Cyber Security and Kids

As a parent I worry every day about keeping my children safe. As schools and education increasingly becomes more dependent on the internet, cybersafety is a concern which has plagued many parents, including myself.

Each new school year - parents, schools and many volunteer organizations spend a lot of time and resources to review and remind the kids on how to be aware and safe from the various dangers that they may face. From bike safety to playground safety to bullying to drug and alcohol awareness. It struck me that there is not enough taught to kids about online safety and this has to change. The safety issue starts as early as elementary school, as more and more schools are getting connected and the internet begins to play a crucial role in our children's education.

With every new school assignment I find myself loosening the parental controls that I have set on their computer accounts. As I struggle to find the right balance between giving my kids access to what the internet has to offer and keeping them safe, I realize that I cannot isolate them from the dangers that lurk in cyberspace. It seems inevitable that they will at some point encounter a malicious link or website and the best I can do as their parent, is to educate them on cybersecurity and cybersafety.

A great set of resources, tools and age appropriate materials that I recently found to help me get started was on C-SAVE or Cyber Security Awareness Volunteer Education website. Part of the NCSA(National Cyber Security Alliance), it is designed to encourage and support professionals to volunteer their time to bring cybersecurity awareness to as many children as possible. I am hoping to share this at our school, in October, as part of the National CyberSecurity Awareness Month and would like to encourage as many of you as possible to do so as well.