Keep Your Kids Safe Online This School Year
It happens automatically once the kids are out of school for the summer. All of your structured daily routines kick into “vacation mode” and your family pulls up the Wi-Fi anchor and sets sail on a sea of summer fun.
You click on travel and destination-related links without verifying their legitimacy; you tap into unsecure networks and devices in airports, hotels and other destinations. The kids have more free time online, often breaching set digital boundaries; and schools, libraries and other institutions operate on a skeleton IT crew where security breaches are often overlooked.
These breaks in protocol run the risk of exposing kids to inappropriate material and giving up personal information without their realizing it.
August is the time to bring that Back-to-School ship into port, tighten up those Wi-Fi mooring lines, swab the deck of malicious debris, and reset your anchor for a safe and focused school year ahead!
Get back on solid ground with these proven recommendations for how to secure home Wi-Fi that ensures your kids stay focused, safe and secure:
- Reset all of your passwords. Unless you suspect breaches, experts like America’s Cyber Defense Agency advise changing your passwords periodically, and Back to School is an excellent time to do so! Consider using agreed-to passphrases rather than passwords, and make sure they are a minimum of 16 characters. Avoid using personal identifiers like family names, special dates, phone numbers and social security numbers; avoid common and predictable words, song lyrics and compliant variations of words like “p@ssword” or 12345.
- Use reliable internet services. Home Telecom’s MyWiFi Xtreme not only provides faster internet speed for home, but our reliable internet services provide whole-home coverage that includes robust parental controls, speed tiers, uninterrupted live video with no latency, seamless file sharing, and multiple levels of online security to protect your home network against any online threats from hackers or malware.
- Take advantage of Wi-Fi Parental controls and monitor settings. These router or app-based parental tools let parents track, filter, and schedule internet access for connected devices in your home. It gives parents complete control over your kid’s safety based on their age and your predetermined level of access. You can block inappropriate content, set healthy screen time boundaries, prevent access to risky apps, and disallow access after a certain time of day or night. Furthermore, parents can access what their children are watching and make adjustments when they feel it is necessary.
- Consider a dedicated Student/Guest Wi-Fi on your router. You can isolate school-issued and friend devices from your home network and restrict it using network-wide content filters and built-in app-blocking that cuts off social media and gaming during study time.
- Home Telecom utilizes built in security features to block intruders. Learn how Home Telecom’s MyWiFi Xtreme packages safeguard your private network, especially if your kids are using school devices.
- DNS Layer Protection. All reliable internet services and home Wi-Fi networks should automatically block malicious threats, attacks and infrastructures coming from hackers, malware, phishing schemes, viruses, ransomware, botnets and data thieves. DNS Layer Protection from Home Telecom is your first line of defense, blocking 90% of these attacks before a connection is made.
While it is not unusual for families to relax the rules during summer break, it is crucial to your family’s security for you to batten down those hatches once the kids are back to school! By investing in reliable internet services with Home Telecom’s MyWiFi Xtreme, your family will enjoy whole-home coverage with fast internet speed for home and remote offices. That puts parents fully at the helm for smooth sailing all school-year long!