Fortinet advises parents to educate children on safe surfing

Fortinet, a global provider of broad, integrated and automated cybersecurity solutions, has cautioned parents to supervise children’s online activities and educate them on safe surfing.

According to a UNESCO global survey on cyberbullying covering over 7,600 children and youth aged 8–17 years old in 25 countries, the highest rate of cyberbullying is in Asia — China (70%), Singapore (58%), and India (53%). China and Singapore were also the only countries to report a higher rate of online bullying than face-to-face bullying. Other Asian countries that reported lower levels of cyberbullying include Malaysia (33%), Pakistan (26%) and Japan (17%)*.

“As the Internet, particularly mobile broadband, becomes more accessible and affordable more children are going online for longer periods. Parents need to be more aware of the dangers lurking on the Internet,” said Peerapong Jongvibool, Fortinet’s Regional Director for Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. 

Boy playing with a phone.

“While the Internet offers educational material, fun games and ways to connect with friends, it can also be a virtual playground for cyberbullying, malicious content, and for criminals or predators to prey on kids and their families, leading to things such as identity theft, crime and much worse.” 

Fortinet’s cybersecurity experts advised parents to:

- Talk to children about parental expectations for them online 

- Teach the importance of keeping information private 

- If they see something, say something 

- Monitor children's computer activities 

- Keep computers in a common area for easier monitoring

- Consider parental controls 

Technology exists to help parents protect children from undesirable online content. Certain web browsers enable parents to restrict or allow only certain websites to be viewed on computer, an activity known as whitelisting. There are also commercial software that can be installed to monitor, filter and restrict access to dangerous content online. Parents can additionally check with their Internet service providers and mobile carriers if they provide restriction services as optional add-ons.

“As every family situation is different, you need to decide what is best for your family. Parents need to help their kids become more cybersavvy and at the same time, put effective protection methods in place to keep them safe online,” concluded Jongvibool.

*Asia-Pacific Bureau; Digital Safety of Children and Youth. Issue Paper on Digital Safety: November 2017.  (PDF)