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The digital age has brought with it incredible convenience and comfort, but it would be foolish to dismiss the myriad of threats that have been generated by the wanton proliferation of technology. Now that everybody has a smartphone, computer, or similar digital device, a harmful data breach or intrusion upon your personal privacy is just a few clicks away.

This has frustrated many parents who are trying and failing to teach their kids about cyber security, online privacy, and properly securing their digital devices. 

Don’t fret if you don’t know where to begin teaching your kids about the digital age. Here are 5 ways to keep your family safe in today’s digital world while preparing them for an even more tech-defined future. 

1. Address cyber security early on 

The biggest mistake you can make as a parent trying to keep your family safe is failing to teach your kids about cyber security early on in their lives.

You may think that online privacy is a daunting topic that’s too complex for a small child, but the truth of the matter is that modern children are incredibly comfortable and familiar with digital technology and need to be taught sooner rather than later. Delaying will only endanger your child’s digital privacy and the wellbeing of your home network, especially now that hackers are deliberately targeting children in an effort to access their parent’s financial information. 

A good rule of thumb is that if your children are old enough to be using their own digital devices, they’re old enough to be taught about digital security and common sense safety tips. Teach them the importance of good, private passwords and constantly stress that being courteous and safe online is essential if they want you to keep letting them access the internet. 

2. Ensure your family’s files are protected

Practically everyone is using cloud storage these days, especially families. You probably use it to store family and vacation photos for easy sharing, or to keep a copy of all your important family records. Your kids also use it to store school projects and class notes and documents they may need to access from various devices.

What you probably don’t know is that files being transmitted and stored in the cloud are at greater risk for hacking or theft. Cybercriminals often target larger companies like those that offer cloud storage because they know they can get a large amount of data from many private users all at once.

Therefore, it is important when picking a cloud storage tool for your family, that you pick a secure one. You should also ensure that the one you choose offers TLS/SSL protection, 256-bit AES encryption, and file encryption. This will ensure that your files are kept secure from individual attacks and make the cloud storage company much less vulnerable to large scale hacking.

Luckily, some cloud storage solutions are becoming more aware of cyber threats which family members face when using cloud storage. Take pCloud for example, which set out on a mission to keep families safe from the cloud. This cloud storage solution offers a secure cloud storage plan especially for families in order to keep all family members safe from digital harm.

3. Consult reliable sources 

You may understand the importance of teaching your kids about cyber security early on, but what if you’re not particularly tech-savvy and are unsure of where to begin?

Consulting reliable sources is the only surefire way you can properly educate your children without inadvertently filling their heads with misinformation that could lead to a data breach somewhere down the line.

The Department of Homeland Security has issued a helpful guide to parents when it comes to this issue, so don’t be afraid to review their families presentation and familiarize yourself with its definitions and content. 

4. Learn to monitor their internet usage

Some children are too young to care for themselves, yet they still may need access to the internet for educational purposes. Learning to monitor the internet usage of your family is important if your younger kids aren’t yet capable of safeguarding their personal information.

Check out this helpful list of apps which can help you monitor and even limit the screen time of kids who are having a tough time putting their devices down when the real world comes calling. 

Remember that being too overbearing can backfire, however; you want your children and family members to trust you and being too intrusive can drive them away and into the arms of internet services which can mask their online activity. Respect their personal boundaries while keeping them safe, and you won’t have to worry about them turning away from your advice.

5. Monitor your own behavior

Finally, parents would be fools to think that their families and children are the only things they need to be monitoring. You should pay special attention to what you post online when it comes to your family; you may think posting images to social media platforms may be harmless, but you never know who’s watching or whether your children will be happy to have their images on the internet in a few years’ time. 

Be aware of your own behavior and susceptibility to failure, and teach your family to be similarly cautious, and you’ll have few issues as you navigate the digital world of the 21st century.