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by Lynette Owens<\/p>\nby Lynette Owens<\/p>\n
The original article appeared in the Huffington Post on October 5, 2016.<\/em><\/p>\n Kids know the internet as a wonder-filled place where their cyberspace adventures are only limited by imagination. As parents, however, we know better. The Internet does have its faults. Cybercriminals, malware viruses, phishing and even social engineering attacks can, and often do, happen. Any adult who has spent a decent amount of time online has most likely been exposed to or compromised by \u2013 if not one \u2013 multiples of these. And we\u2019re the adults. So, how do we protect our kids?<\/p>\n Discussing online safety at an early age and establishing guidelines go a long way. While safe browsing habits may seem self-evident, there\u2019s a lot your child will not know. Here are four key areas that will help steer our kids away from cybercriminal traps.<\/p>\n 1.<\/strong> Mobile apps. <\/strong>Mobile devices are quite literally child\u2019s play. Toddlers are now swiping and tapping like pros. As kids get older they want to download the same games and apps their friends are playing and using. With their enormous popularity and millions now available, cybercriminals have found an easy way to get into your smartphone and tablet. Fooling people with false versions of popular [and legitimate] apps is now commonplace. It\u2019s tough to tell which are fake because they are disguised so well. Oftentimes, the imposters are designed to fool you into entering personal information or downloading malicious software onto your phone [which could steal your information].<\/p>\n Tip:<\/strong> Set up controls so a password is required before your kids can download an app. This would trigger a conversation between you and your kids about an app before they start using it. And, do your research. Stick to apps made by companies you know, are publicly popular or look them up online before downloading. Don\u2019t allow apps to automatically connect to your data \u2013 such as physical location or contact lists \u2013 if there\u2019s no reason to do so. Also, using a mobile security app that scans and alerts you of apps that are false or are stealing information they shouldn\u2019t have access to. (There are many options out there, including these<\/a> from Trend Micro.)<\/p>\n