5 Ways to Protect Your Kids from Online Threats

From cyberbullying to identity theft, there are a lot of potential threats your kids face online. It’s important to have practices and disciplines in place to protect them. There are tools and software you can take advantage of to help keep your kids safe, as well as to prevent them from exposing your information or their own to the criminals who are always vying for it. 

1. Install an Anti-Theft Phone App on Your Child’s Phone

Children are prone to losing things, and that could potentially include their phone or tablet. When you lose a phone, you also lose all the data stored on it, and someone could access any accounts your child is logged into. To keep sensitive data safe if the phone is lost, install an anti-theft app that can help locate and lock the smartphone. 

2. Install a Fake Wi-Fi Detector App

Install an app that detects fake Wi-Fi hotspots, and tell your kids to pay attention to the alerts it gives them on their phone or tablet. Hackers use fake Wi-Fi networks to steal information, so be sure to help your kids avoid them.

3. Exercise Parental Controls that Censor Media

Children’s minds are incredibly impressionable, so it’s important that you decide what media your child is allowed to consume on the internet. With Circle or uKnowKids, you can monitor your child’s computer, tablet and phone to find out what websites and apps they’re accessing. You can then create filters to censor the sites and apps you don’t want them to use. You can also use a Chrome extension that screens websites for you.

4. Talk to Your Kids About Internet Safety

Make sure your children are educated about the risks they face every time they go online. Talk about the importance of information security, including what sort of personal information is sensitive and why you should never expose it. Teach your kids how they can identify suspicious internet scams and what they should do in the event of cyberbullying. When kids are faced with a dangerous situation and they don’t know how to respond, chances are, they won’t avoid the danger. Preparing them for potential situations and instructing how to respond can help avoid problems.

5. Invest in Identity Theft Protection

Identity thieves love preying on children. They know kids won’t apply for loans or credit card accounts until years into the future, so they have plenty of time to get away with borrowing money in a minor’s name. It’s never to early to invest in identity theft protection for your child. LifeLock monitors all creditors and alerts you whenever an account is opened with your child’s information. This way, you can nip the situation in the bud and protect their financial future.

Tools that Keep Kids Safe

Technology can enrich your children’s lives with the right safety measures are in place. Thankfully, there are tools that make parental control and data security possible. With the right apps installed and identity theft protection in place, you can avoid problems that affect your children’s future.