Kaspersky reminded Thai parents to be wary of online dangers that their school-age, internet-using children could be highly vulnerable to.
Where the danger comes from: Three major threats
In a post on Kaspersky's blog, Lance Spitzner of SANS Institute summarized the three major threats to kids growing up in today's connected world. These are:
- Strangers: sexual predators, sextortion, fraud;
- Friends: cyberbullying, pranks, sextortion, poor examples; and
- Self: oversharing, sexting, bullying, downloading/sharing illegal content
According to the Disrupting Harm in Thailand 2022 study, conducted by the UNICEF, ECPAT and Interpol, digital learning is increasingly bringing more children into the digital environment and children are spending a considerable amount of their time online. In 2021, there are 400,000 or 9% of internet users aged 12-17 in Thailand were victims of online sexual exploitation and abuse. This includes blackmailing or extorting children into sexual activities, sharing their sexual images without permission, or coercing them to engage in sexual activities through promises of money or gifts. Of great concern is the vast under-reporting, with only 1-3% of children reporting their experience to the police.
A Kaspersky report also revealed that Generation Z or those between the ages of 11 and 26 are oversharers, believing they are knowledgeable on online security but are the most susceptible to scams. About 55% of those surveyed admitted to having included their personal information on social media channels such as name, date of birth and location. Majority (72%) of them were unable to identify phishing scams and 26% confessed to having been victimized by a phishing scam.
"It used to be that when it's school time, parents worried the most about their children's report cards. Not anymore. Thai parents, just like their counterparts elsewhere in the world, are now raising hyper-connected children and their other current, big concern today include their child being targeted by cybercriminals. No one can blame them as these days, children are at risk of being lured by strangers, bullied online, and even their personal information getting stolen in schools," said Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky.
"From a security perspective, it doesn't matter whether you're 6 or 56 years old. We are now living in a world where all of us are now digital citizens and our digital footprint is expanding by the day. If at this point, adults still keep on falling for cybercriminals' traps, it's impossible to expect children to know what to avoid in the cyberworld so protecting them should be our top priority as parents," added Yeo.
Tips for parents from Kaspersky:
If you have purchased a smartphone for your child, know that it is not just a phone but a sophisticated computer. It comes with parental controls that can filter out nasty content.
You also have an option to protect your child's device using technologies out there like Safe Kids that's automatically loaded in Kaspersky Premium. Such a technology helps parents by serving as a secondary level of protection for kids from unwanted creeps, dirty content or to even find a lost or stolen phone. It works both on iOS and Android. B2C promo
Don't forget to make use of settings provided by your ISP, device manufacturer and mobile phone network provider. For example, most phones allow you to prevent in-app purchases, so you can avoid them running up hefty bills when they play mobile games.
Ask for help. There is no manual for parenting. You learn as you go and you will inevitably make mistakes along the way. Not everyone has the same parenting style and that is OK. Choose what is right for you and your family. If a situation appears going out of control, remember that the local law enforcement is an ally and can help.
During 7-9 September, Kaspersky offers 20% off when purchasing new B2C one-year package of Kaspersky Standard, Kaspersky Plus, and Kaspersky Premium for 1, 3, and 5 Devices from official website https://www.kasoshopping.com/
For more information, please call 02-203-7500, or Line ID: @thaikaspersky.
Source: Piton Communications
