Be Cyber Smart: 5 Ways to Protect your Kids Online

Many kids have never had to consider how dangerous cyber criminals can be, or how important it is to stay cyber secure when accessing a school network remotely or posting to social media. In response to the outbreak of the coronavirus, schools increased their reliance on technology tools for teaching and remote learning over the course of 2020, in many cases by deploying thousands of new devices to students and educators under strict deadlines. Additionally, many schools adopted new teaching and learning platforms without adequate time to train their users and otherwise prepare for their usage, where encouraging staff to learn about cybersecurity would have seen immediate benefits.

Since 2019, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has seen a sizable increase in malicious activity with cyberattacks against K-12 schools. Hackers from around the globe are targeting school computer systems, slowing access and rendering school networks inaccessible and unable to execute basic functions, including those functions associated with remote learning. Uninvited users have disrupted live-conferenced classroom settings by verbally harassing students, doxing meeting attendees, displaying disturbing images and many other kinds of interferences. In some instances, ransomware hackers stole and even threatened to leak confidential student data unless institutions paid a ransom. For many parents, this comes as a shock and raises the question, “is my child safe from cyberattacks?”

With the rise of COVID-19 and the corresponding adoption of remote learning, many schools ceased in-person operations and adopted video conferencing tools to host online classes and school community meetings. This sizable impact generated by COVID-19 on school district operations led to the emergence of a new class of cyber threats not seen before, known as cyber incidents. Cyber incidents are defined by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as any type of activity that impacts the confidentiality, integrity and availability of a school district’s IT and data systems. In many cases, cyber incidents have led to the rescheduling or cancellation of classes in those districts that publicly disclosed an incident.

The start of the 2020-2021 school year brought with it a surge in cyber incidents that lasted through the end of the calendar year. According to statistics from a report put together by the K-12 Cybersecurity Resource Center, there were 408 cyber incidents that hit K-12 institutions in 2020, an 18 percent increase from 2019. In addition, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a federal watchdog agency, published findings that concluded that the increasing number of cyberattacks on K-12 institutions in the U.S. were indeed, putting students at risk. According to agency research, the primary cyber incident types most affecting K-12 school districts include:

• Ransomware and other malware
• Student and staff data breaches
• Targeted phishing attacks/email compromise
• Class/meeting invasion
• Student data breaches
• Denial-of-service attacks

Protecting your child’s online identity is essential in the digital era and becoming a digitally minded family is hard work, for anyone. Based on extensive research into cybersecurity policy and recent case studies, Red River has compiled a list of five recommendations to protect your child from malicious actors online. Here are some easy steps you can take to boost cybersecurity in your home:

1. Practice good cyber hygiene
   • Encourage your child not to click on suspicious links from unknown social media accounts or open attachments they receive from unfamiliar email addresses. You are not just protecting their private life online but assuring them that malicious actions can handled with critical thinking and by practicing good cyber hygiene.
2. Review Privacy Settings and avoid oversharing
   • Newly created profiles on social networks are made “public” by default. After talking to your kids about online safety, discuss the importance of configuring privacy settings to help them decide what types of content is and is not appropriate to post online. Additionally, you can consider setting family rules, like not revealing when you are away from home in a social post.
3. Protect sensitive data by securing online accounts
   • Screen time can come with a price. Advise your child to change their password often and not to share with others, in addition to not storing credit card information when shopping online or for in-game purchases. Try not to recycle passwords and enable a two-factor authentication method, if possible.
4. Develop an Incident Response plan
   • It’s crucial that you teach your child to spot red flags online, whether communicating with friends, accessing sensitive data or surfing the web. Talk with your family about putting a plan in place in order to effectively respond to a cyber incident, should one occur. By having the conversation ahead of time, you can increase your child’s cyber awareness and positively influence their online activity.
5. Update your devices and monitor evolving cybercrime
   • Having the latest security software, web browser and operating system is the best defense against viruses, malware and other online threats. Keep your devices up to date, stay current with latest cyber threats and share your wisdom with friends and family.

With everyone in the family using the internet to engage in social media, attend video calls or shop, it is vital to ensure that the entire household learns to navigate their online experiences safely and responsibly. The National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCSA) recommends parents and guardians take time to discuss cybersecurity best practices with their children. The aim isn’t for parents to monitor everything their kids do online, but instead to give them the knowledge they need to defend themselves against malicious actors. It’s simple to improve your cyber defense with the thousands of free tools and resources that are readily available and accessible on the NCSA website here.

Technology is a fully integral part of young people’s lives – by taking this opportunity to teach your children how to be responsible digital citizens, you can help enable them to make educated decisions about online activity and ensure that their futures are free from cyber threats.

For more information on improving cybersecurity in your home, click https://redriver.com/expertise/security to read more.