Digital Security Resources for Parents

Internet Safety 101 site: Enough Is Enough® understands that Internet safety is a shared responsibility between the public, the Internet industry, and the legal community. However, parents remain the 'first line of defense' in protecting their children against Internet safety dangers. Unfortunately, parents, educators and other caring adults are ill-equipped, uninformed and often overwhelmed when it comes to Internet safety issues, and they need credible outside help. As the nation's leading Internet safety organization since 1994, EIE has responded to this call for action by creating Internet Safety 101SM, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice. Internet Safety 101SM is a widely-renowned resource and teaching series that paints a comprehensive picture of the dangers children encounter online. Through the Internet Safety 101SM program, EIE strives to educate and empower parents, educators and other caring adults with the information they need to effectively protect children from Internet dangers.

 Link: https://internetsafety101.org/parentsguidetosocialmedia

A Parent's Guide to SmartPhone Security: with this guide you can make your smartphone safer for your kids in just 11 easy steps. 

Link: https://internetsafety101.org/objects/Parents_Guide_to_Smart_Phone_Security.pdf

FBI Parents Resources: Get advice and information to help protect your children from dangers lurking in both the online and offline worlds.  

• About Protecting Your Kids: Learn how to Contact The FBI; Report child abductions or abuse
• FBI Child ID App: The FBI's Child ID App provides parents with an easy way to electronically store their children’s information and identity.
• Get advice and information to help protect your children from dangers lurking in both the online and offline worlds.

Link: https://www.fbi.gov/resources/parents

KidsHealth - Internet Safety Guide: The Internet can be wonderful for kids. They can use it to research school reports, communicate with teachers and other kids, and play interactive games.
But online access also comes with risks, like inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and online predators. Using apps and websites where kids interact, predators may pose as a child or teen looking to make a new friend. They might prod the child to exchange personal information, such as address and phone number, or encourage kids to call them, seeing their phone number via caller ID.

Link: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/net-safety.html

Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI): Need help talking with your kids about online safety? Want to know about parental controls? Looking for a simple set of rules to use with your children? FOSI’s Good Digital Parenting provides you with videos, tip sheets, resources, blogs, and more.

Link: https://www.fosi.org/good-digital-parenting/

National Cyber Security Alliance/Stay Safe Online: Here are helpful links from the National Cyber Security Alliance's sponsors, partners and friends to help you and your friends and family be safer and more secure online.

Link: https://staysafeonline.org/stay-safe-online/related-links/

Tom's Guide: Best Parental Control Apps 2019: The best parental-control apps for smartphones can help you track your kids, see whom they are communicating with, block kids from viewing objectionable or dangerous websites, and even help kids understand the value of limits while preventing them from accessing adult content or communicating with strangers.

Link: https://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-parental-control-apps,review-2258.html

PCMag.com - The Best Tracking Devices for Kids: Kids get lost. GPS and Bluetooth trackers can help find them and keep them safe. With the help of our own children, we've tested clips, smartwatches, and wearables to determine what type works best and which one is right for you.

Link: https://www.pcmag.com/roundup/362044/the-best-tracking-devices-for-kids

OpenDNS - Basic Web Filtering and Protection: OpenDNS is the name of a Domain Name System (DNS) service as well as of the company that provides that service. The OpenDNS service extends the DNS by incorporating features such as content filtering and phishing protection.  Get OpenDNS Family Shield

Link: https://www.opendns.com/setupguide/#familyshield

Geek Squad Has A Great Video on 5 Tips to Protect Your Kids Online

Just a quick post:  From homework to video games, school-aged children are connected to the online world now more than ever. In this 2 Minute Miracle video Geek Squad Agents Josh Musicant and Eric Irish offer five simple tips to protect your children online.  They cover the following tips:




1.  Use a trusted filtering software software: Cyber Patrol, Norton, and Spysweeper
2.  Maximize your current software.  MS Windows and MAC OS controls.
3.  Use of your wireless router.  Blocking websites and protecting the Access Point
4.  Controlling what kids access via online gaming by using the rating system.
5.  Social networking.  Keep the computer in a place where you can watch your kids online.


I posted a guide to protect your kids online HERE.

Great Online Safety Guide for Families

Ran across this today.  It's a great source for online safety information for families.  It covers such areas:
Different Age Levels - Elementary School Children (ages 5-7), Tween Children (8-12), Teens (13-17), and college age and beyond.
Basic Subjects - Safe browsing, Protecting passwords, wireless networks, parental control software, and online faves.
Specific Risks - Internet Predators, Plagiarism and cheating, Cyber bullying and stalking, Filesharing & music/video downloading, Private information & ID theft, Social networking sites, Porn, gambling, racism, Teen online privacy, Email and instant messaging, blogging, Viruses, Worms, Spyware, and digital photography.

It's well written and is a great resource for families.  It has a great resource section too..

A must read for any family with kids on the Internet.....

CLICK HERE for the Guide