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Monday, July 31, 2017

How to Educate Your Kids on PCI Online Safety

Sean Lockwood is guest hosting on the blog today about keeping your kids safe online! The safety of our children is paramount, especially online. Check out these great tips.

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In the modern, digital world, children are increasingly coming into contact with the internet, playing games, joining social media platforms, and communicating with strangers online. Whether your child is making new friends on Facebook, through video games, or they are surfing the internet in search of products to buy, you definitely want them to adhere to the basics of online safety and security.

Fortunately, the world has gone a long way in protecting your personal information from hackers and online scammers, yet your children cannot inherently be aware of these dangers without prior education and training. Here are the best ways to educate your children on online safety.

Set up Parent Locks

First and foremost, it is better to be safe than sorry, and no matter how much your child follows your instructions, you still want to impose parental locks wherever is needed. Websites that contain graphic content, portray violence, alcohol and drug abuse or strong language are encouraged to have a parental lock.

However, bear in mind that that no matter how much you restrict certain content, a developing mind will find a way to experience it. It is better to educate your child on the negative aspects of alcohol or drugs before they get the chance to experience them firsthand.

Keep Privacy Settings High

Your child might not be aware of it, but social media platforms are the perfect places for online abuse, scams and identity thefts, to name a few. That’s why you need to not only have your child’s social media passwords so that you can monitor their activity if they are still too young to handle the responsibility themselves, but you also need to increase their privacy settings to the max.

So make sure their online accounts are private, their photos can be seen, shared, or liked by their friends only, and make sure they understand the importance of only adding people they personally know to their circle of friends.

Make their Online Payments Safe

If a child wants something, they will find a way to get it if not properly educated on the possible consequences. Online shopping and financial transactions have become a way of life in the modern world, and adults are not the only ones making online payments on a daily basis any more.

Children are increasingly using online currency, and sadly, their parent’s credit or debit cards without their knowledge. Moreover, even if your child is not using your credit card for personal payments, you still need to protect your finances.

Children are increasingly in need of private tuition courses in order to get into preferred schools, or they need personalized products that could only be obtained online, and you need to put an end to possible frauds by only sending payments to trusted merchants. That means that your child needs to understand what PCI Compliance is and that every website needs to adhere to the PCI DSS system in order for the transactions to be safe and secure. Do not let your child send payments to untrusted websites.

Teach them Vigilance

In the end, it is important for a child to understand that there is no privacy in the 21st century. One way or another, an interested person will find out who they are, and if they are not careful, their personal information such as their phone number, address, or school.

That is why you child needs to understand the importance of keeping their private information to themselves, communicating only to people they know, and that under no circumstances should they meet with people from social media, no matter the alleged prize. Try not to scare your children into becoming paranoid or perpetually frightened, rather take the time to make sure they understand the benefits of vigilance.

Online safety is of the utmost importance in the digital world, for children and adults alike. By teaching your children these essential rules of online security, you are not only protecting them from harm, but you are safeguarding your entire family as well.