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Buying new supplies and clothes is not enough as your children return to school this year. You also should be thinking about how to help them stay safe online and avoid being easy targets for online scammers.
Parents: Be careful
Creating accounts on websites without permission: Social media sites are ripe with strangers with intentions that may be quite different than yours. Many sites are designed to collect and sell unauthorized user details and behaviors to advertisers seeking targeted marketing. When creating an account, some kids may falsely create a birthdate to meet the minimum age requirement. Know what your child is doing online, and keep track of the social media sites and accounts to which they have access.
Contests and giveaways: Contests and giveaways often collect a hefty amount of personal information on their entry forms. Many are thinly disguised ways of collecting personal or financial information that could lead to identity theft. Ensure your child doesn’t have access to banking or credit card information, and supervise the filling out of any forms.
Phishing: Adults are not the only ones who receive spam and junk mail. Kids often get junk mail, and since they don't have much online experience, they are more susceptible to clicking on links and answering questions they probably shouldn't. While some emails may be legitimate, the last thing parents want, or need, is a $500 bill from a fraudulent website where a purchase may have been made- or worse, giving up personal information that can be tracked back to your home.
Understand apps. Short for “applications,” apps are downloaded software that operates on various devices, such as smartphones. However, certain apps might collect and share personal information about your child or target your child with ads. Even free apps may include paid features, and children may not understand that some apps or game features cost money since they were labeled free to download. They may click on these so-called free games and cost parents or guardians a hefty bill at the end of the month.
File sharing sites: Many websites allow children to download free media. A child may not realize that these sites often come with the risk of downloading a virus, allowing identity thieves to access the gaming device, personal computer, or cell phone that’s being used. From there, the cyberthief can track financial transactions, and physical location, or even tap into the household wifi without anyone knowing it.
Tips on how to manage online privacy for the family:
Know about the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU). CARU's self-regulatory program provides detailed guidance to children’s advertisers on how to deal sensitively and honestly with children’s issues. These guidelines go beyond the issues of truthfulness and accuracy to consider the uniquely impressionable and vulnerable child audience.
Know about COPPA. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act protects the personal information of children under 13 on websites and online services—including apps. COPPA requires those sites and services to notify parents and get their approval before they collect, use or disclose a child’s personal information. However, if your nine-year-old tells Instagram they are 13 (the age requirement to use the app), this law won’t protect them.
Know about FOSI. The Family Online Safety Institute brings an international perspective to our online lives' potential risks, harms, and rewards. The Good Digital Parenting web portal is an excellent resource for families looking to educate online safety measures in the Internet age.
Read privacy policies together and understand privacy settings. Parents can have their children read the privacy policies and terms of use of any apps they want. While there might be a little grumbling that the policies “are too long” or that “it takes too much time,” remind them of the importance of knowing what they are signing up for and insist that they are read. Then, learn and understand the privacy settings on each app and game.
Don’t share your location. Nearly every app automatically tracks a user’s location. From placing an online order for groceries or fast food to playing an online game, review the apps on all your devices to see which ones are tracking your location. Then, if it's not needed, look in the settings to see how to disable this feature. Advise a friend or family member to avoid geo-tagging their posts with their location. Why? For example, you don’t want to announce the fact your family is vacationing out of state while the house sits empty. A simple review of the geo-tagged post will reveal where you are.
Use parental controls if necessary. Although the best way to keep a child’s online privacy safe is to teach them to manage it themselves, it doesn’t hurt to have their backs by using parental controls. Today Android, iOS, and most web browsers offer built-in features that allow parents to monitor their children’s online activities, but third-party apps are also available. Research the option that works best. Follow through with the child to explain why you're monitoring their activities.
Share with care, and remember, personal information is like money. What is posted online can last a lifetime: parents can teach children that any information they share online can easily be copied and is almost impossible to take back. Talk to them about who might see a post and how it might be perceived, and show them how anything they do online can positively or negatively impact other people. Sharing personal information can also give online thieves an idea of what login information or passwords might be used for banking or other online accounts.
Teachers and administrators: Tips for students
Videoconferencing tools: Just like businesses, ensure the online software used to deliver lectures, classroom work, and other online interactions is secure. The days of Zoom bombing, phishing, and other forms of cybercriminal activity aren't over.
Evaluate and update cybersecurity plans: The sudden shutdown of in-person activities left many scrambling to change course in creating and delivering a curriculum. Now is the time for educators to develop a plan to notify students, faculty, and staff should there be a data breach or security problem once classes are back in session.
Keep a clean machine and update devices that connect to the internet: Backing up critical lesson plans, personal information, and assignments is the best defense against viruses, malware, and other online threats. The only way to do this is to stay current on the most current software to protect against them.
For more information
Read more on keeping children safe online and visit BBB's Back to School HQ.
Visit the National Cybersecurity Alliance for the latest information.
For Canadian residents, visit Get Cyber Safe.