In today’s digital landscape, keeping your child away from screens is almost impossible. While the internet world is giving them immense exposure, entertainment, and knowledge, it also threatens them in unimaginable ways
Cybersecurity has been a rising concern among parents. Young kids are more vulnerable to different cyber threats than adults and teens.
According to a study, 47% of young people have been subjected to cyberbullying.
Unfortunately, young children are exposed to gadgets ahead of time. They share personal information, data, and pictures without knowing the consequences, and the world of the dark web sits there and conquers personal information.
Let’s talk about the dark web first.
What is the Dark Web?
What comes to your mind when somebody says the word dark web? A dark room with a man sitting in a black hoodie, hiding his face and identity. The dark web is more of an underground network encrypted in layers with anonymous users hiding behind the screen.
The U.S. initially used it through a platform called TOR. to protect military information.
The use of the dark web is different from the conventional use of the internet, where the user uses a search engine and gets access to other websites.
The Dark Web has confidential information, which includes databases, emails, social media apps, banking, forums, intranets, and much more. Internet use in today’s age is way more complex and daunting, and as parents, it is natural to feel anxious and scared.
How Does the Dark Web Work?
With the immense use of the internet, there has been a rise in child pornography cases which is posted on the darknet. In recent years, law enforcement agencies have taken down many platforms of the dark net using such content.
On the other hand, the dark net is not used by criminals only. It protects confidential documents and databases online. However, the internet we use through search engines is just a small part of the internet.
The Internet used by the general public is just 10% and the rest 90% is the dark web internet.
This is where people go when they prefer to remain anonymous. People with strange beliefs generally go there to chat with strangers to share their fascinating psychology with the more eccentric aspects of the problem.
In 2018, the U.S. media reported that authorities had made massive efforts to people using the dark web illegally.
In one such case, in the U.K., a bunch of students at Manchester University were arrested for making a fortune by selling illegal substances on the dark web.
How Does the Dark Web Threaten Our Kids?
The illegal use of the dark web includes buying and selling illicit drugs, databases, passwords, weapons, and pornography images.
More often than not, parents are worried about what their kids are doing on the phone. Following are some cyber threats parents should be aware of:
Cyberbullying:
About 47% of young people between the ages of 12 and 17 have been bullied online. 30% have had it more than once. And only 1 in 10 teens had a trusted adult to know about these bullying incidents. While being on social media or playing games, they face bullying. Through online gaming, kids have been subjected to personal attacks and foul language that affect them in several ways. Unfortunately, the child is scared to discuss it with anyone. The indecent language used during bullying affects the child’s mental as well as physical health.
Parents must be vigilant and talk to their children about bullying and ways to encounter it.
Harmful Content:
Kids using social media are often exposed to harmful content, including nude and inappropriate videos and pictures. They are victimized by foul language.
Unfortunately, innocent minds cannot comprehend the complexities of sharing personal information online. They post pictures and share personal info on platforms and get into trouble. Sadly, even if the photos are deleted, and data is erased, it stays down there. Predators on the dark web might get access to it and use it for the wrong reasons. They manipulate innocent minds for their good. They culminate their trust through games and social media sites and use and abuse them.
As parents, the kids should be closely monitored, and such topics should be openly discussed with them.
Scams and identity theft:
According to research, children are 35-51 times more likely to be victimized by such scams and theft. They are prone to giving such information for a new game or access to a new level.
Downloading malware:
Children might accidentally download software by clicking on the wrong link, causing harmful actions on the computer. This includes the leaking of personal data from the computer, too
Phishing through email:
While playing in their virtual playground, the kids are likely to press a link that might lead to opening another stage but is a malicious link.
Solution For Parents To Secure Web Browsing:
Pegspy: The Ultimate Parental Control App is Your Savior!
You owe it to your children to be extraordinarily vigilant and up-to-date to protect them from cyber threats. This app enables the Parental Control feature of what the child is doing on the phone. It monitors all the links and all those websites that might cause harm to the child. Downloading this app is all it takes to protect your child from internet predators.
An Updated Browser is a Must
The easiest and most effective way to ensure safety is to have an up-to-date browser; this enables security patches that fix known vulnerabilities- reducing the risk of cyber attacks.
Don’t Forget The Antivirus and Antimalware software:
This detects any malicious links that might compromise the web browsing activity and removes them.
Shh! Your Password Should be Strong
Use strong passwords that are impossible to guess. The passwords should include special characters, uppercase and lowercase letters, and numbers.
HTTP Use is Important
Use websites that are HTTP encrypted. This makes it harder for hackers to intercept data as HTTP encrypts the data between the computer and the website.
2FA Authentication Can Save You
Always add two-way authentication to your account to add an extra layer of security.
Enable Pop Up blockers:
This prevents the pop-up windows from showing, often leading to malware software.
Conclusion:
It’s the need of the hour that, as parents, we talk to our children about how cyber threats and crimes work. What kind of harm might they infest on us? Moreover, let them know the repercussions of going over the board while playing games and sharing personal information. Making them aware will help a lot in protecting them. In addition, we should install the PegSpy app to closely monitor what’s happening on our child’s gadget.
