Many people today are worried about the browsing behavior of their kids. With more young adults surfing the web, the opportunity for others to take advantage of them online continues to grow. How can you safeguard your children online? There are a number of ways to make sure they are safe and it all starts with an awareness of what type of threats exist.
Children surf the web on a regular basis. Whether they are traveling to their favorite web site or social media platform, cyber criminals know the most well-liked sites among young adults. This is why they generally target these areas with malware and viruses. Children should take supplemental precautions when browsing sites that are popular or focused on popular topics. They may find themselves at risk when using sites they assume to have adequate protections.
A freshly released scam involved YouTube videos showing the prominent teen pop singer Justin Bieber. The trick inserted detrimental code into the comment attribute of the singer’s YouTube videos, which redirected users to adult web pages, exposing children to improper material. As many future pop-culture issues will undoubtedly become connected to malware scams, informing children about the importance of sticking to reliable sources while using search engines can keep them from stumbling upon destructive software.
Phishing scams are another risk to children using the web, as many may not be mindful of the severity of swapping information online. For example, a recent line of phishing scams targeted Facebook and attempted to extract personal data from unsuspecting users.They first offered a free gift card to Facebook users, claiming if they simply click on the “Like” button for a particular page they can receive a free giftcard to Subway restaurants. The link actually redirects users to a website separate from Facebook and asks for credit card numbers and other individual information in exchange for the supposed gift card.
Providing children with information about how to defend themselves on the internet is extremely important. In particular, warning children about giving personal info in response to unwanted requests is a necessary step in guarding them. If young adults are aware that many of these internet sites are not reputable and may take advantage of their individual information, they are less likely to fall prey to scams.
You will find a variety of online hackers finding resourceful ways to take advantage of you and your children when surfing online. The best way to avoid these scams is to verify where requests are coming from. For example, when you get a pop up message asking you to revise your virus protection, validate that it is your system’s virus protection and not being introduced by a third party. Only move forward if you are fully certain with the originator of the message. By being alert and validating sources before taking an action such as giving your personally identifiable information and facts online, you can product your children and yourself.
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