Helping your children stay safe online
How safe is the internet for children?
This suggests that, depending on your child’s age, ability to ‘surf the net’ and parental
controls, they
could potentially have access to a wealth of age-inappropriate content as well as the
opportunity to
connect
with strangers online. These could pose risks to their safety and personal data – as well as
that of you
or
your family. There are some steps that you can take to help protect your children online. These include
the
following:How to help your child stay safe on the Internet
Speak to your child about the risks of using the internet, as well as how these risks
may
appear.
You may
want to cover topics such as how to keep passwords
secure, sharing too much personal information on
social
media, or the dangers or socialising online.
Ensure that all digital devices – including smartphones, tablets, laptops and computers
–
have the
latest
firewalls and anti-virus protection installed.
You may want to turn on parental controls so that you can decide when and how your child
can
use a
specific
device. Make sure you choose
strong passwords.
Shopping websites can make it easy to make purchases, such as by saving your card
details
and
letting you
make payments with a single click. Try not to save these details online where children
could
accidentally
make purchases and rack up large bills without your knowledge.
Your child may accidentally share some of your personal information online, which could
be
collected
by
identity fraudsters. You may want to monitor your Equifax
Credit Report & Score, which is free for
the first 30 days then £14.95 monthly, to ensure that there isn’t any suspicious
activity
on
your
report.
Let your child know that you’re always there to listen if they come across any activity
or
behaviour
online
that makes them feel uncomfortable
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