mamikaze

We have internet access all over our house. Laptops, desktops, Nintendo DSi, PS3, XBox 360, smartphones and tablets. Yes, it’s like that around here. We are strict about how and when our girls can be online. I have heard so many stories lately of kids being kids and thinking of new ways to explore under the radar. I was contacted by Trend Micro recently and took the opportunity to send online child safety questions to Natalie Severnio, Director of Consumer Product Marketing. Ms. Severnio provided in-depth responses to my questions, so I have made a post for each.

Me:

This is drawn from a conversation I recently had with a friend at our school.

“My 12 year-old daughter has a Facebook account. The deal is that we have her password and can delete anything we feel is unfit on her account. It seemed to be working well until we found that she has a second account. How can I keep better tabs on her online activity?”

Natalie Severnio:

Unfortunately (or fortunately) kids are really smart and sneaky. When they have something that they really want to do, they are going to find a way to do it. I’ve spoken with many parents who have run into similar situations … they think that they know what is happening because they have “friended” their child, not knowing/understanding how easy it is to block certain people from seeing a response, photo, wall post, etc … I’ve also met parents who have told their kids that they can’t have an account only to find out that they set one up secretly… you get the idea!

It’s a fine line. You want to show your kids that you trust them and not overly infringe on their privacy. At the same time, there are consequences to their actions that they don’t fully grasp, and it’s your job to keep them safe. This is exactly why we developed a technology tool to help parents. It’s called Trend Micro™ Online Guardian. Online Guardian allows parents to monitor their children’s social networking activities through simple reporting. Our product is not spyware. The way that it works is that the child has to agree to be monitored in order to access the Internet once the software has been set up. Once that is done, we hook in at the account level, meaning that we can monitor their account from anywhere that they log in… a friend’s house, the library, their phone, wherever. Once they log in once and agree, we will pick everything up. And that’s true for however many accounts they log into from the computer. So, in your situation, if your daughter logged into that secondary account from the home computer one time, we would then start reporting on it for you. You can get more information here: Online Guardian for Families by Trend Micro.

Aside from installing the security software, it is important to have a conversation with your child about their online activity to help them to stay safe. Because some parents can find this conversation to be tricky, Trend Micro developed a free eGuide with helpful tips on how to have this discussion successfully. To view the eGuide, parents can visit trendmicro.com/thetalk. Some of the tips include:

• Establish a general sense of trust between yourself and your child, so that your child knows he or she will not be judged for sharing feelings or telling the truth. This will assure that he or she can tell you about anything online that makes them uncomfortable, and that all online privileges will not be lost because of it.
• Organize yourself before the talk, so that you yourself convey confidence. You don’t need to be a technology genius to talk about things, people and behaviors that are dangerous, but you do need to have a basic understanding of threat types and terminology. At Trend Micro™ we have published a glossary of key terms that can get you up-to- speed on Internet threats.
• Scale use of technology terms to your child’s age and computer-use level. You may be able to use terms from or read the Trend Micro glossary together with your pre-teen, but find “real-world” ways to describe concepts to a younger child. And some of the more sinister sounding tech jargon – think “virus” and “worm” – can make an impression on even small children.
• Make clear that you want to have this conversation about online protection, not because you think he or she will encounter a minefield of threats, but because you simply want the family to be prepared to respond if that happens. Compare it to the family rule that everyone wear seat belts in the car – chances are, you’ll get from Point A to Point B with no problems, but you want everyone safe should someone else run a red light. Acknowledge that there are more positive and fun things to do online than negative and harmful, but tell your child that it is your job as a parent to make sure he or she is aware of potential dangers.
• Listen. When you hear a passing reference to what a friend is doing online, use it as a natural entrée into a more meaningful chat, i.e. ‘What do you think about Jennie posting those pictures online? Do you think that sends a good or a bad message?’ A structured, sit-down conversation about online safety is a must, but also take advantage of everyday moments as opportunities to reinforce family online rules and values.

Read the free eGuide today.

About Trend Micro

Trend Micro is in the business of helping consumers protect their digital lives. In August the company released the industry’s first security software product bundle for protecting multiple devices and platforms, and in October the company announced an extension to its product line with the Trend Micro™ Titanium™ Maximum Security Premium Edition.  Titanium Maximum Security Premium Edition provides consumers with a complete security solution, empowering them to enjoy their technology safely.

Read Part Two of this interview.