The World Wide Web is so big and ever changing, how do I keep my kids safe when they’re playing in their little patch of the internet? I know it feels so daunting. The internet is such a massive playground for kids with no visible boundaries.

Where do you start when trying to protect them in cyberspace? Well, you are certainly not alone in asking these questions, so this week and next week I will blog about laying some very important foundations for your family on your quest to protect your kids from these unwanted cyberthreats.

So where do you start?…. Let’s start at the beginning!

Tip 1: Consider where you place your home computer

Position the computer in your main living space and make sure the monitor faces outward into the room so there is no secrecy. Be suspicious if your child quickly changes the screen when you pass by, or is hiding files or disks – someone may have sent them inappropriate or questionable content!

Tip 2: Work together with your kids to set boundaries

Discuss with your child exactly what is OK and what is NOT OK regarding what kind of web sites are appropriate for them, which chat rooms to visit, and what kinds of things they can talk about when online. Only let your kids use monitored chat rooms.

Get to know your child’s online friends as you do their school and neighbourhood friends. Learn to surf the web and chat online with your child so you understand what it is that your child is doing – you might just learn a thing or two!

Tip 3: Stress to your child that they need to tell you if they receive any odd or upsetting messages when online, and that you will not be angry with them or ban the internet as a result.

Make it clear that you understand that they cannot control what other people say to them and that they are not to blame if this happens. It’s so important that they feel they can come to you and talk about their online experiences, good and bad.

Tip 4: Set time limits for internet use and enforce them

Don’t allow your kids to be left alone in cyberspace for long periods of time – this is when they are most vulnerable. Ban late-night use. Parental control software such as McAfee’s Family Protection software enables you to enforce the time limits your family has agreed upon.

Tip 5: Make it clear to your child that people in chat rooms are always strangers, no matter how often they chat with them, and no matter how well they think they know them. They should be told that people can lie about who they are, and their new friend may be a 40 year old grown up instead of a 13 year old girl!

Open, honest and frequent talks with your kids about their online experiences, good and bad is so important when it comes to protecting your kids from online threats. And while some of these tips might sound blaringly obvious, I wonder how many or how often we apply them?

Mums (and dads) live busy lives working, studying, grocery shopping, helping with kid’s projects, completing house hold chores… the list goes on, but are we that busy that we can’t take a few minutes to ensure our kids are out of harms way when they’re at play on your home computer? Today sounds like a good day to start. But you can always send me a question or idea anytime.

Moira
Email me at: cybermum@mcafee.com
Follow me on Twitter: Cybermum_Oz

Hi, my name is Moira Cronin and as a parent concerned about the cyber-safety of my kids, I recently decided to learn as much as I can about keeping my kids safe online. I chose to become McAfee’s Cybermum, and have made it my mission to find out the latest stories, facts and news when it comes to practicing internet safety at home. I also want to share what I learn with other parents and hope they will find my blog and insights useful.

As a mother of two children, aged ten and eight, who use our home computer and are becoming more and more active and internet savvy every day, I know how overwhelming and daunting the responsibility of protecting them from online threats can be.  While I believe the internet is a great environment for them to play, learn, develop and socialise, I also know that there are potential risks and threats that I need to safeguard my family from. The internet is not going to go away and for most families it will continue to become an increasing part of our daily lives. 

With the internet becoming more and more prevalent in my children’s lives I decided to become more active and aware of not only what they are doing and where they are going online, but also to educate them about online dangers. It’s a bit like “stranger danger” for kids when they are online.  In talking with friends and other parents, I realised that they also shared my concerns and desire to be more proactive and aware about internet protection for their families but were unsure where to go for guidance. With this realisation I began a search for information which lead me to McAfee, an internet safety company, who will be supporting me in my endeavour as a Cybermum. 

I am very excited to have the support of McAfee who will be assisting me in this quest and providing their insights and experience in how to keep our children safe. 

As a Cybermum, I want to provide Australian families with my insights, experiences and explanations around internet security. Apart from sharing my own experiences, I would also like to hear what other parents have encountered. I will also be talking about the latest threats and trends with the cyber security experts from McAfee.  

To help launch my first ever blog on internet safety, McAfee Australia has provided a free family safety assesment tool for all parents.  This is a great way to start out on your own path to keeping your family protected.  Go to http://mfesite.com/auitrat/itrat.html to complete your family assessment and receive recommendations from McAfee on how to improve your personal security.

I hope you will find my blog interesting, informative and worthwhile.  I invite you to join in so that we can discuss a wide range of topics relating to online family safety.  I also encourage you to send any questions you may have to me at cybermum@mcafee.com and I will do my best to answer your questions in a way that is easy to understand. You can also keep up to date on my blogs via twitter at Cybermum_Oz.

Moira
cybermum@mcafee.com – For those of you who are not tweeting yet!