The internet has fast become accessible to everyone and anyone with gadgets such as tablets, laptops and smartphones making it easier for one to access. This is a growing concern amongst parents with young children who worry about their internet safety.
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A recent study taken by Kaspersky Lab revealed that one in five parents fail to monitor their child’s online activity, despite the worries that they have.
Parents are aware of the risks of their children using the internet and more than a quarter (27%) believe they have been exposed to cyber bullying and have accessed inappropriate content in the past 12 months.
Unmonitored internet use has proven expensive for some parents with 18% losing money or data from their personal device, the study revealed.
David Emm, Senior Security Researcher at Kaspersky Lab says how Smartphone apps are often blamed for children inadvertently spending hundreds of pounds but effective controls and open channels of communication around smartphone use is imperative.
He adds: "Regardless of how their children are accessing the internet, parents must remain vigilant, supervise their internet use and consider parental control technologies. However, as a parent myself, I find these statistics particularly worrying when you consider the increasing number of children using connected smartphones today.
"After all, when children use mobile devices to access the web, they are using the same internet, with the same risks - yet parents are often not as aware of the dangers."
David Emm continues: "There is a common misconception that smartphones and tablets don’t need the same level of protection as a PC, but with such a high percentage of parents not having a clear view of their children’s online activity, this way of thinking needs to change."
David Emm offers the following tips to stay safe online:
1. Both Android smartphones and iPhones come with in-built parental controls - when purchasing a smartphone, ask the sales assistants to demonstrate these features.
They have policies in place and a responsibility to make parents aware of these. By creating a demand, it is more likely they will let other parents know.
2. Apply settings that prevent in-app purchases to save hefty bills should children stumble across a game with expensive add-ons. 3. Install security software - these providers will offer apps to filter out inappropriate content, for example, adult images and senders of nuisance SMS messages. 4. Encourage children to talk about their online experience and in particular, anything that makes them feel uncomfortable or threatened.Open a channel of communication so they feel they can discuss all areas of their online life without fear of judgement or reprimand.
5. Protecting children from cyber bullies is especially challenging with smartphones as they can be targeted in so many ways, especially out of view of their parents.Deal with cyber bullying as you would in real life by encouraging children to be open and talk to a trusted adult if they experience any threatening or inappropriate messages. Numbers and contacts on apps can both be blocked if they are making children uncomfortable.
6. Use the internet for good - there are sites that can advise both parents and children on how to manage online threats. Take a look at http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/.In response to these online threats that children are increasingly facing, Kaspersky Lab now offers a multi-device version of Kaspersky Internet Security.
The security software provides real-time protection for multiple Windows PCs, Macs and Android smartphones and tablets, all with a single licence allowing families to be protected on every device in their home and keep their children safe online.
For more information on products and advice from Kaspersky Lab, visit ww.kaspersky.co.uk.
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