Kiddipedia
According to the recent New Family Norm survey, an overwhelming majority of Australians say technology has helped them stay socially connected with family and friends (91.2%) and has provided more opportunities to spend time with relatives (89.4%), particularly during the periods of isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The internet isn’t all sunshine and lollipops, however. While the perks of the digital age are notable, so too are the pitfalls. As online hours increase and the tactics of threats evolve, internet safety becomes increasingly important.
To help parents guard their family against online dangers, while continuing to enjoy the connectivity, community, learning and fun that makes the internet great, let’s take a look at four pieces of advice to ensure internet safety.
Keep personal information secure online
While it’s all but impossible to guarantee that your personal information is 100% secure online, there are a number of things you can do to push closer to security perfection:
- Create strong passwords that are unique to each account – a good strategy is to create a memorable sentence and use the first letters of each word to create your password. A tool like LastPass or the built-in password manager on the Chrome browser can help both generate and collate your passwords.
- Use two factor or multi-factor authentication (2FA/MFA) where available, such as having a code sent to your phone when you enter your internet banking password.
- Limit what you share on social media, or adjust your privacy settings so that only those you know can view your profiles.
Be alert to impersonators
While your email inbox is good at separating legitimate messages from dangerous ones, a few scams inevitably get through. The following strategies can help you to identify and avoid those who claim to be someone they’re not:
- Check the grammar of the email. Legitimate businesses won’t make simple spelling mistakes.
- Avoid ‘clicking through’ on emails, particularly regarding your accounts. Type the website address into the browser instead.
- If in doubt, Google the subject line or body of the email to check whether it is legitimate.
Safely store your digital data
If worse comes to worst and your phone or computer is compromised, you want to be confident that all of your memories, work and digital documents are safe. Use a service like Google Drive to back up your files in the cloud, safe and ready to access whenever you want or need.
Teach your kids about online safety
Internet safety starts at home. Teaching your children good internet habits doesn’t require a PHD in computer science – it’s simply a matter of reiterating the importance of the tips above. Make your password long and complex. Avoid oversharing online. Bring a healthy scepticism to alarming emails and messages.
If you and your family can do all that, you’ll be able to continue to enjoy the internet for the social, informative, fun and generally incredible place that it is.
