PARENTS fear the latest technology is putting their children’s safety at risk.
But on Safer Internet Day yesterday it was revealed that children believe the latest technological devices such as smartphones and tablets automatically give them more protection.
Safer Internet Day promotes the safer use of online technology and mobile phones, especially amongst children and young people.
A poll by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (Ceop) Centre shows that about 80% of children in the UK, aged between five and 15, are regular users of the internet.
But 61% of parents had failed to set adequate online controls or did not have filters in place to keep their children safe, according to findings from independent regulator Ofcom.
Dr Bernard Gallagher, a Huddersfield University lecturer who has specialised in child protection for the last two decades, says the risks remain low.
“I don’t think the risks are rising or falling, it remains at the constant level as before,” he said. “I think it is important not to overestimate the risks but to be aware of them.
“The internet is generally a safe place to be, but what’s important is that measures are taken to make it as safe for children as possible.
“Parents or carers need to talk to young people and make them aware of the risks.
“They cannot watch them all the time, there will be times young people use the internet unsupervised and you have to rely on them to make the right and safe decision if they are approached online.”
Dr Gallagher believes the majority of young people are sensible online and says the incidents of bullying and harassment by people they know is higher than the number of an inappropriate approaches by a stranger.
“A more common risk on the internet is bullying and harassment and some of that will be carried out by someone known to them.
“The thing to realise is that technology is always changing and as that changes education and awareness programmes must be constantly updated.
“I hope teachers are doing work around the issues with pupils, sometimes parents won’t have the knowledge or resources to do it.
“The great thing about schools is that they’re the ideal situation to highlight the issues among young people.”
Home Office Minister Lynne Featherstone said: “Protecting children is one of the Government’s most important responsibilities and Ceop does a fantastic job safeguarding children, both on and off-line.
“The internet is a great tool for young people and can open their eyes to lots of opportunities but it’s important they understand the risks involved.”
Peter Davies, chief executive of the Ceop Centre and the senior police officer leading on child protection on the internet for the Association of Chief Police Officers, said: “We all have a role to play and I want to encourage parents to engage with their child to help avoid these risks.
“I want to help them explore the online world with their child, to talk to them about how they are using the internet and, above all, do what parents have always done – think about safety from a practical point of view.”
1. Fake Apps
One ploy used by cyber criminals is fraudulent apps for tablet PCs or smartphones with Android operating systems. In most cases the app pretends to be harmless and useful, for instance a game, but in reality it also secretly initiates calls to premium numbers, causing kids to lose hundreds of pounds. Therefore, children should only download applications that have abundant positive reviews from users already from reliable sources such as the Google Android Market. Even then be cautious, as it is possible for bonafide apps to get fraudulent updates.
2. Public Wi-Fi
Public Wi-Fi (e.g. in a cafe or shop) should be avoided where possible as it is often inadequately secured, meaning cyber criminals can spy on data. Many children still don’t fully understand the danger of logging onto personal platforms from an open Wi-Fi connection. Hackers can very simply “listen to the session” and obtain personal data, including passwords – this is called a ‘Man in the Middle’ attack. Children should try to avoid sites that require a login when using free Wi-Fi altogether. In any case, they need to ensure they only insert passwords or personal information on encrypted websites. The address bar should say “https://” before the site you are surfing - the “s” stands for secure! There are many tools that allow hackers to log on and see what your password is if it is not encrypted.
3. Social Media
It is now easy to access social media sites via smartphones and tablets, so children need to be aware that criminals are increasingly using sites such as Facebook and Twitter to find out other users’ personal data. Children should be careful about how much information they reveal on sites. This includes geographical locations, which can be done with several very popular apps. This particular information publicises their whereabouts to all, including criminals.
4. Passwords
Children generally have more than one online account they access via mobile devices, and often use the same weak password across all, which is not safe. Strong passwords are essential. It sounds very simple and the security industry has been saying it for years, but weak passwords give hackers an easy way in. Children should incorporate numbers and symbols into their passwords and never use the same password across different platforms.Although it can be annoying for youngsters trying to remember multiple passwords, there is a very simple way around it. A tip is to use the same password but depending on what it is for, alter it slightly, so for example, if my password was: EddyWillems12!, I could do the following:
a. Facebook: Eddyfacebookwillems12!
b. Twitter: Eddytwitterwillems12!
c. Hotmail: Eddyhotmailwillems12!
5. Mobile Security Solution
Users should install an effective security solution on their mobile device that includes authorisation checking for installed apps as well as a virus scanner. If you are accessing the Internet, whether a laptop, smartphone or tablet, a security solution like G Data MobileSecurity, should be installed and updated regularly.
