Secure Online Families | Part 9: Conclusion & Additional Resources

This is the 9th article in a 9-part series | Keeping our children safe is a high priority for most parents and guardians, and this increasingly includes online security.

Here, at the end of the series, we review the most important things to do with your children & provide a list of additional resources

Photo by Simon Matzinger on Unsplash

To better protect your children and family from online security risks, be sure to:

1. Establish relationships of trust
2. Make your home a safe environment to ask any questions

Note: Because each browser is different and there are so many different internet service providers, it’s not feasible to provide links to every service. I’ve included the links (in red) where I can and encourage you to search for solutions that best fit your situation.

In addition to the two suggestions above, consider:

Implementing filters (for websites and apps)

• Check if your internet provider already has these tools before you purchase one
• Filters exist as both software and physical devices

Setting search engine settings to strict (called “SafeSearch” for Google )

Installing ad blockers for each of your browsers (ads can contain viruses and display inappropriate content)

• Download them from your browser’s extension store
• There’s one for iPhone Safari called Ka-Block!

Establishing rules regarding:

• Setting up new accounts (e.g., all accounts have to have parental approval)
• Screen time limits
• Media consumption
• Sharing of personal information (e.g., don’t share any personal info without parents’ permission)
• Regular parental reviews of phones, computers, etc.

Photo by John-Mark Smith on Unsplash

Implementing of these tips into your own life, setting a good example for your children

If you’d like to learn more about general security principles and see more resources see my other articles:

• 4 Practical, Realistic Ways to Stay Safe Online
• The World of Cybersecurity

The Series:

• Part 1: Introduction (Dec 18th)
• Part 2: Cyber Bullying (Dec 18th)
• Part 3: Social Media (Dec 26th)
• Part 4: Anonymity (Jan 2nd)
• Part 5: False Information (Jan 8th)
• Part 6: Violent Media (Jan 15th)
• Part 7: Sex/Pornography (Jan 22nd)
• Part 8: Comprehensive Solutions (Jan 29th)
• Part 9: Conclusion & Additional Resources (Feb 5th)

My Credentials

I work in InfoSec and have published a couple of academic articles while finishing my masters degree.

You can view all of my credentials here and here.

[This story has been adapted to article format from my site securefamilies.org]