Protect Your Safety Online, Say NHA IT Experts

A few simple tips help parents keep their children safe online

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Oct. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With one flip open of their laptop, students have instant access to more information than can fit in a school library. Surfing the web to do research for a project or searching for tips on how to give the best presentation are productive ways students engage with the seemingly endless internet.

However, one wrong click can invite viruses and compromise personal data, putting users at risk. Ensuring online safety is a priority for National Heritage Academies' (NHA) Manager of IT Security Tony Amato and IT Governance Risk and Compliance Analyst Mark Jacobs, who share a few simple tricks can prevent disaster.

Build Strong Habits Early On

Creating healthy online practices is the foundation of your internet safety plan, they said. The earlier parents establish with their children what is appropriate online, the safer their internet experience may be.

Amato said internet safety starts with a conversation, and that parents should approach their children about this topic early on.

"If you think that your student is responsible enough to be on the internet without you standing over their shoulder, then you should have those conversations," Amato said, adding setting ground rules creates a partnership between parents and their children.

Specifically, social media is one area of the internet where online safety is crucial because these platforms often contain personal information, making people more vulnerable to bad actors online.

"A good starting point is understanding what you're doing on social media," Amato said, adding these channels are one way bad actors try to scam unsuspecting people. "Take time to let your child know that whatever you do or say or put on the internet will be there forever."

Use Tools to Ensure Safety Online

Amato and Jacobs shared there also are online tools parents can use to keep their kids safe. One recommendation is an ad blocker.

"You should try to have an ad blocker installed so that kids can't accidentally click on ads that will take them to a myriad of sites," Amato said. "This can be anything from inappropriate websites all the way up to malware, which can download viruses to your computer."

Another step that parents can take is to create a kids' account through their web browser, or the location where you access the internet. Jacobs shared that through any web browser parents can create these accounts and control certain aspects of their child's online search activity. He said parents can restrict websites, create rules, and set timers on their children's internet use.

"You have the power to go and review everything that they did, clicked on, and looked at," Jacobs said.

Stay Vigilant of Scams

The biggest threat to online safety for families, according to Amato and Jacobs, are scams that may come through your email or text messages. These schemes are not limited to platform or age – scammers will try to take advantage of everybody.

Amato said that when you see suspicious messages or activity, you should verify with the person or company reaching out.

"If somebody sends you a text message with a link and you don't recognize the number, you should reach out to them at a number they would normally text you from to confirm it was actually them," Amato said. "If it's an organization reaching out to you, go to their website and call tech support."

Two of the most prominent seasons are around the corner for scammers: the election and holidays. Amato said scam attempts will also see an uptick during tax season.

Simply verifying who is sending information is an easy way families can steer clear from scams and remain safe online.

"Understand what big events may be coming up," Amato said. "Then, if you start receiving random emails, texts, or phone calls, you know it's probably not true and can verify with a good, known source."

About National Heritage Academies:
National Heritage Academies (NHA) is a network of 100 tuition-free, public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 68,000 students in kindergarten through 12^th grade. For more information, visit nhaschools.com. To find the nearest charter school near you, use the NHA school finder.

SOURCE National Heritage Academies