This post was last updated on September 14th, 2020 at 08:24 am
Your kids are surfing the internet to gather information for school assignments, to play games, to access entertainment, and to connect with their friends. While all of this seems great, the truth is that kids don’t always know how to stay safe while they’re online. They might end up connecting with people who want to steal their information or bully them, and they might end up putting your family’s privacy at risk. Therefore, it’s wise to take steps to educate your kids, as well as protect them while they’re online. Below is a brief guide on some of the steps you can take right away.
Set Rules and Monitor Activity
One of the first ways that you can ensure your kids surf the internet safely is by setting some rules that they need to follow. Let them know that they should never give away any personal information, such as where they live and go to school, their birthday, who their parents are, etc. They should also never post photos online, and they should choose a username that isn’t personally revealing.
In addition to setting rules, it’s also wise to monitor their activity by keeping the computer they use in an area of the house where you’ll be able to easily see what’s going on. This can alert you to any conversations with strangers, and to any websites that your child shouldn’t be visiting.
Run Background Checks on People Your Children Interact With
If there is anyone who is interacting with your child online, and you want to be absolutely sure that they are who they say they are, run a background check on Nuwber. This handy database is simple to use, and it can give you access to valuable information, such as addresses, phone numbers, property ownership, lawsuits, police records, and more.
Use Online Security Products
These days, there are a lot of online security products that you can choose from, and there are options to suit all budgets. Plus, you can do more than just protect your computer from viruses and malware.
Sure, antivirus software is extremely important, but online security services also provide other nice features, such as protection from ransomware, a VPN (a virtual private network) that will encrypt your child’s traffic on the internet, thereby providing more anonymity, and more. So look for a comprehensive suite of security features for ultimate peace of mind.
Use Parental Controls
Parental control software is also worth looking into if you want to keep your kids safe while they are online. These products help you prevent your kids from accessing websites that they shouldn’t be on. You can easily block certain types of web content, as well as select which applications you want to keep your kids from using. And you can even do things like limit the amount of time that your children spend on the internet. Whether your kids use a computer or a mobile device, this tool can be helpful and give you additional assurance.
Help Your Kids Use the Internet Safely
As a parent, it’s imperative that you teach your kids how to use the internet wisely and safely. In addition to that, it’s also important to implement tools that will be there to help keep your kids secure even when you aren’t around to monitor what they are doing.
Especially relevant: 14 Things you Should Avoid Doing Online in Order to Stay Safe
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