Part I: Helping you get #edtech-ucated on protecting your kids online
Cyber security probably strikes most of you as a phrase reserved only for conversation amongst those we mortals describe as techies. Truth be told however, everyone should be thinking about cyber security, particularly where our kids are concerned.
“There are a lot of things at play when it comes to cyber and kids, and it starts at the youngest of ages.”
Our children, the ones born on or after 2012 are the generation for whom the internet is as frequent a hangout as the local park. So it’s time we as parents start really thinking about cyber security in relation to our kids and what we can be doing to safeguard them accordingly.
I spoke to Director for Cyber Security Advocacy at ISC² and dad of two, Tony Vizza, to understand the hidden dangers of technology and how to combat them without a degree in information security.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that if you’re a parent in possession of a smart phone you have used that smart phone as (a) a distraction, (b) a pacifier (c) a bribe or (d) all of the above at some time or another. This is purely a fact of modern day digital life. Where the potential problems arise with such behaviour is in what exactly our children are accessing when we hand over unlimited internet access in exchange for five minutes peace.
Tony has three points to consider when giving kids free reign with your devices:
1. Know what they’re using
2. Inform yourself
3. Limit the time
It’s true, we hand over the phone or iPad to give ourselves a break but really, as much as is realistically possible, we need to be watching and paying attention to what our kids are accessing. Tony recalls a time his then 1 year old daughter was watching a kids’ app when she suddenly started crying at the appearance of a scantily dressed, well-endowed woman asking if she’d like to meet singles in her area…! “We have to be aware of what’s going on and this is from a very young age,” he says.
Vigilance can also come from informing ourselves and reading reviews on the Apps we’re downloading through reliable sources such as iTunes or the Google Play Store. More than that, Tony asserts, “we have to be aware of the addictive nature of technology and limit screen time with our kids.”
What about the things we buy to keep our children safe and give us peace of mind? I’m talking baby monitors, particularly the video kind. It’s not only our traditional devices that pose an issue. We’re living in the age of the Internet of Things where almost every facet of our existence, from our kitchen appliances to our cars, is connected to the internet. We’ve nearly all heard stories of kids reporting creepy voices heard over the baby monitor, right? So how do we prevent “imaginary (cough, real) friends” creeping into our kids’ consciousness in this way?
“My honest view is that a baby monitor should not be going online,” says Tony. “You want to purchase one that’s very specifically analogue, in the sense that it’s encrypted between base and camera with no online capability, no internet connectivity or IP address.”
Of course, while this concept may suit some parents, there are others living their best internet-connected life employing the likes of Alexa to do their bidding for who the only way is online. So for the busy parents who rely on the ease of having their life connected and accessible, what are the measures to take?
“The biggest mistake people make with these things is, they take them out the box, connect them up and they don’t set them up. So out of the box, more often than not they don’t have any password protection”
The moment you do that you’re opening yourself up to a whole heap of problems and if you don’t have password protection or you fail to change the default password (assigned to the product) that means anyone can hack into it.
“If you put a complicated password in place you’ve probably secured it as much as you can,” says Tony. “That’s a hurdle that someone has to jump over.” The idea is to put enough measures in place to act as a deterrent; hackers are opportunistic, just like thieves casing a building so remember not to leave the proverbial window ajar.
Look out for part ii in our cyber series School of Hack which will answer questions around how to ensure our kids’ schools and day care centres are protecting our personal data as carefully as they are our children.