We cannot protect children online forever. But they can.

A Bitdefender study (Teens and online Threats, December 2017) reveals that 52% of teens use a security solution for their smart devices. Of those, 47% use a free one, 39% a paid one and 5% a trial.

Is this good news? We can worry about the half that doesn’t use one or praise the half that does. In any case, we are dealing with a new generation of digital natives in the online world. They like, share, chat, live stream, text and use apps we never heard about with a frenzy that we don’t understand and that sometimes scares us.

But one thing is for sure: all parents would like to know their children are safe online. A parental control app is an excellent tool since they start using the internet up to the point when they learn to avoid unwanted surveillance. In the long run, teaching and inspiring kids to become internet savvy is the only way they can take care of themselves.

For parents who don’t know how to begin the cybersecurity education, lots of resources are available online, including on this blog. Ideally, schools must get involved in this discussion about:

– how to use the internet safely – viruses, malicious malware, phishing, online privacy

– social networking etiquette – what to do and not to do online

– open communication on sensitive issues such as sexting, cyberbullying, predators

It’s never too early to start having the “talk” with kids about cybersecurity and empowering kids to make smart choices online. Parents and kids learning about cyberspace together could be fun.