Safeguarding Children Online

We live in a world where we are more connected than ever, from computers to fridges, you name it; there is a strong possibility it can connect to the internet, designed to bring more convenience to the end user.

How easy is it to pick up a phone and contact your friends and family through multiple different platforms in various different ways? But does this convenience come at a price?

The answer is yes - and it can be a hefty one if we’re not careful.

There is an exponential amount of personal data freely available on the internet and threat actors use this data to build a picture of their target - whether it be a person, an organisation or something other. This is what we security professionals call OSINT, or open source intelligence.

A great concern to many is children’s safety when they are online.

We live in a world where the youth of today have unprecedented access to the internet compared to 15 years ago, with many different chat and unpoliced social media applications easily accessible. Most of these apps require the user to login with an email address, and so from a very young age, our children are developing a digital foot print that will continue to grow.

We must do what we can to prevent threat actors from taking advantage, but we cannot expect our children to understand the basics of internet security when so many of us so-called grown-ups do not know ourselves.

The bottom line is - how do we protect our children?

These are basic guidelines that can help parents, and free resources that can help you protect your child online, and these can be accessed via a very simple Google search. In addition, the NSPCC also have some very good material which can be found here.

There are also thousands and thousands of brilliant security professionals that live and breathe security and will be more than willing to help.

Here are just a few tips for parents that can reduce the risk of your child falling victim to an online threat - not only now, but also in the years to come.

1. Use a pseudonym for online services, real names and excessive information in a user name could expose details that could identify the child.

2. Periodically review any accounts that belong to your child to ensure they do not contain identifiable information that may be disclosed publicly. These days, the majority of online services have privacy controls and settings to limit the data that is publicly accessible.

3. Engage in regular chats with your child about their online activity and how to be safe. This may help you understand how they are using the internet and install some common sense - just like looking both ways when crossing the road! Teach them to keep their private information private!

4. Review any chats they may be engaging in, the person they are talking to may not be who they seem!

5. Ensure the device your child is using is secure and free from malware (malicious software). Some malware is written with the purpose of gathering information about the user. There is a plethora of products that can provide security to the endpoint and these often come with useful features that can help bolster the security of that device.

6. If possible, enable parental controls on the devices your children use. For example, set up an administrator account for their device, or enable parental control software so if the child needs to make changes outside the pre-determined scope of their abilities, the parent can review the change and make sure it is safe with the added bonus of preventing dodgy downloads!

7. When using unique devices such as gaming consoles, it may be wise to refer to the manufacturer’s website or manual to learn how to set up the device securely and enable necessary controls, or search the internet for guidance.

8. Content filtering, for all intents and purpose using content filtering software will enable you to protect your child from the less than reputable contents of the internet, I won’t dive into specifics here.

You may have heard terms such as “Deep Web” and “Dark Web” associated with the internet, which adds a sense of cloak and dagger mystique and intrigue – but it also attracts a criminal element.

Just as in the outside world, crime is all over the internet whether it be the Public internet, the so-called Deep Web or Dark Web, and it does not advertise itself.

The Dark Web particularly is home to a significant criminal element trading in illegally obtained data, such as credit card numbers and online banking information.

For a price, an entire list of criminal services is readily available.

Worryingly, the Dark Web is not that difficult for a curious child to access, with a few deft Google searches and the installation of some required software being your only barrier to jump straight in.

I can imagine all the parents reading this asking themselves “Can I prevent my child from accessing such content online?”, and the good news is Yes!

By simply creating an administrator account for all laptops and computers that you own, you will stop the ability for the child to download the required software.

Furthermore, being aware of the types of software that is required in order to access the Dark Web will help you identify if it is in use on your device, with the most popular software being the “TOR Browser”.

An important point to note is that whilst accessing these dark corners of the internet is not in itself illegal, but it is still something to bear in mind as you could easily become a victim.

As the old saying goes, curiosity killed the cat.

Being online can be fun and engaging for children.

Many schools promote sensible and safe online usage, so why not discuss the subject with your child’s IT teacher and learn more?

You are the parent, so it is your responsibility to educate yourself as best you can. And talk to your children about the dangers of the internet, particularly in the world of Social Media, where nothing should be taken at face value.

Don’t allow fear to deter you from the benefits of the internet when you dip in a toe - just be wary of the dangers once you take the plunge!