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It seems a modern truism that every new generation will spend more of their lives online than the one before, whether that be through connected devices at home or school and work networks. So it’s probably a good idea to make sure your kids are cyber security savvy as early as possible — and the Australian Cyber Security Centre has released a handy checklist to help parents out.
While the checklist is to help kids stay safe, the ACSC site is aimed firmly at carers and parents, giving them the tools to keep kids in their care safe online.
The steps are pretty simple, but still very important.
The list is pretty simple, and honestly is good advice for any user of any connected device. But the utility of the ACSC checklist is its simple and plain language, with links to click through to learn more on each topic.
This makes it pretty perfect for anyone not all that tech-savvy to get a handle on.
The site also has some downloadable PDF resources which are more aimed at kids than carers. This includes a PDF cyber security instruction manual with colourful characters and security-related puzzles to keep youngsters engaged, and a poster and a similar checklist.
There’s even a colouring page. It’s not high art, but it should get the job done.
“The internet has enabled kids to learn, share and create more easily,” the ACSC said when it announced the new checklist. “But it has also become a space for cyber criminals to cause trouble and steal information from others. It’s vital to instil cyber secure behaviours early, so children learn how to identify cyber threats and mitigate against them.”
“The ACSC’s ‘Kids Cyber Security Checklist’ provides simple tips for primary school-aged children about the basic cyber security steps to stay secure online.”
You can find the checklist and additional resources here.
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.