Parents
Never before have kids been as exposed to new ideas, new cultures, new music and new art forms as they are today. But the easy accessibility to these new experiences through the Internet, can mean easy accessibility and vulnerable exposure to your child, your computer and your personal information. Below are best practices which can help you and your kids to stay safe online:
Discuss cyber security in such a way that kids can open in front of you
As a parent, your responsibility is that to talk with your children about the Cyber Security. There are several topics that need to be discussed with the children. These topics can include that how to act while you are surfing, what type of data is suitable to post or share. How to handle the strange people or site and also about the cyber criminals. Initially, parents need to understand these topics clearly, as they want to teach the children correctly. Always silently keep eye on their online activities if any problem occurs, try to help them to solve it.
Maintain the rules for cyber security
Keep rule is the best way for the parent to defend their children from online activities. When the topic comes to cyber safety, rules and regulations are very important. From first, if the children know what is good and what is bad on the internet, then it is the best start to them for using the internet. In such a way, children do not share the personal information on the web easily. Parents also set the limit of using the internet for the children on the daily basis, so that they don’t get addict about the web. Explain these rules to your children that how these are important, in case of Cyber Security
Parental control
Many antiviruses include the parental control feature. Initially, Parents have to install the antivirus software which includes this feature. By using this, parents can block the sites which they want to keep away from the children. This feature also provides the facility of blocking the internet while children are alone at home.
Be connected with your children online
If your children are connected with the social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and any other, then you should have to keep a close watch on them. So, be their friends on these sites and follow their activities. In this way, you are able to know that what the children do on the web and is it good or bad for them.
Proper knowledge about the online dangers
As a parent, your initial obligation is to make the children aware of the online threats or hackers. You should share your information about the internet with the children. You should tell them about the hackers, cybercrime, and safety, how it is dangerous for our system health. You should tell them about which information they should accept and which one they should not share. You should also tell them about how the consequences occur when anyone does an attack on your system.
Try to understand the importance of the safety of privacy
Every person has its own individuality. As you are the head of your family, it is your responsibility to maintain the privacy. Sometimes your child can mistakenly break the privacy. Thus, you should tell them how the privacy is important. Tell them which information they should share and which not to share.
Tell your kids about email links, attachments and downloading
Sometimes email links and attachments may be malicious. So tell them to ask the parents before you click on the link and download the attachment in the email. Most of the online scams are done through the emails.
Tell the child that unknown person is not always good
Through the social media, a lot of unknown persons can come in contact with you. Now tell your child that before making an unfamiliar person your friend, it is essential that you should know about the actual intention of that person.
Teachers
Cybersecurity threats in education institutions may be new ground for teachers, but they are on the rise. Learning about these threats and how to stop them is crucial if educators want to stay safe in today’s environment. The best practices described below can help educators to stay safe online:
Encrypt Your Data
Hackers today can obtain classroom data by intercepting it while actively in transit. By protecting your data using encryption, you can prevent cyber attackers from stealing the data that you send and receive.
Comply With Your Institution’s Cyber Protocols
Your school should have clear processes and usage policies in place, and it is vital to know and to follow these and to contact those responsible for managing your IT if an issue arises.
Safeguard Your Devices from Physical Attacks
Always log out of your computer when you step away. To keep passwords safe, try to avoid writing them down or entering your credentials within view of someone else.
Back-Up Your Data
If your work or institution requires the storage of student data, it is important to back it up to prevent attackers from targeting this private data in Ransomware-style attacks where you may be locked out until a ransom is paid.
Practice Good Password Management
It is easy to take shortcuts when it comes to passwords. A password management program can help you to maintain unique passwords for all your accounts with ease.
For more information to protect your children, please go to Mauritian Cybercrime Online Reporting System (MAUCORS)