Most parents can easily find a list of potentially harmful items on the Internet to which their children could be exposed.
But as long as this list goes on, most will not even think about malware. Precautions to exclude certain content from causing permanent harm to young children include ensuring that malware does not violate our child's privacy.
Malware can secretly infect any computer through infected websites, malware, music and movie sharing sites, and even seemingly innocent online video games. It can expose children to harmful materials and have a devastating effect on the computer. And like any virus, it can spread to other computers.
In this article, we've put together some of the best ways to take internet security and privacy steps to keep your browsing and games your children safe.
Most of these precautions include open dialogue with children about the invisible dangers of malware. In addition, software solutions are essential.
Get an Anti-Malware Program
An anti-malware program will save you from future headaches. Protects your browsing and games from unwanted viruses and malware. An effective anti-malware program will keep some away Trojan virus. Trojans are a class of code or application that appear to be harmless when downloaded, but once they are part of your computer system, they go into the core to wreak havoc.
If you are looking for an effective malware protection program, Malwarebytes Premium can do the job. It offers general protection against most threats, including Trojan horses, which even the top virus protection systems do not have. It is best to block "suspicious" programs, as well as run daily scans to remove threats that try to change the behavior of your computer.
Setting digital limit rules
Here comes the effective communication. Creating digital boundary rules with your kids is fundamental to understanding that while the Internet is a great place to get information, play games and communicate with friends, it can also be a dangerous place for a vulnerable user.
Tell them about the rules you have decided, or better yet, allow them to participate in the decision-making process. For example, ask them what their attitude is on the Internet or on a gadget after a certain time on a daily basis.
If you prefer to go to bed before 10:30 pm, it is best not to leave them on the Internet until 9 pm. or thirty minutes earlier. It is also a great decision to tell your children which sites they may or may not have access to. If they ask, answer honestly.
Create a safe space for children through parental controls
Teaching children to make good decisions about online use can go a long way. Any device you have in your home should have parental control installed. This includes smartphones, laptops, iPads and of course, desktops and laptops.
Once installed, parental controls can be customized to automatically block websites based on age of your child. You can also monitor what your kids are doing online.
Effective parental control will also allow you to set usage restrictions depending on the time of day. In addition to blocking websites, the monitoring social media and content filtering, can also track location.
You can decide and set rules for your children to follow, without setting exclusion functions. Make the right decision, but you will know if they connected to the internet after hours, for example, thanks to monitoring. This will help them develop self-control skills.
Always communicate with your children about their concerns online
Even when you have everything set up and everything is going very well and smoothly, encourage your children to express their concerns about their use of the Internet.
Re-enforce why you are avoiding harmful content because it is to their advantage. Give them a smooth understanding of the responsibility to "do the right thing" within the safe limits of parental control settings.
You can not protect your children from adult and adult content forever. This is why maintaining lines of communication should be open and necessary to ensure a strong relationship of trust between you and your child.
When children feel that you are listening to them and counting on them, they are less likely to feel the need to rebel against the rules you have set for them.