Identity Theft Blog

Are your kids safe online? Children these days spend hours on the Internet, whether they’re doing their homework, playing games or communicating with friends. But could they be losing their identities online, as well?

As a parent, you’ve likely set some parameters for keeping your kids safe online: the sites they can visit, the hours they can spend online and the people they should steer clear of. But identity thieves become savvier and more cunning every day.

Follow these 8 tips to ensure the identities of your kids are safe online:

1. Teach your kids to keep their personal information secure. Encourage them to keep their profile pages on social media websites private. They should avoid offering information like their home address, phone number and last name to the public on those sites.

2. Require your kids to ask your permission before registering for any site. As a parent, you’ll want to make sure the site is safe, secure and appropriate for your child. HINT: When submitting information online, make sure there is a lock icon on the browser’s status bar and that it is locked.

3. Tell your kids to ask your permission before downloading any software or application. Again, you’ll be able to assess whether that application or software is legitimate, or whether it could give your computer a virus or install spyware onto the machine.

4. Give them a lesson in passwords. Keep your kids safe online by helping them come up with a password that is fun, unique and secure. Make sure the password includes both letters and numbers, and has at least 8 characters. Also, devise a schedule with your kids to change the password every so often—perhaps once a school semester.

5. Teach them to distinguish unsolicited email from messages from trusted sources. Tell them not to open any emails from unknown sources. More importantly, teach them to only download attachments in email messages if the sender is completely trusted and known.

6. Keep your antivirus and antispyware software up-to-date. This safety precaution is more on you, the parent. But for older children, consider teaching them how to scan for viruses and check for updates.

7. Talk openly with your kids about online identity theft. You may be concerned that you’ll frighten them. But teach them to be prepared and safe by using age-appropriate language that they’ll understand. An open dialog may be your best bet to ensure your kids’ identities are safe online.

8. Protect your children and yourselves even further with an identity theft protection service. Monitor your own as well as your children’s identities to ensure no one has stolen your personal information.

Related Posts

1. For Preventing Identity Theft Online: 5 Must-Follow Tips

Posted by Cole on Friday, September 18th, 2009 at 6:00 am
Filed under Identity Theft, Identity Theft Tips. Tagged: Identity Theft, identity theft protection, your kids safe online.