Safer Internet Day 2024

In celebration of Safer Internet Day 2024, Haywyre joins the global initiative to inspire change, make a difference and foster responsible online behaviour, especially with the younger generations. This year’s theme, “Making a difference, managing influence, and navigating change online,” resonates strongly with our commitment to creating a safer digital space for everyone. While we have previously shared our top tips for keeping yourself safe online, here are some additional tips for cybersecurity awareness for families, and keeping children safe online.

Keeping children safe online

It is becoming ever more important to ensure that we are learning how to stay safe online, and foster a secure online environment for all children. Whether it’s teaching them using strong passwords to the importance of questioning what you see online, there are many areas which must be considered in the quest for a safer internet.

Haywyre’s top tips for parents

1. Know the digital landscape your children will explore: Technology is ever evolving, with a new app appearing every other day. Regularly exploring and familiarising yourself with the latest platform will give you the knowledge you need to guide your children through safely using modern communication tools, and help you make informed decisions as to which platforms are best for them. Remember that different generations will naturally gravitate towards different platforms; don’t assume they’ll use Facebook just because you do!
2. Set boundaries: Establish clear rules and boundaries concerning your children’s online activities, privacy settings and expected behaviour online. Remember to talk through why these boundaries are important; it’s all well and good saying they shouldn’t share personal information online, but explaining why this can be dangerous will help the message stick.
3. Open communication: Establishing a culture of open, honest communication with your family about their online activities. Create an environment where your children are encouraged to discuss any concerns and issues they might have about their interactions online.
4. Lead by example: Demonstrate good online habits, specifically emphasising responsible use of technology and the importance of empathy and ethical behaviour in online interactions.  
5. Protecting devices and data: Be proactive in securing devices and data. Ensure that you keep antivirus software up-to-date, use strong and unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication whenever possible.
6. Explore paternal controls: Take advantage of the parental controls provided by many internet service providers. Remember though, managing and monitoring your family’s online activities is an additional layer of protection, but should not be your only line of defence. Make sure you are still teaching your children safe habits.

Staying safe online

We hope our top tips for parents (or anyone!) can help you navigate the complexities of staying safe online. Remember, it’s not just about managing and monitoring online activities through parental controls; it’s about instilling safe habits and imparting the knowledge that will empower your children to make responsible choices online.