In response to a new survey which revealed that young people now spend an average of three hours a day online and that there has been a 50 percent increase in children owning tablet computers over the last year, Mark James, security specialist at ESET discusses the security implications of this new trend:
“The internet today is such an integral part of our younger generations’ lives, almost everything they do can involve some online activity, from researching fashion or how-to videos on makeup and hair design. This means we have to accept the fact that the mobile phone has taken over books and libraries, but with that technology available at our fingertips comes a need to have an understanding of the risks surrounding it.
Unlike face-to-face contact or even vocal communication it’s virtually impossible to tell the age or gender of the identity behind an emoji or text message. We as parents must take ownership of this problem and in order to educate our children in a manner that’s not seen as “just moaning”, we need to understand the risks ourselves. If we don’t understand it ourselves how can we expect them to take it in and understand the risks?
Having security software on these devices is a must, not just for anti-theft purposes but also to protect the user against malware and identity theft. However, the number one priority is to educate kids on how to trust some cyber users and be wary of others. It is essentially the new “don’t talk to strangers in the park” scenario.”