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Parents have the responsibility of teaching their kids right from wrong, caring for and protecting them at all costs, right? Unfortunately some parents still don’t consider the internet to be a dangerous place and work to keep their kids safe online. It can be a very dangerous place for a child who unknowingly runs into a predator.
As technology progresses, it is becoming more and more difficult to keep our kids safe from the dangers of the internet. There are things you can do to make your child’s web surfing more secure. By blending simple parenting techniques with website security software and parental controls, we can make the internet a safer place for children.
Ways to Keep the Internet Safe for Kids
1) Set parental controls on your computers:
This one is simple. You have the ability to change the user settings on your home computer to block certain websites from being allowed to display on your computer. This is something that can be done with your browser, or you can create an entire profile that is solely your child’s.
Beyond the actual computer settings, you can often set your router to block restricted sites from showing up on your home network at all.
Password protect your profile if you are going to leave your settings free the parental block. This can eliminate the fear of your child coming across anything from pornography to social media websites where your child could be exposed to those who might mean to do them harm.
2) Avoid putting a computer in your child’s room:
Sure, there are other ways for kids to gain access to restricted sites. iPods, iPads, game systems, you name it, it probably has WiFi capabilities if it has batteries. The difference is ease of access. It can be a hassle to go to all the trouble to reach certain sites on some portable devices, this is where your vigilance as a parent comes in.
A computer is easier to use for our kids to get into trouble online. That being said, taking this step to leave your computer in a central location of your home can really make a difference in your child’s internet security.
3) Be Attentive:
Pay attention to what your kids are doing, what they talk about and who they hang out with. Keep in mind that friends with cellphones will have access to the internet, so being attentive when your child is exposed to the web is a huge factor here.
Let your child know they can talk to you about issues they may run into online. Sometimes kids can be afraid to say anything and will just clam up and keep the info to themselves for fear of getting into trouble. The more open the lines of communication between you and your child are, the more likely they will be to talk to you about things they see online.
4) Make YOUR Facebook page private:
Consider the fact that anything you place on social media sites, including pictures or tidbits of info about your kids can be accessed by anyone. For this reason you should keep your Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and whatever other social media sites you frequent accessible to only you and your friends or family.
Remember that there is an option for friends to see your info, as well as the option for friends of friends to see it. This also keeps you safer in the process, so it’s really a win-win solution.
5) Use the best desktop security software, Comodo Internet Security and AntiVirus:
Our unique Default Deny architecture with auto sandboxing means even the newest and most clever malware will never harm you system.
