The New York State Division of Consumer Protection (DCP) is advising parents, guardians, and caregivers to review their online settings as the new school year begins. Whether their children are attending school in person, virtually, or following a hybrid schedule, the start of a new school year is a great time to ensure that everyone’s privacy remains protected while online.
“Going back to school this year may not be what we expected, but it’s an opportunity for all of us to reassess our home networks, as many students continue learning from home,” said New York Secretary of State Rossana Rosado. “If you’ve opted for remote or mixed learning for your family or are working from home, take advantage of the start of the new school year to ensure your systems are protecting you and not aiding malicious actors.”
With children spending more time online, parents must be vigilant to protect their children’s sensitive information and help prevent identity theft and fraud victimization. Children are 35 times more likely to become victims of identity theft. Children’s identities are especially attractive to thieves because child identity theft often goes undetected for years.
Parents and guardians of children under 16 are legally allowed to place a free security freeze on their child’s credit history. A security freeze prevents anyone from opening a credit account in the child’s name and stops credit reporting agencies from releasing the child’s credit report to third parties. A parent or guardian interested in placing a freeze can find helpful information on the DCP by clicking here.
Here are more precautions you can take to help prevent your child’s information from falling into the wrong hands.
Information Privacy
Protect your router. If the Wi-Fi router has the same password it came with out of the box, you should change it to something only you and your family know.
Protect passwords. The key to secure passwords is to update them regularly and make them unique. Teach your child to use a passphrase instead of a password and include special characters and numbers. If it becomes difficult to remember so many passwords, try a password manager with two-factor authentication. Most importantly, ensure your child knows to never share their passwords with anyone.
Check social media logins. Many apps allow the use of social media credentials to create a new account on their platform, but this gives the social media company access to the information in the app. Once a year (for example, at the start of the school year), check the list of apps accessed through social media accounts and delete those you do not recognize or no longer use.
Be cautious with information shared on social media. Explore privacy settings in apps and websites with your child and start a conversation about managing who sees what they post. Alert children to never reveal personal information, including full names, addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, or even where they go to school. This information can be used by online predators seeking to exploit them or reveal answers to security questions used to reset passwords, making your child a potential target for scammers looking to access accounts or obtain information.
Enable two-factor authentication. To increase the security of your child’s accounts, two-factor authentication will require your child’s password and an extra security code to verify their identity whenever they access their accounts.
Do not watch pirated content. You may have children eager for content they’ve found ways to stream for free, but pirated content is risky. Hackers can embed malware in videos, giving them access to your devices and home networks. In short, do not watch pirated content, and if you have, scan and update your computer’s security software as soon as possible.
Video Conferencing
Protect your privacy. The devices and apps we use are often set by default to share as much data as possible. Check the settings and make necessary changes to limit personal data shared.
Check the software version. Ensure you are using the latest version of the software or app. Security updates are regularly released by many video conferencing app companies.
Know the meeting organizer and only use trusted links where the meeting organizer controls who enters the meeting. Teach your child not to join video conferences where the link is public and anyone can join.
Beware of fake domains. Ensure the link is legitimate (for example, webex.com, zoom.us, hangouts.google.com) and leads to the specified location instead of redirecting to a different URL. Before clicking on a link, hover over it and check that the link is to the address you expect.
Log in on a secure network. Whenever possible, do not access an online conference with public Wi-Fi. Public Wi-Fi allows anyone nearby to see what you or your child is doing. Unsecured online conferences can transmit a lot of information, including passwords and meeting IDs, making it easier for someone to access the conversation or other personal information.
Make meetings “private.” When setting up meetings, schedule them as private so that only invited people can attend the meeting. Do not post the link in open forums like social media. Where possible, invite people directly through the app so that only those on the guest email list can attend the meeting.
Consider using a “waiting room” and do not allow entry to people before the meeting organizer arrives. Waiting rooms allow the meeting organizer to check who is entering and ensure that no uninvited guests participate.
The New York State Division of Consumer Protection aims to educate, assist, and empower consumers in the State. For more information on consumer protection, call the Consumer Assistance Center at 800-697-1220, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Consumer complaints can be filed anytime online at the Division’s website, www.dos.ny.gov/consumerprotection. You can also request a presentation at, www.dos.ny.gov/consumerprotection/informing/request_presentation.htm. Follow the Division on @NYSConsumer or www.facebook.com/nysconsumer.