Nowadays, children are accessing the internet at younger ages than ever. Unfortunately, the risks associated with being online will not wait just because they are your children. Recently, one of the worst data breaches of last year, data breaches at toy manufacturer VTech and parental information company uKnowKids have exposed children’s information and made online safety for children a top concern for parents everywhere.
In the accident on VTech, the hacker managed to breach the toymaker’s security, leading to the theft of information on over 11 million accounts. The attack exposed children’s’ IP addresses, birthdate, name, gender, and information on their parents.
For parents, these data breaches are bringing concerns over children’s safety and privacy online to the forefront. Parents today need to make sure they’re doing everything possible to educate their children on safe online habits and are accounting for the security of devices that their children use.
USE A VPN
If you want to prevent such thing happens and protect your family on any network, getting a VPN(Virtual Private Network) is the best choice.
Using a VPN can encrypt your communication to protect your family on public networks so that the data cannot be intercepted. While you may not be able to get a VPN connection to the toy, but you can get one for your digital devices, like cellphone and computer etc.
PRACTICE BASIC SECURITY HYGIENE
Setting strong passwords, updating the softwares regularly, and never downloading untrustworthy files. Train yourself and your children on how to recognize common social engineering methods.
Additionally, keeping your computer in top shape when it comes to security. Installing a reputable anti-virus software to make sure your computer is clear of common viruses and malware.
TEACH YOUR CHILDREN THE BASICS
Your children should know the things about what a computer looks like when it is not working, simple electrical safety and that you should never give away any personal information online. Show them what the security programs you run are, and explain to your children why they are important.
