PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — By Fourth of July, children are deep into summer break. However, a break from school doesn't mean parents can relax their vigilance on what their children are doing and who they are communicating with in the cyber world.
WPTV sat down with cybersecurity expert Alan Crowetz for helpful tips.
"At this time of year, we want to think about the four for the Fourth," he said.
Your youngster is out of school, but their computer and cell phone use takes no break.
"I like to use the acronym B.E.S.T. The B is for don't let your kids use the boss account on the computer," Crowetz said. "Most computer systems are set up to where you have an administrator, or a boss account, and you can make a regular-user accounts so that your kid can log on with an account that has less permissions and less risks to the computer and to the child."
Next up is awareness. The E in B.E.S.T. stands for "eye's on."
"Put the computer in a publicly visible place," Crowetz said. "Can you walk by and see the screen at any given time? Do you notice your child suddenly turn the screen off or try to block the screen?"
Here's one cyber tip that is very important.
"S is for software," Crowetz said. "So, it is a no-brainer. You put on anti-virus software, there's a lot of internet protection software suites that block bad websites and manage the computers."
The final tip involves parents teaching their children computer safety.
"T is for train your children," Crowetz said. "Not enough parents are teaching their children the fundamentals of computer safety."
Cyber vigilance is essential for children and now is a good time to start training them.