Protect Your Kids With These 4 Tips

Online school security tips

With the spread of COVID-19, schools across the globe have decided to keep kids home for the remainder of this semester.

While virtual tools like Zoom make it possible for teachers and students to connect from a distance, online threats are still a danger for your kids.

Here are four tips you need to keep your kids safe online.

Varay’s top 4 tips to protect kids

Online threats like bullying, scams, and mature content are shockingly accessible to kids. And with an required increase in digital activity in order to finish the school year, now is the time to prepare your kids to be safe online.

Here are our tips for device security and online safety for your kids:

1. Create family tech policies – If you’re cringing thinking of the tantrums you’ll face while trying to set device policies for your kids, know there are ways to set things in place smoothly! First and foremost, make sure your kids know that these policies are in place because you care about their safety, not because you want to hinder their fun. You’re their resource for how to use devices and the internet wisely, so let them know you’ll check in on their use periodically. We also suggest having non-secret passwords as part of your policy, because you should have access to every app and account they own.
2. Talk about online safety – The internet and phone apps are going to be a huge part of their lives as adults, so consider these conversations an investment in their future relationships and careers, not just part of their youth. Just as you point out dangers and remind them of the rules of the road when they’re learning to drive, talk with them constantly as they learn to navigate the digital world. Share tips you read about spotting scams or phony social media accounts. You can also use tools and online safety games like these to drive home online safety principles.
3. Take control — Make use of parental controls that come on your kids’ devices and any they have access to in the home. If you’re an Apple family, consider using Family Share so you’ll know about any questionable apps they download. You can also set up content controls on YouTube to screen out a lot of mature content.
4. See what they’re seeing — If your child has a connected device or phone, they have access to the wild wild west of predators, bullies, and sites you don’t want them visiting. But there are programs that will give you mirror copies of your child’s texts and tell you what sites they’re using online, so you can identify anything unsafe and help steer them in the right direction.

We hope these safety tips help you secure your most precious assets, but online and device safety doesn’t stop at home. Businesses are vulnerable to the very same threats online, and Varay has the tools and experience to protect you.

Contact us today to set up a free cybersecurity assessment and secure your team online.

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