Cybersecurity decalogue for children going back to school

• Cyberstalking or cyberbullying are some of the most common cybercrimes of which young people can be victims, but also be the originators.

Valencia August 30, 2021.- S2 Grupo, a company specialized in cybersecurity and critical systems management, has warned that with the return to school it is important to reinforce the safe use of new technologies in children to avoid being victims of cyberbullying, harassment and other types of digital crimes.

For this, the S2 Grupo team of experts has drawn up a decalogue with 10 basic tips that will help families in this task:

1. Where to put the computer? The recommendation is that, especially in the case of children, it should be within sight of the parents as in any other task they perform, without them feeling that their privacy is being invaded. This way they will be able to help them in any doubt, control the time they spend on it, etc.

2. Communication and trust.- It is very important to work on communication between parents and children to generate an environment of trust and respect. From there, it will be easier to help them learn about the main threats on the Internet and feel free to share any topic that concerns them.

3. Continuous learning.- Many parents are unable to accompany their children in the digital world because they are not familiar with it. For this reason, it is essential to keep them informed, updated, etc. There are many blogs like Hijosdigitales.com from S2 Grupo that are a great help in this area. Parents are advised to be on social networks, even if not actively, so that they know how they work.

4. Instill the importance of privacy.- One of the most important points for the cybersecurity of adults and young people is to know that the Internet is open to everyone and that once we share something, it becomes the property of anyone. Therefore, it is key to teach the importance of privacy so that they take care of what they share in digital environments and also when configuring the different applications on their devices.

5. Use of antivirus.- Another key to family cybersecurity is to always have an updated antivirus on our devices and, along with this, avoid opening emails from strangers because they are usually a source of malware.

6. Be careful with the webcam.- The recommendation of S2 Grupo experts is to physically cover the webcam when it is not being used. Currently, there are programs that are able to activate the camera and record without us noticing, which would endanger the privacy of the family and their cybersecurity.

7. Instill the value of respect.- Young people should know that the Internet is not an anonymous medium and if they commit an illegal act, the sanction will be applied to the owner of the telephone line. Parents should inform them that, although they may be victims of cybercrime, they can be cybercriminals if they intercept communications from others or slander, for example.

8. Review of the history or cookies.- While they are small, it is interesting to review the history and cookies to confirm which pages they have visited and confirm that they are safe, etc. When they are older, this option is not very useful because it is very easy to delete history and cookies when they know this functionality of the browser.

9. Control their possibilities on the Internet.- S2 Grupo recommends some actions so that the action of the children on the Internet is somewhat controlled. These include installing a parental control application, using the computer with a user without administrator privileges so that they cannot install or uninstall programs, etc.

10. Ask for help from qualified professionals.- In the event that minors may have a problem in relation to the digital environment such as Internet security or cyberbullying, for example, it is advisable to contact to the corresponding law enforcement agencies.

More information:

prensa@s2grupo.es