A new year, a new computer and a new reason to update your security

After three weeks back at school I think my head has finally stopped spinning! Our family is now well and truly into the swing of the school term.  So what better time for a new age Cybermum to play with the new toy Santa left under the Christmas tree – my shiny, sleek, stylish, fast and most importantly WORKING computer!  A new computer brings with it much intrigue and opportunity, not just for mum and dad but also the kids!

Now I have begun to realise just how well set up my old computer was; it had all the necessary settings for me to feel sure that my family was safe while they played on the wild, wild web. Now, with this new computer, I’ve had to start over.

So this got me thinking: I’m surely not the only person who was fortunate enough to get a new computer these holidays?  Surely there are teens all over the country going into high school with their new laptops and families with new PCs for the home office. But it’s OK, you can relax, because your new toy came with security software loaded, right? Or did it? And if it did, what level of ‘security’ do you really have?  If your family uses the internet as much as mine, then a little bit of time spent ensuring you’ve really got it covered is time well spent.  So here are a few tips to consider:

Tip 1: The first one is a no brainer, ensure your new computer has comprehensive security software installed and not just anti-virus.  It’s not just your computer – you need to protect your identity, banking details and credit card information.  For my family it’s vital that my kids are protected while they’re playing online games or catching up with their friends via social networking sites.  McAfee has just released a major upgrade to its 2010 consumer security products. This is not only great news for people with new computers but for current McAfee subscribers as well. If you have a current McAfee subscription you automatically receive all the 2010 updates. For a time poor mum like me this is great, as it means my family is protected by the latest technology and I don’t even have to worry about installing new software. I’m rest assured with this product as McAfee is the leading vendor in threat detection but what’s more, it’s really simple to use… trust me!

My favourite feature is the Parental Controls which gives me the ability to create a unique setting for each of my kids, ensuring searches on Google, Yahoo and Bing will be age appropriate.  I can also block sites for one child but allow for another. Another really cool feature I love is the Internet Time restrictions – this lets me set what times of the day my kids can access the internet and for how long!

Parental Controls

Time limits

 Tip 2:  With a new year and a new computer it might be time to update your passwords. You should create strong passwords and make sure you teach your kids how to do this too.  And once they’ve created a password, make sure they don’t share them with anyone, not even their best friends.  I spoke this week with an old friend who told me an alarming story about a friend of his. The friend’s daughter had shared her account password for a social media site with a girlfriend who at the time was her “BFF” (for those of us who aren’t Gen Y, Best friend forever). When the friendship hit a bump in the road, the ex “BFF” logged into the social networking site using her password and posted hurtful comments. 

I think this story illustrates perfectly why it is so important for us to teach our kids to be wary about how much information they share with their friends.  They need to guard this information like they would their piggy bank savings and that information, like passwords, birth dates, phone numbers, addresses in the wrong hands can have far reaching and long lasting repercussions.  I also think it’s important to teach our kids that if they’re logging into sites while friends are around, they should be wary of prying eyes

Tip 3:  When setting up a new computer you should also check your email settings. You should always use email wisely and be wary of “phishing scams”.  Be very careful any personal information you may want to include on email.  Email is not a secure way to send information such as credit card numbers, bank account details, tax details etc.  Also, never open email if you don’t know the sender.  Many phishing scams are disguised as emails from financial and banking companies asking you to log into your account, even when you may not have an account with them!  If you do open an email and they request you to “click” on a link provided to access your accounts – DON’T DO IT, never click through.  Instead you should open a new internet browser window and type in the company’s web address manually. 

Tip 4: A new computer means reinstalling the Instant Messaging programs you and the kids use. Once again look at the settings and remember to teach the kids about responsible use of IM programs. Teach your children not to accept IMs from strangers, never to click on links in messages from people they don’t know and most importantly teach them how to block a user.  It’s so important that we provide our kids with the right information to let them protect themselves.  It’s also crucial that your kids feel they can tell you anything about their online experiences – good and bad.

Tip 5: A new computer may be great for the kids because they can play all the latest online games. We should all talk to our children about what games are appropriate and how to deal with their fellow gamers.

The internet isn’t going to go away, so let’s learn to make it a safe place for our kids to learn, play and develop.  McAfee has a wealth of information about keeping kids safe on their Security Advice Centre. 

I hope you’ve found these tips helpful.  If you’ve had any experiences, like those outlined here in this blog post, or have any other internet safety story, I’d love to hear it. If you have a question regarding your family’s internet security please contact me at cybermum@mcafee.com. You can also follow me on Twitter: Cybermum_Oz

Keep safe,

Moira