Kids and Information Security

When most people think about protecting their kids, its usually from bullies on the playground, accidents, and illness. In the past few decades, it extended to censoring their exposure to graphic media such as TV, movies, and music. In today's world, kids are very technology-savvy, yet they know little about the consequences of using it inappropriately. That's where we need to step up as parents and offer our guidance, establish rules, and enforce our restrictions.

When it comes to kids, I feel that some level of censorship should be implemented, depending on their age level. As they get older, it will be increasingly difficult to shield them from every danger, so it is our job to talk to them about what they might encounter, and how to handle it. Why should information security be any different? With the increasing prevalence of online predators, cyberbullies, and malicious content disguised as legitimate offers, your kids and devices are at stake.

At the same time, we all know that kids do the exact opposite of what we want them to do, so some controls will help keep them on track. Installing a pop-up blocker or web filter on your browser is an obvious choice, but if you have read my previous blogs, you know that I advocate features built in to Mac OS X. One feature that addresses this topic is the Parental Controls under Accounts in System Preferences:

With this feature, you can manage areas such as System, Content, Mail & iChat, Time Limits, and Logs:

This example uses the default guest account, but you can set up several accounts and tweak the controls to suit the level of permission for each. Not only does this protect your children from the evil forces that be, but it also prevents other users from accessing sensitive information or modifying controls set by the administrator.

While this is a great way to keep tabs on what your kids are involved in, they still need to know the rules set by your family. Do they know what your expectations are and the risks of deviating from those expectations? Do they know what dangers to look for and how to avoid them? Keeping your kids educated is the best prevention. You will not be able to hold their hand forever.