask an adult. Not everything on the Internet is as it seems. That's why former President Obama created the "Stop.Think.Connect" campaign against cyber crime. This campaign reminds us to use common sense and err on the side of caution, always. For example, we're used to getting phone calls to our land lines and postcards in our mailboxes notifying us we won a free cruise or qualify for a special offer—and we know not to bite. Nowadays, your kids are getting these same types of messages via email and social media, but do they know not to bite? Hopefully after this conversation, they have a better idea of what dangers to look out for, but that doesn’t mean they’re prepared for anything. Tell your kids that in this case: ask an adult, whether that’s a teacher, family member, older sibling or parent . Above all else, remind your kids to use common sense when navigating the Internet. Have them ask themselves: "If a trusted adult were standing behind me, would I still be doing this?" If the answer is "No," then common sense says to stay away. Connect with us on Facebook!

5 Incredibly Important Cyber Security Truths to Tell Your Kids

Military Spouse Wellness Summit: A week-long, online event that will impact your life and marriage

4 Do’s & Don’ts of Living Overseas (Or Anywhere New!)

4 Do's & Don'ts of Living Overseas (Or Anywhere New!)

Recommended

2024 Military Spouse Student Leadership Awards

Veterans Day Discounts and Freebies 2024

Celebrating Military Libraries Week

There May Never Be a Good Time to Workout, But There is a Good Place

Winter 2024

Life

2023 MFE

Employment

Education

News

Discounts

Moving