Today, it's not uncommon for many kids to have their own computers and mobile phones, especially when they're in middle school or high school. Kids often use these devices to do their homework and projects and to communicate with peers and relatives as well. Unfortunately, even if your kids are careful with their Internet usage, these phone tracker Phonty is still vulnerable to security threats.
To protect your child from the dangers of hacking and identity theft, here are some tips that you can advise for him or her. Make sure that your child listens to your advice so that his or her computer and mobile phone is sufficiently secured.
Use PINs and passwords to prevent unauthorized access to computers.
Ask your child to set passwords for computer access, even just for the computer's desktop. This is especially important if your child stores important files on his or her computer and if his or her friends often use your child's computer. Of course, you should make sure that you know this password so that you can check on your child's computer from time to time.
Remind your child to confirm the legitimacy of the programs and applications he downloads.
The Web offers numerous applications, programs, and games that your child can download for free. Unfortunately, many of these downloadable programs come with a lot of hidden files that are actually malware. This malware can gather your child's information and do irreparable damage to the computer system. So before he downloads any program from the Web, make sure your child asks for your help and permission first.
Make sure that your child's computer has updated security software.
Security software can provide good protection for your child's computer. There are a lot of varieties of security software available today, so make sure you get the software that comes with a lot of positive reviews and recommendations. Make sure that the computer's operating system is updated when needed, too.
If your preadolescent or teenaged child spends a lot of time online, chances are he or she maintains a profile on popular social networking sites today. Many teens and tweens today use social networking sites to stay updated with their friends and interact with their peers. Sometimes, these sites even help your kids meet new people and make new friends.
While there is nothing inherently wrong with social networking sites, these sites become dangerous when they're used by people such as stalkers and hackers. In such cases, there's little your child can do to prevent being hacked or being stalked online by someone they don't know personally. That's why it's best if your preadolescent or teenaged child is proactive in protecting himself or herself online. Here are some tips that your child can use for online safety.
Limit the amount of information that's publicly viewable.
Many social networking sites allow users to set the categories of information that groups of people in the users' networks can see. For instance, you can advise your child to customize his profile's privacy settings by choosing an option that prevents people outside his network from seeing his profile information. Your child can also set his profile so that it can be completely seen only by trusted family members and friends. These privacy settings provide your child a measure of protection against stalkers and hackers.
Think twice before posting pictures.
Remind your child about the dangers of posting too many photos online. These photos can be manipulated and used to bully your child or put him in compromising situations. Likewise, questionable photos should be kept off the Web as much as possible; even if these photos are posted as private content, their security can easily be breached by Internet-savvy Web users.
Avoid posting information that could be used for identification offline.
Details that are highly personal, such as mobile phone numbers, bank account numbers, and home addresses should never be posted online. This type of information can easily be used to identify and track your child offline.