Parents and carers across the country have a new tool to help teach their children about cyber security, with the launch of the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s (ACSC) kids’ guide to using the internet securely.
Announced by Commonwealth Assistant Minister for Defence, Andrew Hastie, the Centre also launched a Quick Wins for your Portable Devices guide for adults to use on their own mobiles, laptops and tablets.
“Cybercriminals actively target children to exploit, and to steal money and personal information, and parents need resources to educate their children about cyber security, and to defend their families against online threats,” Mr Hastie said.
“Last financial year, nearly 90 per cent of cybercrime reports to the Australian Cyber Security Centre came from individuals and families, and there were over 1,100 reports of cybercrime made by or on behalf of children under the age of 18,” he said.
“Cybercriminals are also targeting schools, where, late in 2021, an Australian school was targeted in a ransomware attack, but thankfully, the school’s prompt actions to contain the threat meant that no ransom was paid and no data was stolen.”
Mr Hastie said there were a lot of internet-connected devices in Australian homes that may not be secure, “so taking a few minutes to check security settings may save you a lot of time, stress and money should someone malicious seek to attack or compromise them”.
“Aussie kids are spending more time online – using internet-connected devices for school, social media and gaming, so it’s vital the whole family knows how to be secure online,” he said.
“It’s never too early to start learning cyber-secure behaviours like not sharing your personal information online and not clicking on links from unknown sources.”
ACSC’s six-page Cyber Security Instruction Manual: A Kid’s Guide to Using the Internet Securely! can be accessed at this PS News link and its three-page Quick Wins For Your Portable Devices guide at this link.
