5 Easy Ways to Safeguard Kids’ Tech Devices from Predators
SNDR.com gives
parents tools to stay up to date on latest threats
New apps pop up
seemingly out of nowhere, but instantly every single one of your kid¹s friends
and classmates is using it and you find out so is your kid. The app looks age
appropriate and harmless, but predators find ways to infiltrate and exploit. It
is important to check your child’s phone, computer or tablet on a regular basis
to make sure no inappropriate content is being sent to them. But, there are
other steps parents need to take to safeguard their children.
One common mistake
parents make is allowing their children to create a username that incorporates
their name, information about their age and location or interests. These small
pieces of data are enough for a predator to start piecing together a profile of
a child and give predators tools that can be used to find more information to
manipulate kids. By following these simple guidelines, parents can help
make sure online predators are not targeting their children.
Stop Kids from Duplicating Usernames – Just like recycling a password is a
bad idea kids should not use the same username to log into different online
accounts. Having one common username across accounts just makes it easier for
criminals to search for and find details about a child’s life.
Keep Personal Details Private – If an app or website requires kids
to fill out a profile do not let them enter personally identifying details like
their full name, birthdate, age or address. If they cannot use a site without
supplying these details either supply a false answer to the questions or do not
allow your child to use that site/app.
Email Addresses and Usernames Do Not
Mix – Linking a username
with an email address can simplify a predator’s search for personal
information. Using trial and error a criminal can add common email providers to
a username, run a search and pull up social media accounts and any other sites
where an email address was used to create a profile.
Create Unique Email Addresses for Each
App/Site – Some email
providers including Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo allow users to alter their email
address into infinite number of disposable addresses. For example if your child’s
email address is shauntips@gmail.com and he/she wants to sign up for a new gaming
site you can alter his/her email address just for that site by adding an
identifier to it such as shauntips+ABCGamingFun@gmail.com. This keeps your
child’s actual email address private and can help stop criminals from being
able to track online history simply by searching for an email address.
Stay Vigilant – Regularly checking what apps your
child is using and what websites are being visited is the first line of
defense. If anything looks suspicious or if you are unsure what something is,
ask your child. If he/she cannot explain to your satisfaction what the app is
then delete it and block it.
About
SNDR
SNDR™ is a new
app that combines all the ways you already communicate into a single platform.
You can text, email, share files and use social media all from one app. And,
every message is encrypted and completely secure.
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