Child Safety Rules on the Internet — Cyber Police Tips
On the occasion of the International Day for the Protection of Children, cyberpolice reminds about the basic rules of cyber hygiene and gives advice to parents on how to protect their children from the actions of cyberattackers.
The Internet is a vast space for work, study and entertainment for people of all ages. However, the risk of suffering from cybercrime is no less than in real life.
When using the Internet, children should always remember:
- information that got on the Internet is very difficult, and sometimes it is impossible to delete at all. Therefore, before you publish a post on a social network, comment on a forum or leave a message on the site, you should use the “billboard rule” - imagine that this information is on a large billboard near the school and think whether it is comfortable that everyone will see it.
- personal data must be kept secret. This is especially true of the address, mobile phone number, bank details of parents;
- new acquaintances on the Internet should be skeptical, because cybercriminals can pretend to be friendly peers and rub off on trust, pursuing their own interests.
Parents should not forbid children to create their own accounts on social networks. Instead, it is necessary to form the tactics of behavior in the virtual space:
- teach children not to disclose personal data to third parties, not to send photos of documents in messengers, and if someone asks them for such information - teach them to inform you about it;
- explain to children about the dangers of creating intimate photos;
- tell us about scammers on the Internet. It is worth teaching children to treat messages of assistance wisely, whether financial or physical.
- teach children not to follow dubious hyperlinks, because a phishing site or a “virus” may be hiding behind such links.
Cyber Police Department of the National Police of Ukraine
