{"id":8722,"date":"2017-08-14T09:10:06","date_gmt":"2017-08-14T17:10:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/2017\/08\/14\/news-2495\/"},"modified":"2017-08-14T09:10:06","modified_gmt":"2017-08-14T17:10:06","slug":"news-2495","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/2017\/08\/14\/news-2495\/","title":{"rendered":"Back to school cybersecurity tips for parents and kids"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Credit to Author: Malwarebytes Labs| Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2017 16:35:16 +0000<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The time to start the new school term is just around the corner. And for parents, the excitement and anxiety may be palpable, especially if it&#8217;s their kid&#8217;s first time attending a new school. Ads for back-to-school gear start as early as July, increasing in frequency and urgency until the kiddos step foot on the bus. And while they may not be begging you for new pencils and erasers, chances are they&#8217;ll turn on the puppy dog\u2013eyed charm when it comes to new tech.<\/p>\n<p>Handing your young one their very own mobile device\u2014a laptop, usually\u2014that they can use in their studies almost seems like a rite of passage. In their hands is the first step toward independence. It&#8217;s also a way of letting them take on some responsibilities for themselves. Parents, this isn&#8217;t to say we&#8217;re leaving them entirely to their own devices. It&#8217;s important to lay down some ground rules\u2014especially when it comes to security.<\/p>\n<p>To that effect, we&#8217;re providing you with a cybersecurity checklist you can use to prepare your children for the coming school year.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Watch out for too-good-to-be-true software and device sales.\u00a0<\/strong>Is that Facebook ad really promising a brand-new Mac laptop for $200 if you just click here and fill out your personal info? Think hard before you jump on a back-to-school online ad that seems fiendishly cheap. It could be adware, it could be a scam, or it could lead you to a malicious page that will later infect your own computer.<\/li>\n<li><b>Ensure that they have security software and tools installed on their new device.\u00a0<\/b>Antivirus with anti-phishing features,\u00a0firewalls,\u00a0script blockers, ad blockers, password managers, anti-theft apps, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.malwarebytes.com\/premium\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">anti-malware and ransomware<\/a>\u2014you name it. Cyberattacks can come from all sides these days, so it pays to have at least one of each of these software programs and\/or extensions installed on their computer, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.malwarebytes.com\/mobile\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">phone<\/a>, or tablet. And if you think your child&#8217;s Mac is bulletproof from these attacks, <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.malwarebytes.com\/101\/2017\/03\/mac-security-facts-and-fallacies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">think again<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><b>Stress the importance of physical\u00a0security, too.<\/b>\u00a0Physically securing devices is just\u00a0as important as securing the data inside of them. We&#8217;re not just talking about\u00a0using a padded bag for laptops, or\u00a0shock-absorbent cases and shatterproof screen covers\u00a0for phones\u00a0and tablets.\u00a0We&#8217;re talking about\u00a0locking cables\u00a0and\u00a0USB\u00a0port blockers, actual things that thwart theft and unauthorized access, respectively, while they&#8217;re in school.<\/li>\n<li><b>Instill in them the habit of locking computers when they have to move away from them for a while.<\/b>\u00a0Locking screens is another way to prevent others from, say, flipping your child&#8217;s screen upside down, snooping around, and looking at files they shouldn&#8217;t be looking at. Beware the &#8220;hacked&#8221; social media posts that reveal false, embarrassing information about their users!<\/li>\n<li><b>Disable the autorun functionality of their\u00a0OS. <\/b>As you may know, malware can be stored in and transported via\u00a0USB sticks. If your child&#8217;s\u00a0computer automatically runs what&#8217;s inside it\u00a0once slotted into the machine&#8217;s port, then this is a real problem. Thankfully, there are a number of ways one can disable autorun. For Windows users, Microsoft has dedicated <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/help\/967715\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a page<\/a> just for that.<\/li>\n<li><b>Introduce them to multi-factor authentication (MFA).<\/b>\u00a0The most common and widely used MFA is two-factor authentication (2FA). In order for them to know and\u00a0understand what it is, you might show them how it works using your own phone and computer. That way, if they are asked to sign up for online programs that store their data at school, they can raise their hand and ask if the program has MFA. By educating your child on this security procedure, he or she can educate the school in turn.<\/li>\n<li><b>Discourage rooting\/jailbreaking.<\/b> If your child is old enough to figure out how to root or jailbreak a device, chances are they&#8217;ll probably be tempted to do this. Jailbreaking opens devices to custom modifications and the unrestricted download and use of apps from third-party sources. These can be quite handy if your child wants one that cannot be found in the official app store. However, jailbreaking and rooting increases the success rate of a hacking attempt, as these overwrite the device\u2019s inherent security settings, making devices more vulnerable and susceptible to threats.<\/li>\n<li><b>Update game console firmware. <\/b>All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Isn\u2019t your little gamer glad that back-to-school gadgets are not limited to calculators, headphones, and keyboards? Gaming consoles are becoming more like computers as they evolve. Although it\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/securelist.com\/gaming-systems-targeted-yet-again\/30069\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rare<\/a> for them to catch malware (at least for the time being), there are still ways hackers can circumvent their security to perform other malicious acts, such as gaining access to gaming accounts. So for now, update the gaming console\u2019s firmware\u2014and do this on a regular basis\u2014before handing it to your child.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Youngsters should also play a part in securing their computing devices and protecting data. An important and particularly relevant piece of knowledge is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.malwarebytes.com\/101\/2015\/08\/how-to-protect-your-school-computer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">basic computer hygiene<\/a>, which might come in even more handy than algebra. Here are a few more cybersecurity tips to include in your child&#8217;s expanding mental\u00a0knowledge base.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Ask your children to familiarize themselves with the school&#8217;s Information and Communication Technology (ICT)\u00a0Acceptable Use Policy (AUP).\u00a0<\/b>If at this point you&#8217;ve glazed over, we understand. An ICT AUP\u00a0is generally\u00a0a set of rules\u00a0the schools (and organizations) enforce for the proper use of the Internet. It&#8217;s\u00a0for staff and students alike, so they must agree to this before they can use the school&#8217;s network.\u00a0Unfortunately,\u00a0many\u00a0educational establishments don&#8217;t have such a policy, but if theirs does\u2014great! Get your child acquainted with it so they can be sure they won&#8217;t be called out for misusing resources.<\/li>\n<li><b>Talk to them about shoulder surfers<\/b>. Some say it&#8217;s only normal for people to glance over your shoulder while you&#8217;re on your laptop, tablet, or phone. But let us not be too quick in giving this behavior\u00a0a pass. Shoulder surfing is a serious security and privacy risk, and a lot of users may be in danger of compromise by unknowingly letting the person behind them watch as they key in their account password with their user name in full view.<\/li>\n<li><b>Learn about encryption.<\/b> The availability\u00a0of information and today&#8217;s technology has made it possible for anyone, even young children, to learn about encryption. Suffice it to say\u2014yes, there&#8217;s an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2014\/dec\/12\/gchq-cryptoy-app-encryption-kids\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a> for that.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Many families have back-to-school preparation routines. From purchasing new clothes and gear to adjusting back to a more rigid activity and sleep schedule. Make learning about basic computer hygiene and securing devices a part of yours.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.malwarebytes.com\/101\/2017\/08\/back-school-cybersecurity-tips-parents-kids\/\">Back to school cybersecurity tips for parents and kids<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.malwarebytes.com\">Malwarebytes Labs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.malwarebytes.com\/101\/2017\/08\/back-school-cybersecurity-tips-parents-kids\/\" target=\"bwo\" >https:\/\/blog.malwarebytes.com\/feed\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Credit to Author: Malwarebytes Labs| Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2017 16:35:16 +0000<\/strong><\/p>\n<table cellpadding='10'>\n<tr>\n<td valign='top' align='center'><a href='https:\/\/blog.malwarebytes.com\/101\/2017\/08\/back-school-cybersecurity-tips-parents-kids\/' title='Back to school cybersecurity tips for parents and kids'><img src='https:\/\/blog.malwarebytes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/shutterstock_434110942.jpg' border='0'  width='300px'  \/><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign='top' align='left'>When you buy your child new devices, it&#8217;s important to lay down some ground rules\u2014especially when it comes to security. That&#8217;s why we&#8217;re providing you with a cybersecurity checklist you can use to prepare your children for the coming school year.<\/p>\n<p>Categories: <\/p>\n<ul class=\"post-categories\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.malwarebytes.com\/category\/101\/\" rel=\"category tag\">101<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.malwarebytes.com\/category\/101\/how-tos\/\" rel=\"category tag\">How-tos<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Tags: <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.malwarebytes.com\/tag\/back-to-school\/\" rel=\"tag\">back to school<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.malwarebytes.com\/tag\/back-to-school-cybersecurity\/\" rel=\"tag\">back to school cybersecurity<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.malwarebytes.com\/tag\/security\/\" rel=\"tag\">security<\/a><\/p>\n<table width='100%'>\n<tr>\n<td align=right>\n<p><b>(<a href='https:\/\/blog.malwarebytes.com\/101\/2017\/08\/back-school-cybersecurity-tips-parents-kids\/' title='Back to school cybersecurity tips for parents and kids'>Read more&#8230;<\/a>)<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.malwarebytes.com\/101\/2017\/08\/back-school-cybersecurity-tips-parents-kids\/\">Back to school cybersecurity tips for parents and kids<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.malwarebytes.com\">Malwarebytes Labs<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[10488,10378],"tags":[10519,13641,13642,11171,714],"class_list":["post-8722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-malwarebytes","category-security","tag-10519","tag-back-to-school","tag-back-to-school-cybersecurity","tag-how-tos","tag-security"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8722"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8722\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}