Safer Internet Day - Keeping your children safe online
Technology is a big part of our lives; the same is true for our children.
It’s a great tool for everything from entertainment to education. However, content, communication and behaviour from others can be a threat.
Safer Internet Day reminds us to teach children about online safety. This year, the theme of Safer Internet Day is ‘Too good to be true? 'Protecting yourself and others from scams online’. So, how can you help and advise your children to keep them safe online?
Talk to them
Be open and honest with your children and they're more likely to be open and honest with you. Speak to them about the importance of online safety. Discuss risks they could face. Encourage them to talk to you if they're not sure about something.
Use strong and unique passwords
Devices and online accounts should have strong and secure passwords. You shouldn't share them with others. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) advises people to create passwords using ‘3 random words’. Capital letters and symbols can be used to make them more secure. Passwords should never contain personal information or be used across multiple accounts.
Two-factor verification
Many platforms encourage two-factor verification also known as multi-factor authentication. This means as well as using your username and password to access an account, a code will be sent to your phone or email address to use as a second layer of security. Turning on two-factor verification reduces the risk of someone else accessing your accounts.
Parental Controls
You can set up parental controls to protect children from inappropriate online content. Talk to your children about why you’re putting these controls in place and how important they are.
You can tailor controls by creating content filters to block apps that may have inappropriate content and manage the content that family members can see. Parental controls can be put on the following and more:
- Home broadband
- Wi-Fi
- Games consoles
- Mobiles
- Tablets, laptops and computers
- Applications
- Online services
- Search engines
Private Accounts
Depending on your child’s age, they may have social media accounts such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Make sure their accounts are set to private. In doing so, only those they have connected with can see what they’re posting. You can also help them in configuring their settings. This can help by managing who can message them and hiding sensitive content.
Don’t share personal details
Whether it’s an ‘online friend’ or an email or website asking for personal information, remind your children not to share personal details online. Encourage them to speak to you if they’re unsure of something.
When discussing this, you can remind your children of the 5 W’s:
- Who is asking for your information?
- What information do they want?
- Where is your information going?
- When do they want the information, is it urgent?
- Why do they want your information?
Remind your children of what counts as personal information. A pet or teacher's name should be kept secret as these are often used security questions.
Be aware of different scams
Remind your children that not everything they see online is real. Phishing scams are common and something to look out for. Phishing comes in many forms and aims to exploit human behaviour. Be vigilant of emails asking for personal details or encouraging visiting websites.
Stranger danger
Just like you would teach your children about stranger danger in real life, you should do the same about online strangers.
Explain that online, people can make fake profiles pretending to be celebrities, friends or even family and if they’re even in doubt, they can always come to you for advice.
Set clear boundaries
Set clear boundaries/limits on the time children can spend on the internet. Adapt these controls based on what is appropriate for the child. A younger child may only need to access the internet for a few hours for entertainment, while an older child may need a longer time for education and entertainment.
Further Resources:
For more tips as a parent or carer of a child, you can visit Safer Internet Day. It has tips and fun activities to teach children how to stay safe when connected to the internet.