Marian Merritt, our Norton Internet Safety Advocate, has put together 12 useful tips for mobile phone safety for your kids. We all acknowledge the benefits of staying in touch with your children but have we taken all the measures to ensure they are protected against the most common risks? Take a look at the slideshow and find out how you can help your kids stay safe on their mobile.
1. Set a password – It’s basic, but can prevent bullying, sexting, or breaches of private information.
2. Tape a recovery phone number to the mobile - 50% of finders of mobile phones have the best intentions and may return the phone, a Symantec survey reveals.
3. Set up emergency contacts – Just in case they can’t get in the house for example.
4. Set up remote locate/lock/wipe software - An all-time favourite in locating your lost phone, let alone protecting private information from being accessed.
5. Install Security Software - Block malware, phishing attacks dangerous links and unwanted calls & texts.
6. Turn off geo-tagging - Although useful for mapping and security services, you should talk to your child about when and where it is sensible to share location.
7. Know the school mobile phone and mobile device policy - It is important to be aware of the school’s policy regarding the use of mobile phones/devices.
8. Review your contract together - It is recommended that you are in control of the extra fees that your child’s contract might be charged - set some limits and consequences, but get your child involved too.
9. Set up a nightly charging station in kitchen or den - This is particularly important in improving your child’s sleep and school performance by avoiding late night gaming or texting, (something we may all be guilty of), let alone minimising the exposure to mobile phone radiation when placed next or under the pillow.
10. Teach your child not to reply to unknown senders or callers - Scams, phishing, spam texts – they can lead to premium charges of hacked accounts.
11. Set rules for new apps and games - There is an abundance of apps out there, most of which may not be relevant or appropriate for your child.
12. Discuss cyber bullying, sexting and other risks if you don’t guard your phone. If you have any suggestions, additions or care to share your experience, feel free to leave a comment in the comment section below.