The internet is such a huge part of many of our lives these days. Although many people could do with using less internet, you can’t really eradicate it altogether. You want to make sure that keeping your family safe online is a priority of yours. It’s the least you can do! Here, you’ll find the best tricks to make sure your family stay safe:
Encourage Them To Come Up With Safe Passwords
Make sure your family knows how to come up with safe passwords. The safest passwords usually have a mix of uppercase letters and lowercase letters, as well as numbers. Tell them to write them down somewhere safe, as they should have a different password for different sites. Make sure they know never to share their password with anybody.
Consider Putting a Lock On Certain Sites
It might be a good idea to put a lock on certain sites and content, especially if you have very young children using the computer. They don’t have to go looking for adult content to come across it on the internet. You could put a passcode on certain sites or set it up so that they are blocked from accessing certain things automatically.
Speak With Them Honestly About Things That Can Happen Online (Suitable For Their Age)
Make sure you speak with your kids about the things that can happen online honestly. You should make it suitable for their age, but they should know the risks you take when using the internet. Make sure they know that anything they put online is there somewhere forever, even if they delete it. This includes pictures and things they write. Make sure they know that cyber bullying is not OK, and if they experience something suspicious online, they should tell you straight away. Make them aware that even celebrities are real people and it isn’t OK for them to make rude comments. Make sure they know not to befriend strangers online, or meet anybody online no matter how ‘real’ they may seem. People are not always who they make themselves out to be. They should never give out information like their name, address, and so on.
Monitor Their Online Usage
If you can, monitor their online usage. Give them a set amount of time they can use the internet. You could even have the family computer in a public space so you can always see what they are doing. There are different pieces of software and things you can use for this too. Make sure your family spend time in the real world too, as kids can find it especially easy to get caught up in online life. Make the most of your time together instead of spending all your time online!
Keep Your Software Up To Date
It’s a good idea to make sure you keep your software up to date, such as your antivirus software. You want to do your best to protect them from viruses, malware, and other online threats. Do lots of research so you find the best deal for you and the best software for your specific machine. Some machines will come with this already installed, but you may need to update it later on.
Set Updates To Automatic
If you can, set your software updates to automatic so you know that your computer is always protected. This isn’t always an option, but double check to be sure as it’ll make your life so much easier.
Protect All Devices That Connect To The Internet
Make sure you protect all devices that connect to the internet. Not only the family computer, but laptops, tablets, and gaming systems too. All of these things need protection from viruses, malware, and even hackers. Do your research and ensure that everything is protected!
Back Up Important Stuff
Make sure that important stuff is backed up. If you have family pictures, coursework/homework, and other things on there that you would hate to lose, find a way to back them up safely. You can read reviews on different apps to help you to do this, like these zipcloud reviews. This ensures that whatever happens to your devices, you’ll always have your documents somewhere safe.
Use these tips and tricks to help keep your family safe online. You can’t be too careful, and the online world can be a dangerous place. Taking plenty of precautions is so important. If you have any tips that you use to keep your devices and family safe online, leave a comment below. Thanks for reading!
