How to keep your children safe online?
In today’s digital world, protecting work data is essential, but there’s another critical area often overlooked: the safety of our families, particularly children, who are growing up in a tech-saturated environment.
For IT professionals and families working remotely, safeguarding both work data and ensuring a safe online space for children can be seamlessly integrated through intentional policies and proactive steps.
Steps to take to keep your children safe online
1. Establish clear guidelines for device usage
As remote work blurs the line between work and home environments, devices used for both professional and personal purposes require careful monitoring. Designate devices for work and others for personal use. If that’s not feasible, create separate user profiles and encourage children not to use work-designated profiles.
2. Enforce strong password and authentication policies
Children are naturally curious and may accidentally access or alter files on shared devices. Secure both work and personal data with strong password
policies including Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). Enable MFA on work accounts to reduce the risk of accidental access.
Use strong, unique passwords for work-related apps or files, and store them in a reliable password manager. This practice ensures that only authorised users have access to work data.
3. Educate children on online safety
Educating children about digital safety is crucial, so children know how to recognise phishing attempts and the importance of not clicking on unfamiliar links, even if they appear harmless.
Emphasise the importance of not sharing personal information on social platforms and being cautious with friend requests from unknown people.
4. Use secure network connections
A secure network benefits both work and personal safety. Install a reliable router and firewall and reduce the risk of unauthorised access, keeping both work and family data safe.
Encourage employees working from home to use a VPN for their work tasks to protect sensitive information from being exposed.
5. Monitor screen time and activity
Digital wellness is key for children, who are susceptible to spending too much time online, and for employees, who may struggle with balancing work and home life. Establish certain areas or times (such as dinnertime) as device-free to encourage family interactions.
Use activity-monitoring tools to track online activity, which help to identify and mange online content consumption.
Security for kids vs. end users: Who needs to be locked down more?
While IT departments often go to great lengths to enforce safety policies, there are very few households that have any security in place or enforce any internet safety policies.
In theory, there are ways to restrict what times devices can connect, what sites family members can visit, and which apps they can download… but does anyone actually implement these security measures at home?
Whether it’s to keep them from downloading malware, falling victim to scams, leaking sensitive information, or going to unsafe online spaces, who do you think needs to be locked down more… kids or end users in the office?
Both kids at home and end users in the office need safeguarding, but in different ways to address their unique security risks. With children, the concern is about exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and risky interactions online. Employees often manage sensitive company data, making them potential targets for phishing, malware, and social engineering attacks. In this environment, locking down access through policies, permissions, multi-factor authentication, and employee training is crucial to maintain data integrity and security.
With RITO Technologies we can keep you safe
Implementing these safety steps not only strengthens work data security but also fosters a safer online environment for children at home. The investment in data security and family well-being can lead to a more productive, confident, and secure household.
RITO Technologies is at the forefront of IT strategy, specialising in crafting tailor-made solutions for micro to SME businesses. With a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by small to medium-sized enterprises, we pride ourselves on being more than just a service provider; we are your strategic partner in IT.
For more information about security safety at home for your children, get in touch with us at info@rito-tech.co.za or call us on 010 213 7016 and we will gladly assist you.
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