Safe Search Kids - Education, Parenting, Internet Safety for All

Our dependence on technology grows, and so does cybersecurity’s importance. Criminals can take advantage of unsuspecting victims in myriad ways.  By comprehending the risks, you can take steps to protect yourself and your family from becoming victims of cybercrime.

We’ve put together this guide to the top cybersecurity threats.

Be Careful When Posting Private Information

Nowadays is highly important to understand social boundaries. Your personal information, which includes your full name, address, date of birth, and phone number, should not be public on your social media account.

Avoid posting images of awkward personal moments to your home addresses or family vacation plans.

The most valuable part of AI is using NLP (natural language processing) to decode words generally used in pretexting. One common tactic for an attacker is to pose as a legitimate entity to trick a victim into revealing confidential information.

Post carefully; by being careful, you can help protect yourself from becoming the next victim of cybercrime.

In addition, you can also help to educate your friends and family members by reminding them about cybersecurity risks. We can work together to help make the internet safer for everyone. If you or your friend are under a cybersecurity attack, report it immediately to authorities.

Participate In Security Awareness Training

Cybersecurity awareness training can help to mitigate these risks by teaching you how to spot potential threats and take steps to protect your data. In addition, cybersecurity awareness training can also provide the latest information on cybersecurity trends.

Participating in internet security awareness training is essential in the ever-changing landscape of cybersecurity.

The Risk Of Accidentally Downloading Malware

Cyber attacks are becoming more targeted and more sophisticated. Be aware of the risks you face when using the internet.

One common online threat is accidentally downloading malware. Malware is malicious software that can wreak havoc on your computer, stealing personal information or damaging files.

It can be complicated to spot, disguised as a legitimate website or email attachment. That’s why it’s important to learn about cybersecurity and how to stay safe online.

By doing so, you’ll help yourself avoid accidentally downloading malware and other risks associated with the internet.

Inappropriate Marketing Messages

Another risk commonly faced online is inappropriate marketing messages or online fraud. Unfortunately, there are many unscrupulous individuals out there who are looking to take advantage of unsuspecting users.

Some common signs that an online predator may target you include receiving unsolicited messages or requests for personal information, being inundated with advertising messages, or asking to click on links that lead to questionable websites.

If you notice these red flags, you must talk to a friend or someone with experience in these online scam cases.

Stay up-to-date on the latest cybersecurity trends. Be aware of the signs of this type of activity, so you prevent from becoming a victim.

Harmful Content and Disinformation

Be aware of the types of content you may be exposed to online. This can include hateful, harmful, or illegal content and disinformation. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to protect yourself from all of this content.

However, there are some things that you can do to help reduce exposure to it. One thing that you can do is to talk more about cybersecurity and learn the importance of being careful about what you search or share online.

Additionally, watch trusty tutorials, read guidelines on spotting fake news, and require that they only share information from reliable sources.

Mobile Device Vulnerabilities

Mobile devices are increasingly becoming one of the primary cybersecurity targets. As we become more and more reliant on our smartphones, vulnerabilities are becoming more and more difficult to ignore.

Cybersecurity experts predict that by 2022, mobile devices will be the most common target for cyberattacks.

There are a few reasons for this trend:

1. Mobile devices are notoriously difficult to secure. Even the most basic smartphones have many built-in features that hackers can exploit.
2. Mobile device users are generally less security-conscious than users of other types of devices. We tend to download apps without considering the implications and click on links without considering the consequences.
3. Mobile devices are often connected to unsecured networks, making them an easy target for attacks.

While there is no easy solution to the problem of mobile device vulnerabilities, awareness is critical. By understanding the risks, we can take steps to protect ourselves and our data.

Cyber Predators

As much as we want to protect ourselves from online’s dangers, unfortunately, there are times when we fail to achieve this goal. In today’s digital age, it’s essential to be just as vigilant about cybersecurity risks, especially regarding our kids.

The number of cyber predators is increasing. AI usage and machine learning will continue to grow in cybersecurity. Cybersecurity professionals are already using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to help identify and thwart attacks.

Cyber and other online predators often stalk children on the internet. They take advantage of their innocence, lack adult supervision, and abuse their trust.

These predators lurk in the same virtual venues where anonymity facilitates cyberbullying. Some of these virtual venues are social media and gaming platforms that exploit children’s innocence and their gift of imagination.

Check out the FBI’s guidance in protecting against predators and other online risks to child safety.

Investing In Cyber Hygiene

Cyber hygiene is more important than ever. That’s because cybersecurity is a top concern for businesses of all sizes. Spending on cybersecurity products and services and training and awareness programs.

What do you have to do to enhance your cybersecurity?

First, make sure you have a firm cyber security policy in place. Second, training on how to spot potential threats and how to respond to them.

Finally, stay up-to-date on the latest cybersecurity trends and ensure you use the best security practices. Doing these things can help reduce the risk of a cyber attack and keep your business safe.

Conclusion

The internet can pose severe dangers and open doors of wonder for them that previous generations could not have dreamed of. Help ensure your online safety by experiencing the online world’s joys and opportunities and avoiding hazards.

Each participating member holds power to positively or negatively affect their cyber ecosystem. Everyone must acknowledge their cyber role based on their position in the ecosystem to reduce the likelihood and risk of cyberattack.

Always be aware and vigilant.

Most teenagers are unaware that their online presence leaves a trail that leads back to them. Everything they do online is not only difficult to remove, but it can also impact their future. From applying to college to getting their foot in the door in a career, digital footprints can make or break a teen’s future and goals if they aren’t careful.

Good Digital Citizenship

Digital citizenship is the way you behave online. When you were a teen, you didn’t have to worry so much about the repercussions of your actions catching up with you. Teens today should be aware and use caution in interacting socially online. Social media is designed to connect with peers but can easily be used for bullying. That funny meme might seem to be worth sharing at the moment, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t affect you negatively professionally.

Be careful when choosing what to put out there in the digital world. If you’re unsure if something would be appropriate to share, take a screenshot of it and send it to a select few. It is essential to teach your teen that good digital citizenship will follow them into college and their chosen career path. It is not uncommon for colleges to rescind acceptance letters for behavior they see on social media platforms.

Dangers of a Digital Footprint

Cyberbullying is a harmful use of social media that is an ongoing challenge that will only worsen without proper guidance for our teens. More than 30,000 suicide deaths occur each year in the U.S. Cyberbullying plays a significant role in this suicide rate because it targets teens that could already be suffering from depression or another disorder. Cyberbullying might seem harmless to some teens, but written words can be easily misinterpreted and taken out of context.

Teens should be careful even when they are joking about what they say on social media. They are leaving a breadcrumb trail that will stay with them forever. It is doubtful that your teen would intentionally hurt someone, but ensure they know the dangers of how their words can be misconstrued. Tell them about the game of telephone where something is whispered into a person’s ear, and then it’s passed around the room. More often than not, the said phrase is not the same once it travels around the room. Teach your teen that their words matter.

Restrict Access To Personal Information

Set guidelines for what your children should share online and what they should keep private. Educate them on the parameters of safely sharing information. They should know not to ever share sensitive information no matter the circumstances. If they question something, encourage them to come to you to be sure before they enter anything they’re unsure of. Don’t wait until something happens to create guidelines for them. They should never share their phone number or address anywhere online.

Parents should also be careful about what they post online about their children. You may unknowingly put them at risk when posting about them online.  For example, if your child gets an reward about school refrain from naming the school.

Negative Digital Footprint Impacts

There are numerous harmful impacts that your teen’s digital footprint can have on their future. College admissions and military recruiting officers can and will take notice of your teen’s digital presence when considering their application. Employers and internships will also look up your teen online when considering them for a position.

Recruiters and coaches will look at your teen’s profiles when considering open positions on their team for colleges. Your teen is also at risk for identity theft every time they post online. Photos shared online are fair game for identity theft. Scholarships for college and internships often ask candidates for their social media profiles to peruse before considering them as applicants.

Anonymity Doesn’t Exist

Privacy doesn’t exist online. There is always someone watching, whether it’s an identity theft attempt, a cyberattack or the government through the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA). The ECPA authorizes the government’s admission to your files and folders online. The digital communications they can access are Facebook messages, email, your cloud and others.

The Library of Congress is saving tweets from Twitter for future generations. So, your anonymity is nonexistent. Urge your teens to stop and consider their content before they post it. Encourage them not to be impulsive and leave private conversations off of social media. Nothing online is temporary. Once it’s out there, it’s out and hard to remove even after it’s been deleted.

Enable Privacy Settings

Ensure all of your teen’s social media platforms are set to private. Make sure they have their location turned off on apps like Snapchat. They should know about numerous privacy settings if they’re allowed to use social media. Twitter has tweet protection where your followers are the only ones that see your tweets, besides the Library of Congress.

Apps like Instagram and Facebook have options to make your profiles private, so only people you choose can access the information you share. Keep track of your accounts and delete the ones you don’t use frequently. This will make it easier to maintain your digital footprint and gives you a smaller chance of data breach.

Center Stage

Social media has taken center stage in the way children communicate with each other. The game of telephone has become a thing of the past. Do you remember having to ask your parents to call someone long distance? What about call waiting or eavesdropping on your siblings’ conversations from the second phone in the house? It’s a whole new era now. Advise your children how easily they are susceptible to dangers online and encourage them to be selective and protected when posting content.

About the Author
Ava Roman (she/her) is the Managing Editor of Revivalist, a women’s lifestyle magazine that empowers women to live their most authentic life. When Ava is not writing you’ll find her in a yoga class, advocating for her children or whipping up something delicious in the kitchen!

There’s no doubt that the field of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is among the most important areas of study. This isn’t just due to the promising career paths this field affords. STEM education helps people navigate the tech tools needed in everyday life. Unfortunately, there is still a gender imbalance in STEM that needs to be addressed.

One potential tool to encourage more girls toward STEM is coding. We’re going to take a closer look at the gender gap and how to utilize coding effectively as a gateway to a rich and rewarding experience for girls interested in STEM education.

Why the Gender Gap in STEM Exists

There is still a significant gender gap in STEM. Only 28% of STEM workers are women.

However, the statistics on girls in STEM also show us that female learners have no less biological aptitude for math and science than their male counterparts. Indeed, in higher education, we can see female students tend to gravitate toward biological sciences.

However, there’s still work to be done in balancing other STEM subjects. While coding can be great to get girls more enthusiastic about the field, it’s still just a tool. To utilize it effectively, it’s important to understand what is influencing the gender gap.

Lack of Mentors

Mentors play a significant role in guiding students through the challenging academic elements of STEM and toward meaningful careers. Unfortunately, there is too often a fewer number of female mentors available to help girls thrive. This can be discouraging. Part of effectively utilizing coding to get girls involved in STEM has to include establishing inspiring and practical female mentors in the field.

Gender Stereotyping

A common issue with STEM is there’s an unhealthy and incorrect stereotype of science being a male field. This is often bolstered by the tendency for schools to teach men’s historical achievements in the field. Yet, there are incredible female STEM leaders, like Katherine Johnson and Tu Youyou, that students should also learn about. When using coding to encourage girls into STEM, there needs to be clarity that it is a field as much for female contributors as males.

Jessica Wade, a London-based physicist, has worked to draw attention to the thousands of women in STEM history who have been left out of the history books.  She did this by writing Wikipedia biographies about women and minority scientists who did not get recognition and credit for the work they did.

Where To Find Coding Programs for Girls

There are growing resources specifically aimed at getting girls into coding. Among the most prevalent and active is Girls Who Code. They are dedicated to closing the gender gap in programming and run more than 8,500 coding clubs and camps around the world. Black Girls Code is also instrumental in helping young women of color overcome the hurdles contributing to the gender and race gap in STEM. They have 15 chapters around the country running code camps, hackathons, and enrichment programs.

There are certainly some schools offering coding clubs to highlight the value of STEM education. However, it is often the community-operated programs that are most dedicated to helping girls explore the career potential and personal enrichment coding has to offer.

Making Learning To Code Fun

Part of the hurdle with getting kids in general into coding is that it can be seen as a dry subject. Students tend to be put off by the idea that they need technical proficiency to engage with it. This illustrates one of the causes of gender disparity in STEM. Girls, in particular, already have lower self-confidence in their STEM abilities than boys. One way around this is to emphasize the fun of coding.

There are some fun platforms to introduce younger students to coding through making simple games and animations. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed the Scratch and ScratchJr applications that teach the foundations of coding in a practical and fun way. This is also something girls can engage in, both by utilizing guided courses and working independently.

For teens, it’s worth getting them involved with fun events. Hackathons can be particularly exciting with many accessible to beginner coders. Part of the fun here is that these coding events involve various disciplines, including coding, bug testing, and graphic design.

Finding the Time To Code

As with any STEM subject, learning to code certainly takes some time and commitment. It’s important to find ways to help young girls include coding in their schedule without adding to the stress of juggling other activities.

One effective approach is to make their daily schedule more visible. Young students may find keeping mental track of their tasks overwhelming. Making a digital planner she can access on her smartphone or laptop via a PDF-annotation app can be a practical way to keep her day organized and manageable. This allows her to see all her responsibilities, prioritize them, and establish spaces for coding sessions, clubs, and hackathons.

Creating a Supportive Home Environment

One of the most important ways to encourage girls to code is by making sure their home life is designed to support them. As parents, you must make certain they have the resources they need to focus on their coding. This might be extra time allocation on family computers or making arrangements to take them to events.

One of the most simple yet impactful ways of making your home environment supportive is to be demonstratively encouraging about their efforts. Praise young female coders, listen to their ideas about the subject, and even get involved as a volunteer with their coding organizations. Regardless of your parenting style or guardianship situation, there are ways to support young girls looking to get into STEM.

If your family is one in which you’re coparenting in different households, there needs to be consistency. While it’s not always easy, divorced parents need to communicate regularly and openly to provide the most effective support for their kids. Cooperate in providing your daughter with the coding resources and education she needs to thrive. Ensure you’re both actively involved in her clubs and in helping her overcome hurdles.

Conclusion

It remains the case that there aren’t nearly enough women in STEM. Coding is one of the most important skills to possess in the modern world and can act as a route to other STEM subjects. There is a growing number of dynamic and community-driven coding organizations young girls can join to learn to code and find mentors. It’s also important to take steps that keep learning fun and practical. When more parents, teachers, and communities commit to encouraging girls in STEM, there is more opportunity to close the gender gap.

About the Author
Katie Brenneman is a passionate writer specializing in education, mental health, family lifestyle and online safety. When she isn’t writing, you can find her with her nose buried in a book or hiking with her dog, Charlie. You can follow her on Twitter.

Teaching children to develop a healthy and responsible relationship toward money management is up to the parent. Experts believe children should learn about how money works as early as five. Learning how to spend wisely is equally important as staying safe with money. That includes avoiding pitfalls that lead to thefts, overspending, and other issues.

This guide focuses on how to teach kids to stay safe with money. Here are the steps to help your child understand how the spending works at any age!

Teach Them Where Our Money Comes from

It all begins by underlying that nobody gets an endless supply of money. Children should understand the sources of money. For them, it could be a birthday gift or pocket money they receive from parents. Doing chores and helping around the house is another way for them to earn cash.

The next step is explaining how adults get the money they give to kids. Explain how you go to work every day to earn cash. And if they ask about grandparents, point out they’ve worked for decades and deserved a pension.

Spending Wisely – Making Most Out of Your Money

Teaching children about the value of money what they buy with it for themselves is imperative for any parent. You can come up with a list of chores your kid could do to earn cash. A simple job should be worth $1, but demanding tasks that last hours might be paid $10 or more. They’ll realize it takes effort to earn bigger sums, so they’ll pay more attention to how they spend them.

And while discussing spending the money wisely, point out the “needs versus wants.” Your kid should get limited weekly (or monthly) pocket money. Tell them they shouldn’t spend all the money at once. They should have enough for snacks, playing with friends, etc. If your child goes over the limit, don’t just give them extra money. Use the opportunity to teach them about the loaning concept. Give them a small amount, which will ensure to cover spending on their “needs.” But do that with the condition of them returning that cash from the next pocket money.

Teach Them About the Potential Dangers

Money management isn’t only about spending wisely. It’s about staying safe and avoiding financially-related threats. These could be:

• Friends who ask for a loan but don’t plan to return the money. Your children should avoid loaning anything they consider “a big sum.” Also, if their friend doesn’t repay the loan once, they shouldn’t give them any money anymore.

• The importance of keeping their money in a safe place. Cash shouldn’t be out in the open for everyone to see. It’s better if their money is on a card, and you can find children’s debit cards offered by some banks.

• Keeping passwords and PINs safe. That includes not sharing them with anyone and only logging into accounts on secure networks. Many providers allow locking cards easily if there’s a suspicion of a breach.

Teach Them Online Shopping

Online shopping is a convenient way to order things you need to arrive at your doorstep. It’s a safer way for children to shop since they don’t have to carry cash to the store. Online shopping could save money by allowing price comparison and finding the best offer.

Children should understand they should only buy from legit sites. They should look for encryption certificates, such as SSL. Alternatively, they can stick to Amazon, eBay, or other reputable platforms. If they have any suspicions about the site, children should ask you to check before proceeding with the purchase.

Teach Them Not to Keep Cards Somewhere Obvious

A huge part of money safety is keeping your cash and cards in a secure place. If your child leaves them somewhere obvious, it makes it easier for potential thieves. That’s why they need a secure wallet. And there’s no better way to protect your child’s cards than using an RFID-blocking wallet.

RFID or radio frequency identification enables reading info from credit cards equipped with this technology. It’s how you pay in stores, but that makes you vulnerable to wireless thefts. Thieves that have illegal RFID readers could download your card info and create a copy used to spend your funds.

RFID wallets are critical protection against these thefts. They block these frequencies and ensure no one can read your card while it’s stored in the wallet. That makes them essential for children and adults to use cards. And on top of that, it’s a beautiful accessory!

Check Spending Regularly

If your child has a spending card connected to your account, you should check the balance regularly. It’ll ensure you stay in touch with how they spend the money. It helps to identify every payment because staying in the loop shows whether your child is managing their cash responsibly. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, you can block the card until you resolve the matter.

Conclusion

Teaching your children about staying safe with money is a process. It begins by playing pretend shops when they are little and proceeds to help them manage pocket money later. Learning about money management early is the jumpstart your child will appreciate once they get older. It’ll be less likely they’ll enter cash problems, so your effort would be worth it!

Author Bio
Mariam Simmons is a fashion enthusiast and Content Manager at Alpine Swiss. She loves traveling to the world’s top stylish destinations and gets inspired to create helpful fashion and lifestyle guides. With over a decade of writing experience, her main goal in creating content is to ensure readers learn something useful and provide value instead of noise.