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Cyber Safety for Families

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The Importance of Cyber Safety

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The Internet and cyberspace offer a world of opportunities, such as:

Email, messaging, video chatting, and social media
Online research, virtual field trips, and instructional content
Videos, gaming, music, and podcasts
Online banking and shopping

Kids ages 8-12 spend almost 4 hours and teens ages 13-18 spend almost 6.5 hours a day online watching videos, gaming, browsing websites, videochatting, and using social media
It is therefore essential to learn about and understand common online dangers to beware of and actions you can take to protect your family

Source: Department of Homeland Security Stop.Think.Connect. Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign; Common Sense Media, “The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Tweens and Teens, 2021”.

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General Tips to Protect�Your Children in Cyberspace

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Foster open, honest communications to discuss online risks and behaviors
Have regular conversations about online safety practices, offering guidance rather than trying to control behavior
Encourage children to be cautious – remind them what is on the Internet isn’t always true and people may not be who they seem to be
Talk about the importance of a positive online identity
Watch for changes in behavior – sudden avoidance of the computer may be a sign your child is being bullied online
Review security settings and privacy policies for Apps and websites
Protect Internet-enabled devices like smart phones and tablets

Source: Department of Homeland Security Stop.Think.Connect. Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign.

Have regular, open conversations about online safety practices.�

Encourage your children to be cautious in cyberspace.

Ask Participants to read the slides as individuals or tables.

Be prepared to discuss:

The Different types of apps their child uses such as:

Social Media (Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook, SnapChat)

Gaming: Roblox, Fortnite

�Ask parents to share what platforms they are aware and the ones their children use.

Ask are they “following” or “friends” with their child on these platforms. In doing this they will be able to monitor the activity on the accounts better.

**Note: While age and student by student dependent, sometimes children create secret accounts. Parents will need to be diligent in their monitoring and having open and honest communications with their child about social media and gaming platforms�

Chat functions: Nearly all social media and gaming platforms have a chat functions. It is recommended that this feature is disabled especially for young children. If you do allow chats to occur you can go into the settings to identify who your child is able to speak with. Stress with your child to never chat/talk with strangers. If a stranger contacts them, they should tell you right away.

�Remind parents they should be aware of the social media platforms and gaming platforms their child uses, their child’s profile name, and what they are each platform for.

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Cyber Predators and Bullies

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Cyber Predators look online for children, teens, and sometimes adults to exploit, control, or hurt in some way. They often try to connect through chat rooms, instant messaging, social media, and gaming communities.
Cyber Bullies post mean, hurtful messages or photos about others online or through text messages or email. Common places for cyberbullying are social media, gaming communities, instant/text messaging, and email.
Nearly 1 of every 2 teens have experienced cyberbullying

Sources: Department of Homeland Security Stop.Think.Connect. Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign; Pew Research Center, Teens and Cyberbullying 2022.

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Cyber Predators and Bullies

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Cyber Tips to Share with Your Children

Keep your personal information private: Never share your name, address, phone number, birthday, passwords, or school you attend online.
Speak Up: If you see something inappropriate, tell an adult and let the website know.
Don’t talk to strangers and never agree to meet in person. Tell an adult you trust if a stranger contacts you in a chat room or via email or texting.
Only communicate online with people you actually know in person.
Think carefully before posting: Once something is in cyberspace, it’s there forever.
Practice the Golden Rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Source: Department of Homeland Security Stop.Think.Connect. Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign.

Don’t talk to strangers and never agree to �meet in person!

Only communicate online with people you actually know!

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Phishing and Identity Theft

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Phishing is a scam that tries to trick you into providing your personal information or passwords and may also install malware onto your computing system.
Identity theft is when someone steals and uses your personal information to get credit or financial benefits. When this happens, it can damage your credit status and cost time and money to resolve the issues.
Almost 1 million children were the target of identity theft (1 in 80) in 2021-2022

Sources: Department of Homeland Security Stop.Think.Connect. Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign; AARP, “Criminals Target Children for Identity Theft and Fraud”, 10-31-2022.

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Phishing and Identity Theft

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Source: Department of Homeland Security Stop.Think.Connect. Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign.

Cyber Tips for Families

Beware of requests or emails to update or confirm your�personal information. Most organizations (banks, companies, schools, etc.) don’t ask for your personal information.
Beware of emails offering prizes or things for free. These are tricks to get your information or get you to click on a link that installs malware or spyware.
Use strong passwords with 8 or more characters including letters, symbols and numbers, and don’t share your passwords with anyone.
Change your passwords often and avoid using the same password on multiple sites.
Don’t open emails from strangers and don’t click on links for unfamiliar sites.
Enter web addresses by hand instead of following links.
Use and check your privacy settings on social media sites.

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Mobile Device Security

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Source: Department of Homeland Security Stop.Think.Connect. Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign.

Mobile device security is needed for cell phones, tablets, and other portable devices used to play games, video chat, browse the Internet, and more. It helps protect information stored on and transmitted by your device and keeps unauthorized users from accessing your network.
There are four main types of threats to beware of when using a mobile device:

Applications that steal info from your device after the app is downloaded
Web-based sites that seem OK but download malicious content when visited
Public Wi-Fi networks can enable unencrypted data to be stolen while in use
Physical loss or theft of a device can enable others to access data stored on it

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Mobile Device Security

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Cyber Tips for Securing Mobile Devices

Keep a close watch on your device and don’t leave it unattended.
Keep your device locked when not in use and keep it password protected so others can’t access it. Don’t share your password.
Update your mobile software including operating system and Apps to improve your device’s ability to defend against malware.
Know your Apps. Discuss Apps with your children before they are downloaded and review the settings with them.
Only connect to the Internet if needed, disconnect when done, and make sure devices aren’t set to automatically connect to Wi-Fi. Confirm the name of any public Wi-Fi and login procedures to ensure the network is legitimate.
Use caution when accessing websites.

Source: Department of Homeland Security Stop.Think.Connect. Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign.