Protecting Children from Internet Threats: What You Need to Know | Free Antivirus Software

 

Protecting Children from Internet Threats: What You Need to Know | Free Antivirus Software

The Internet is a necessary tool in the daily life of each of us. In the report of the UN General Assembly dated May 16, 2011, access to the information and telecommunications network "Internet" is classified as basic (or inalienable) human rights, and the restriction of access to it is recognized as a violation of basic human rights. The Internet provides modern children with tremendous opportunities for development, learning, virtual communication with peers, and receiving important information about the world around them.


On March 13, 2020, on the territory of Russia, a regime of complete self-isolation was introduced for all citizens due to the threat of the spread of COVID-19, as a result of which schoolchildren were transferred to distance learning using the Internet. The child was left alone with a computer connected to the Internet; in this form of teaching, the teacher cannot control the child. The function of monitoring the cybersecurity of children is assigned to their parents.


The definition of the term "information security of children" is contained in the Federal Law No. 436-FZ "On the Protection of Children from Information Harmful to Their Health and Development", which regulates relations related to the protection of children from information that harms their health and (or) development. According to this law, "information security of children" is a state of security, in which there is no risk associated with information causing harm to their health and (or) physical, mental, spiritual, moral development.


By virtue of Federal Law No. 436-FZ, information harmful to the health and (or) development of children is:


- information prohibited for distribution to children;


- information, the distribution of which is limited to children of certain age categories.


Information prohibited for distribution to children includes:


1) information encouraging children to commit actions that pose a threat to their life and (or) health, including causing harm to their health, suicide;


2) the ability to induce in children the desire to use narcotic drugs, psychotropic and (or) intoxicating substances, tobacco products, alcoholic and alcohol-containing products, beer and drinks made on its basis; take part in gambling, prostitution, vagrancy, or begging;


3) substantiating or justifying the admissibility of violence and (or) cruelty, or encouraging to carry out violent actions in relation to people and animals;


4) denying family values ​​and forming disrespect for parents and (or) other family members;


5) justifying unlawful behaviour;


6) containing obscene language;


7) containing information of a pornographic nature.


Information that is restricted to children of a certain age includes:


1) information presented in the form of an image or description of cruelty, physical and (or) mental violence, crime or other antisocial act;


2) causing fear, horror or panic in children, including those presented in the form of an image or description in a form of nonviolent death, illness, suicide, accident, accident or catastrophe and (or) their consequences;


3) presented in the form of an image or description of sexual relations between a man and a woman;


4) containing swear words and expressions not related to obscene language.


What educational (and possibly regulatory) measures are needed today to protect children as effectively as possible from these threats? I believe that it is necessary, first of all, in the family to bring to the child the necessary information about the presence of threats on the Internet, it is also necessary to devote sufficient time at school and inform the children about this. Children need to instil the correct life principles, educate morally, explain the onset of legal responsibility.


In my opinion, the most dangerous cyber threats now are:


- child pornography,


- terrorist and extremist information,


- drug propaganda,


- other deviant cyber information: death groups and others ...


Children need to feel unconditional love from their parents, attention, value, help, safety and support.


If your child has an account on one of the social services, you need to carefully study what information its members post on their profiles and blogs, including photos and videos. Check what other sites your child's social service is linked to. Your child's pages may be safe, but they may also contain links to unwanted and dangerous sites. Encourage your children to report anything weird or repulsive and don't overreact when they do. Keep up to date with your child's online life. Take an interest in who their friends are on the Internet just as you are interested in real friends. Talk to your child. Teach your child to think critically. Watch for changes in your child's behaviour. According to statistics, 80% of adolescents who committed suicide told their parents about their unwillingness to live,


Always have a conversation with your child, no matter what it is. Think of activity for your child: try to interest the child: music, reading books, sports, helping with household chores. Eat lunch together more often. Build contact and trust with your child.


How else can parents, in addition to proper education, protect their children from cyber threats?


Parental Control - software of electronic means used by children and adolescents, aimed at protecting them from the influence of the negative Internet space. Today, there are a large number of parental control options. Parental control methods:


- parental control by means of the Windows operating system,


- parental control in the browser,


- parental control by means of free antivirus software,


- parental control at the provider level,


- parental control on a Wi-Fi router,


- special programs for parental control (Crawler Parental Control 1.1, KidsControl 2.02, ParentalControl Bar 5.22, CyberMama, KinderGate, OdinDoma, CyberCensor),


- parental control on smartphones: a special program (for example, Safe Lagoon) or connecting a special service "Children's Internet" at a mobile operator.


Remember that none of the listed methods guarantees 100% protection of your child from the dangers of the modern Internet. It is important to make efforts to ensure that children, by virtue of their upbringing, do not seek to search for prohibited content themselves, and know about the possible consequences of all their actions on the Internet.





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