Learn how your favorite magicians and superheroes can keep your children safe from cyber criminals, as well as other important ways for parents to urge their children to use strong passwords.
While many of today’s parents grew up when the Internet and the World Wide Web were in their infancy, the virtual world is practically inseparable from the real world for today’s youngsters. This new reality has its own set of obstacles for parents, such as educating their children about acceptable cybersecurity behaviors without making them appear as tiresome and difficult activities.
Nothing is more vital than teaching kids how to secure their internet accounts, as it is quite easy to create a large number of online accounts over time. As a result, understanding the way of selecting the proper password ahead of time will be quite important in their adult lives.
However, because we are talking about youngsters, it is critical that the lessons be as accessible, easy to comprehend, engaging, and easy to remember as possible. To commemorate World Password Day, which occurs on the first Thursday of each month in May, we’ll look at several ways you can demonstrate to your kids that picking the appropriate passwords can be fun.
Can passwords be fun?
Passwords are the first line of defense in preventing unwanted access to your critical data. Although many people believe that choosing a strong and secure password is the most critical component of IT security and that everyone should always ensure that it is set up correctly, multiple statistics, studies, and data breaches have proven that nearly no one follows this advice. You don’t have to look far; annual statistical lists of the most used passwords are regularly populated with options like “12345” and “password.”
If these password lists were shown to youngsters, they would most likely find them amusing and easy to remember. Funny? It’s possible. Is it simple to remember? Sure, Dangerous? Categorical! This is not a behavior you want to encourage. Instead, you may show them how to avoid common password-creation mistakes and educate them on how to do it effectively with the help of amusing gimmicks. You can begin by informing them that passwords are far safer and easier to remember than a simple combination of letters, and you can make a game out of it by selecting such a phrase to serve as a password.
This could include putting a witty joke or phrase known only to the family into the pass, or elements from their favorite books or movies, such as “MasterYodaAre.66MetriInaltime!” As you can see, it has all of the characteristics of a good access expression: length, a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, special characters, and digits. Alternatively, you can combine a few of the small ones’ favorite things, such as the book and their favorite meal-“HarryPotterAnd5DinoNuggies!” A vital point to remember and teach youngsters is that passwords should never be shared with anybody; passwords should always be kept secret.
Do you have to remember them all?
Now that you’ve taught your kids how to make a one-of-a-kind and powerful access expression, keep in mind that they’ll be creating a plethora of online accounts throughout their lifetimes. And if you don’t want to burden them with inventing one every time and then having to remember it, which will become nearly impossible as the number of passwords grows, you’ll need to implement a solution that streamlines the process.
In the explanations, you’ll find a password manager, which is a program that stores all of your login information in an encrypted safe and can generate difficult passwords for you. This means that children will not be required to generate, store, or finish passwords. Every time, the manager will create a distinct complexity for their internet profiles. All they’ll need to remember is a unique master access expression from which they can choose jointly.
Multi Factor authentication-undercover spy method
As a result, your children’s accounts should be secure, and password management should be thoroughly understood. However, adding an extra layer of security would be extremely beneficial in order to keep some important accounts protected. This is where multifactor authentication (MFA), commonly known as two-factor authentication (2FA), comes into play.
One of the most prevalent 2FA methods is the automatic text notifications you receive (through SMS or email) whenever you attempt to login into an account. Unfortunately, this is not the safest approach because text messages can be intercepted in extreme instances. As a result, one of the more secure options, such as an additional authentication program or a hardware solution, such as authentication tokens, is recommended.
When it comes to physical tokens or authentication software, it’s easy to describe their functions in a way that children can grasp. They’ve most likely watched a cartoon or a children’s movie in which the protagonist is a schoolboy by day and a superspy at night. So you can explain to them that an authentication program is a special tool that provides small spies with a unique code that only they have, allowing them to access sensitive information classified as top secret.
Conclusions
While teaching children appropriate cybersecurity behaviors may appear to be a difficult undertaking, it is critical to begin early, especially in this digital age. Combining instructional and enjoyable aspects, on the other hand, can be a valuable and enjoyable activity that teaches your children how to stay safe online.