Free Stuff

Checklist for Parents

This is one of a set of 6 free security checklists.  To see the others, click the "free checklists" link above.  To use the checklist, we suggest that you print it out, consider each point in turn, then tick the box when you've dealt with it.

Remember, this isn't a quiz or a test. You don't score points for each box you tick or leave blank, and there's no league table of top scorers.

		What	Why
1	c	Ensure that every PC that you and your children use is equipped with antivirus software, that the Windows firewall is enabled, that you run anti-spyware software at least once a week, and that the computer is set to automatically download and install security patches when they are released.	This basic quartet of security precautions will help keep the computer protected from hackers, viruses, and other attacks that arrive via email and the internet.
2	c	Ensure that the family PC is in a public place such as a living room or landing, rather than in a child's bedroom.	It's always a good idea to observe your children when they're using the internet, and to make children aware that they can't use the internet without being seen.  It will help to keep them safe, and help to reassure them of your desire to do so.
3	c	Parental control software, offered  by various internet service providers, can help to prevent children accessing unsuitable material.  Check out what your provider offers.	Such facilities can help to shield children from the worst of the internet, but don't use it as a substitute for good parenting.  It's your responsibility to understand the risks and to help prevent them becoming a reality.
4	c	Draw up an agreement with your children so that they know when they can use the computer, and what for.  Make clear any penalties that will apply if they don't stick to the agreement.	This will help to ensure that children don't over-use the computer or the internet, or become "hooked" on particular sites or chat rooms etc.
5	c	Always look out for signs that a child is being bullied or harrassed online.	Online bullying is, sadly, quite common.  It can take the form of abusive emails or mobile phone text messages, or defamatory comments in public chat rooms or in web forums.
6	c	The internet is a wonderful thing, that's hugely educational and highly enjoyable.  Ensure that your children are aware of this.	Lots of children find the internet daunting, because of all the horror stories they've heard about what happens there.  But the benefits far outweigh the problems, and it's always a good idea to explicitly point this out.
7	c	Teach your children some basic internet etiquette.	"Netiquette" covers topics such as the use of smiley symbols in email (the online equivalent of body langauge), and not abusing other people's generosity by asking lots of questions in forums without finding time to reply to other users' questions.  It will help your child become a good, and repsected, "netizen".
8	c	Some 25% of teenagers have travelled to a face-to-face meeting with someone they have so far only known online.  If yours are going to do this, make sure that you know about it.	It's vital that you know where they're going, and who they are going to meet.  If your child has been sent a picture of the person they're going to meet, ask for a copy.  If at all possible, ensure that the child takes a friend along.
9	c	Parental control software, or "net nanny" software, is available for most computers.  Explore what's available, and consider installing some on the family PC.	Such software can help to protect children from disturbing content, and can also help to automatically control or montor  how often the computer and/or internet gets used.
10	c	Familiarise yourself with popular web sites such as Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and Bebo, as well as other technologies such as blogs and Instant Messaging.	It pays to understand what your children are doing on the internet. Nowadays, merely looking at passive web pages has given way to viewing video clips of others, creating online diaries for the world to see, and sharing personal information with people around the world.
11	c	The internet makes it very easy to disguise one's identity.  If a web-based chat forum asks a new user for their age and sex, very little can prevent a 40 year old man declaring himself to be a 15 year old girl called Sarah and then chatting online to boys of Sarah's age.	Explain to your children that they should not always take on trust the things that they are told by people they meet on the internet.
12	c	Most computers and web browsers store, for a few days, the names of all the sites you visit in order to make it easy to re-visit those sites in the future.  Change the settings so that this information is stored for as long as possible.	This will help you discover the types of information that your child has been looking at online.  With Internet Explorer under Windows, you need to change the size of the Temporary Internet Files store, and the web browsing history.
13	c	Never allow children to make purchases online unsupervised, either with child-friendly prepaid debit cards or your own credit card.	It's important that children are aware that their online purchases will always be scrutinized.  It will also help them becoming innocent victims of fraudsters.
14	c	Stress the importance of never giving out personal information to online acquaintances that the child does not also know in real life.	This will prevent online predators or bullies from locating your child. Also, the more a predator or bully knows about the child, the easier it is for him to pass himself off as one of your child's known real-life friends or relatives.
15	c	Set up the family PC so that each user has their own logon username and password. And don't allow your children's accounts to be set up with "administrator" permissions.	If any undesirable material is found on the computer, separate accounts will help to reveal who downloaded it.  Also, it will make children aware that their online activities can be traced back to them in a way that can't easily be denied.  By not running as an administrator, any undesirable software which the child inadvertently downloads won't have the necessary privileges to install itself on the computer.