Get your kids tech-ready for school with these 7 tips

Chances are your child is getting ready to go back to school with one or more devices tagging along.

Sandrina Rodrigues

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Aug 30, 2023, 8:30 AM

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Updated 449 days ago

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Chances are your child is getting ready to go back to school with one or more devices tagging along.

Most students are now equipped with a laptop, tablet or smartphone, so it’s a good idea to get them and their tech ready for any possible hack.

Below are some tips to make them tech ready for school:

1. Talk to your kids about cybersecurity

According to the Federal Trade Commission, identity thieves look for high-tech ways - like lifting our passwords - to get their hands on our money and personal information. So it’s important to talk to your kids about cybersecurity from an early age.

Teach students to keep their personal information private; avoid sharing their name, address, telephone number, birthday, passwords, and the name of their school when using the Internet.

Think twice before posting or saying anything online; once it is in cyberspace, it’s out there forever.

Here are some more tips to talk about cybersecurity with kids from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

MORE: Identity theft can happen to anyone. Reduce your risk with these 4 tips

2. Use unique passwords for everything, and enable two-factor authentication

Passwords should be as long as possible, and unique for each device. Create strong passwords with eight characters or more that use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols

Two-factor authentication can provide an extra layer of security by requiring anyone logging in to a device to provide another credential, such as a one-time code sent by SMS or email.

Most attackers that have access to a stolen password will not have access to a secondary credential.

MORE: Do you constantly reuse the same username and password? 6 steps to help safeguard your online accounts.

3. Privacy settings

Use and check privacy settings on email, and on social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.

4. Don’t open emails or messages from strangers

Think before you click - don’t open emails from strangers, and don’t click on links for unfamiliar sites.

If the offer is too good to be true, then it probably is. Hackers use tricks designed to get you to give up personal information or click on links to automatically install malware or spyware.

MORE: 8 tips to spot fake shopping sites and avoid being scammed

5. Keep an eye on your cellphone and tablet

Never leave your mobile devices, like a cellphone or tablet, unattended. Always lock your device when you are not using it.

MORE: 6 things you can do right now to protect your smart home devices from hackers

6. Know your apps

When downloading new apps, check that they’re from a reputable source, and review its settings.

7. Only connect to the internet if needed

Disconnect your device from the internet when you aren’t using it, and make sure your device isn’t set to automatically connect to Wi-Fi.

Public Wi-Fi is not in a secure network and is open to hackers. SafeWise recommends that you use your cellular plan instead of a public network.

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