On February 9, 2021, the world will celebrate the 18th iteration of Safer Internet Day. The theme of this year’s event is “Together for a better internet.” It’s a reminder that all of us have a responsibility to help make the web a safer place.

One of the ways we can do this is by taking the online safety of children and teens to heart. In their enthusiasm for entering into the online world and forging a digital identity, young people might assume that everyone has their best intentions in mind. The reality is that some individuals might seek to exploit that innocence and trick them into handing over their personal information or infect their devices with malware.

Which raises the question: how can we help children and teens stay safe online?

To answer that question, we spoke to several infosec experts about what advice they’d give to young people about protecting their privacy online. Below are their recommendations.

Chloe Messdaghi (@ChloeMessdaghi):

Chloe Messdaghi safer internet day

We have taught kids to use the phrase “stranger danger.” This should apply when a “stranger” contacts them; kids should feel welcome to show the message to their parents/guardians. Attackers target kids to phish their parents/guardians or even to gain access to staff at their school or network system. These attackers use SMS text messages, emails and direct messages on social media to gain access to their target. Remind kids that they are superheros, too, by simply letting them know that passwords serve as magical protection from “evil” or “dangerous” strangers. Every single parent and guardian must also provide the tools necessary for their child’s online safety such as a password manager.

If you are a parent and guardian, I recommend reaching out to the school district and asking how they are protecting their students’ (Read more...)