Welcome to Cyber Security for Parents! Our mission is to educate parents so they can make informed choices about how to keep their kids and themselves safe online. The Internet provides amazing opportunities for education, entertainment, and communication with friends and family. Understanding how to use modern online tools is a critical requirement for success in many, if not most, careers. Fantastic services like YouTube and Netflix have become a central part of our culture and will play an increasing role in our children’s interactions with peers as they get older. In short, the philosophy of keeping kids off the internet is no longer a feasible or even desirable option.
If you have access to a computer at work or even if you use a computer at a public library or other public place, it is almost certain that there is someone behind the scenes working hard to keep that computer, and you, safe online. This is the job of the Cybersecurity Professional. We protect your computers from viruses and malware and we protect your private information from unscrupulous sites. We teach you how to identify a scam online and how to remain safe online. No seriously, we do. You know those security trainings you have to take? Those are really important, you should pay attention.
But at home, you probably don’t have anyone protecting your personal computers or securing your home network. And who is teaching your kids how to stay safe online? As parents, securing our home computer(s) and educating our children about online safety is as much our responsibility as teaching them to look both ways before crossing the street. Teaching kids good online safety habits will also make it much less likely they will become the victims of online crimes like identity theft when they become adults.
This site was created to help the average parent with no background in information technology or Cybersecurity understand the risks of modern computing and how you can minimize these risks. Our first goal is to educate, so we’ll explain issues in simple English so you can make informed decisions about how much and what kinds of risks you want to accept. We’ll also provide useful tips and links to resources that can help you address specific risks.
Should you ever have any questions, please feel free to post a comment and we’ll respond as soon as possible. You can also send us an email if you have a question about something you don’t want to share publicly.
Thank you for your time and please, stay safe out there.
Sincerely,
Dan Chandler
CISSP, CSM, Dad