On the occasion of International Children’s Day and taking advantage of the fact that I am dedicated to the field of cybersecurity, I also try to find solutions and share them so that our children can be safe using new technologies.
Why we are hacked
To understand the differences between cybersecurity for adults and for children, the first thing we need to know is that when we are hacked, they are looking for something of value. Often they hack for money or information that can be sold, and this in principle would not directly affect our children, but that does not mean that we can rest easy. The real problem exists when they target one of our children, and the value they are looking for is precisely him, the minor. The problem is not the new technologies themselves, nor what they represent and allow; the problem is that in them there are no physical barriers, so our children could “go” anywhere and contact or be contacted by anyone (many possibilities, if we think that we are more than 7000 million people in the world). Understanding this idea is paramount to keeping our children safe, because once the “enemy” is identified, it is understandable that the solution is not simply based on applying technology or limiting access to our children. The solution is much simpler than it seems, and is based on understanding and help. On the one hand, and even though it may be difficult, we have to understand technology and what it allows us to do: relate to the world. On the other hand, we have to be aware of the existing risks so that we can explain them to our children and let them see for themselves what things can and cannot be done. Awareness is much more important than the technology itself, only then can we help our children to access these technologies safely. We have all been young, and we know that prohibition in itself generates curiosity. The problem with this is that our curious minors will look for ways to get around this prohibition and when they succeed (which they will), they will not tell us and that is the biggest problem we can have. Now, if they understand that there is something they should not do because it is bad (simplifying concepts), when they skip it (if they do), they will tell us and that is exactly the best solution. Recently we must keep in mind that “prohibiting” access (mobile, Tablet, games, Internet…) until they are “older” can generate make them feel “the oddball” of the class and limit relationships and access to all available information, which can be a problem in front of their peers. Of course, limiting and supervising access is both appropriate and educational, as it is a way for them to see that they cannot always have everything and to have access to information in a controlled way.
Pillars of action
In order to address this task of education related to new technologies, we have several pillars on which to base ourselves:
- We can use parental control tools that allow us to control and supervise what our children do online (I recommend looking at INCIBE’s website https://www.is4k.es/de-utilidad/herramientas).
- We have to explain the reason for these limitations, which are basically the usual ones we apply: not talking to strangers, protecting our personal information and even foreseeing possible addictions to technology (a topic outside the field of cybersecurity, but closely related). To help us with this issue, we can use a contract between parents and children, such as the one created by the ANAR foundation for responsible use of cell phones, which, although not legally valid, will help us to make them understand the limits and, most importantly, the reason for those limits.
- We have to help them as much as we can and make them see that we are there to help them. Very important, in the case of punishing them, since making them understand that it is for their own good is an impossible task, it is better to explain that you are doing it because you are afraid of what could have happened.
- Finally, we have one of the most complicated tasks and although it may not seem to be a cybersecurity issue, it can help us a lot. We have to make our children see that the world that is presented to us through the Internet (whether in games, movies, series or advertisements), does not faithfully represent the real world, since in all of them playful and aesthetic scenarios are used to sell us ideas that are attractive to capture our attention.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the best solution to existing problems is based on a system of education and trust between parents and children to identify potential problems so that they can be avoided. It is not a matter of setting strict limits, since they will try to break them at some point (or haven’t we all done it?). In order to understand the risks and thus know how to explain them, I recommend reading about “grooming”, “sexting” or “cyberbulling” among other things, which you can do in a simple way in“https://enredsinriesgos.oesia.com/”.In this web portal you will find more information, useful terms or explanations about tools. And for your children to play and learn about the topic, you can go to“https://www.is4k.es/de-utilidad/cyberscouts“.