Simple Steps To Keep Your Child Safe Online
Simple steps to protect and lookout for your child online:
1. Setup a Google Alerts scan for their name or variations of their name daily
2. Subscribe to a service like Lifelock and include their information to monitor for (email, name, etc.).
3. When purchasing a new computer, smartphone, or tablet download and implement content and parental monitoring software on all devices.
4. Implement parental controls and/or check on media gaming devices such as XBOX, PlayStation, Wii, etc.
5. Implement a trusted DNS service such as OpenDNS or Comodo Secure DNS on the entire family network.
6. If they belong to a social media network such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter then become a friend to them or follow them so as to be aware of posted materials.
7. Follow and monitor the FB, Twitter or other pages of their school and organizations.
8. Make sure they are not allowing EXIF data (gelocation data) in picture uploads from their smartphones.
9. Give them forewarning and tell them once every three months to go through and clean up their FB posts. Use a service such as this to let them scan for "questionable" materials. - http://simplewa.sh/login
10. Make sure they are aware of, and are careful using, apps that give away proximity information or social location patterns. Many apps these days include close, if not precise, geolocation information and daily habit / location patterns. Some of these can be controlled by end user implementation but others can not. Make sure your child understands that the usage of these type of apps gives out much more information than they may initially understand. This is especially important in situations that might develop into social stalking problems.
11. Use a service like iCloud for iOS and/or Lookout for both iOS and Android that allows you to track your child's cellphone and other mobile devices. Both are free for basic uses and Lookout does much more than just locate your phone. Well worth the few bucks they charge.
12. It is quite a sad state of affairs I have to put this next one but due to recent geopolitical turmoil and a rise in fringe groups espousing violence via the Internet and actively looking to recruit young impressionable kids the following should be also monitored in regards to your child's social media activity:
1. Setup a Google Alerts scan for their name or variations of their name daily
2. Subscribe to a service like Lifelock and include their information to monitor for (email, name, etc.).
3. When purchasing a new computer, smartphone, or tablet download and implement content and parental monitoring software on all devices.
4. Implement parental controls and/or check on media gaming devices such as XBOX, PlayStation, Wii, etc.
5. Implement a trusted DNS service such as OpenDNS or Comodo Secure DNS on the entire family network.
6. If they belong to a social media network such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter then become a friend to them or follow them so as to be aware of posted materials.
7. Follow and monitor the FB, Twitter or other pages of their school and organizations.
8. Make sure they are not allowing EXIF data (gelocation data) in picture uploads from their smartphones.
9. Give them forewarning and tell them once every three months to go through and clean up their FB posts. Use a service such as this to let them scan for "questionable" materials. - http://simplewa.sh/login
10. Make sure they are aware of, and are careful using, apps that give away proximity information or social location patterns. Many apps these days include close, if not precise, geolocation information and daily habit / location patterns. Some of these can be controlled by end user implementation but others can not. Make sure your child understands that the usage of these type of apps gives out much more information than they may initially understand. This is especially important in situations that might develop into social stalking problems.
11. Use a service like iCloud for iOS and/or Lookout for both iOS and Android that allows you to track your child's cellphone and other mobile devices. Both are free for basic uses and Lookout does much more than just locate your phone. Well worth the few bucks they charge.
12. It is quite a sad state of affairs I have to put this next one but due to recent geopolitical turmoil and a rise in fringe groups espousing violence via the Internet and actively looking to recruit young impressionable kids the following should be also monitored in regards to your child's social media activity:
- Social media posts or group associations with elements that espouse violence or a radicalized view or behavior.
- Interest in sites that are more graphic in nature such as LiveLeak, parts of Reddit and the like.
- Off hours / unusual times using video chat with tools such as SKYPE, iCHAT, etc. Could indicate increased contacts with people in other timezones potentially overseas.
Protect your teens: 7 apps and websites parents should be aware of -
9 Free programs to keep your Kid safe Online - http://www.techradar.com/us/news/software/applications/best-free-parental-control-software-9-programs-to-keep-your-kids-safe-1140315
Also check out this article for a very good write up on the problem, additional tips, and more - https://securelist.com/analysis/publications/63866/children-online-the-security-formula/