ESET, the digital security company, shared three tips, saying that it is the duty of parents to inculcate appropriate cybersecurity habits in children. When educating kids about online safety, it's a good way to start with passwords. While many agree that creating a strong and secure password is a simple task and that everyone should do it, numerous statistics, surveys and data breaches show that many do not follow this advice. In annual lists of the most commonly used passwords, we constantly come across weak passwords such as “123456” and “password”. You shouldn't have to check your kids' passwords for the rest of your life. Instead, you can show them how to protect them from the pitfalls of creating passwords and teach them how to do it in a fun way. Here are three steps you should follow to encourage your child to use secure passwords.
“Secure your security with password strings”
A good password is hard to guess. Teach your kids that a password string is much more secure than a simple password, and even make it a game to create a password string. This could be including a family joke you only know, or a phrase from their favorite book or movie, in the password string, for example, “MasterYoda is 0,66Meters!” As you can see, this has all the characteristics of a good password string: upper/lower case, special character and number inclusion, and length. The longer the password string, the fewer special characters or numbers you need to secure it. Alternatively, you can combine a few things they like, such as their favorite book and food. Tell your children that they should never share their passwords with anyone, and that passwords should always be kept private.
“Help kids with a password manager”
You taught your children how to create a strong and unique password string; You also know that they will create countless online accounts throughout their lives. Because creating and remembering passwords for each of these accounts will become impossible, you need to offer them a solution that will simplify the process. A password manager is an application that stores your login credentials in an encrypted vault and is designed to generate complex passwords for you. Download a password manager to make it easier to remember passwords. So your kids don't have to create, memorize and fill in complex unique passwords for each of their online accounts; the manager does this for them. All they need to remember is a unique master password string that you created together.
“Take advantage of layers of security”
Your children's accounts are now secure, and password management is streamlined. But it's also worth adding an extra layer of security to keep your accounts safe. That's why it's important to use multi-factor authentication (MFA) or two-factor authentication (2FA). Overall, one of the most common 2FA factors used is SMS-based. When you try to log in to an account, you will receive an automatic text message with a one-time use code that allows you to continue. Unfortunately, this is not the safest option as cell phone numbers can be faked and text messages can be intercepted. Therefore, it is better to opt for one of the more secure methods, similar to a hardware solution, such as an authentication implementation or authentication tokens suggested by Jake Moore. When using physical signs or authenticator apps, it's easy to make them fun for kids to understand. Every child has seen a cartoon or children's movie where the hero is a student by day and a super spy by night. Based on this, you can explain that the authenticator application is a special tool that sends a unique code that only they have to the spies and gives them access to top secret information.
“It is good to start at an early age”
Although it may seem difficult to teach children appropriate cybersecurity habits, it is important to start at an early age, especially in the era of digitalization. It can also be a useful and exciting bonding exercise that combines clear and fun elements to teach your kids to have a safe time online. First of all, appropriate password education given to children at an early age will also be reflected in their adult lives.
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