Security Awareness for Children

The Internet plays an increasingly larger role in the everyday lives of our children [LS-09d]. As a learning and communication tool, it offers them a wide range of opportunities [SM-08]. It is an invaluable source of knowledge and encourages creativity and imagination. Research has shown that three quarters of European children are online availing themselves of these opportunities [LS-09d]. Unfortunately, use of the Internet has negative consequences: risks are encountered. These risks range from exposure to inappropriate content, undesirable contact from strangers, and even cyberbullying. Children may not have the necessary skills or knowledge to manage these online risks [BT-08]. So what can we do to protect them and ensure that they enjoy a safer, online experience? Eliminating online risk is an impossible task. Efforts in the past have focused on reducing children’s exposure to risk by controlling their access. Parental controls and monitoring, age verification solutions, walled-garden online environments and child-only social networking sites are some of the ways this can be achieved. However research has shown [N-09] that children can circumvent these measures. It also limits their opportunities and leaves children whose parents are not tech-savvy still at risk. It is clear that a more effective solution is needed. We can empower our children with the necessary knowledge and skills they need to stay safe online [BT-08]. We can raise their awareness of the risks they face and educate them about the safety and security issues they may encounter. An Information Security Awareness programme designed specifically for children will achieve this goal. It will encourage children to adopt safe computing skills and will promote good security practice. It will aim to make children aware not only of the risks they face, but also of the countermeasures they can utilise to protect themselves. This paper considers the need for an Information Security Awareness programme for children. It identifies the categories of risk children face online, discusses the results of a survey investigating children’s online activities and outlines the objectives of an awareness programme for children. By implementing such a programme, the author believes that we can allow our children to reap the full benefits of the Internet and enjoy a safer online experience