Here are some cybersecurity tips to share with the school-age children in your life, as many of them prepare to head back to the classroom. Review these tips with your kids, so they are safe from cyber predators and cyberbullying:
- Keep your personal information private; avoid sharing your name, address, telephone number, birthday, passwords and the name of your school when using the Internet.
- Create strong, 15-character passphrases, like a sentence, which are difficult for others to guess, but easy for you to remember. Don’t share your passwords with anyone.
- Choose a screen name or email address that isn’t your real name to protect your identity. For instance, instead of “Jack Smith,” why not choose “Sk8boardKing75”?
- Check with your parents before you download an app and review the privacy settings with them – especially social networking sites like Facebook or X (formerly Twitter).
- Always enable multifactor authentication when possible, especially for personal data. Taking an extra step beyond passwords is your best bet for better security.
- Think before you click — don’t open emails from strangers and don’t click on links from unfamiliar sites.
- Keep your software updated. Download and install updates as soon as they’re made available.
- Keep a close eye on your devices when you’re not using them and lock all devices (laptops, tablets, phones, etc.) when not in use.
- Limit social media networks to people you actually know.
- Stop and think before you send personal information and photos or share them online.
Also, consider using the AAP’s family media plan tool, which lets parents set household rules around social media use. How kids use social media and what they see there can be more important than how many hours a day they spend on it.
