A Parent's Guide to Online Safety
As the Internet becomes more common in homes across America, children are using the Internet earlier and earlier. Kids use the Internet for everything from entertainment and games to communication and homework. As they get older, they will undoubtedly begin to experiment with downloading music or videos and exploring socials networking sites. The more they explore online, the more they are at risk from predators and the more they put your PC and privacy at risk. The better educated you are about online risks, the more you will be able to keep your children safe. Webroot has conducted research about the gap between parents' perceptions and kids' online reality. . We also have a handy for you to help you keep your children safe online.
10 Things You Can Teach Kids to Help Improve Online Safety
Before you allow your children to go online without your supervision, make sure you establish a set of rules that you can all agree on.
If you're not sure where to start, here are some ideas on what to discuss with your kids to teach them about using the Internet more safely:
- Encourage your kids to share their Internet experiences with you. Enjoy the Internet along with your children.
- Teach your kids to trust their instincts. If they feel nervous about anything online, they should tell you about it.
- If your kids visit chat rooms, use instant messaging programs, online video games, or other activities on the Internet that require a login name to identify themselves, help them choose that name and make sure it doesn't reveal any personal information about them.
- Insist that your kids never give out your address, phone number, or other personal information, including where they go to school or where they like to play.
- Teach your kids that the difference between right and wrong is the same on the Internet as it is in real life.
- Show your kids how to respect others online. Make sure they know that rules for good behavior don't change just because they're on a computer.
- Insist that your kids respect the property of others online. Explain that making illegal copies of other people's work - music, video games, and other programs - is just like stealing it from a store.
- Tell your kids that they should never meet online friends in person. Explain that online friends may not be who they say they are.
- Teach your kids that not everything they read or see online is true. Encourage them to ask you if they're not sure.
Control your children's online activity with advanced Internet software. Webroot Parental Controls can help you filter out harmful content, monitor the sites your child visits and find out what they do there.
A Parent's Guide to Online Safety:
Ages and Stages
Webroot Parental Controls is a powerful program that enables parents to control individual settings for each child at any stage of their growth and understanding. Overall, it provides an avenue to manage your child's computer and Internet time, while providing an avenue to discuss online "netiquette" and provide corrective behavior. Unlike some parental control products that require cumbersome logins, Webroot Parental Controls integrates tightly with Windows, adding layered protection to your existing user accounts so there are no confusing log in routines or additional passwords to remember.
AGES 2 to 4: STARTING OUT
During this stage, online activity is most likely to involve parents. Parents can hold children in their laps while they look at family photographs, use a Web cam to communicate with relatives, or visit kid-friendly sites.
AGES 5 to 6: DOING IT THEMSELVES
By the time they reach age five, children may want to explore the Web by themselves. It's important for parents to guide their children on safer Internet surfing as the children start to use the Internet themselves. Visit sites designed especially for children under eight and use special child-friendly search tools. Webroot Parental Controls allows you to filter objectionable Web content and provide a safe environment for early Web explorers!
AGES 7 to 8: INTEREST GROWING
Part of normal behavior for children in this age group is seeing what they can get away with. While online, this might include going to sites or talking in chat rooms to which parents wouldn’t give them permission. Online activity reports in Webroot Parental Controls can be especially helpful during this stage. Kids may not feel that their parents are looking over their shoulders, but the report still shows where they’ve been.
AGES 9 to 12: ONLINE SAVVY
Preteens want to know everything, and they've heard what's available on the Web. It’s normal for them to try to see what's there. For subject matters parents find objectionable, parents can use Webroot Parental Controls to help block content. Webroot Parental Controls also enables you to determine how much computer time is appropriate. You allocate the amount of time each day that your children spend on the computer accessing the Internet or playing games. You can schedule times and durations independently for each child. Our unique Temporary Password feature enables you to set up single-use time extensions so your child is not locked out when schoolwork is due or when unforeseen "emergencies" arise.
Webroot Parental Controls also restricts access to many Windows components and settings to prevent configuration changes. Restrict access to the contents of selected drives, Administrator Tools, Control Panel and Network controls, Taskbar and Start Menu properties, Command Prompt and more.
AGES 13 to 17: TECHNICALLY SOPHISTICATED
Helping teenagers with online safety is especially tricky, because they often know more than their parents about Internet software. Even with older kids, it's important for parents to take an active role in guiding their children's Internet use. Strict adherence to online safety rules, agreed upon by parent and children, and frequent reviews of children's online activity reports can be especially important and helpful. Limit online chat, game playing or other programs to the days and times you specify and receive email reports for all monitored activities. Better yet, your child cannot bypass, kill or circumvent Webroot Parental Controls. Even computer-savvy children will not be able to see it running. Webroot Parental Controls prohibits any attempt to change the clock, rename or reinstall the program or tamper with the product in any way. We know because we've tested it with teenagers!
In addition, parents should remember to keep their own passwords secure, so that teens cannot sign in as parents.
As always, in addition to parental control software, you should help protect your PC and information:
- Update your operating system regularly
- Avoid questionable Web sites
- Practice safe email protocol: Don't open messages from unknown senders
Make sure that you have the best security software products installed on your PC:
- Use antivirus protection and a firewall
- Get antispyware software protection
The best way to keep your PC running normally is to prevent spyware infection in the first place. Products like Webroot Internet Security Essentials and Webroot AntiVirus with Spy Sweeper guard against spyware entering your computer and prevent it from slowing your PC through damage to your files and programs. A good antispyware program searches every place on your PC where spyware can hide and removes every trace to boost your PC performance. While free antispyware downloads are available, they just can’t keep up with the continuous onslaught of new spyware strains. Previously undetected forms of spyware can often do the most damage to your PC, so it’s critical to have up-to-the-minute, guaranteed protection.