Children are spending ever more time on the internet, becoming increasingly knowledgeable about how to navigate it in the process. Meanwhile, parents are often unaware of what their kids are viewing online and are concerned about how they can control the information that comes into their homes.
With many parents looking for help to monitor and protect the family?s internet usage, Cisco – experts in home networking – share some advice on how parents can help to provide a safe surfing environment for kids by following a few simple guidelines:
1.??? Know how your kids get online
As technology advances, there is an increasing number of ways for people to surf the internet. Know what is happening on your home network, and every device on that network, including family PCs, online game consoles, wifi enabled phones and personal media players.
2.??? Be informed
Make sure that you know what sites your kids go to ? explore the sites yourself to get to know how they work and what privacy settings and controls they offer.
3.??? Make it clear what information they are allowed to share
Let your children know what information should be private and what might be appropriate for sharing. Whether it?s email addresses, telephone numbers or even postal addresses, this is sensitive information that can be used for marketing and personal messages. Consider writing down a list of the rules your family has agreed on, and posting them where everyone can see them.
4.??? Let your kids know you?ll keep an eye on the sites they visit
You can check your browser history and temporary files but keep in mind that older kids may know how to delete these files. If you?d like more controls, check to see what privacy settings your browser offers or consider software that offers a range of controls.
5.??? Spend time online with your children
Take the time to explore the internet with your kids, educating them about the sites most appropriate to them
Developments in technology mean that parents can control their home network, outsmarting even the most tech-savvy kids from altering controls on their PCs. For example, Cisco and Trend Micro have recently teamed up to launch Home Network Defender to help keep families safe by integrating Trend Micro?s internet security software into select Linksys by Cisco wireless routers.
Software services like Home Network Defender can provide families with parental control and peace of mind about the information coming into the home. So parents know that while their son or daughter is sitting at the PC in his room, the whole home network is protected from users inadvertently visiting compromising sites or revealing personal information to predators who operate over the web.
The technology is designed to allow parents to stay firmly in control of the internet in their home. If you are looking to put new security measures in place to help protect you and your family from online threats, make sure you look out for products which include:
???? safe web surfing ? this helps protect against web threats by evaluating security risk in real-time, blocking sites and links identified as malicious.
???? parental controls ? family members can view appropriate website content based on the customised rules set by the parent, even restricting access at specific times.
???? network activity reports ? allows parents or network administrators to monitor network devices and activities, prompting instant detection and prevention of intruding devices on the home or small-business network, as well as reports of parental control violations by users.
For information on Linksys By Cisco products and smart internet protection for your family visit: www.linksysbycisco.com/hnd
