You can instantly tell if any website is safe by looking for one letter: “s.” Every website address starts with the letters “http,” but you know a site is secure when you see “https.” That means the website itself is taking measures to keep users and their information secure while they use the site.

If you’re directed to any websites for school or entertainment that don’t have that extra “s” at the beginning of the address, steer clear.

This can get tricky when your child needs to be identified for schoolwork or classroom discussions, but personal details need to be guarded closely.

Chances are, your child probably already has a student identification number. Those kinds of identifiers are a great way to protect personal details from leaking on the internet.

None of the following information should be used to identify your child in class, on a list of posted grades, or in an online discussion.

• Full first and last name
• Social security number
• Birthdate
• Address
• Phone number
• Photograph

Your little one should also have a secure username and password to log into courses, lectures, and assignments.

You don’t have to purchase parental control software to protect your child during online learning. There are already a lot of helpful tools built into your device hardware, software, and internet browser.

Find tutorials here to help you maximize built-in privacy settings and content blockers.

• Parental controls for Apple products
• Parental controls for Google Play
• Parental controls guide for Chromebook
• Content restrictions for Windows 10 and Xbox One
• Parental controls for YouTube Kids
• Content filters on SafeSearch for Google
• Parental controls on Amazon FreeTime
• Parental controls on Netflix

If you want the extra reassurance of parental control software, we tested a bunch of them and picked our favorites. Almost every brand we recommend has a free version available, so you can probably upgrade from built-in parental controls without reaching for your wallet.

It seems too simple to be so effective, but one of the best ways to keep kids safe online is to make sure that all devices, software, and firmware are up to date. 

Updates can seem like a pain, but one of the biggest reasons companies come out with new versions is to deploy security patches that address the most recent and innovative threats out there. 

Plus, an outdated operating system or old version of software can render your parental controls and privacy settings useless.

Reference:

by, Written, and Rebecca Edwards. “Internet Safety Guide for Kids.” SafeWise, 15 Dec. 2022, https://www.safewise.com/resources/internet-safety-kids/.