If the entire household is using the Internet, it’s crucial to be vigilant. Parents would know what to do, but younger children should have supervision when using a device to access different websites. The Internet has something for every family member, but that also puts them at risk for various dangers that can occur for someone who has a limited amount of knowledge in security, let alone minors who feel that they can do whatever they want.

1. Protect Your Login Details 

Keeping the default login details of the router in secret can’t be stressed enough. The username and password allow anyone access to your account. Ensure that remote management is turned off. It also helps when your WiFi details are also under wraps.  

It’s also important to avoid children breach by changing your login details, or the password at least, to avoid hackers from stealing your child’s personal details. You child may have given away personal information in a gaming app. Thus, it’s important to know which websites your child is logging into and explain the importance of online safety, such as changing passwords regularly.

It’s essential to keep changing the username and password every 30 to 90 days with a string of characters, numbers, and symbols that won’t be easy to crack.  

2. Read And Understand Online Privacy Policies  

Websites have online privacy policies to help protect account holders. They can be found in social media networks, search engine websites, banking sites, and more. Ask your children or any minor in your family to inform you if they want to create a website account. Assist them in reading the privacy policy to get information on how the website creators will use details that account holders share.  

Suppose holiday hackers have already compromised your home devices. The truth is that your antivirus software can only do so much against human threats. The privacy policy must also contain the measures one must take to prevent privacy breaches, such as identity theft phishing.   

3. Use Antivirus Software And Keep Updated 

Keep your family secure online by installing trusted antivirus software into your computer and mobile devices.  

Malware and ransomware are some of the viruses that you’d want to keep away from. They not only cause malfunctioning, but ransomware, in particular, can hijack your files and demand payment in exchange for their return. Some programs are made to steal sensitive information, and others can make your PC experience service refusals, spamming, and more.  

When you have antivirus software, you can sleep in peace, knowing that something capable is guarding your computer.  

4. Educate Your Kids 

There’s no doubt that children today are more competent, and some can quickly figure things out. That’s why as soon as they start using a computer, it’s wise to sit them down first and teach them about what and what not to do when they’re online. It’s the best protection you can give them when you’re not present to supervise them.  

Here’s how you can go about it:

• Discuss what kind of information they can’t give away to anyone.

• Teach them to come up with their own complex passwords. It’ll encourage them to use new vocabulary and memorable characters that’ll be hard to hack.

• Go through the privacy settings with your child or children for them to know what they mean and what kind of information they can only impart. 

• While location tracking apps can be helpful when adults use them, they can also help people find your children.  

• Help them identify quizzes, special offers, and clickbait content that can compromise your device or steal information once your children engage them. 

5. Take Advantage Of Two-Factor Authentication 

Your identity can open doors that only you should have access to, which could be a problem if you’re only using a password. Hackers and ransomware are getting smarter, and you don’t want to give them a chance.  

A two-factor authentication mechanism helps prove your identity further. Enabling this security method is a way of adding an extra layer of protection to your login details.  

Examples of two-factor authentication mechanisms are security questions that only you know the answer to. You can even make the answers more complex by adding numbers and symbols. The security method is designed to make it difficult for hackers to unlock your account.  

It may seem that adding a second-authentication layer to your login seems taxing, but cybercriminals are getting relentless. Security questions used in authentication can be anything with answers that you haven’t shared with anyone. It’s safer to use for risk management.

In Conclusion 

Dangers not only come in physical forms. They also take the form of elements that can steal information and cause significant inconveniences, such as identity and monetary theft, or even danger to your children’s wellbeing. These measures cost little to zero dollars to do, and they can protect your family in the long run.