The internet and all of the dangers that are posed to children every day are a parent’s nightmare. Kids become exposed to cyber-bullies, hackers, sexual predators and adult content that is accessible to them. What makes it harder is the amount gadgets used the climbing number of social platforms that are now in use.
Four simple tips can help to help keep your children that little safer while they are online.
Set Limits
This can be one of the best ways to prevent overexposure of your children online. The less time they are online, the less chance they have to be targeted and their system compromised.
Without wanting to be too restrictive, you can set ground rules where they can use their computer when returning home from school yet as dinner approaches that are downtime. Computer use in the bedroom should also be restricted as then they will be out of your view.
Parental Control Tools
There are many tools available for parents to help protect their children. Operating systems have built-in parental controls, and there are options for safe searching and the limiting of content. Other options include Malware Protection packages that are now adding to these built-in controls and can filter what your children can see and unable to see.
They also scan any apps your child wishes to download for potential threats. There are also many new browsers available that do an excellent job of filtering unsafe content or helping secure your online privacy using incognito modes (private browsing).
Many browsers also have access to some useful browser extensions which further strengthen your browser security while at the same time making your child’s online experience more enjoyable.
VPN Services
One of the best ways for preventing prying eyes, hackers or anyone trying to trace your child’s location is by using a VPN client. This will mask the IP address of your child’s computer while they are online and make them appear invisible. Any data that is transferred is also protected through encryption making it hard for anyone to tap into personal information.
These VPN services will also protect your children if they have access to public WI-FI hotspots as these are prime locations for hackers or predators to visit.
Education
No matter what tools and limits you put into place your child can still be open to these threats. Education of your child is above all the best form of protection.
You should educate your child on the dangers of downloading any old apps, talking to strangers who might not be whom they say they are and to never agree to meet anyone in person that they have befriended on social media.
Your child should also be aware that the things they share can either tempt predators or divulge personal information that can cause other threats to emerge. No parent wants their child to feel restricted, and if they are online while under parental supervision, they will feel hindered or feel as if they have done something wrong.
About the Author: Online Security Expert and Tech Enthusiast, Peter McBryde, writes for VPN Streamer – a site dedicated to better privacy, getting more from your internet connection and enjoying tech.
