Clearwater, Fla. (PRWEB) October 09, 2014
The (ISC)²® (“ISC-squared”) Foundation, a charitable trust that aims to empower students, teachers, and the general public to secure their online life with cybersecurity education and awareness programs, today announced its set of Safe and Secure Online® security awareness tips for parents and teachers to help protect children in support of the 11th annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM).
This set of security awareness tips derived from the (ISC)2 Foundation Safe and Secure Online for Parents and Teachers presentation, was created by the program’s global cadre of volunteers.
Cybersecurity Tips for Parents and Teachers to Protect Children
Surfing the Internet
- Talk to children about what they do on the Internet.
- Set limits on Internet time.
- Discuss what is appropriate and inappropriate to share online.
- Keep the computer out in the open so that you can monitor children’s online activities.
Social Networking
- Create your own social media accounts to monitor your children’s postings.
- Teach children to never meet an online only friend alone.
- Encourage them not to accept friend requests from people they don’t know in real life.
- Teach children to think before they post a comment or photo online. Anything posted online is there forever.
- Check privacy settings to make sure only friends can see what they post.
Cyberbullying
- Signs your child might be a victim of cyberbullying1:
- Unexpectedly stops using the computer.
- Nervous or jumpy when an Instant Message, text message or email appears.
- Uneasy about going to school or outside in general.
- Angry, depressed or frustrated after using the computer.
- Avoids discussions about what they are doing on the computer.
- Abnormally withdrawn from usual friends and family members.
Gaming
- Let your children know they can come to you if they feel uncomfortable when playing a game.
- Participate in the game with your children.
- Make sure your children know how to block and/or report a cyberbully. Tell them to keep a record of the conversation if they are being harassed and encourage them not to engage the bully.
- Make sure your child’s username does not give away their name, location, gender, age or any other personal information.
- Make sure your child does not use an actual picture of themselves on their gaming profile.
- Read the ratings for the games that your children are playing.
- Use built-in parental controls on your Web browser.
- Don’t let your children download anything without your permission.
Mobile Phones
- Know how your child’s phone works.
- Agree to the type of content that you would like for them to download, receive or send.
- Save abusive messages/inappropriate images as evidence.
- Encourage balanced use – switching off at mealtime, bedtime.
- Decide consequences for breaking these guidelines.
Passwords and Securing Your Computer
- Passwords should be at least eight characters long and contain letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Encourage children not to share their passwords with anyone other than parents or guardians.
- Always log off of every account you sign into before shutting down.
- Be sure that your computer has an activated security suite: a firewall, anti-spyware software, and anti-virus software.
- Only download from reputable sites.
- Keep computer software updated.
- Think before you click or open a file from an unknown source.
"Part of the reason the (ISC)2 Foundation exists is to raise cybersecurity awareness amongst the general public, so becoming a champion of NCSAM was a natural fit,” says Julie Peeler, director, (ISC)² Foundation. “In 2012, we launched Safe and Secure Online for Parents and Teachers to educate them on protecting children from online dangers. This was also a way to facilitate consistent reinforcement from the guidance and tips provided to children through our program."
For more information on the Safe and Secure Online program, please visit https://www.isc2cares.org/safe-and-secure/.
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About the (ISC)2® Foundation
The (ISC)2 Foundation is a non-profit charitable trust that aims to empower students, teachers, and the general public to secure their online life by supporting cybersecurity education and awareness in the community through its programs and the efforts of its members. Through the (ISC)2 Foundation, (ISC)2’s global membership of over 100,000 information and software security professionals seek to ensure that children everywhere have a positive, productive, and safe experience online, to spur the development of the next generation of cybersecurity professionals, and to illuminate major issues facing the industry now and in the future. For more information, please visit http://www.isc2cares.org.
About (ISC)²Ò
Formed in 1989 and celebrating its 25th anniversary, (ISC)² is the largest not-for-profit membership body of certified information and software security professionals worldwide, with over 100,000 members in more than 160 countries. Globally recognized as the Gold Standard, (ISC)² issues the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSPÒ) and related concentrations, as well as the Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional (CSSLPÒ), the Certified Cyber Forensics Professional (CCFPSM), Certified Authorization Professional (CAPÒ), HealthCare Information Security and Privacy Practitioner (HCISPPSM), and Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCPÒ) credentials to qualifying candidates. (ISC)²’s certifications are among the first information technology credentials to meet the stringent requirements of ISO/IEC Standard 17024, a global benchmark for assessing and certifying personnel. (ISC)² also offers education programs and services based on its CBK®, a compendium of information and software security topics. More information is available at http://www.isc2.org.
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© 2014, (ISC)² Inc., (ISC)², CISSP, ISSAP, ISSMP, ISSEP, CSSLP, CAP, SSCP and CBK are registered marks, and CCFP and HCISPP are service marks, of (ISC)2, Inc.
1Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D. and Justin W. Patchin, Ph.D. Cyberbullying Research Center