About Families and Online Safety
Families Online – Risks, Education, Solutions
The way people work, learn and play has been transformed by computers and most especially the Internet. In the home, computers are a necessity for young students, but they can also pose security rises and create problems. Parents that want to help their youngsters get the most out of their computer time while safeguarding their children and their data need to arm themselves with knowledge and the right protection software.
The reality is there are a number of hazards in the online world. Making sure children and entire families for that matter are protected calls for taking a proactive, even aggressive stance. To be able to do so effectively, parents need to understand the hazards, educate their children and make sure their machines are loaded with programs that can help them along the way.
Taking A Look At The Hazards
The online world – just like the physical world – is fraught with potential dangers. These hazards range from those that can produce minor consequences to some that can be quite serious, even potentially deadly for unsuspecting children. Parents do need to consider them all to make sure they take the right precautions to protect. Some of the hazards to watch out for include:
- Malware attacks – Parents might understand that downloading programs and files from unknown sources can lead to the introduction of malware onto a machine. Children, however, might not be armed with this knowledge. Links to games, colorful downloads and other hazards tend to be very attractive to children who do not know they may lead to the destruction of data, the introduction of spyware and even the facilitation of cybercrime.
- Social networking hazards – Youngsters – especially pre-teens and teens – are becoming hooked on social networking sites. While this is fine in moderation, the reality is children don't always use the best judgment while on these sites. Some may choose to “friend” people they don't really know; others may believe their actions and words on these sites cannot be seen by others and quite often youngsters fall victim to malware attacks while using these sites and clicking on links.
- Chat rooms – While it's fun to get a bunch of teens together for an online chat, the reality is these online destinations are often preyed upon by pedophiles and other undesirables. Safeguarding children from the potential pitfalls here is critical.
How To Educate Children
Making sure children understand how to properly use the Internet does call for some education and even the establishment of home ground rules. Discussions about the potential hazards of going online should be age-appropriate though. As a general rule of thumb, parents may want to discuss these issues:
- Allowed sites – It is not a bad idea for parents to provide children with an outline of the sites they can use and to limit the scope allowed. Making it a habit to have children ask before they access a site is also a good idea.
- Social networking rules – Parents should make sure their children understand that user names and passwords for these sites are meant to be private. Parents, however, should know what these users names and passwords are at all times. Children should also be advised to never “friend” someone they don't really know, as well.
- Chat rules – Parents can lay down rules for a child's use of chat rooms or strictly forbid the use of them entirely. Rules to consider include letting parents know when they are being accessed, making sure that members of the chat are known, and letting children know they are not allowed to correspond with strangers.
From identity thieves to pedophiles and beyond, parents do have a lot safeguard their children from when they are online. In addition to making sure youngsters are well educated about the proper use of an online computer, parents can also install software to help them maintain a watch over online activity. Products such as Norton 360 enable parents to get a better handle on their children's online time.
What Norton 360 Can Do For Parents
Comprehensive protection like Norton 360 can help parents maintain a better vigil over a child's online experience. This particular software suite provides protections against a number of possible hazards younger Internet users may face. The features that really stand out for families include:
- Antivirus protection – Norton is well-known for its state-of-the-art, constantly updated antiviral protections. Its security program can safeguard against viruses, worms, bots, rootkits and more. This means even if a child does click on a download that is infected, the problem can be stopped in its tracks.
- Identity theft protection – Norton 360 includes a number of defense mechanisms against this. It can also help safeguard a child's accounts from theft, which can be an important consideration.
- Parental Controls – Norton 360 also offers parental control features. These provide parents with feedback about the sites youngsters visit, the videos they watch, the amount of time a child has spent online and more. This can better enable a parent to monitor online use and ensure that potentially harmful behaviors are caught and stopped.
Making sure youngsters can enjoy their computer time without threats is a parent's number one priority. A combination of understanding, education and the right software can make this goal attainable. There is more to read about online safety for kids in our Online Safety – Advice for Parents article.