As your kids grow, you most likely have bought them one device or another for their education and leisure. If you have, it’s never too early to start teaching them the importance of being security conscious.
Cybersecurity awareness must be continuous, especially as your kids get older. If your kids are in college, they may be at an even higher risk of a security breach because, as students, they may have a large amount of personal information online, which can be valuable to hackers. According to statistics, students aged 20 years and younger fall prey too often. So, here are some practical cybersecurity tips for your college kids.
- Teach them how to set strong passwords
When your kids have passwords that are easy to guess, it puts them at more risk of being hacked. Their names, birth dates, and other easily identifiable numbers can make them easy targets for the wrong school. Strong passwords that are difficult to decipher will help reduce the risk of your kids’ information landing in the wrong hands. Speaking of information, it’s also best to remind your kids not to be too forthcoming with their personal information. Especially as being in college may lead to a desire to be more independent, your kids may fall prey to various scams if they’re not vigilant. For instance, experienced online scammers know that many college students want easy jobs to earn extra income. As a result, they send fake job links through online portals, asking for personal details. These are unsuspecting ways that college students end up providing too much information that helps hackers to break passwords. If it helps, you can enroll your kids in summer cyber security programs before college. Also, remember to teach your kids to change their passwords regularly. If they want to write it down so they don’t forget, they should do so in a secure place.
- Broach the subject of two-factor authentication
This step is an extra layer of security for online accounts. It asks users to enter a second type of verification, making it difficult for hackers to infiltrate. Usually, two-factor authentication will be in the form of a text message, fingerprint, a secret question, or an alphanumeric code. College kids must know these details because they will use many online portals for school work. Things like coursework, research articles, and even online exams may require setting up two-factor authentication.
College education has evolved over the years. There is more reliance on digital systems and online portals to supplement teaching and learning. Without an added security layer, your kids risk losing their identity and other valuables, such as their dissertation and money. Even worse, if you have online accounts linked to your college kid, you risk being hacked through the same channel. You can avoid this by separating your online accounts.
- Let them be cautious about using public Wi-Fi
Public Wi-Fi is often unsecured, making them a likely channel for hacks. These networks are usually available in public places like coffee shops, libraries, or airports and can be easily accessed by anyone, including cybercriminals. Hackers can use various techniques, such as setting up fake hotspots or intercepting data, to gain access to sensitive information, such as login credentials or personal information. Hackers can easily intercept your kids’ data If your kids are connected to a public Wi-Fi network, leading to identity theft, financial fraud, or other cybercrimes.
Furthermore, it would help if you taught your college kid that most public Wi-Fi networks are not encrypted, meaning that any data transmitted over the network can be easily seen and cloned. Additionally, if a hacker gains access to a device connected to a public Wi-Fi network, they can install malware or other malicious software to compromise personal data. When armed with this information, your kids can be more mindful when connecting to public Wi-Fi or avoid it completely if the situation allows them to.
- Help them keep their device software and operating system up-to-date
So your child is heading off to college, and you must buy essential gadgets to facilitate teaching and learning. Such devices will include laptops, tablets, and smartphones. As a parent, you will encourage your child to take good care of these expensive devices. However, while doing so, remember to keep regular device updates in mind. Smart devices like the ones listed above function better when their respective software is up-to-date. Failing to keep these devices updated can make them vulnerable to hackers. Sometimes even when your college kid is aware of keeping systems and software updated, they may not know about certain tricks that hackers use. Especially for college students using Mac devices, certain notifications could mean a system error or malware. It would help if you read more on topics related to your kids’ device safety, such as “what does your screen is being observed mean” on your Mac device, and encourage your kids to read widely. This way, they’re equipped with the right information and are motivated to update their gadgets regularly, so keep this in mind.
- Teach them to have a device recovery plan
A recovery plan is a set of procedures and guidelines to ensure that a user can quickly and efficiently restore normal operations during a cyberattack. This plan includes identifying critical systems and data you would hate to lose permanently. For college students who use their devices for many things related to school, a recovery plan is crucial in the first few minutes of a cyber invasion. The stronger the recovery plan, the more secure their information will be. While you create awareness in this area, it’s important to consider using your parent account as one of the recovery plans. Indeed, this is possible depending on the device and the features available.
Ultimately, the more cybersecurity conscious your college kid is, the better informed they will be about their online activities. Indeed, technology continues to evolve, and your child can learn a few new things from you that will be helpful.